Lemmy and the nuclear propaganda is so funny. France recently increased the electricity prices because nuclear energy is way more expensive than solar and they will have to increase them again because half of their plants are in severe need of repair.

[–] Rinox@feddit.it 30 points 3 months ago (3 children)

It's a tricky thing, but renewables and nuclear fission plants are not two mutually exclusive things that can't coexist. The issue with renewables is that, right now, they are not consistent enough to be relied upon 24/7, and we don't have, right now, a good enough storage technology to solve the issue.

Without this, the only other option is to have renewables cover 30-50% of the production capacity, and another technology to provide a base capacity when renewables cannot be used. This can be hydro, if you have it, nuclear, gas or coal. Choose your poison.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There's some promising research in using heliostats (mirrors to direct sunlight) towards a central tower to create molten salt, allowing solar energy to be stored and released at night.

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

they're cool, but have weird problems, the one in mojave, had issues with literally vaporizing birds, which might be worse than traditional wind turbines. Considering you can see them.

The mirrors are incredibly susceptible to dust and debris, being in a desert doesn't help all that much, so they have to be regularly cleaned. The actual mechanism of heat conversion works, but you can just do the same thing with electric resistive heat and solar, or wind, as heat storage so meh. Though it probably doesn't work quite as well.

[–] _bonbon_@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This!

Problem is not producing electricity, problem is producing electricity ON DEMAND. That is something only Fossil fuels can do for now.

[–] Ibuthyr@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 3 months ago

I have high hopes for EVs being used as a decentralized buffer via V2G. I'm thinking of something like you either buy an EV outright and you have no obligations to participate in V2G, but can sell electricity that way if you wish. Or, the government subsidizes your car to a certain extent but you have to give maybe 20% of your battery up as a buffer as long as it's connected to the grid.

[–] Silentiea@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Geothermal too is possible

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

it's expensive because france is skill issuing with the EPR and EPR2 reactor which are incredibly complex and technically complicated PWR plants.

Nuclear energy while traditionally expensive, is incredibly rip for government subsidies considering most of the build cost is up front construction, which can also be eased with much simpler plants (non EPR plants) And also have a skilled manufacturing base capable of actually fucking making the thing lmao.

[–] sibachian@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

even if fuel is cheap it's still has an upfront cost per production and can be manipulated based on demand to ensure prices never drop and always go up.

or i mean, super, nuclear is obviously what society needs, because energy supply is a natural monopoly and nuclear uses fuel you can burn based on demand and guaranteed awesome profit as a private entity unlike infinite energy resources that produces surplus energy and only benefits society and not the shareholders and owners who are the only ones who obviously matter.

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

even if fuel is cheap it’s still has an upfront cost per production and can be manipulated based on demand to ensure prices never drop and always go up.

sounds like capitalistic free markets to me. I see nothing unusual here.

unlike infinite energy resources that produces surplus energy and only benefits society and not the shareholders and owners who are the only ones who obviously matter.

i realize this is sarcastic, but who do you think owns solar and wind plants?