3 ms·

Could the excess energy be fed into the local grid during non productive times, help balance out the cost of keeping it running?

• greggyb 7y ago
  In short, yes, but there are limits. A really (really) rough analogy would be filling a tank of water. If you fill it faster than it can drain, eventually it will overflow. If it is sealed, it may burst. The grid equivalents of an overflowing or bursting tank are not great scenarios. And with intermittent energy sources, there are additional problems. We only get energy sometimes. We want energy always. It basically inverts the idea of base load and peak load sources. If your source is intermittent, then you do want to be able to over-produce at certain times, with an ability to capture the energy. Think batteries, but know that they need not be chemical batteries. Energy storage can then cover the valleys of production or the peaks of demand. Add coordination to the challenges as well. Much (most?) solar is distributed. It's much easier to ramp generation up or down in a few centralized plants. If every home has a solar panel array, then you need to be able (either at the local or the grid level) be able to store excess energy or turn off production. None of this is insurmountable, but there are many challenges that are non-trivial by nature and some that are difficult d/t the way energy grids are typically set up.