A study spearheaded by the CSIRO has shown that solar intermittency can be ‘fixed’ with the right knowledge and tools, such as solar forecasting and energy management.
The study, Solar intermittency: Australia’s clean energy challenge, also investigated the effects of solar intermittency on electricity grids, and it directly addressed the intermittency concerns of market and grid operators, solar installers and investors.
Other key findings from the study included:
The CSIRO can provide the information required to manage solar intermittency
A customised approach is required to solve solar intermittency because it is not uniform; different sites, regions and countries require individual solutions, and therefore local research and demonstration pilots are required
Australia needs a highly flexible electricity grid to use large amounts of solar energy as the main power source in the near future.
The study was made possible with funding from the Australian Solar institute and developed by CSIRO in conjunction with the Australian Energy Market Operator and the Energy Networks Association.
The full report on Solar intermittency: Australia’s clean energy challenge can be downloaded by clicking here.
To read more about the study on Australia’s solar intermittency challenges, subscribe to Solar Australia magazine – the August 2012 edition will feature insights and analysis from Solar intermittency: Australia’s clean energy challenge.
As a special offer, e-newsletter readers receive 10 per cent off any subscription to the Solar Australia print magazine when subscribing or renewing a subscription before 30 June 2012.
Subscribers will also receive a content marketing whitepaper, The Ultimate Guide to Capturing More Customers with Content Marketing, for free when claiming this special offer.
The costs of PV are coming down dramatically and the technology is improving. It's also good that we are able to manage intermittency using forecasting tools and energy management. However, we really have to bite the bullet with solar storage and build Concentrated Solar Thermal Power plus Molten Salt Storage (CSP+). To see an exciting video about Gemasolar, near Seville in Spain, that shows how this technology works go to http://tiny.cc/0jahy.
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