As the cost of solar panels keeps dropping and the market picks up, supported in some places by government mandates such as the Renewable Portfolio Standards in 29 states, incorporating intermittent power flow from renewables emerges as a major issue for grid operators. Until batteries come online to store excess electricity when available and release it when needed, juggling renewables is a science that Germany has elevated to an art form. The country’s power grid relies on renewables by up to 28%, making Germany the biggest economy in the world to rely so much on sun and wind. In spite of this, it experiences just 15 minutes of outages per year, compared with 68 minutes in France and more than four hours in Poland. California and China are already hard at work trying to replicate such efficiency.
Germany successfully turns intermittent renewable power into a reliable flow
More of Today's Solutions
Your allergies aren’t getting worse with age. The pollen season is.
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If your spring allergies feel worse than they did five years ago, there is a reason for that, ...
Read MoreWhat governments and households are being asked to do in the oil crisis
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The International Energy Agency has already done something it has never done before: ordered the largest release of ...
Read MoreCooking tip: How to remove toxins from rice but keep the nutrients
Rice is nice, but the problem with this widely-consumed food is that it’s very high in arsenic compared to most other foods. In fact, ...
Read MoreFormerly homeless guides offer unique experiences of iconic cities
In cities across the world, the streets tell stories—stories of triumph over adversity, resilience, and transformation. Invisible Cities, a breakthrough organization, transforms these stories ...
Read More
