/sci/ - Science & Math

>build excess quantities of renewables that are appropriate to different localities
>hot sunny places, build plenty of solar
>windy places, wind turbines
>hydro where possible
>you get the idea
>use the excess production to power hydrogen production plants
>store the hydrogen and use it to run hydrogen power plants for the inevitable times when renewable production drops below demand
Easy peasy. Economies of scale suggest it would result in electricity prices no more expensive than today and it would help keep us chugging along until other sources come online, such as more nuclear power plants or (try not to laugh) fusion becomes feasible.
>b-b-but how do we store large quantities of hydrogen? muh hydrogen embrittlement
It's not like we've been storing industrial quantities of hydrogen for over a century now

In some places such as Australia or equatorial areas it could potentially be the final solution to energy needs. South Australia in particular stands out as a candidate due to massive adoption of household solar panels, resulting in the state frequently producing far more electricity than the grid actually requires during summer to the point of it causing potential grid stability issues. There's a few hydrogen pilot projects ongoing there as a result: https://www.energymining.sa.gov.au/industry/modern-energy/hydrogen-in-south-australia