Jan Wildeboer 😷
Next week, France is forced yet again to reduce output and in some cases completely shut down nuclear reactors as the high temperatures heats up the cooling water they take from rivers beyond acceptable limits. This is the new normal now and will only get worse over the following years as we collectively ignore #ClimateChange
d@nny disc@ mc²@jwildeboer solar panels also reduce in efficiency as temperature rises; the "temperature coefficient" is one of the many considerations in which panel to buy. panels with too-high temperature coefficients will need to be replaced with newer more efficient panels over time to cope with warming temperatures, much like nuclear power plants and indeed all energy infrastructure requires.
Magnus Ahltorp@hipsterelectron @jwildeboer The big difference is that solar is presented as an unpredictable and erratic source, while nuclear is presented as stable.
In reality nuclear is a much more fickle source that needs gigantic backup power resources to prevent grid collapse when a reactor needs to shut down quickly. Not because of the power source in it self, but because each reactor is such a large part of a grid’s production. Nuclear reactors are so big they have names.
fcalva@fcalva @hipsterelectron @jwildeboer In Sweden it’s in the news quite frequently. The national grid authority has to have reserves according to N+1.
@ahltorp @hipsterelectron @jwildeboer Those plants are very old ones that were already extended past their designed lifespan - since private utilities are reluctant to invest in new ones.
@ahltorp @hipsterelectron @jwildeboer Frequent outages at these specific plants isn't a (direct) problem of nuclear ? Newer and better maintained plants don't have those problems. Not mentioning it's likely advantageous for that private utility's margins to keep prices high.