Struggling to stay cool? So is the generator powering your aircon
The worst problems lie in wait for emerging economies who spent billions over the past 2 decades building thermal power plants that can’t hold up to heatwaves
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IF you think you’ve got problems staying cool during the heatwaves that have gripped the Northern Hemisphere this summer, consider the fate of power generators.
Every time you switch on a fan or air conditioner, it adds a bit of demand to the grid. When everyone does it at the same time, say when arriving home at the end of the day to a sweltering house, the effect can be enormous. Making matters worse, this shift often happens towards sunset, just as generation from solar panels is tapering off.
In California, conventional power plants at present have to increase their output by nearly half in the 3 hours heading into the evening peak. Delhi, where air conditioners and fans at times account for half of electricity consumption, saw its highest grid demand last month amid a record-breaking heatwave.
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