Power companies around the world have used more green energy than ever before in recent months. The effects of the pandemic lockdown suggest that the transition away from polluting fossil fuels is gaining momentum. This disproves the old contention that the intermittency of solar, wind, and other renewable power sources limits the amount that can be dependably fed into the grid.
However, over the summer months, more renewable energy inputs have supplanted coal and gas, and utility companies have proved that they are able to cope with greater amounts of power from fluctuating sources than had been imagined previously.
“This has been a real test of how resilient the grids are, and we know they coped because the lights stayed on,” says Rory McCarthy, energy storage senior analyst at global consultancy experts Wood Mackenzie. “Maybe this will give confidence to governments and policy makers who were apprehensive, that they can be more ambitious about the number of renewables on the grid.”
Some countries have reduced power consumption by up to 20 per cent. Many power suppliers moved to the cheapest energy sources to meet lowering demand. Wind and solar power costs very little to generate once the installations are built and is often facilitated by government mandates and subsidies. Therefore more expensive fossil fuel sources ended up being cut back.
However, this is not the biggest test. The critical point for the grid will be the demand at around five pm on a mid-winter evening, which is when offices, shops and homes are all using energy, the sun has set, and conventional fuel sources are needed to ensure that the grid is stable.
Finnish energy technology consultancy Wartsila collated data from around Europe on renewable use. Power companies generated an average 44 per cent of renewable electricity across the EU and Britain from April to June. The same period last year was 37.2 per cent. Some countries hit daily peaks of 53 per cent, with Austria topping out at 93 per cent, owing to its extensive hydropower availability. The EU has set stretch targets to obtain 32 per cent of its energy needs, including transport, from renewable sources by 2030.
The National Grid has an even more difficult goal of operating a completely carbon-free electricity system by 2025, which it says would be the world’s first. On July 14th the British government announced it was easing regulations and planning rules to encourage large-scale battery projects.
Energy storage is going to be essential if these goals are to be met. So are advanced grid systems and computing, as well as more electric vehicles on the roads. But the consumer also has to play their part in decarbonisation and reduction of energy emissions. At home you can reduce energy consumption in various ways, and also save money in the process.
It is easy being green.