Democrat 2020

[Husar]

Efficiencies are not the point. There is enough land to theoretically provide solar for 100% baseline. Problem is that humans don't control the input of renewable energy. Having the baseline infrastructure to provide 100% demand at all times means that at times of greater input you are reaching over 100% and that extra energy needs a sink to go to either in the form of a chemical or hydro battery. It's feasible as long as you have the massive infrastructure for energy storage as well. But we likely won't.

Can't you just sort of turn them off? Like literally put a blanket over a solar panel or a mirror? (on a larger scale you'd want something automated of course) Or in the case of a solar tower, stop focusing all the mirrors on the tower, etc. Solar thermals in the desert could be turned with their back towards the sun, shielding the fluid from the light. I'm pretty sure wind turbines can be turned off either by locking the blades in place and turning them into the wind (I think they do that during storms that are too strong) or by decoupling the blades from the generator.

It's not like we have to feed the renewables into the system until it explodes, maybe if there is zero control and anarchistic feeding, but that doesn't have to happen. I'd say humans can indeed control the output of renewables, at least in terms of reducing it. The storage is required for downtimes though.