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Texas Has Enough Sun and Wind To Quit Coal, Rice Researchers Say (houstonchronicle.com)
According to new research from Rice University, Texas has enough natural patterns of wind and sun to operate without coal. "Scientists found that between wind energy from West Texas and the Gulf Coast, and solar energy across the state, Texas could meet a significant portion of its electricity demand from renewable power without extensive battery storage," reports Houston Chronicle. "The reason: These sources generate power at different times of day, meaning that coordinating them could replace production from coal-fired plants." From the report: Texas is the largest producer of wind energy in the United States, generating about 18 percent of its electricity from wind. Most of the state's wind turbines are located in West Texas, where the wind blows the strongest at night and in the early spring, when demand is low. The resource, however, can be complemented by turbines on the Gulf Coast, where wind produces the most electricity on late afternoons in the summer, when power demand is the highest. Solar energy, a small, but rapidly growing segment of the state's energy mix, also has the advantage of generating power when it is needed most -- hot, sunny summer afternoons.
In the summer, Gulf Coast wind generation could overtake West Texas wind capacity from about 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. when sea breezes kick in, Rice research showed. From about 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., solar power average capacity also could exceed wind generation in West Texas, which increases as evening turns to night. In the winter, winds in West Texas strengthen and generation increases, dropping off about 9 a.m., when solar energy begins to ramp up. "It's all a matter of timing," said Dan Woodfin, senior director of system operations at the state's grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Weather, however, remains unpredictable. Texas would still need battery storage and natural gas-fired power plants to fill in gaps when, for example, winds might slacken earlier than expected.
In the summer, Gulf Coast wind generation could overtake West Texas wind capacity from about 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. when sea breezes kick in, Rice research showed. From about 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., solar power average capacity also could exceed wind generation in West Texas, which increases as evening turns to night. In the winter, winds in West Texas strengthen and generation increases, dropping off about 9 a.m., when solar energy begins to ramp up. "It's all a matter of timing," said Dan Woodfin, senior director of system operations at the state's grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Weather, however, remains unpredictable. Texas would still need battery storage and natural gas-fired power plants to fill in gaps when, for example, winds might slacken earlier than expected.
Versus the cost(s) we face will undoubtedly face later.
Want to place a bet on which one will be greater?
Or will you just plug your ears and sing "la la la la la...." ?
As the Gulf Coast tends to see tropical systems of varying strength from time to time.
Unlikely wind turbines will be running during the storms and, if damaged, will need repair before resuming operation.
Same for transmission lines that would be carrying said energy across the State.
Just tax pollution and renewables will pay for themselves.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
If only someone could invent the idea of two modes of operation!
I guess nobody has ever heard of variable pitch turbines or "prop feathering" (which works as well for wind turbines as it does for propellor driven aircraft).
If Nicole Foss advocated for using less energy in that video, I couldn't stand the ignorance long enough to see it. Fact is, she predicted a non-industrial future based on unsustainable energy production which she justified by junk science she didn't understand and who's numbers were old, out of date and did not support her claims. She didn't "advocate' for using less energy, she predicted the collapse of known civilization which would force it.
Talking about faith based, to believe her you have as willfully ignorant as any religion.
You know, technology improves. Perhaps Nicole Foss should realize that.
Pay for extensive battery storage too? Who is going to pay for all this?
Who's going to pay to clean up after fossil fuels?
Low cost energy that stays on 24/7 at a low price is what a productive and export friendly state needs.
A predictable climate is what humanity needs.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Because there's no such thing as *Grid Scale* batteries.-> FIFY
Or... maybe there is now.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
At the risk of escalating this "debate":
...
Could wind turbines withstand Category 5 hurricanes"
This is one of many articles about wind turbines handling high winds. They actually have a "hurricane mode" into which they can be placed.
Article in NewScientist" on failure of wind turbine in the North Sea. And I quote:.
Much of the evidence was burned, and Infinis and Vestas disagree on which was the key initial cause of the destructive fire: Infinis believes it was the loss of yaw control, while Vestas thinks brake drag more the root cause. While Vestas has produced its own report, an expert was not available to discuss its findings with New Scientist. Vestas has since fixed the brake problem. In future, the feathered rotor will not have the brake applied in high winds; it will be free to turn if it needs to. “Vestas no longer do this and have modified all turbines at Ardrossan to prevent application of the parking brake, which is now only applied during maintenance,” says Infinis spokesman Andrew Dowler."
Guess what? The article also says: When wind speeds reach 88 km/h turbine blades of wind turbines are usually twisted, or “feathered”
I stand by my assertion. I will agree that airframes are susceptible to failure at airspeeds that are only modestly higher than normal operating airspeeds, however propellers (l.e. turbine blades) are much more robust - again, like propellers on aircraft.
For grins, I tried calculating tangential velocity of propeller tips on a Cessna 172, given a prop diameter of 76" and an RPM of 2800. My math may not be correct, but I've checked it in Excel and I think it works out to 622 MPH. By your reasoning, you wouldn't even make it off the runway before the propeller self-destructed.
Airframes and propellers have totally different strength characteristics, no?
Manufacturing can be clean or dirty, depending on how you do it but it's 100% pollution free after that. Fossil fuels also go through a manufacturing process which can be clean or dirty and it's 100% polluting after that.
What does that even mean? There are 100 years old hydroelectric power plants still in use today, the average coal plant in the USA is over 40 years old, the expected life span of a PV panel is 20-25 years, the expected lifespan of a wind turbine is still 20-25 years. You can NOT just say "heck, it is pollution free after manufacturing", that is like saying that a plastic fork is "pollution free" after manufacturing, so it is more environment friendly than a steel fork that you have to wash regularly (pro hint: in that case, it is exactly the other way around).
Measuring the real environmental impact of a given process is very hard, even subjective to some extent (are there pollutants better than others?). Measuring the real environmental impact _per energy produced_ is even more complex; if you take into account non-measurable quantities, like energy quality, availability etc. it is all politics.
Note: I did not delve into maintenance and upkeep costs. Usually, if it costs, it pollutes, so, no, nothing is 100% pollution free after manufacturing.
the expected life span of a PV panel is 20-25 years
Doubtful, given that many manufacturers offer 30+ year warranties. In fact experience tells us that 40+ years is not unreasonable to expect.
Wind turbines are in the 20 year range, but now the technology is more mature we are at a point where we will want to replace them rather than remove them.
But in any case, the manufacturing process is far less polluting than the lifetime pollution created by any other source of electricity.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC