mrspaz's recent activity
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Comment on The solar-panel backlash is here in ~enviro
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Comment on Ten churches around the world that have been repurposed in interesting and creative ways in ~design
mrspaz Link ParentI found the location intriguing for sure. The beers are decent, they will occasionally have some in "hand pump" casks which is interesting. Food is "ok;" nothing spectacular, average and good...I found the location intriguing for sure. The beers are decent, they will occasionally have some in "hand pump" casks which is interesting. Food is "ok;" nothing spectacular, average and good pub/beer food.
I haven't been in a couple years but I agree it should be on the checklist if you'll be in the Pittsburgh area.
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Comment on Apple has acquired the Dark Sky weather app - Android version and website will shut down on July 1, API active through end of 2021 in ~tech
mrspaz Link ParentMy concern would be that it would be crippled. The distinguishing "hyperlocal" functionality of the Dark Sky API will likely be quashed, and that granularity and resolution reserved for Apple's...My concern would be that it would be crippled. The distinguishing "hyperlocal" functionality of the Dark Sky API will likely be quashed, and that granularity and resolution reserved for Apple's use. If they do that and it's reduced to "regional" weather, then it would just be another option amongst many.
The issue of transmission equipment is certainly one angle, but there are other considerations.
One of the things plant operators value above everything else is predictability. In order to connect their plant to the grid, they must make promises of availability to NERC. Basically they state "I will be able to supply x megawatts at $n when requested between <start date> and <end date>." NERC will hold them to this promise and fine them if they cannot meet it.
In order to ensure that they can meet their availability requirements, operators will often buy fuel far in advance, promising to purchase some tons of fuel over a time period at a price agreed upon today. When everyone is buying power from them, this works pretty well; they usually get a decent price on the fuel they know they are going to have to use when NERC demands they supply power to the grid.
When you start adding consumer solar, the predictability of availability and demand becomes less clear. When states mandate net metering, the operators have to account for consumer solar input, but often there's not a good mechanism for them to predict what will be happening with your equipment.
How much solar is installed? Did the capacity increase since last they looked? Will all the solar capacity be available on any given day when NERC requests peak input? What if it's cloudy or raining? What if your equipment is broken? There's now a possibility that the operator bought more fuel than necessary, wasting money (from their perspective). Alternatively, they try and predict supply, mess it up, and now can't meet NERC demands and are fined.
So operators are, on average, keen to ensure both predictable income (to cover fuel costs) and predictable demand (to ensure their fuel contracts don't provide "surplus" fuel and to avoid NERC penalties). Unfortunately this tends to have them shit on "disruptive" power sources like consumer solar.
It could be proposed that NERC back down a bit on penalizing operators, but then what happens when consumers experience brownouts or blackouts because operators were unable to predict usage exactly? This may also be alleviated by storage mechanisms (mega batteries or physical storage means), but this requires an up-front investment that may not see return for a very long time (if at all; particularly if net metering reduces the ROI on the fuel operators buy).
It ends up being a sticky situation because we have for-profit power generation. If all generation was state-owned, the costs of infrastructure change could be absorbed broadly as an overall improvement for everyone. But since we don't have that, we need to be cognizant of the investments required and careful not to pull the rug out from under current operators (and leave everyone in the dark).