Bobko_V
14 Sep 2021
Life / Energy - Poland [71]
Sorry, just had to create a new log-in after forgetting my phone at work, and then the email I used years ago to create old Bobko....
To be honest, I wasn't going off anything concrete in saying that Poland is not well suited for solar. In terms of wind - I know that certain "distance regulations" have made it so that it's not likely many new wind turbines will be built in Poland (at least until the regulations are scrapped). These are regulations that basically state that wind turbines must be placed at a distance that is 9-10x their height from the nearest buildings/infrastructure/etc. In practice, this has meant that 99% of Poland's territory is ineligible for these developments. I know there is strong pressure from business and certain politicians to reverse this policy, but don't know what progress has been made.
So back to solar - my assumption about Poland's less than optimal suitability for it was simply based on the fact that the country is located more or less in the north of Europe with all that that entails. Frequent cloud coverage, short days in winter, etc. The difference in day length throughout the year means enormous amounts of redundant capacity in both generation and storage will be required if you want to be 100%-wind and solar. To me, this means that this will never happen.
Yes, one would expect this when they account for more than half of the country's total energy needs, and 3/4 of all electricity generation inside the country. What's a real pity is that they are not needed. The coal they mine is uneconomical, and it's continued extraction is only made possible by deep govt subsidies. Would be better for Poland's environment if this coal was simply imported from the US, Russia, or SA where folks are mining it at scale and profitably.
Sorry, just had to create a new log-in after forgetting my phone at work, and then the email I used years ago to create old Bobko....
To be honest, I wasn't going off anything concrete in saying that Poland is not well suited for solar. In terms of wind - I know that certain "distance regulations" have made it so that it's not likely many new wind turbines will be built in Poland (at least until the regulations are scrapped). These are regulations that basically state that wind turbines must be placed at a distance that is 9-10x their height from the nearest buildings/infrastructure/etc. In practice, this has meant that 99% of Poland's territory is ineligible for these developments. I know there is strong pressure from business and certain politicians to reverse this policy, but don't know what progress has been made.
So back to solar - my assumption about Poland's less than optimal suitability for it was simply based on the fact that the country is located more or less in the north of Europe with all that that entails. Frequent cloud coverage, short days in winter, etc. The difference in day length throughout the year means enormous amounts of redundant capacity in both generation and storage will be required if you want to be 100%-wind and solar. To me, this means that this will never happen.
As for coal, the miners are a strong voting block.
Yes, one would expect this when they account for more than half of the country's total energy needs, and 3/4 of all electricity generation inside the country. What's a real pity is that they are not needed. The coal they mine is uneconomical, and it's continued extraction is only made possible by deep govt subsidies. Would be better for Poland's environment if this coal was simply imported from the US, Russia, or SA where folks are mining it at scale and profitably.