Solar Passes 100% of Power Demand in California!

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California has been a frontrunner within the set up of solar energy vegetation and wind energy vegetation for a few years now (regardless of its recent anti-rooftop solar shift via “Net Metering 3.0”). That has led to increasingly of its electrical energy era coming from renewables. The development has been occurring for years, however there are a few latest developments that ought to actually get folks’s consideration.

Document Photo voltaic Energy in California Passes 100% of Energy Demand

For 56 days in a row, electrical energy from photo voltaic, wind, and water (hydro) energy has exceeded 100% of energy demand on California’s most important grid for a part of the day. Additionally, going again additional, that has been achieved in 80 out of the final 86 days. That’s since early March (Worldwide Ladies’s Day), late winter.

Repetition turns a speculation right into a idea.

The speculation right here is that we are able to constantly and more and more provide clear, renewable vitality to California’s grid.

For 54 straight days and 78 of 84, #WindWaterSolar provide has exceeded 100% of demand throughout a part of every day. pic.twitter.com/nZxCeE8qCG

— Mark Z. Jacobson (@mzjacobson) May 30, 2024

As a part of that, solar energy lately hit file output, and it really surpassed 100% of energy demand briefly.

As you possibly can see above, at its peak, solar energy was offering 102.1% of electrical energy demand in California. Collectively, wind, water, and photo voltaic peaked at 134% of electrical energy demand!

Clearly, California’s progress on renewables is proving pro-renewables advocates proper. However what in regards to the notorious “duck curve?”…

California Shortly Fixing the Duck Curve

The very best information is that California appears to shortly be chopping the duck curve right down to dimension. The duck curve mainly comes right down to this: “In some energy markets, daily peak demand occurs after sunset, when solar power is no longer available. In locations where a substantial amount of solar electric capacity has been installed, the amount of power that must be generated from sources other than solar or wind displays a rapid increase around sunset and peaks in the mid-evening hours, producing a graph that resembles the silhouette of a duck.”

The answer for the duck curve is evident: vitality storage. Retailer that bursting photo voltaic vitality produced in the course of the day and regularly use it within the night because the solar goes down and electrical energy demand rises. The excellent news is that California has been making progress on this very quick! Take a look at the graph beneath concerning electrical energy era from pure fuel and be aware the road for 2023 versus the road for 2024.

Part 2)
Photo voltaic+wind+batteries change as much as ~90% of fossil electrical energy

Batteries can mainly clear up downside 1), 2) and three) for you: that’s enormous!

They’ll flatten the “Duck curve” to a razor and it is already began in California:https://t.co/Va66S1WFqD pic.twitter.com/L33ZA9Jk3i

— AukeHoekstra (@AukeHoekstra) May 25, 2024

Right here’s one other one displaying battery dispatch on the grid:

Fascinating evaluation of the more and more pivotal position that batteries are taking part in on the California grid. They’re steadily consuming away at fossil fuel. https://t.co/76AijwBAGr

— David Roberts (@drvolts) May 23, 2024

Certainly — batteries are taking cost and fixing California’s duck curve disaster.

It makes me consider the decade-long internet metering debate and the way a lot the duck curve was used as an excuse to chop rooftop solar energy incentives. Taking a look at how shortly this duck curve subject has been solved, one has to marvel how disingenuous a few of these anti-rooftop photo voltaic arguments had been. …

The California Electrical energy Costs Critique

Some folks like to counter any constructive information about California renewable vitality progress by citing California’s comparatively excessive electrical energy costs. This isn’t from renewables. Actually, analysis has repeatedly proven that renewable vitality drives down electrical energy costs. There are different issues which have resulted in excessive electrical energy costs in California. Mark Z. Jacobson summarizes (textual content modification to spell out phrases):

“California electricity prices are high because California has the 3rd-highest fossil gas prices in US; & utilities have passed on to customers costs of San Bruno+Aliso Canyon gas disasters, retrofitting gas pipes, wildfires from transmission sparks, undergrounding lines, and keeping Diablo Canyon nuclear open.”

CA electrical energy costs are excessive b/c CA has the Third-highest fossil fuel costs in US; & utilities have handed on to prospects prices of San Bruno+Aliso Canyon fuel disasters, retrofitting fuel pipes, wildfires from transmission sparks, undergrounding traces, and holding DC nuclear open https://t.co/0Il7fmosw9

— Mark Z. Jacobson (@mzjacobson) June 1, 2024

California Renewable Vitality Main the Manner

The general story is that California renewable vitality continues to paved the way ahead. Solar energy is now peaking at greater than 100% of electrical energy demand, renewables as an entire are peaking at 134% electrical energy demand, the duck curve has been shaved right down to mainly no duck curve in any respect (however you can now name the battery cost/discharge curve a duck curve), and the entire state (and world) is benefitting.

Prepare for extra information within the days to return. We’re nonetheless just a few weeks away from the summer solstice.