Solar ... In the news

QrizB

michaels said:

So 102usd per MWh sounds good but this is for 97%. What does the remaining 3% cost using generation equipment that runs extremely intermittently for short cycles and how much co2 does it add?

It costs them same that intermittent power always costs. Not necessarily fossil fuelled peaker plant; it could be handled.by CAES, pumped hydro, interconnectors, demand management, etc.

thevilla

michaels said:

Martyn1981 said:

Hi QrizB, the link is broken, looks like you've been edited for a naughty word. As well as Birmingham, did you mention Scunthorpe? I fancy listening to it.

Here's the report to go with it, I'd have bet good money I posted it last month ...... but no can't find it. I suspect I must have previewed the draft, and never clicked post ..... something I'm quite fond of doing. 

I appreciate this is really more for sunnier climes, but that's where the majority of the world's population live v's the UK/Birmingham.

Solar electricity every hour of every day is here and it changes everything

Edit - Found the link, and yep I see why it got edited. I'll embed it to avoid the censorship (hopefully):
[double edit - nope MSE are too clever for that too.]

Solar+storage is so much farther along than you think

So 102usd per MWh sounds good but this is for 97%. What does the remaining 3% cost using generation equipment that runs extremely intermittently for short cycles and how much co2 does it add?

Edit. The report looks at a slightly odd metric of steady output. In reality in some areas solar plus storage may actually be more effective at meeting variable demand (Vegas with it's high aç usage for example) but in Birmingham it will be even less useful than the calculated 62% at 160usd per MWh as the supply is likely to be inversely proportional to demand.

https://cleaning-up-leadership-in-the-age-of-climate-change.simplecast.com/episodes/e208-anders-lindberg-IIsgp_Ku

This poscast has an interesting discussion on the last 5%ish of electricity generation.  Apparently reciprocating engines running on gas are "the answer" rather than ocgt: at least with current technology.

Martyn1981

michaels said:

Martyn1981 said:

Hi QrizB, the link is broken, looks like you've been edited for a naughty word. As well as Birmingham, did you mention Scunthorpe? I fancy listening to it.

Here's the report to go with it, I'd have bet good money I posted it last month ...... but no can't find it. I suspect I must have previewed the draft, and never clicked post ..... something I'm quite fond of doing. 

I appreciate this is really more for sunnier climes, but that's where the majority of the world's population live v's the UK/Birmingham.

Solar electricity every hour of every day is here and it changes everything

Edit - Found the link, and yep I see why it got edited. I'll embed it to avoid the censorship (hopefully):
[double edit - nope MSE are too clever for that too.]

Solar+storage is so much farther along than you think

So 102usd per MWh sounds good but this is for 97%. What does the remaining 3% cost using generation equipment that runs extremely intermittently for short cycles and how much co2 does it add?

Edit. The report looks at a slightly odd metric of steady output. In reality in some areas solar plus storage may actually be more effective at meeting variable demand (Vegas with it's high aç usage for example) but in Birmingham it will be even less useful than the calculated 62% at 160usd per MWh as the supply is likely to be inversely proportional to demand.

What's wrong with some wind turbines?

I read this as an example of what can be achieved, as a concept, and at what cost so that it can tracked - as the report says, the cost is 22% lower than a year ago.

Martyn1981

Fun coincidence - yesterday Dave Borlace of the 'Just Have a Think' channel, dropped a vid on the 100% RE and storage situation/possibility. And also the Ember report about solar and storage. And being British, he also looked into the Birmingham angle, so to speak. He expanded on the idea with off shore wind and European interconnectors.

The vid is really about the theory and possibilities going forward, especially with the continued drop in costs.

Personally, I don't think any of this is easy yet, but the direction of travel seems to be very positive.

Is 100% Wind & Solar just a massive SCAM?

There's a big schism among energy system analysts right now. Some experts advocate for electricity grids running on 100% solar, wind and battery energy storage. Others argue that this is nothing more than delusional 'hopium'. But with cost curves of all these technologies following exponential trajectories, is it now realistic to project that we may soon reach this lofty goal?

NedS

Martyn1981 said:

Fun coincidence - yesterday Dave Borlace of the 'Just Have a Think' channel, dropped a vid on the 100% RE and storage situation/possibility. And also the Ember report about solar and storage. And being British, he also looked into the Birmingham angle, so to speak. He expanded on the idea with off shore wind and European interconnectors.

The vid is really about the theory and possibilities going forward, especially with the continued drop in costs.

Personally, I don't think any of this is easy yet, but the direction of travel seems to be very positive.

Is 100% Wind & Solar just a massive SCAM?

There's a big schism among energy system analysts right now. Some experts advocate for electricity grids running on 100% solar, wind and battery energy storage. Others argue that this is nothing more than delusional 'hopium'. But with cost curves of all these technologies following exponential trajectories, is it now realistic to project that we may soon reach this lofty goal?

Thank you - interesting watch.

It is interesting to me to hear that providing the last 5% of power is disproportionately expensive. This is a similar situation to most home battery users with ASHPs. A small battery may cover 80% of your usage, but doubling (or even trebling) it's size to provide that last 20% is often not financially viable. The question is what will provide that last 5% of power, and how to we break the model whereby we pay the price of that last 5% for the other 95%?

Coastalwatch

Wow the potential for this world wide could be enormous. It will be interesting to learn what output they achieve alongside likely cost!

Japanese projects to pilot solar on low load-bearing roofs, BIPV windows

A project between Japanese green tech startup PXP Inc and Tokyo Gas Co is developing a film-type solar cell for installation on industrial roofs with low load-bearing capacity.

A statement released by the two companies says the work combines PXP’s chalcopyrite solar cells, which weigh less than 1 kg per square meter, with Tokyo Gas’s construction methods to deploy the cells on low load-bearing roofs, such as slate roofs.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/07/23/japanese-projects-to-pilot-solar-on-low-load-bearing-roofs-bipv-windows/?utm_source=Global+|+Newsletter&utm_campaign=59344d4d6e-dailynl_gl&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6916ce32b6-59344d4d6e-159300013