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Overcoming renewable energy variability for a stable grid
12/3/2025
8 min read
Feature
Integrating large amounts of solar and wind into electricity grids is a major challenge due to their intermittency. As the world installs more renewables, the peaks and troughs in power generation will extend beyond hourly or daily fluctuations into seasonal patterns. Managing these variations requires flexible energy systems that can adjust output throughout the year to balance intermittency and maintain grid stability, reports Charlie Bush.
The Energy Institute’s most recent Statistical Review of World Energy found that renewables’ share of total electricity generation rose from 29% to 30% in 2023. Excluding hydropower, renewable generation grew by 13% to a record high of 4,748 TWh, driven almost entirely by wind and solar, which accounted for 74% of all net additional electricity generated. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that by 2030, renewables will generate 46% of the world’s electricity, with wind and solar leading the way. But, of course, every night the sun goes down and the wind does not always blow.
Mitigations to the variability of renewables include diversifying generation sources, adding energy storage, expanding and upgrading transmission and distribution networks, implementing flexible demand, and innovating grid operations. Successful large-scale grids worldwide have already achieved renewable energy penetration rates of up to 71%, leading to greater reliability and lower electricity prices, according to a 2024 report from the Pembina Institute. However, failure to implement integration measures could jeopardise up to 15% of global solar and wind generation by 2030, resulting in a 20% smaller reduction in carbon emissions from the power sector, warns the IEA.
How intermittent is intermittent?
Solar generation is naturally limited to daylight hours. It peaks at midday and drops to zero at night. Clouds and fog can significantly impact output, creating short-term fluctuations. Seasonal variations also play a role. For example, the daily average light energy incident on a horizontal surface in summer in London is six to seven times higher than in winter. Regions closer to the equator experience more stable solar production due to less seasonal variation. Solar output can be predicted more reliably in areas closer to the equator with less seasonal variation, and generally less cloud and fog.