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The prices do change because (many, at least) renewable projects are subsidised via CFD schemes and so on and atop of that are selling into a spot market that m

by mhh__ 1mo ago

The prices do change because (many, at least) renewable projects are subsidised via CFD schemes and so on and atop of that are selling into a spot market that may (it varies) pay them more than what they offer into the market. It's wonderful technology, the sun is god and so on, but we can't run everything on bursty renewables.

acdha 1mo ago
That’s not external, though: what we’re seeing now are a ton of people struggling because two countries they have no control over are at war. If they used solar and their local government changed the pricing, they’d have some outlet for relief in a way they don’t now. Also, we have battery technology. Bursty doesn’t mean real engineers can’t build reliable systems, and the economic factors can spur a lot of efficiency improvements.
- mhh__ 1mo ago
  When these batteries actually exist then sure...
  - acdha 1mo ago
    So several years ago. There’s grid scale storage in use around the world. This is not alien tech, just a matter of engineering.
    - mhh__ 1mo ago
      Yes but it doesn't actually exist yet so anyone saying "just use batteries" is basically either a bit naive or a journalist.
      - acdha 1mo ago
        2023: https://www.energy-storage.news/australias-first-grid-scale-battery-storage-system-at-decommissioned-coal-plant-goes-online/ https://www.energy-storage.news/australias-first-grid-scale-... 2024: https://www.indexbox.io/blog/australias-battery-storage-fleet-sets-new-records-on-august-11/ https://www.indexbox.io/blog/australias-battery-storage-flee... https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-storage-fleet-continues-record-growth-strengthening-grid https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-s... https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10022025/solar-battery-storage-texas-grid/ https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10022025/solar-battery-st... Note how massive home battery deployment drove all of Australia’s wholesale power price down by half: https://e360.yale.edu/digest/australia-home-batteries https://e360.yale.edu/digest/australia-home-batteries

by mhh__ 1mo ago

acdha 1mo ago

That’s not external, though: what we’re seeing now are a ton of people struggling because two countries they have no control over are at war. If they used solar and their local government changed the pricing, they’d have some outlet for relief in a way they don’t now. Also, we have battery technology. Bursty doesn’t mean real engineers can’t build reliable systems, and the economic factors can spur a lot of efficiency improvements.

mhh__ 1mo ago
When these batteries actually exist then sure...
- acdha 1mo ago
  So several years ago. There’s grid scale storage in use around the world. This is not alien tech, just a matter of engineering.
  - mhh__ 1mo ago
    Yes but it doesn't actually exist yet so anyone saying "just use batteries" is basically either a bit naive or a journalist.
    - acdha 1mo ago
      2023: https://www.energy-storage.news/australias-first-grid-scale-battery-storage-system-at-decommissioned-coal-plant-goes-online/ https://www.energy-storage.news/australias-first-grid-scale-... 2024: https://www.indexbox.io/blog/australias-battery-storage-fleet-sets-new-records-on-august-11/ https://www.indexbox.io/blog/australias-battery-storage-flee... https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-storage-fleet-continues-record-growth-strengthening-grid https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2025-11/californias-battery-s... https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10022025/solar-battery-storage-texas-grid/ https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10022025/solar-battery-st... Note how massive home battery deployment drove all of Australia’s wholesale power price down by half: https://e360.yale.edu/digest/australia-home-batteries https://e360.yale.edu/digest/australia-home-batteries