How one of the coldest, darkest towns on Earth is trying to get more energy from the sun

LibertyLizard, 2 months ago

Very cool project. They didn’t say how they will solve the winter energy issue. Maybe that’s still something we haven’t solved yet. I’ve actually thought about this before because I remember they were building a coal plant somewhere in the arctic which I was initially outraged by. But there really are very few options to generate power in the polar winter.

silence7, 2 months ago

Wind and storage. There really aren’t other options at the right scale.

LibertyLizard, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago)

The article points out the the extreme cold poses challenges for these technologies. But maybe with the right modifications they can still work.

I’m also curious about tidal and newer geothermal technologies though obviously these are emerging technologies that are only suitable for some areas.

silence7, 2 months ago

Solar tends to become more efficient as it gets colder.

Wind turbines can be built to handle really cold weather too, but they do need specific deicing capabilities and lubricants.

LibertyLizard, 2 months ago

Unfortunately solar just can’t work in the winter because there’s no sun. Good to know that the technology exists for wind in polar climates though.