Comments on: Wind, solar costs undercut new coal plants in South Africa https://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/10/21/renewables-undercut-new-coal-plants-in-south-africa/ Climate change news, analysis, commentary, video and podcasts focused on developments in global climate politics Tue, 25 Oct 2016 16:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 By: PMD1982 https://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/10/21/renewables-undercut-new-coal-plants-in-south-africa/#comment-8428 Tue, 25 Oct 2016 16:04:00 +0000 http://www.climatechangenews.com/?p=31719#comment-8428 I lived in SA for a year, and have a lot of respect for Harald Winkler and CSIR. However, after quickly reviewing this study, I have to ask, what makes the South Africa sun and renewable energy industry so much different from the rest of the world that the cost of solar PV rivals that of wind energy development? It seems improbable, because even in places in the US southwest wind stills reigns in terms of efficiency.

]]> By: JamesWimberley https://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/10/21/renewables-undercut-new-coal-plants-in-south-africa/#comment-8417 Sat, 22 Oct 2016 10:51:00 +0000 http://www.climatechangenews.com/?p=31719#comment-8417 South Africa has IIRC no domestic gas supply, and it’s dry with limited hydro potential, so the two obvious options for backing up variable wind and solar are inadequate. But CSP with storage is not speculation but a tested, shovel-ready technology that fits the bill.

Retrofitting coal power stations to provide fast ramping has been done in Germany, but the low capacity factors as well as the pollution make it unattractive. As for the nuclear option: a closed-door deal with a thuggish and corrupt autocracy using technology nobody else trusts, what could possibly go wrong?

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