Overcoming Intermittency: Multiple Approaches for Reliable Solar Power

Addressing solar intermittency requires a combination of affordable technologies. Here are promising solutions:

  1. Cheap storage: Costs of short-term and long-duration storage are declining, making solar power storage cheaper than purchasing from the grid.
  2. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): EVs can export electricity to the grid, with enough battery storage to power homes for days, becoming a significant grid storage source.
  3. Overbuilding solar: Increasing solar capacity to accommodate shorter winter days is cost-effective, reducing the need for expensive batteries.
  4. Pairing solar with wind: Solar and wind complement each other well, balancing daily and seasonal intermittency without extensive storage requirements.
  5. Country-wide transmission: Balancing weather variations across regions through cross-country transmission helps manage intermittent renewables.
  6. Demand response (DR): Smart appliances adjust to lower solar output temporarily, shifting the electricity demand-supply relationship.
  7. Hydrogen or ammonia: Converting excess electricity to energy-dense gases provides cost-effective long-duration storage until batteries become more affordable.
  8. Leveraging the existing grid: Scaling up existing rooftop solar grid management is feasible, offering a solution for intermittency at larger scales.

Combining these approaches offers solutions for reliable solar power. With declining costs, increasing storage capacities, smarter grid management, and leveraging complementary renewables, continuous solar power generation is within reach. Embracing these strategies leads to a resilient and sustainable energy future.