Organizing Energy

By: Jessica Robertson

When we think about renewable energy, few downsides come to mind. Wind parks, solar energy, biogas, and other renewable sources have inspired us and reminded us that we can make wise choices for our planet. The variable nature of these renewable sources, however, does mean that their levels of energy production on a day-to-day and month-to-month basis will inevitably undergo fluctuation. In order to bring the highest level of efficiency to the power grid, these fluctuations must be accounted for and the sources combined in an intelligent way.

            Researchers strongly agree that a model that relies heavily on variable and renewable energy sources can still be a perfectly viable model, though more organization is needed than for traditional power supply. Dr. Kurt Rohrig, deputy director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology IWES in Kassel, Germany, and other experts, assert that by using numerous small energy producers that feed into the grid at varying times, the grid can be made highly reliable. This requires a major shift from the current system where big power plants are king, but change is inevitable when the environmental paradigm is shifting as quickly as it is currently.

            The multitude of small energy providers in the new concept would all be grouped in an intelligent software program, causing them to resemble a power plant, but a virtual one. Tests conducted using the software saw deeply promising results. The variations in sun and wind that make power production unpredictable in one locale can be leveled out to an appropriate average when including a larger number of smaller plants through the software.

            Proper organization of renewable energy sources and the power that they produce impacts the planet profoundly. We can reduce the waste and pollution left behind by dirtier forms of energy production by efficiently and intelligently using these environmentally friendly systems.