>If we need to resort to demand shaping (read: turning off the power) then the cost of that needs to be accounted for.
Of course, but the amount of low hanging fruit in this regard is A) ridiculously high B) zero, according to the nuclear and carbon industry models (they think demand cannot be shaped and only expensive batteries can deal with intermittency).
>If you only run your smelters, chemical industries, etc. for part of the year then the cost of those commodities, and by extension every product using those commodities, gets more expensive.
If you produce 2x as much as normal aluminum on a Tuesday when it's sunny and 1/5th as much on a Wednesday you've created more aluminum.
The solar driven smelter can produce more at a much lower cost because electricity is such a large % of the overall product.
There are plenty more applications like that where 5x cheaper electricity that "decides" when you use it is way better than 5x more expensive electricity that you can use any time.
Of course, but the amount of low hanging fruit in this regard is A) ridiculously high B) zero, according to the nuclear and carbon industry models (they think demand cannot be shaped and only expensive batteries can deal with intermittency).
>If you only run your smelters, chemical industries, etc. for part of the year then the cost of those commodities, and by extension every product using those commodities, gets more expensive.
If you produce 2x as much as normal aluminum on a Tuesday when it's sunny and 1/5th as much on a Wednesday you've created more aluminum.
The solar driven smelter can produce more at a much lower cost because electricity is such a large % of the overall product.
There are plenty more applications like that where 5x cheaper electricity that "decides" when you use it is way better than 5x more expensive electricity that you can use any time.