For reference:
3.5MW is a single largish wind turbine.
PV solar is ~200W/m2, so 17,500 square meters of solar panels.
A single nuclear reactor is commonly >1GW (1,000MW).
3.5MW is a single largish wind turbine.
PV solar is ~200W/m2, so 17,500 square meters of solar panels.
A single nuclear reactor is commonly >1GW (1,000MW).
Nuclear can typically deliver 90% of its max output.
Even more than 100% rated power, if you allow it to Chernobyl itself.
I've seen one that's sometimes a net-loser on days where the other turbines are standing still. (based on what a landowner said, from the stats the operator gives him)
If it is cost competitive, then millions of these sites can be installed to get as much power as needed.
(Hard to say how much larger as the tech journalists only use "households powered" units)
As long as it reduces the need to ramp up fossil fuel plants, it's a win.
IMO VRE farms should be required to use energy storage to establish some semblance of control of their output. Instead of being allowed to simply dump whatever energy happens to show up and making it everyone else's problem. It would reduce emissions too since gas peakers emit less in steady state.