Omar Cheema

Renewable Energy
Technology (no post/reply is for commercial decisions)
Don't lose the right to think for yourself

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Although hotter temperature reduces solar efficiency: less energy conversion per photon
High irradiance (sunshine) drives much higher current: more photons to harvest dominates less energy per photon
Hence record breaking solar PV output during these summer heatwaves

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

"Europe's extreme heat is shutting down power plants"
says the headline
Which power plants?
Nuclear - OFF, worst affected
Coal - OFF
Gas - OFF (but less), CCGT affected
Hydro - also feels the pinch of water shortage for turbines
Solar PV - ON the money
https://t.co/3Z25CDFbFR

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Solar PV:
Hot summer temperatures (T) are accompanied by high radiance (G)
Higher T: voltage drop
Higher G: current increase
Higher G dominates so overall PV output increases
Contrary to what poorly informed journos think

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Some of the anti AI factory proponents
Contrast it with industry like steel, that they seem rather romantic about
Forgetting that this industry also faced social backlash, guild boycotts
Artisan blacksmiths citing unemployment
Uproar about furnaces spoiling scenic environments

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Killing the goose that lays the golden egg
37% workers, 55% of all people in US used generative AI in 2025
Clear productivity marker
Consumer guidance advantage
Yet there seems to a rising chorus of voices across the media against data centers, AI growth
https://t.co/INhnE19Qst

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Odd objections like it uses too much water
Sugary drinks industry - great for diabetes - has much higher water consumption
So does alcoholic beverages, or
Subsidized bioethanol to dilute petrol
All of dubious value to future economic growth and prosperity
https://t.co/B1peGq2ZGO

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Are data centers driving up electricity prices in the US?
Not if you know how the electricity markets work
It is natural gas as the wholesale market clearance price setter - for all generators including renewables
LNG exports to Europe contributing to higher domestic gas prices

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

While US media is on an anti-data center, AI phobia campaign
Top performing supercomputing in China
More importantly AI integration with scientific compute at the processor level
https://t.co/yPK0n9r9SY

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

An estimated 2/3rds of US Q1 2026 economic growth was driven by AI
All data intensive industries, just about everyone, increasingly rely on data to compete
A genuine, global industrial transition
So what's with the anti-AI campaign?
Definitely undermines US economic prospects

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Solar electricity > 20% of total TWh demand across Europe (higher percentage during daytime hours obviously)

Solar + batteries preventing evening prices from skyrocketing - due to sole reliance on expensive gas peakers
Less load on gas, hydro to replace nuclear shortage

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Different summer
Same story for when it gets hotter
Nuclear power plants in Europe: heavily scaled back operation or completely shut down due to extreme heat
Record breaking solar photovoltaic power output
+ batteries, gas, hydro making up for nuclear shortage

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

@TheRealNumber6 A pint of beer takes 3-10 pints of water to make
Don't hear complaints that hey I really enjoy my beer but am concerned it's causing a water crisis or drying up the Colorado river
Data center consumption is a tiny fraction of the beer industry, much less than 1/10th

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

@TheRealNumber6 Golf courses: 700bn-1 tr gallons/y
1% fix in agricultural water inefficiencies ~ 300 bn g/y
Outdated use or lose it water access regulation in the West as a handicap
Data centers are like 15-20 bn g/y, most with recycling arrangment for cost saving

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Replacing about 7 GW of nuclear power
With solar, wind + batteries
Would provide enough water for all the data centers in the US
From water savings per kWh electricity generation

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

Water consumption by data centers is trivial - by orders of magnitude - compared to
Subsidized, good for nothing bioethanol in the US
(Used to dilute petrol - though more expensive, less efficient)
Producing electric power from nuclear and fossil fuels
https://t.co/mF1PtEmFFS

[Omar Cheema @Vivantive]

US estimates
Bioethanol: 2-6+ trillion gallons of water/year
1400 gallons water for 1 gallon ethanol
Nuclear & fossils power: 2+ trillion gallons/y
Data centers: < 20 billion gallons/y

Run data centers on solar, wind + batteries - not reliant on water for every kWh