@tomvreomfodj.bsky.social
In other words, they don't have enough load levelling / storage.
November 6, 2025 at 2:08 PM
In other words, they don't have enough load levelling / storage.
The Democratic party is not an ideological monolith.
November 6, 2025 at 2:06 PM
The Democratic party is not an ideological monolith.
Tiresome pedantry. When we mean the continent(s) we say North or South America, or The Americas.
November 5, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Tiresome pedantry. When we mean the continent(s) we say North or South America, or The Americas.
What if the parking lot isn't covered? What if it doesn't make sense to make the grid connection? What if permitting makes this slow and expensive?
If it makes sense you don't need a law to make people do it. If it doesn't, you don't want a law to make people do it.
If it makes sense you don't need a law to make people do it. If it doesn't, you don't want a law to make people do it.
November 3, 2025 at 9:05 PM
What if the parking lot isn't covered? What if it doesn't make sense to make the grid connection? What if permitting makes this slow and expensive?
If it makes sense you don't need a law to make people do it. If it doesn't, you don't want a law to make people do it.
If it makes sense you don't need a law to make people do it. If it doesn't, you don't want a law to make people do it.
Why? US doesn't look like a great defense partner to this American just now.
October 22, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Why? US doesn't look like a great defense partner to this American just now.
Sure, with widespread slavery and practically non-existent healthcare.
October 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Sure, with widespread slavery and practically non-existent healthcare.
The merits of the described technologies and policies can be debated, but this article is an appeal to irrationally on par with MAGA's anti-immigrant rhetoric, and belongs in the trash bin.
October 20, 2025 at 2:12 PM
The merits of the described technologies and policies can be debated, but this article is an appeal to irrationally on par with MAGA's anti-immigrant rhetoric, and belongs in the trash bin.
"America First", right?
October 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM
"America First", right?
This clearly shouldn't be legal, but I'm not sure exactly what that law would look like.
October 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
This clearly shouldn't be legal, but I'm not sure exactly what that law would look like.
Oh, to be clear, renewables are the future. We just need to pay attention to the complete system design. I see too many people assume that solar+24 hours of battery makes a robust system.
October 15, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Oh, to be clear, renewables are the future. We just need to pay attention to the complete system design. I see too many people assume that solar+24 hours of battery makes a robust system.
You can do that, but long term storage in some form is probably cheaper and probably gets to net zero faster. Makes the grid more resilient to things like natural disasters and hundred-year events, too. Remember when the Texas grid crashed a few years back?
October 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM
You can do that, but long term storage in some form is probably cheaper and probably gets to net zero faster. Makes the grid more resilient to things like natural disasters and hundred-year events, too. Remember when the Texas grid crashed a few years back?
If using heat pumps or resistance heating, especially in cold climates, you need to store a lot of electrical energy. Storing straight-up heat in a phase change material in a big tank would be another way to solve the problem.
October 15, 2025 at 2:31 PM
If using heat pumps or resistance heating, especially in cold climates, you need to store a lot of electrical energy. Storing straight-up heat in a phase change material in a big tank would be another way to solve the problem.
I'm talking about electricity, although thermal storage has its potential place.
October 15, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I'm talking about electricity, although thermal storage has its potential place.
I've heard proposals for a "global supergrid", which is similar logic on a larger scale. Also using cheap power in the American southwest to synthesize renewable fuels for vehicles and furnaces in cold climates and pipe it over. The question is ultimately what's cheapest.
October 15, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I've heard proposals for a "global supergrid", which is similar logic on a larger scale. Also using cheap power in the American southwest to synthesize renewable fuels for vehicles and furnaces in cold climates and pipe it over. The question is ultimately what's cheapest.
Long term battery losses are less of an issue than cost and materials requirements. Below some discharge frequency it makes sense to take a hit on efficiency so you can use a big dumb tank instead of a mountain of scarce materials.
October 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Long term battery losses are less of an issue than cost and materials requirements. Below some discharge frequency it makes sense to take a hit on efficiency so you can use a big dumb tank instead of a mountain of scarce materials.
Yeah, different situations will probably need different capacities. Places that don't need much heating won't need to store as much for winter. I live in Chicago and spend a lot of time thinking about keeping warm in winter without gas. But regardless, distinct short and long term solutions.
October 14, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Yeah, different situations will probably need different capacities. Places that don't need much heating won't need to store as much for winter. I live in Chicago and spend a lot of time thinking about keeping warm in winter without gas. But regardless, distinct short and long term solutions.
So to clarify, a lot of energy can be stored for a few hours in batteries for day/night cycles. But if you have, say, winter peak heating and summer peak production, some energy needs to be stored for many months to shave a "seasonal" peak. Might be pumped hydro, reversible SOFC, etc.
October 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
So to clarify, a lot of energy can be stored for a few hours in batteries for day/night cycles. But if you have, say, winter peak heating and summer peak production, some energy needs to be stored for many months to shave a "seasonal" peak. Might be pumped hydro, reversible SOFC, etc.
We don't need to store a full year of energy usage, but we probably do need to store some energy for at least a year. When most energy production is in the afternoon, you compensate by storing some output for up to a day. When most production is in summer, you store some output for up to a year.
October 14, 2025 at 9:07 PM
We don't need to store a full year of energy usage, but we probably do need to store some energy for at least a year. When most energy production is in the afternoon, you compensate by storing some output for up to a day. When most production is in summer, you store some output for up to a year.
It does, but as the renewables share grows so will the necessary storage, up to probably at least a year to accommodate seasonal variations in supply and demand. Yearlong storage is a different ballgame than overnight and will probably favor other technologies.
October 14, 2025 at 7:51 PM
It does, but as the renewables share grows so will the necessary storage, up to probably at least a year to accommodate seasonal variations in supply and demand. Yearlong storage is a different ballgame than overnight and will probably favor other technologies.
When ordinary content becomes boring with overexposure, people look for something "stronger". Most pornography already appeals to dominance fantasies, and the cycle of desensitization can progress to a disturbing degree in this direction.
October 14, 2025 at 3:30 PM
When ordinary content becomes boring with overexposure, people look for something "stronger". Most pornography already appeals to dominance fantasies, and the cycle of desensitization can progress to a disturbing degree in this direction.
This kind of disruption and change theoretically should disrupt the accumulation of capital by devaluing existing equipment and expertise. Whether it actually does is probably an equally significant question.
October 13, 2025 at 6:58 PM
This kind of disruption and change theoretically should disrupt the accumulation of capital by devaluing existing equipment and expertise. Whether it actually does is probably an equally significant question.
My mom drives from Seattle to Schaumburg rather than flies so that she doesn't have to rent a car when she gets here.
October 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
My mom drives from Seattle to Schaumburg rather than flies so that she doesn't have to rent a car when she gets here.
Energy storage ultimately needs to reach an annual scale. I can't say whether pumped hydro is the best way to store energy for a year, but I'm pretty sure that batteries aren't.
October 13, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Energy storage ultimately needs to reach an annual scale. I can't say whether pumped hydro is the best way to store energy for a year, but I'm pretty sure that batteries aren't.
Every employer lives and breathes OneDrive and Office 365.
October 13, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Every employer lives and breathes OneDrive and Office 365.
People feel powerless.
Vote? Your district is gerrymandered and you probably don't live in a swing state.
Write your representative? See above, they don't need your vote.
Protest peacefully? Trumpies feel triumphant.
Protest violently? Trumpies use as an excuse for massive violence.
Vote? Your district is gerrymandered and you probably don't live in a swing state.
Write your representative? See above, they don't need your vote.
Protest peacefully? Trumpies feel triumphant.
Protest violently? Trumpies use as an excuse for massive violence.
October 13, 2025 at 3:24 PM
People feel powerless.
Vote? Your district is gerrymandered and you probably don't live in a swing state.
Write your representative? See above, they don't need your vote.
Protest peacefully? Trumpies feel triumphant.
Protest violently? Trumpies use as an excuse for massive violence.
Vote? Your district is gerrymandered and you probably don't live in a swing state.
Write your representative? See above, they don't need your vote.
Protest peacefully? Trumpies feel triumphant.
Protest violently? Trumpies use as an excuse for massive violence.