Solar Stabilizes Grid During Recent Heat Waves, But Duck Curve Days Complicate Grid Management

Global temperatures have broken long-standing records over the last month. Local utility companies have been in constant contact with their customers, offering small hints about energy conservation. Extreme heat generally translates into high electricity demand, and that can lead to rolling blackouts or outages that leave thousands without electricity. In the New England regional area, however, the power grid “hummed along uneventfully,” according to the Boston Globe.

Why? Thousands of solar panels on rooftops, over parking lots, and along highways have filled in energy gaps. Such small solar arrays distributed across the region create stability.

“If one of these solar arrays goes down, it’ll be immaterial,” notes Joe LaRusso, manager of the Clean Grid Initiative at the Acadia Center.

To read the full article from Clean Technica, click here.