Energy production, storage, and future technologies

Really frustrating read on our power grid woes: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-insane-heat-wave-shows-our-grid-isnt-ready-for-climate-change/

And of course, extreme weather of all kinds endangers the state’s electric grid, which is already stretched to its breaking point. At least one of the six power plants that shut down on Friday had postponed scheduled repairs after ERCOT asked facilities to stay online to deal with the heat wave. Disastrous power outages during Winter Storm Uri last year turned a spotlight on the grid’s flagging capacity. While ERCOT claims to have added more generating power since last year, experts say that’s still not enough.


“They’re not accounting for climate change in these estimates,” said Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University who in addition to studying the science of climate change has researched the state’s power grid. To predict demand, officials rely on data from the past 15 years. But given that the climate is changing, “that’s not a good way to predict what the future is going to be like,” he explained.


Dessler urged the grid operator to change its policies and procedures.


“Climate change to ERCOT is like Voldemort in Harry Potter; you can’t name it. They have to be able to say the words ‘climate change,’ they have to understand that climate change is going to be a factor. And they have to include that in their forecasts,” he said.
Click to expand...

Like, we know this is all getting more severe. Heat waves, hurricanes, floods, you name it—all getting worse. Yet the issue—as with all the stupidest things in America and especially the dumbest problems in Texas—has been politicized to such a point to where the people who know what they're talking about can't even call "climate change" by its name.

For once in this state's cursed modern era, can someone in power please just put their big boy pants on and do SOMETHING to alleviate the problem, regardless of the political optics?! Grow a damn spine. We're roasting alive out here.
 
Storing heat in sand sound like something a viking in a sauna came up with:

polarnightenergy.fi

Polar Night Energy

Polar Night Energy - Seasonal heat storage in district heating and industrial applications. The energy revolution is here.
polarnightenergy.fi polarnightenergy.fi
 
civileats.com

From Farmland to Frac Sand

In the Midwest, fertile soil is being excavated in pursuit of fossil fuels, while communities suffer.
civileats.com civileats.com
 
Carbon +ve tech 🧙‍♂️
Stora Enso and Northvolt have entered into a Joint Development Agreement to create a sustainable battery featuring anode produced using lignin-based hard carbon produced from Nordic forest wood.
Click to expand...
northvolt.com

Stora Enso & Northvolt partner to develop wood-based battery

Lignin-based hard carbon will be used to develop world’s first industrialized battery anode
northvolt.com northvolt.com

Lauri Lehtonen, who is head of innovation at the company's biomaterials division, explains the process and outlines the potential benefits for automakers.
Click to expand...
europe.autonews.com

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE PODCAST: Jan. 13, 2022 | Why trees could help make EVs even greener

Finnish renewable materials company Stora Enso says it has found a way to replace the graphite used in lithium ion batteries with lignin, which it extracts from trees. Lauri Lehtonen, who is head of innovation at the company's biomaterials division, explains the process and outlines the...
europe.autonews.com europe.autonews.com
 
Just came to post this. Fucking hell, in other countries they would be executing officials for this.
 
Blind_Io said:
Just came to post this. Fucking hell, in other countries they would be executing officials for this.
Click to expand...

Seems like great tech:
China builds the world’s largest lithium-free battery
An 800 MWh redox flow battery has been designed to buffer load peaks, bridge lulls and heat homes
Click to expand...
www.en-former.com

China builds the world’s largest lithium-free battery | en:former

An 800 MWh redox flow battery has been designed to buffer load peaks, bridge lulls and heat homes. Read more about renewables on the en:former!
www.en-former.com www.en-former.com
 
NecroJoe said:
I see that was from about 15 months ago. Do we know how it's going, and have/are they completing the expansion this year?
Click to expand...
smartech.energy

First phase of 800MWh world biggest flow battery commissioned in China

Element of cell stacks on the accomplished demonstration system at VRB Energy’s undertaking in Hubei Province. Picture: VRB Energy. Commissioning has taken place of a 100MW/400MWh vanadium redox circulation battery (VRFB) energy storage system in Dalian, China. The most important undertaking of...
smartech.energy smartech.energy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top