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by epistasis 2143 days ago
Same goes for renewables, but the electrons are cheaper and easier to get on the grid!
1 comments

Off-peak hours for solar is also when there is no sun, so no. Wind isn't constant either. We need a constant 24/7 source of uninterruptible energy.
Important to define the "peak" part of "off-peak" here. Is it peak production, peak differential between supply demand, etc.

Mid-day is off-peak for solar in many markets, and they curtail their output so that they don't oversupply. As there is more solar built, more and more will be curtailed.

Both nuclear and solar would need a hydrolysis system that was economical even if not run 24x7 in order to utilize their supply-demand mismatches. This is the biggest road block to hydrogen production with the GWh of "free" electricity that we could currently be generating in the spring in California, but currently just don't use.

We don't need a constant source, we need a source that can supply a variable load.
Sun shines 24x365x4B at this planet, but some solar panels are in shade for some time. World network of solar panels can power this world 24x7.