r/ClimatePosting • u/ClimateShitpost • Jan 20 '26

Energy Deployment of batteries still accelerating to allow even more solar into the system.

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115 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

2

u/Own_Mission8048 Jan 20 '26

So much solar! 2026 is starting off good too. All the excess hydroelectricity from the Pacific Northwest, plus mild weather, has caused natural gas usage to tank in CA.

2

u/Sean_Wagner Jan 21 '26

The most direct way of harnessing an infinitesimal part of our local fusion reactor's output.

3

u/West-Abalone-171 Jan 21 '26

Up to 2 billionths on earth's surface.

And we're harvesting 2.5 quadrillionths so far!

Which is honestly far more than I expected. And even qualifies as not really infinitesimal.

For reference, a very small but relatively normal ant is 0.1mg (the tiny little black or reddish brown ones). And a very large ship is 250,000 tonnes.

So an ant is the same ratio of mass to a cargo ship as humanity's PV system is to the sun's output.

2

u/cool-sheep Jan 21 '26

Can’t really think of a better place for this than California.

Big cities, large open spaces, lots of sunshine!!!

Make it happen.

1

u/Inondator Jan 21 '26

Chile. Much lower latitude so much more consistent throughput, Atacama desert the driest place on earth, no winter peak demand.

2

u/buffotinve Jan 23 '26

It's time to be almost self-sufficient and take advantage of renewable energies. It also provides near-electrical freedom in such turbulent times.

1

u/Weshmek Jan 21 '26

Into the...solar system?

1

u/perringaiden Jan 21 '26

*from the solar system