What is the duck curve?
The duck curve is a phenomenon that occurs in some regions with high solar power penetration, where the electricity demand drops during midday hours when solar power generation is high, and then ramps up rapidly as the sun sets and solar power generation decreases. This creates a mismatch between electricity supply and demand, which can strain the electricity grid and increase the need for fossil fuel-based power generation.
Fattening and Flattening
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) describes two ways of re-shaping the duck chart: To “fatten” the curve and to “flatten” the curve. Fattening means increasing the flexibility of power systems to allow them to start and stop more frequently. Flattening is shifting load and supply so that the power supply meets the demand.
Vertical solar panels can help to flatten the duck curve by producing power during the hours when demand is highest. This is because vertical panels are more efficient at capturing sunlight when the sun is low in the sky, such as in the morning and evening. Additionally, vertical panels can be installed on buildings, which can help to reduce the amount of land that is needed for solar power generation. Vertical solar panels can also be integrated into farmland which increases the land use efficiency as well.
This will give us power when we actually need it.
David Harde, the owner of a Californian Winery emphasizes the supply benefits of the Sunzaun installation on his vineyard:
“I think it will do very well, producing a great amount of power in the morning. Midday – not so much. And then in the later afternoon, in contrast with horizontal designed systems. Those systems produce more efficiently in the midday, but they fall off in the morning and are inefficient in the afternoon. So this will give us power when we actually need it.”
Advantages of vertical solar panels for the grid
Vertical solar panels are a promising technology that can help to mitigate the duck curve and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
Here are some additional details about how vertical solar panels can help to support the duck curve:
- Vertical solar panels can be installed on buildings, which can help to reduce the amount of land that is needed for solar power generation. This is important because land is a scarce resource in California.
- Vertical solar panels are more efficient at capturing sunlight when the sun is low in the sky, such as in the morning and evening. This is when demand for electricity is highest, so vertical solar panels can help to meet this demand.
- Vertical solar panels can be installed on a variety of surfaces, including rooftops, parking lots, and even the sides of buildings. This makes them a versatile option for solar power generation.
- Vertical solar panels are a relatively new technology, so they are still being developed. However, they have the potential to play a significant role in the future of solar power generation
- Reducing the need for transmission infrastructure: Installing vertical solar on buildings in densely populated areas can reduce the need for expensive transmission infrastructure to deliver electricity from remote power plants to urban areas. This can help to minimize the strain on the grid during periods of high demand and improve grid reliability
Overall, vertical solar can help to address the challenges posed by the duck curve by increasing solar power generation capacity, shifting solar generation to peak demand hours, and reducing the need for long-distance transmission lines.
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