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A pretty visualisation of the European power grid (2022)

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

#101

From the bottom of the page: > TL;DR: we can delete most of the emissions of the developed world today by switching heating & car and truck transport to electrical - if we make sure we generate all electricity with near-zero emissions. Just building more renewable generation won't solve it though, as you still need to make sure it covers all consumption everywhere. This map intends to show why that's a complicated pr…

Stats on wind and solar curtailment on the Texas grid - https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=57100

"In 2022, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid manager for most of Texas, curtailed 5% of its total available wind generation and 9% of total available utility-scale solar generation. By 2035, however, we project wind curtailments in ERCOT could increase to 13% of total available wind generation, and solar curtailments could reach 19%."

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

#102

I get irrationally angry when a map is skewed in this way and there is no way to change it. The more you zoom in, the worse the distortion is made to be. Even zooming all the way out does not eliminate the angular distortion. This took actual effort on some programmer's part! Who ever thought that this is a good idea?!? It's like those navigational mini maps (car or computer game) that won't keep north pointing up...…

Angry or slightly annoyed? Because if angry is the right emotion then there might be some other underlying causes and this is just a trigger for them.

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

#103
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Electricity transmission is a bit like water pressure and distribution. You're not going to get the same electrons (or water molecules) that you subscribed to from various producers in the distribution network put in, the flow causality and the physical embodiments of production are different though related things.

Since your supply is alternating current, the electrons aren't net moving at all.

The question isn't even well-formed. It's like playing tug-of-war and asking exactly which player on the other team you're pulling against.

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

#104
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Couldn't you put that media on when they were kids?

I know movie nights are not a thing every family does but I'd imagine having one day modern movie, one day oldish from 80-90a, another day a classic from the 40s, etc.

Wouldn't that have worked if you started from when they were young?

I'm just thinking as that is my plan for when/it I have kids: mix older media with new one and just enjoy it with them. If it is truly good and not just nostalgia, they should be enjoyable even as a rewatch.

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

#105

I get irrationally angry when a map is skewed in this way and there is no way to change it. The more you zoom in, the worse the distortion is made to be. Even zooming all the way out does not eliminate the angular distortion. This took actual effort on some programmer's part! Who ever thought that this is a good idea?!? It's like those navigational mini maps (car or computer game) that won't keep north pointing up...…

Angry or slightly annoyed? Because if angry is the right emotion then there might be some other underlying causes and this is just a trigger for them.

Indignant, actually.

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

#106

When looking at France, at a zoom level where one can see the whole country, all the green dots are located next to nuclear power plants. It's a good reminder that the french grid is mostly powered by nuclear. It'd be nice to see the same map over summer to see if the different electric mix then gives birth to a different map.

if it wasn't for France having primarily used nuclear power decades ago, Europe as a whole would be in a much much worse state when it comes to CO2 emissions. That makes it abundantly clear that nuclear needs to be a part of the mix when it comes to non-emission generating energy production.

Germany’s net power grid imports are less than 5% (17% imports vs. 12.5% exports in 24H1), despite having no active nuclear power plants anymore. Around 60% of their domestically generated power currently comes from renewables (up 8% from last year). I don’t think it’s abundantly clear.

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

#108

When looking at France, at a zoom level where one can see the whole country, all the green dots are located next to nuclear power plants. It's a good reminder that the french grid is mostly powered by nuclear. It'd be nice to see the same map over summer to see if the different electric mix then gives birth to a different map.

if it wasn't for France having primarily used nuclear power decades ago, Europe as a whole would be in a much much worse state when it comes to CO2 emissions. That makes it abundantly clear that nuclear needs to be a part of the mix when it comes to non-emission generating energy production.

Usually in a sentence like "X makes it abundantly clear that Y" X should be some kind of objective fact, not speculation.

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

#109
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also, France gets 70% of its energy from nuclear, not 40%. No, it gets 70% of its electricity from nuclear.

[flagged]

Counting only electricity production when you are talking about CO2 emissions is dishonest. Cars also emit CO2.

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

#110
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I don’t understand what anything you wrote has to do with the topic at hand,

But I can tell you, each line is measured closely and billed accordingly. There is no guessing.

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