Jon Sigvert’s Post

Whenever there is a mention of wind and solar power it seems that the first thing people say is, “Sure it’s great when the wind is blowing, and the Sun is out but what are you going to do when it’s not?” And yes, wind and solar is not an on-demand baseload energy in the same way as coal or nuclear. But does that mean it cannot be part of the “baseload” future? Check out the latest The Grove article "Big Batteries" on the move to green energy and how wind and solar will be part of the mix. https://lnkd.in/egcmZWDx #solarenergy #windenergy #greenenergy #energysolutions #LDES #energystorage #energystoragesystem #energystoragebattery #baseload #peakload #energyinnovation

#CoalPower #SolarPower #WindPower #USA #EnergyInformationAdministration #EIA "An inflection point in U.S. energy looks imminent. Driving the news: Combined power generated by wind and solar is slated to eclipse coal-fired electricity next year, as the sources move in opposite directions. Why it matters: The milestone, forecast by the Energy Department's independent statistics arm, helps tell the ongoing story of massive changes to the U.S. power mix. The big picture: Coal has long declined thanks to pollution rules and relatively inexpensive and abundant natural gas — now by far the largest power source. Meanwhile, the march of renewables is fueled by cost declines, federal subsidies, state energy policies and more. Zoom in: The Energy Information Administration sees gas with a 42% share of U.S. electricity next year, with coal at 15%, all renewables (not just wind and solar) at 24%, and nuclear at 19%. The bottom line: The country's power mix is changing fast, but it's still a long way from the White House goal of 100% carbon-free power by 2035." Via Jennifer Granholm

⚠ I am saddened by all the negativity I read in the (social) media about the energy transition, the move to a more human-, environmental and climate friendly energy system for our societies and economies. ➡ Some good news to counter it: According to think tank Ember, production of "Electricity (is) at its cleanest, as wind and solar generate 12% of global power The carbon intensity of global electricity generation fell to a record low of 436 gCO2/kWh in 2022, the cleanest-ever electricity. This was due to record growth in wind and solar, which reached a 12% share in the global electricity mix, up from 10% in 2021. Together, all clean electricity sources (renewables and nuclear) reached 39% of global electricity, a new record high. Solar generation rose by 24%, making it the fastest-growing electricity source for 18 years in a row; wind generation grew by 17%" So many times we read that it is impossible/uneconomic to power the world with renewable energy. Time and time again, the predictions that the grid will collapse, that we need as much fossil backup as we implement RES and the accusations that clean energy technology is actually depleting our resources are proven wrong by science and by positive evolutions. ✔ Let's keep up the good work and push the energy transition forward! #energytransition #renewableenergy #wind #solar #storage #bioenergy #hydro https://lnkd.in/e9DMru7N

The importance of gas as an energy transition fuel. Below are two great charts from the Cooper Energy 1HFY24 results presentation showing the importance of gas as an energy transition fuel. A key learning from the US is that the quickest, cheapest and most reliable way to reduce CO2 emissions is to convert coal fired power generation to gas turbines. The single biggest global source of CO2 emission reduction in the past 15 years hasn't been growth in renewables, it has been growth in US gas production replacing coal. https://lnkd.in/gkGPkXk3 Chart 1 shows the Australian NEM (National Electricity Market) electricity supply by source. What you can see is baseload generation from coal, big peaks in solar when available and peaking capacity from gas and hydro when solar unavailable. It’s an obvious point – but where does baseload come from when coal is gone? Solar can’t do baseload. It has to be from batteries or maybe nuclear. Neither batteries nor nuclear will be cheap - anyone who thinks we can transition off fossil fuels without power prices going up is kidding themselves. Someone has to pay for all that investment. Will it be the taxpayer or consumer? Chart 2 shows what happened in Victoria when the Loy Yang A coal plant went off grid due to the transmission tower failures on Feb 13th. We initially imported power from interstate (grey), then the gas generators kicked in (red). Solar did nothing. There's a key lesson there - we need firming capacity for emergencies – gas has to play that role in the interim whilst we build out the battery capacity. Also - think about how much excess and redundant battery capacity we need. That will not be cheap. Gas has a big role to play. That is why I'm so excited about Tamboran Resources Corporation latest flow test results from the Beetaloo Basin. With Bass Strait and the Cooper Basin rapidly depleting, gas from the Beetaloo could be the saviour of East Coast energy supply! https://lnkd.in/gty3WhTz #energytransition #naturalgas #electricitysupply #climatechange #beetaloobasin

Current planning The first steps of the transition have been manageable with renewable energy projects now meeting almost 50% of power demand, with surviving coal- and gas-fired power plants coping with dunkelflaute. With the rollout of energy efficiency measures, demand has actually dropped since 2000, avoiding need for grid reinforcement. The main downside has been that consumers are now paying hundreds of millions of pounds each year as compensation to wind farm owners to switch off supplies when the grid is oversubscribed. Along with the out-of-date balancing point price mechanism, these payments have led to the UK being saddled with Europe’s highest priced electricity. To decarbonise the remaining 50% of our supplies and meet the growing demand from electrification, we will need the equivalent of either 20 new Dogger Bank wind farms or 15 new Hinkley Point nuclear plants by 2050. Unleashing solar or promoting onshore wind farms will contribute to the goal but private investment in any of these technologies will only materialise alongside offtake guarantees. Major power investments are auctioned under “contracts for difference” agreements guaranteeing payment. To avoid the situation where we continue to pay hundreds of millions or even billions of pounds annually to shut in supplies, we must have a strong and flexible grid system with energy storage capability to match supplies to demand throughout the year.

US wind energy out-produced coal in March and April.  Deployment of wind and solar plants are expanding in the US, and globally, at accelerating rates as the cost is dropping below nuclear, coal and even natural gas. The trend will continue as coal is replaced by renewables in the pecking order. Energy storage and batteries are essential and must keep pace. #ANDnotOR https://lnkd.in/eMtWKUrt

Global investment in low-carbon electricity will rise to 10 times as much as fossil fuel power this year due to an increase in spending on solar projects, according to the International Energy Agency. The global energy watchdog has predicted that investment in clean energy including renewables and nuclear power as well as electric vehicles, power grids, energy storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency improvements and heat pumps will reach $2tn this year. The global clean energy investment figure, which topped fossil fuels for the first time last year, is likely to be double the $1tn forecast for coal, gas and oil in 2024, the IEA said. https://lnkd.in/eWffv3XX

Will renewable energy surpass nuclear and fossil fuels? 🌍 Climate change awareness is reshaping our global economy, with key sectors reevaluating their impact. This pivot is most evident in how we generate and consume energy. As fossil fuels remain major emission contributors, the spotlight turns to renewable energy sources. Let's Break Down the Renewable Energy Spectrum: - Hydro 💧: Powers 15.3% of global electricity. - Wind 🌬: Making strides with 6.6%. - Solar ☀️: Shining at 3.7%, and notably cost-effective. - Biomass 🌱: Contributes 2.3%, a blend of tradition and innovation. - Geothermal ♨️: A less common source, under 1%. Combined, these sources accounted for about 28% of global electricity in 2021. Notably, solar and wind costs are significantly lower than coal, suggesting economic viability. With these advancements, a crucial question emerges: Will renewable energy surpass nuclear and fossil fuels? While renewables are growing rapidly, fossil fuels still dominate. The International Energy Agency forecasts a 60% growth in renewable capacity by 2026, potentially matching the combined power output of fossil fuels and nuclear. The future energy mix is evolving – will renewables lead the way? #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #FutureOfEnergy

At DLL Solutions we just picked up on the recent phenomenon of negative electricity prices in France due to an overabundance of renewable energy generation. This situation, where surplus solar and wind power leads to negative prices, highlights the urgent need for enhanced energy storage solutions. While it underscores the success of renewable energy, it also presents challenges for future investments in the sector. How can we improve storage capabilities to better balance renewable energy supply and demand? Let's start a conversation in the comments section. #RenewableEnergy #EnergyStorage #Sustainability #CleanEnergyInnovation #EnergyTransition https://lnkd.in/esnDwETT