New policies needed for next-generation wind and solar

The growth of renewable power has raised a new challenge for energy-system operators and regulators – wind and solar PV have sometimes been deployed before the power system was ready to handle such variable supplies.

In 2015 in China, 15% of the electricity that could have been produced by wind turbines had to be curtailed as the system was unable to integrate the supplied power – as a result the productive wind turbines were taken offline. The loss was not paid for, highlighting an investment risk for any company looking to build additional variable renewables.

Wind and solar PV are currently the fastest-growing sources of electricity, but the variable nature of wind and solar PV constrains their ability to provide stable power over time. In countries such as Denmark, where variable renewables are the main source of power, a full transformation of the power system is necessary, including infrastructure, policies and markets.

A new report from IEA, Next Generation Wind and Solar from Cost to Value, includes case studies that show how emerging countries can achieve integration. The possible solutions include long-term strategic planning, upgrades to power systems, more advance variable renewable technology, additional distributed resources and policies that encourage projects with greater system value.

For more information on new policies needed for next generation wind and solar, see full article.