The unstoppable rise of renewable energy

[asdefghyk]

How does this fit in with that renewable energy ( wind and or sun is unreliable - can be non of both types or one type for days at a time AND solar is only available for a 4-6 hours a day ) ) ? It seems massive storage is needed.

[viraptor]

Not that massive. At a country scale, wind blows somewhere all the time. Overall you can get 30%+ utilisation per turbine. And newer projects only get it better (the higher you get, the more consistent the wind).

But it's not a surprise you'll need some storage. There's lots of research available with estimation for various areas.

[i_am_a_peasant]

Sometimes I wonder if you can have a central planned economy without sacrificing the democratic process.

[viraptor]

EU comes close. There are a few programs that apply to all countries inside without really breaking the local government rules. (Although that's still typically incentives rather than forcing companies to do things)

[kevin061]

As opposed to capitalism? Capitalism is not significantly more democratic in my opinion.