Chart of the Day: California surges beyond 100 pct renewables

Wind, water and solar produce more than state demand in California, the world’s fifth biggest economy, in nine out of last 10 days.

5 comments

That solar is juicy but look at that consistent wind undercurrent. chef's kiss
that's a great graph, really looking forward to seeing those times where renewables exceed demand get more common then all flatten out as systems designed to use excess power are added - pumped storage for example and desalination can be scaled to match the excess.

Basically you have a desalination plant near your solar or wind and any excess power gets diverted there, fresh water is then pumped into lakes and reservoirs which can either be converted back into power via hydro or used in agriculture, industry and homes as needed.
This is splat's main issue though: peak supply is at (nearly) minimum demand.
- Peak electricity demand is very seasonal. This is a common curve for winter, but in the summer demand will increase throughout the day, peaking slightly before sunset.
- One huge reason why I have been such an advocate for hydroelectric over anything else. Most of the day sun isn't out in winter, but you still need electricity, especially if you are planning to migrate your home heating to electric at a large scale.