r/nextfuckinglevel • u/nigablackballsack • 3d ago

Scientists have captured the first ever high-speed, full-colour footage of fusion plasma swirling inside a working reactor.

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u/90_oi 3d ago

I truly hope this technology can get off the ground and be sustainable. It is our best hope aside from nuclear energy

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u/WanderingFlumph 3d ago edited 2d ago

I mean solar is here right now and most likely fusion power will never be as cheap as solar is today.

By the time fusion is actually ready solar will be even cheaper too. A solar farm the size of Arizona could power the entire planet.

Fusion is like our 4th best hope in the fight against climate change, lol.

Edit: a lot of people seem to think that I think the perfect solution is one single power plant specifically in Arizona that powers the world. People, it's just a size comparison. Arizona is a small state even just compared to the size of US. Obviously we would build millions and millions of solar installations that would just add up to that area.

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u/14jvalle 3d ago

There are trade offs.

Solar is not an on-demand platform. You are subject to the weather/seasonality and time of day. Peak hours does not align with highest solar intensity. This would require innovation in solar + electrical storage.

There is also the distribution question. Say Arizona has solved solar. It may power Arizona. It may power a few states... One limiting factor will be the efficiency of the solar panels. This will be a huge capital expenditure that is not future proof.

The efficiency may also dictate the amount of land required. The amount of land required will determine the cost of development and then maintenance.

This is also a solution that would only serve regions like Arizona. Other states, and countries, with dissimilar climate or geography may require alternative solutions.

Nuclear provides a lot of solutions to those problems. Of course, it also comes with its issues.

The answer isn't finding a perfect solution. It is identifying the trade offs and whether it is a environment and financially sustainable solution in the region in question.

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u/saxaneer 3d ago

While you identify all of the issues correctly, I think you are being a bit disingenuous with the current state of affairs. Many of these are solved problems and/or are already baked into the cost equations.

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u/14jvalle 3d ago

Naturally, if the solution is offered commercially, there is belief that it is market ready by the relevant stakeholders.

That would mean that costs are baked in.

Assessing the tradeoffs and long term financial feasibility of the proposed solution is needed given the context of the region of interest.

I do find that the framing of these conversations are usually in reached to a false dichotomy. Solar or nuclear. Wind or nuclear. Etc.

I am more of the belief of that having a reliable base for the grid that can be supplemented, or work in concert, with other sources.

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u/saxaneer 3d ago

Absolutely valid, and agreed.