The end of baseload? It may come sooner than you think: Renew Economy

Thanks to Al Weinrub of the Local Clean Energy Alliance of the Bay Area for passing this along!
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...a 100 per cent
renewables electricity grid in Germany may be 40-50 per cent
wind, 30-40 per cent solar, with the rest coming from other
sources. Balancing this generation, however, would be the key
challenge.

This is not possible with baseload, because you cannot switch
them on and off very fast, he said. It was possible with gas-
fired power stations, but peaking gas stations were also
emissions-intensive, and European countries such as Germany had
to depend on gas imports from Russia. He said new smart grid
technologies and storage, where costs would also rapidly decline,
would provide the answer.

In Germany, we could achieve 100% renewable by 2030 at
existing rates. We have now 20% in 2010. In 2020 with increasing
rates and these are exponential, we could have 50%, and in 2030
we could have 100%. It is possible but it must be supported by a
good political framework, with reduced FiT tariffs, privileged
grid access, and other regulatory changes.

Read more:

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/the-end-of-baseload-it-may-come-sooner-than-you-think-29425

Joy Hughes, Founder, Solar Gardens Institute http://www.solargardens.org
CEO, Solar Panel Hosting LLC http://www.solarpanelhosting.com
(719)207-3097 direct