Hype-Power: Renewables Zealots’ Claims that SA’s Mega-Battery Saves Grid Pure Bunkum

“HOWEVER, it turns out that Reneweconomy, in its zeal to promote new power sources, shifted the goalposts so that the battery output was exaggerated over one hundred fold. The correct measure is as follows with the battery contribution comprising the almost invisible yellow at the bottom of the following chart.

A mixture of mainly fossil fuel stations expanded output and filled the gap within one minute.

Morals of the story: (i) batteries may have a role but they are dear; (ii) always seek verification of assertions made by propagandists!”

A must read post by Alan Moran and STT…

STOP THESE THINGS

Four parts snake-oil, three parts urban myth.

With Australia’s renewable energy crisis running totally out of control, whenever you hear the word ‘battery’ you know you’re being conned.

Pumping power into and then taking it out of a battery results in inevitable exchange losses, power gets chewed up during that process and is dissipated as heat energy. And then there’s the enormous capital cost of the battery: SA’s 100 MW tiddler cost taxpayers $150 million. Even if renewable electricity delivered from batteries were available, retailers would be paying north of $600 per MWh to get it.

But still the hapless Federal Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg plugs it; head of the AEMO, Audrey Zibelman plugs it; and so does Anne Pearson of the Australian Energy Market Commission.

And so do the wind and sun worshippers over at Ruin-economy. Here’s Alan Moran unplugging some of their more exuberant hype.

View original post 1,997 more words



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