Attacks on two DTEK solar farms last spring is a good example. They destroyed many solar panels and some of the transformers, which step up voltage for long distances or step it down for use in homes. Replacing the transformers and swapping out destroyed panels allowed the farms, which generate 400 megawatts, to be back up in seven days.

Timchenko said an attack on a thermal generating station, which experienced a similar amount of damage, took three to four months to rebuild.

  • eleitl@lemm.ee
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    2 hours ago

    If the grid is down your industry is down. Large scale PV is easily and cheaply trashed with cluster munitions.

    • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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      35 minutes ago

      Wait until you find out how easy it is to bomb a coal plant

      And how much more expensive it is to replace it

    • perestroika@lemm.ee
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      18 minutes ago

      Notes made after a storm: a panel with a 30 cm slash from flying plywood keeps producing, just somewhat less.

      • eleitl@lemm.ee
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        10 minutes ago

        Geran-2 carries about 50 kg which can be a cluster munition up to 2000 km on the cheap. It is very effective when taking out large scale PV modules which are made from thermally prestressed glass.

        Renewables can’t keep a grid up without fossil backup, which is by now greatly reduced. And 750 kV transformers are also very vulnerable. Ukraine grid is now entirely reliant on electricity import from neighboring countries. These high voltage lines are few.

      • eleitl@lemm.ee
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        40 minutes ago

        Which “experts” do you need for what’s common knowledge?

        • SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world
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          5 minutes ago

          If you took a second to read you’d find their usefulness isn’t withstanding attack, but being able to quickly deploy after an attack.

          You’re acting as if there’s some magical form of energy generation that is impervious to modern munitions.

        • lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.de
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          10 minutes ago

          If experts disagree with your “common knowledge”, it’s probably actually a “common misconception” which, given the sheer complexity of information in our world, is a fairly common phenomenon. There’s no shame in being wrong about things you’re no expert in, just in doubling down on your error.

          (Of course, if you’re an expert too and have evidence to the contrary, it becomes effectively impossible for laypeople to assess without knowing the history current state of discussion in the field.)