Solar farms could be playing in the near future an essential role in the energy system 24 hours a day. A breakthrough trial has proved that they can help in balancing the grid at night.
National Grid used a solar farm in East Sussex to help smooth overnight voltage fluctuations for the first time earlier this month, proving solar farms don’t need sunshine to help keep the lights on.
Lightsource BP, the owner of the solar farm, said an inexpensive tweak to the project’s electrical equipment meant it could help balance the grid with only two seconds’ notice. Kareen Boutonnat, the company’s chief operating officer, said: “We have proven that solar plants can play a larger role across the electricity network. But this is only the beginning.”
I hope this development will encourage everyone of us to use solar power. Although it might be expensive at first, it will cost less in the long run (and it’s eco-friendly, too!).
More details about this news over at The Guardian.
What are your thoughts about this one?
(Image Credit: andreas160578/ Pixabay)
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Maybe. Responding to voltage fluctuations within two seconds is OK I guess, but two seconds is a lifetime in the electrical world. For a power outage, response needs to be in a couple hundred milliseconds or you risk a cascading shutdown. Long as everyone keeps that in mind...
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