The random intermittency of electrical power supplied from many renewable sources, most notably wind, requires a high level of conventional back-up generating capacity to ensure security of supply. As the penetration of intermittent generators increases and becomes a significant proportion of the total, the extra system requirements and costs could pose serious problems. Although the causes of recent well-publicised blackouts have been due to other reasons, intermittency will exacerbate the potential for cascade failure.

Editor's Note This paper complements the Irish Grid and Eon Netz reports that address the low capacity credit of wind power.

Web link: http://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/responses/pdf/pract...

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