NEW ENERGY ON GERMAN AND HAWAIIAN GRIDS

Solar Power Growing Pains: How Will Hawaii And Germany Cope With The Boom In Alternative Energy?

Roxanne Palmer, December 29, 2013 (International Busiess Times)

“…[I]n places like Hawaii and Germany, rooftop solar panels are popping up like weeds…The result can be either a sudden draw on the grid on cloudy days, or a potentially overloading power surge on unexpectedly sunny days. Not every grid is able to cope…Experts predict that solar-generated power may soon be able to power [Germany, but only] between noon and 2 p.m…[That] is problematic for the grid…The hope may lie in smart grids that use advanced communications networks to better juggle the production of electricity from multiple sources, as well as large-scale batteries that could store excess solar power. But neither option is especially cheap…Some solar advocates have faith that the market will adjust as PV systems become more popular...[R]esearch institute Fraunhofer ISE said in a report this past September [PDF], that Germany should not try to halt the solar power boom to wait for storage technology to catch up…” click here for more

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