Cheap and Green: A Better Future for Power Grids with California's Model
Expansive Layout Supporting Renewable Energy Sources
Ntv energy expert Klaus Mindrup warns against the construction of new gas power plants in Germany. In an interview, he argues that we should follow the example of California instead, as the future lies in island networks, local price signals, combined heat and power, and batteries.
Mindrup believes that the German power grid needs a major overhaul, as our current network does not have the capacity to handle the massive supply of renewables like solar and wind power. In contrast, a decentralized grid like California's can run independently, ensuring more stability and fewer energy losses over long distances.
If we want to make the power grid cost-effective and efficient, Mindrup advises prioritizing the cellular approach, where individual networks can be interconnected over time. The existing centralized concept of the large copper plate has been prevalent politically, but it's not sustainable in the long run.
He recommends abandoning gas power plants and instead focusing on building combined heat and power plants, which generate electricity and heat simultaneously, reducing electricity demand. For these plants to work effectively, they should be placed strategically, considering both the power grid and the heat networks.
Batteries are also essential for stabilizing the power system, but they need signals, like a traffic light, to work optimally. Unfortunately, these signals are often incorrect in Germany, whereas in California and Texas, local price signals better reflect the local situation.
In conclusion, Mindrup suggests that we should follow California's successful model, as it provides a more cost-effective and efficient solution for a power grid designed for the feed-in of renewables.
- The community policy should encourage the implementation of California's model in power grid systems, focusing on island networks, local price signals, combined heat and power, and batteries.
- Employment policies should prioritize the development and maintenance of renewable energy sectors, such as solar and wind power, as part of the transition towards more sustainable power grids.
- The environmental science industry should collaborate with finance to provide research and development for technologies that improve the stability and efficiency of power grids, such as batteries and combined heat and power plants.
- Industry leaders should invest in the construction of combined heat and power plants, as they offer a solution for generating electricity and heat simultaneously, thereby reducing electricity demand and contributing to a more sustainable power grid.
