In the operation of today’s power systems, renewables (especially solar and wind) are becoming a larger and larger part of the generation mix. While renewables are desirable for their low variable costs and for their low environmental impact, they can and do cause problems in day-to-day system operations. The most notable of these is illustrated by the “duck curve” where renewable outputs offset demand producing a “duck’s belly” during normal maximum load periods as shown in the figure below and then cause higher than normal ramping needs when the sun goes down (“duck’s head”).
Read >> Rick Hoefer – March 2016
