US power grid added battery equivalent of 20 nuclear reactors in past four years

[Alan Ambrose]

See: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/24/power-grid-battery-capacity-growth

 

This sounds good, but what are the implications:

 

No point in having house-based batteries as the grid does it cheaper?

Renewables + batteries as good as nuclear etc?

More transmission capacity required?

[ProDave]

Batteries don't generate power.  They help smooth the peaks and troughs of usage demand and match it to also variable renewable generation.  No more no less. so they will be an essential part of a more renewable generation.

[PNAmble]

 I find it very funny all these people working out ROI on PV and Battery on export at 15p when in 12-24 months we’ll be the same as California and you’ll be at -15p.  
 

this will move really quickly so be very certain on your ROI re renewables. 

[SteamyTea]

Why do they not mention the storage capacity in the article.  It is all very well having x amount of GW, but for how long.

Edited October 26 by SteamyTea

[Alan Ambrose]

Written by liberal arts grad trying to explain to ‘the man in the street’? (ducks and hides behind wall)

[Alan Ambrose]

OK so:

 

Kimberly is a journalist/lawyer

Mark is a thought leader with degrees in geography and history

 

Here’s the source: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=63025

 

Actually maybe that way of reporting capacity is somehow standard for some reason?
 

https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/california-energy-storage-system-survey#:~:text=From 2018 to 2024%2C battery,by the end of 2024.

For baby batteries, I know the generation/current is often specified in ‘C’ with C being the capacity and often around 1 see e.g. https://www.power-sonic.com/blog/what-is-a-battery-c-rating/

Edited October 26 by Alan Ambrose

[Alan Ambrose]

@PNAmble - are you saying grid supplied PV will get super cheap v soon?

[SteamyTea]

16 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

C being the capacity

Without checking  I think it is for coulomb, hence the capital C.

A coulomb is an amp.second.

[SteamyTea]

18 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Actually maybe that way of reporting capacity is somehow standard for some reason

If it is used for load balancing, then peak power can be useful measure.

They could just put in both quantities i.e 1 GW, 300 MWh.

[Iceverge]

38 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Mark is a thought leader

 

I too am a thought leader. 

 

The trouble is though, that I have no thought followers.

[SteamyTea]

17 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

The trouble is though, that I have no thought followers

The ones that follow my thoughts end up in trouble.

 

I was chatting to vicar and had a thought.

'when does a cult become a religion?'

The stock reply of 'when you get 1 million followers' came out.

That was not good enough for me.

[Dillsue]

2 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

@PNAmble - are you saying grid supplied PV will get super cheap v soon?

Be interesting to know where those installing renewables are going to get their ROI if this becomes the case

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> Without checking  I think it is for coulomb

 

Yes it is, but in another context it's also the battery charge/discharge rate (which may be different). So, a 10 Ah battery which has a 1C charge rate and 2C discharge rate will charge ~10A in 1 hour and discharge at ~20A in 0.5 hour.