11Prop’s Post

Solar had its second-biggest month EVER in January, with 2,527 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity coming online in January alone. Installed utility-scale solar now exceeds nuclear power! “Total solar capacity in the U.S. is even higher than FERC reports, because their measure of utility scale solar does not include small-scale, distributed solar, which accounts for almost a third of solar-generated electricity in the United States.” Read more on the continued rapid growth of utility-scale solar in the U.S.: https://lnkd.in/gCHwPd2X 

Displacing baseload generation with intermittent solar and wind requires grid operators to replace baseload generation with dispatchable sources of power to stabilize the grid. In practice, this means replacing low-carbon combined-cycle natural gas plants and zero-carbon nuclear plants with more pollution-intensive, carbon-intensive and inefficient intermediate and “peaker” natural gas plants. This incompatibility between baseload capacity such as nuclear and intermittent renewables such as wind and solar is part of the reason why Germany is retiring her nuclear fleet and building more flexible coal plants. https://lnkd.in/gdyF58a3

Interesting milestone and nice brief writeup on the state of the United States green energy mix. https://lnkd.in/gW5Yi-ur If you're interested, this second source lists overall mix in 2023 as Natural Gas (43.1%), Renewables - total (21.4%), Nuclear (18.6%) and Coal (16.2%) https://lnkd.in/gr-ZR-ce

This infographic provides great insight into the difference in power density. Nuclear saves space, it’s clean, it’s reliable, and, when built at scale, as demonstrated by China, it’s affordable. The U.S. - and the world - needs more nuclear, not less

Nuclear Power and Offshore Wind will be critical to the UK transition to a zero-emission electrical grid. SMRs can be useful for both electrical output, but also for domestic heating from their waste heat. Offshore wind is a low-cost renewable energy source that can be fairly rapidly deployed. It will be good to see more investment in UK manufacturing for both types of energy sources.

Some good news on the development of SMRs and their manufacturing supply chain in Sheffield. It will be good to hear about the integration of SMRs into the UK Grid, and the beneficial impact of their waste heat on district heating networks. The LCoE of SMRs is difficult to find, and although an imperfect measure, would at least allow some comparison against other low-carbon energy sources. All-in-all, a flexible output SMR could be a useful addition as part of the UK secure, low-cost and clean energy system. https://lnkd.in/eHZaNYp8 From Energy Monitor; "In the 2021 edition of its annual cost report, Wall Street firm Lazard estimated that the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from new nuclear plants will be $131–204 per megawatt-hour (MWh), whereas newly constructed utility-scale solar and wind plants produce electricity at somewhere between $26–50MWh." https://lnkd.in/erFpmqFT

Australia is abundant with natural resources, which renewable energy projects are already converting into more than 40 per cent of the electricity in our grid. Renewable energy backed up by energy storage, as well as pumped hydro and gas, is the lowest-cost future for Australian energy, and the most reliable way to replace ageing coal-fired generation. Nuclear might play a role in other countries, but it can’t compete against Australia’s world-leading wind and sun. The fact that we don’t have an existing nuclear power industry means it would take decades for the first plant to be built and time is not on our side. #cleanenergy #renewableenergy

Renewables Outpace Nuclear as Australia’s Most Affordable Energy Solution Amid Rising Costs A new report from CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) confirms that firmed renewables are the most affordable option for modernizing Australia’s energy grid, while nuclear energy faces escalating costs and lengthy construction timelines. Renewables Outpace Nuclear in Affordability According to the GenCost report, renewable energy sources, including the costs of storage, transmission, and firming, remain the most economical electricity generation option. By 2030, firmed renewables are projected to cost between $80 and $122 per megawatt-hour (MWh), compared to nuclear energy estimates ranging from $145 to $238/MWh for large-scale reactors expected to be operational by 2040. Small modular […] Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/dSyBJfvV #solarenergy #alternativeenergy #solarpv #pvsolar #photovoltaic #cleanenergy #cleantech #climatechange #australia #energy #energysolutions #renewableenergy #solarenergy

I found some insightful info on the energy landscape, and while nuclear energy continues to play a role in Europe’s energy transition, my focus remains firmly on supporting #renewables and innovative #energystorage solutions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) Electricity 2024, Analysis and forecast to 2026 Report notes that the share of low emission energy, driven by renewables and nuclear, is expected to increase from 67% in 2023 to 77% by 2026. In Europe, France's Flamanville-3 started supplying power last Dec. and Slovakia's Mochovce 4 is in commissioning phase. By reducing dependency on carbon-intensive sources and enhancing storage solutions🔋 Renewables can reliably meet growing energy demands while safeguarding our planet for future generations. #RenewableEnergy #EnergyStorage #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #Decarbonization

The "push" in the push for renewable energy taking a whole new meaning in Australia. 1. The 2024 CSIRO GenCost report assumes there is no extra cost for storage and transmission until renewables hit 60% of the grid. 2. CSIRO, while "making sure that information put into the public domain are facts", states that the capacity factor of wind is 48%, that of nuclear 53%, and that of coal is 60%. All this not during a casual discussion, but in the GenCost report, used to derive legislation and regulatory framework! 3 CSIRO implies nuclear technology is a "boutique area". We are paying for these people to guide us through the challenge of security energy. https://lnkd.in/gYZ22xhv