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A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

121gigawatts.org

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Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#52
post #35

Meta: for those unfamiliar, 1.21 GW is a reference to the 1985 movie Back to the Future . Clip of the scene in question: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDuZqYeNiOA * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future If you haven't seen it, the entire trilogy is worth checking out: very fun and quite family friendly.

If you are a regular HN reader who is (or was until this post) unfamiliar with Back to the Future, I'd love to know three more random facts about your life. In my world view, you are part of a fascinatingly small group of people.

Part 3 came out in 1990. So, anyone born after (less than 34 years old) who didn't bother to go back and watch it, would be sufficient? I'm familiar with the series' existence, but had no idea what 1.21 reference was. AMA, hah.

Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#53

Meta: for those unfamiliar, 1.21 GW is a reference to the 1985 movie Back to the Future . Clip of the scene in question: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDuZqYeNiOA * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future If you haven't seen it, the entire trilogy is worth checking out: very fun and quite family friendly.

I thought they mean "jiggawatts" in the movie, i.e. more than bazzillion watts. Where do people pronounce gigawatts like that?

Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#54

Meta: for those unfamiliar, 1.21 GW is a reference to the 1985 movie Back to the Future . Clip of the scene in question: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDuZqYeNiOA * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future If you haven't seen it, the entire trilogy is worth checking out: very fun and quite family friendly.

I thought they mean "jiggawatts" in the movie, i.e. more than bazzillion watts. Where do people pronounce gigawatts like that?

On movie sets back when no one used "giga-" in daily conversation.

Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#55
post #35

Meta: for those unfamiliar, 1.21 GW is a reference to the 1985 movie Back to the Future . Clip of the scene in question: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDuZqYeNiOA * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future If you haven't seen it, the entire trilogy is worth checking out: very fun and quite family friendly.

If you are a regular HN reader who is (or was until this post) unfamiliar with Back to the Future, I'd love to know three more random facts about your life. In my world view, you are part of a fascinatingly small group of people.

I have kids that are in their late 20s. They never watch older movies unless someone forces them to. There is so much new media coming out that they don’t feel the need to watch older movies, even if everyone is telling them it is very good.

Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#56
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't. You guess based on generation, consumption and where the power lines are hooked up.

Absolutely false. Current flow is metered using current transformers. full disclosure: I install high voltage switchgear for a living.

Seeing current flow through switches isn't the same as seeing specifically where your power is coming from.

Like, if power from several different sources flows into a single substation before it goes to your home, you know exactly which source created the electricity you're using?

And if I purchase power from a 100% renewable company, is it always only electricity from their generators, never ever mixed in with power from other grid sources during downtime?

No, it's just best estimates based on generation, consumption and flow.

That's like taking a bucket of water out of the ocean and saying you know where it came from. Sure, it might have come from the nearest estuary, but odds are it got mixed in with water that originated somewhere else.

Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#59
post #35

Meta: for those unfamiliar, 1.21 GW is a reference to the 1985 movie Back to the Future . Clip of the scene in question: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDuZqYeNiOA * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future If you haven't seen it, the entire trilogy is worth checking out: very fun and quite family friendly.

If you are a regular HN reader who is (or was until this post) unfamiliar with Back to the Future, I'd love to know three more random facts about your life. In my world view, you are part of a fascinatingly small group of people.

I’ve been on the BTTF ride at… wherever in Florida it is, and I loved that as a teenager. The films just never really appealed though for some reason. I guess one related fact would be I have a lot of gaps like that in the movies I have seen. For instance, people are often shocked that I’ve never see any of the Indiana Jones movies (also loved the rides!); but Star Wars I could probably recite the scripts of.

I don’t think I have any other facts that are very interesting, but then again I didn’t think not having seen BTTF was all that interesting either. For the record I was familiar with 1.21GW and what it related to… I don’t live under a rock!

Re: A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if that still holds true nowadays with renewable energy and storage having got cheaper and cheaper.

What storage are you referring too? I see residential ones in houses but absolutely nothing of state-scale, which is necessary to keep industries and services running. Materials used for current storage technologies are expected to see demand skyrocket. We’re still to see the renewables going further than the residential proof of concept on a society scale. God bless plutonium.

The CAISO (California Independent System Operator) grid is a good example of large scale battery use (1). Texas is also seeing a ramp up of battery storage (2).

Whilst battery demand will increase it's expected costs will continue to decrease - "Innovation reduces total capital costs of battery storage by up to 40% in the power sector by 2030 in the Stated Policies Scenario"(3)

1. https://www.gridstatus.io/live/caiso?date=2024-11-27 2. https://modoenergy.com/research/ercot-battery-energy-storage... 3. https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-tran...

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