As the proportion of renewable energy sources in the overall electricity grid continues to grow, so does the unreliability of electricity production. Without suitable storage systems or, for example, gas-fired power plants that can quickly step in, critical situations or even complete power outages can occur time and again.
This is one argument. On the other hand, long periods of heat show that coal- and nuclear power plants can no longer be reliably cooled. Wind power plants and photovoltaic systems in particular continue to supply electricity during such times and can even stabilize the power grid.
In order to determine if there is indeed a link between the growing use of renewable energy and power outages, a study by Trinity College Dublin in Ireland took a close look at 20 years of data on power outages in the USA. California, for example, already covers the majority of its electricity requirements from renewable sources under favorable conditions, while only a single nuclear power plant makes a minimal contribution to the base load.
Fundamentally, the growing use of wind and solar energy has had no impact on the operational stability of electricity grids. In three crucial respects, the power outages recorded were also milder: fewer households were affected, the amount of power lost was lower and the duration of each power outage was shorter on average.
One important point that has a positive impact on stability is the large-scale distribution of electricity production. In the past, if a large power plant or a key substation failed, there were large-scale power outages. If, on the other hand, electricity is fed into the grid via numerous points of entry, this limited the impact in critical situations. This is where the advantages of decentralized feed-in become apparent.
Even for Ireland, where the study originated, the researchers are cautiously optimistic, even if the large grids in the USA or Europe are much better able to deal with fluctuating electricity production from renewable sources. Perhaps because the generation of electricity from rain is now also being tested.
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