Analyzing Reliability of Renewable Energy Systems Without Base-Load

This essay addresses the critique that large-scale, 100% renewable electricity systems, primarily based on wind and solar power, lack the necessary base-load power stations for reliable operation. It challenges the assumption that base-load power is essential for a stable electricity grid, arguing that renewable energy systems can achieve reliability through various technological solutions and grid modernization. The essay explores solutions such as interconnected wind turbines, wind farm cluster management systems, battery storage models for solar energy, and solar photovoltaic array models. It emphasizes that the variability of solar and wind resources can be managed effectively with a flexible, modernized grid that connects areas with high renewable power generation potential to regions with high power demand. The essay concludes that the primary barrier to adopting renewable energy systems is a lack of political will and the need for appropriate policies that foster increased renewable energy production, reduce capital costs, and create a level playing field for renewable energy investments, highlighting the obsolescence of the base-load concept in modern, flexible power generation technologies.

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MANAGING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
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Managing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Introduction
Exploration, production and use of renewable energy have increased significantly over
the past few decades mainly because of the global problem of climate change. Solar and wind
power are among the commonest types of renewable energy. These energy systems have
numerous economic, social and environmental benefits including: reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, improve public health, stabilize energy prices, create jobs, are reliable and resilient,
and produce inexhaustible energy, save money, help diversify energy supply, and enhance
energy independence. However, adoption of large-scale, 100% renewable solar and wind power
systems still faces various barriers. One of the major barriers is the reliability conceptions of
solar and wind power systems. It is factual that solar and wind power systems cannot reliably
generate base load power electricity because of the variability of sunlight intensity or sunshine
and strength of wind. Nevertheless, this does not mean that solar and wind power stations are not
reliable renewable energy systems. This is because even though they cannot guarantee base load
power, they can generate peak load power and other loads below the base load. Base load power
stations are power stations that are designed to ensure that a particular power plant generates and
provides the required minimum quantity of electric power at any given time1. The base load
power stations operate continuously only to stop for maintenance, repair, upgrade or
unanticipated outages. On the other hand, peak load power stations are power stations that
generate and provide electric power that is above the minimum power required at any given time
(i.e. base load).
1 Benjamin Matek and Karl Gawell, 2015. The Benefits of Baseload Renewables: A Misunderstood Energy
Technology. The Electricity Journal, 28(2), pp. 101-112.

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Opponents of large-scale, 100% renewable solar and wind power systems have used the
sunlight and wind variability notion to argue that solar and wind power systems are not reliable
or require additional systems such as diesel or hydro-powered generators or geothermal base
load power plants, which increases the complexity and cost of solar and wind power systems.
The fact that these systems can generate peak load makes reliability their strength rather than a
weakness. The argument of the opponents, including energy regulators, conservative politicians,
mainstream media and business people, is mainly for individual interests such as political
mileage or a way of supporting nuclear, gas and coal power plant projects from which they make
a lot of money and undermine investments in large-scale renewable energy2. The base load
mindset is propagated by persons with vested interests in non-renewable energy sector and is
greatly affecting adoption of solar and wind energy systems. Their main aim is to discourage
investments in large-scale renewable solar and wind power plants so that they can continue
benefiting from their establish businesses in fossil fuel industry. They are not considered with the
negative environmental impacts of non-renewable energy systems. They also never discuss about
other real issues in the non-renewable energy sector, such as conventional power plants operating
only half their design life, which is making their future reliability a big doubt. For example, the
capacity factor at which conventional power plants ran in India in 2015 was 49.9%, it stood at
56.2% in China in 2014 (and dropped to 50.9% in 2015) and in Lithgow, NSW, it was 45% in
2015. The fact that capacity factors for conventional power plants are declining in an indicator
that these plants will not have the capacity to meet the ever growing global electricity demand in
the near future. This makes adoption of renewable energy unavoidable.
2 Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017. Barriers to Renewable Energy Technologies. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/barriers-to-renewable-
energy#.XEQ3LbxRXIU
[Accessed 20 January 2019].

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Solutions
There are numerous technological solutions to the base load debate. Some of the
solutions for wind power plants include interconnection in an array and active power
coordination control strategy whereas solutions for solar power plants include battery systems
models, solar PV array models, charge controller/converter models. Interconnected wind turbines
basically involves connecting numerous wind turbines located in different sites to operate as a
single wind farm. It is obvious that wind speed varies from one region to another hence wind
turbines in one region at a particular may be having low power output due to low wind speeds
while wind turbines in another region are having maximum power output due to high wind speed
at that same time. Through interconnection, the wind farm will have uniform power output at all
times3. This means that the wind turbines in different sites boost each other’s capacity value.
Wind farm cluster (WFC) management system involves pooling numerous large wind farms into
groups and operating/controlling them similar to large conventional power plants. The wind
farms are clustered so as to optimize their individual variable wind power output. The WFC
management system comprises of different levels namely: wind turbine execution level, collector
station management level and wind energy management level. There are also five modes in
which a WFC can operate to adopt to the variable operation systems caused by energy demand:
normal operation mode, frequency regulation mode, peak regulation mode, communication fault
mode and emergency reduce mode.
Battery system models can be used for conversation and storage of solar energy. Solar
panels can produce excess energy especially during off-peak demand. The battery has the ability
to convert the excess electrical energy into electrochemical energy. This energy can then be
3 Emily Fertig, Jay Apt, Paulina Jaramillo and Warren Katzenstein, W., 2012. The effect of long-distance
interconnection on wind power variability. Environmental Research Letters, 7(3), pp. 1-10.

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stored in the battery to be used later when needed (during peak demand). There is need to
develop batteries with very high storage capacities to make solar energy more reliable4. Solar
photovoltaic (PV) array models are similar to the interconnected wind turbines. In this case, solar
modules are interconnected by fusing numerous solar panels. The solar panels can also be
located in different sites that receive varied sunlight. For example, solar panels installed in a
desert can be interconnected to those installed in a wetland to ensure that both regions have the
same solar output. This will also eliminate the base load concern because if the solar panels are
many and big enough, they will generate large amount of power that will ensure constant supply.
Charge controller is a device that prevents the battery system discussed above from
overcharging. This is helpful in protecting the battery system from damage or other safety related
risks, and also managing the battery system. Converter is a device that is used for converting AC
power generated by the solar panels to DC power so that it can be supplied and used by the
consumers safely. AC-DC framework improves overall efficiency of renewable energy system5.
Feasibility and Adoption of Solutions
All the above solutions are feasible and can be easily integrated into solar and wind
power systems. There are some systems or devices that are already available in the market but
they can be improved to meet current needs. For instance, there is need to design and
manufacture solar panels and wind turbines with interconnection in mind. This will ease the
process and cost of interconnecting solar panels or wind turbines. The systems should also be
designed in different sizes (small-scale, medium-scale and large-scale) to meet the varied needs
4 Nian Shi and Yi Luo, 2017. Capacity value of energy storage considering control strategies. PLoS ONE,
12(5), pp. 1-10.
5 Shoaib Rauf and Nasrullah Khan, 2017. Application of DC-AC Hybrid Grid and Solar Photovoltaic
Generation with Battery Storage Using Smart Grid. International Journal of Photoenergy, 2017(1), pp. 1-
16.

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of energy consumers. But the fundamental focus should be put on developing technologies that
will improve the efficiency of solar and wind power systems so as to generate large amount of
intermittent and peak power. If the excess energy is stored appropriately and transmitted based
on demand-supply equations, the base load debate will become completely irrelevant.
The electricity grid should also be modernized so as to accommodate renewable energy
sources. A flexible, modernized grid will be able to manage the variability of solar and wind
resources. For instance, it can connect locations with high renewable power generation potential
(such as sunny and windy areas) to regions with high power demand such as industrial and
populated centers. This will help in solving the base load problem created by misconception. The
upgraded grid will also be useful in ensuring that consumers get power at the time they need it
most. With these solutions, solar and wind power systems will be able to supply electricity at a
constant output without necessary having base load power stations.
It is also worth noting that solar and wind power plants are modular and distributed hence
less predisposed to large-scale failure. They are modular because they consist of numerous
individual solar arrays and wind turbines, and distributed because the individual sub-systems are
dispersed over an extensive geographical area thus when an extreme weather event occurs in one
location, it does not cut off power in the whole region. Other equipment of the system can also
continue operating even if a few of them are damaged. This makes solar and wind power systems
more resilient and reliable without base load. The reality is that solar and wind are more reliable
in meeting electricity demand because the two are variable sources of power supply, and power
demand itself is always variable. Therefore solar and wind power plants can supply power only
when it is needed thus reducing wastage and unnecessary costs.

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Conclusions
There is no intrinsic need for base load power in modern-day renewable and non-
renewable power plants. In fact, base load ability of a renewable power plant will soon become
outdated and remain an anachronism6. Solar and wind power systems can meet the required
power grid reliability levels without base load power. Therefore main barrier remaining to
adoption of renewable energy systems is lack of political goodwill. The political barriers have
made it difficult to formulate appropriate policies that will foster increased production of
renewable energy. They have also made it difficult to lower capital costs, minimize market entry
barriers, and offer equal playing field. Successful adoption of renewable energy can only be
realized if a proper regulatory framework is put in place7. This will help attract local and foreign
investors in the renewable energy sector. There is also need to educate the general public about
renewable energy, including its benefits and potential8.
The power generation technology of today is very flexible such that it does not require a
base load. The idea of base load originated from coal power plants and it should be forced on
renewable power plants. It was mandatory for coal power plants to have a base load to avoid
turning off during off-peak because it was very costly to get then running again after shutting
down. This is not the case for solar and wind power plants because they are operated by flexible
technology that allows easy and quick turning on and off. Therefor it is baseless to claim that
solar and wind power systems cannot supply reliable energy because they cannot generate base
6 Judy W. Chang, Aydi M. Aydin, Johannes Pfeifenberger, Kathleen Spees, John I. Pedtke, 2017.
Advancing Past "Baseload" to a Flexible Grid, Boston, MA: The Brattle Group.
7 Larissa N.S. Barbosa, Dmitrii Bogdanov, Pasi Vainikka and Christian Breyer, 2017. Hydro, wind and solar
power as a base for a 100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America. PLoS ONE, 12(3),
pp. 1-15.
8 Don C. Smith, 2017. Renewable energy generation continues to increase: Is it moving toward a new
‘base-load source’?. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, 35(3), pp. 220-227.

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load. The base load is not needed anymore and renewable power systems can operate without
base load. Some states in Germany are already dependent on 100% renewable energy without the
hindrance of base load. Studies in the U.S. and Australia have also shown that renewables can
provide all the needed power without base load power stations.
Last but not least, the future of energy supply is renewable energy and in the near future,
opponents of this fact will have nothing to argue about. People are becoming more aware of the
benefits, reliability, efficiency, versatility and capability of renewable energy hence
misconceptions such as base load will no longer hinder adoption of solar and wind energy
systems.
References
Barbosa, L., Bogdanov, D., Vainikka, P. & Breyer, C., 2017. Hydro, wind and solar power as a base for a
100% renewable energy supply for South and Central America. PLoS ONE, 12(3), pp. 1-15.
Chang, J.W; Aydin, M.G; Pfeifenberger, J; Spees, K; Pedtke, J.I., 2017. Advancing Past "Baseload" to a
Flexible Grid, Boston, MA: The Brattle Group.
Fertig, E., Apt, J., Jaramillo, P. & Katzenstein, W., 2012. The effect of long-distance interconnection on
wind power variability. Environmental Research Letters, 7(3), pp. 1-10.
Matek, B. & Gawell, K., 2015. The Benefits of Baseload Renewables: A Misunderstood Energy
Technology. The Electricity Journal , 28(2), pp. 101-112.
Rauf, S. & Khan, N., 2017. Application of DC-AC Hybrid Grid and Solar Photovoltaic Generation with
Battery Storage Using Smart Grid. International Journal of Photoenergy, 2017(1), pp. 1-16.
Shi, N. & Luo, Y., 2017. Capacity value of energy storage considering control strategies. PLoS ONE, 12(5),
pp. 1-10.
Smith, D., 2017. Renewable energy generation continues to increase: Is it moving toward a new ‘base-
load source’?. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, 35(3), pp. 220-227.
Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017. Barriers to Renewable Energy Technologies. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/barriers-to-renewable-

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energy#.XEQ3LbxRXIU
[Accessed 20 January 2019].