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Upcoming eclipse will darken solar power production in California

California relies more on solar energy than any other state in the union.

So what happens if the sun doesn’t shine?

That answer will come Aug. 21 when a solar eclipse will cast its shadow over the usually Golden State. It will hit late in the morning during peak solar production time on what normally is one of the hottest days of the year.

Last year, California’s solar facilities – from tiny rooftop units to giant desert plants – generated enough electricity to power about 4.7 million homes, according to an industry association. Obviously, most of that clean power was generated when the sun is high.

The eclipse will darken our skies during a time when solar power can account for as much as 40 percent of the load on the statewide electricity grid. Power experts believe as much as two-thirds of that clean energy will be lost as the moon’s shadow rolls across the state.

Californians won’t experience a total eclipse. That will happen farther north in Salem, Ore., but we will still see a significant impact.

“We have to have things ready so we can fill up this gap quickly,” said Anne Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the California Independent System Operator or Cal ISO, which manages the power grid.

Cal ISO officials are preparing for a minute-by-minute process of ramping up production from natural gas and hydroelectric plants starting at about 9 a.m. as the sky starts to dim until about 10:20 a.m when moon’s shadow will block about three-fourths California’s sunshine.

“Think of it as pushing a gas pedal,” Gonzales said.

The process will continue in reverse with gas and hydro plant shutoffs as the sun returns until the eclipse is over shortly before noon.

Cal ISO officials are working to make sure that the natural gas plants have enough fuel for the day. And the hydro plants at the state’s dams and reservoirs are preparing for strategic water releases to turn turbines as needed, say Cal ISO officials.

The recent wet winter has left state’s reservoirs with plenty of water, giving them the flexibility for such water releases.

State officials won’t know exactly how much the eclipse will affect California until they can see the weather forecasts a few days before it’s due to hit.

If the eclipse happens in the middle of a heat wave that drives up the demand for electricity to run air conditioners, more substitute sources will be needed, Gonzales said.

But so far, Cal ISO officials haven’t asked people to use less electricity to avoid blackouts.

Yet, Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, sees the upcoming eclipse as a teachable moment for energy conservation.

Why turn on carbon-emitting power plants when millions of Californians could instead switch to efficient LED light bulbs, unplug televisions and other electric devices, and maybe turn up their thermostats by a few degrees? he asks.

The eclipse may be a good time to turn things off and then go for a walk and, well, enjoy this rare cosmic event, he said.

“We all can dance with the grid,” Picker said by telephone. “We can all be active participants rather than passive subjects.”

He is calling for Californians to cut their power use by 3,500 megawatts during the eclipse, which is more than half the state’s anticipated solar power loss that morning.

Meanwhile, Danny Garcia, the assistant general manager for power resources for Riverside’s public electric utility, said the city expects to lose about half the power from its 125-acre solar plant near Mt. Rubidoux, and the same proportion from the city’s hundreds of home rooftop systems during the eclipse.

But the city has a natural gas plant used in peak energy demand times that will be used to make up the difference. Garcia also expects the eclipse to have a cooling effect that will reduce electricity demands.

But officials with Cal ISO say any cooling from the eclipse won’t make much of difference on the statewide power grid.

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Originally posted by Riverlove:
I'm in a 90% coverage zone. Should be more than enough of that fiery corona exposed to either blind me or give me an erection lasting more than four hours.

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Originally posted by G:

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Originally posted by Riverlove:
I'm in a 90% coverage zone. Should be more than enough of that fiery corona exposed to either blind me or give me an erection lasting more than four hours.

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Blind man with an erection lasting more than four hours... there's a SyFy show in there somewhere.

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Lucky you!

We won't see a total eclipse here in SoCal, but apparently enough of the sun will be blocked out that our solar electricity generation will feel it ...

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Upcoming eclipse will darken solar power production in California

California relies more on solar energy than any other state in the union.

So what happens if the sun doesn’t shine?

That answer will come Aug. 21 when a solar eclipse will cast its shadow over the usually Golden State. It will hit late in the morning during peak solar production time on what normally is one of the hottest days of the year.

Last year, California’s solar facilities – from tiny rooftop units to giant desert plants – generated enough electricity to power about 4.7 million homes, according to an industry association. Obviously, most of that clean power was generated when the sun is high.

The eclipse will darken our skies during a time when solar power can account for as much as 40 percent of the load on the statewide electricity grid. Power experts believe as much as two-thirds of that clean energy will be lost as the moon’s shadow rolls across the state.

Californians won’t experience a total eclipse. That will happen farther north in Salem, Ore., but we will still see a significant impact.

“We have to have things ready so we can fill up this gap quickly,” said Anne Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the California Independent System Operator or Cal ISO, which manages the power grid.

Cal ISO officials are preparing for a minute-by-minute process of ramping up production from natural gas and hydroelectric plants starting at about 9 a.m. as the sky starts to dim until about 10:20 a.m when moon’s shadow will block about three-fourths California’s sunshine.

“Think of it as pushing a gas pedal,” Gonzales said.

The process will continue in reverse with gas and hydro plant shutoffs as the sun returns until the eclipse is over shortly before noon.

Cal ISO officials are working to make sure that the natural gas plants have enough fuel for the day. And the hydro plants at the state’s dams and reservoirs are preparing for strategic water releases to turn turbines as needed, say Cal ISO officials.

The recent wet winter has left state’s reservoirs with plenty of water, giving them the flexibility for such water releases.

State officials won’t know exactly how much the eclipse will affect California until they can see the weather forecasts a few days before it’s due to hit.

If the eclipse happens in the middle of a heat wave that drives up the demand for electricity to run air conditioners, more substitute sources will be needed, Gonzales said.

But so far, Cal ISO officials haven’t asked people to use less electricity to avoid blackouts.

Yet, Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, sees the upcoming eclipse as a teachable moment for energy conservation.

Why turn on carbon-emitting power plants when millions of Californians could instead switch to efficient LED light bulbs, unplug televisions and other electric devices, and maybe turn up their thermostats by a few degrees? he asks.

The eclipse may be a good time to turn things off and then go for a walk and, well, enjoy this rare cosmic event, he said.

“We all can dance with the grid,” Picker said by telephone. “We can all be active participants rather than passive subjects.”

He is calling for Californians to cut their power use by 3,500 megawatts during the eclipse, which is more than half the state’s anticipated solar power loss that morning.

Meanwhile, Danny Garcia, the assistant general manager for power resources for Riverside’s public electric utility, said the city expects to lose about half the power from its 125-acre solar plant near Mt. Rubidoux, and the same proportion from the city’s hundreds of home rooftop systems during the eclipse.

But the city has a natural gas plant used in peak energy demand times that will be used to make up the difference. Garcia also expects the eclipse to have a cooling effect that will reduce electricity demands.

But officials with Cal ISO say any cooling from the eclipse won’t make much of difference on the statewide power grid.

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MORE AT http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/05/upcoming-eclipse-will-darken-sol
ar-power-production-in-california-22/
Crazy, huh?

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Originally posted by 6stringJoker:

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Originally posted by Riverlove:
I'm in a 90% coverage zone. Should be more than enough of that fiery corona exposed to either blind me or give me an erection lasting more than four hours.

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lol... buy some Sudafed, just in case. Priapism ain't no joke.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

She looks like Madonna's stunt double.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Right up the street from, a couple hours or so, the totality will swing near by to my locale as the eclipse crosses the US mainland. Hard core enthusiasts will often travel all over the globe to witness such and event, and here I get to partake in this natural phenomenon practically right next door.

Weather permitting, of course.

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Enjoy Rappy.

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Originally posted by 6stringJoker:
Back when I was working in the political sphere, right around the time Viagra had first come out, my boss was handing those pills out to everyone like candy. He mentioned the Sudafed thing to me when he gave me the pills, and I'm glad I listened.

Non-stimulation might be the cause of 4+ hour boners with older folk, but when you're 20 years old and you don't need the pill you can run a 4 hour sex marathon and nothing you do is going to make it quit.

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