Grid Status’ Post

An interesting look ahead at the potential impacts of the upcoming total eclipse on solar generation in CONUS. The temporary interconnection between ISONE and NY-ISO via the Berkshire to Northfield line will likely create some congestion dynamics if BTM Solar is impacted as expected. Grid Status's nodal pricing interface is a helpful and convenient way to see these dynamics retrospectively or in real time!

Another great analysis by Max Kanter and his team. The upcoming eclipse on April 8 is absolutely fascinating to me from an energy transition perspective. The solar eclipse presents a unique challenge for the power grids across North America. As the eclipse takes place, solar panels will experience a sudden reduction in generation capabilities. For regions heavily reliant on solar energy, this translates to a temporary drop in power output. How much solar capacity will be affected? What’s the magnitude of the drop? What is the price premium for power given the absence of solar power? Eclipses present a fun challenge because you have a predictable elimination of 30% of the generation in the grid, which requires either the dispatch of gas and coal fired power plants or batteries Beyond the eclipse, events like this showcase the necessity of diversification throughout the energy transition. Grid systems cannot be overly reliant on any single form of renewable energy. Solar, wind, and storage assets form the backbone of our sustainable grid. But their inherent variability demands sophisticated risk mitigation.

One of the best attributes of solar energy is its predictability. We know when the sun rises, when it sets, and yes, when it is blocked from view by our moon during a solar eclipse. This makes planning easier for grid operators. But if ERCOT does not adequately prepare for a few hours of reduced sun exposure during tomorrow's eclipse, don’t blame solar energy for the grid disruptions we all saw coming. Read more in a new op-ed from SEIA's Sean Gallagher in The Dallas Morning News: https://lnkd.in/ettUCBWC #solareclipse #solar #eclipse #texas #power #energy #grid #electricgrid #reliability #solarenergy #ercot

One of the best attributes of solar energy is its predictability. We know when the sun rises, when it sets, and yes, when it is blocked from view by our moon during a solar eclipse. This makes planning easier for grid operators. But if ERCOT does not adequately prepare for a few hours of reduced sun exposure during tomorrow's eclipse, don’t blame solar energy for the grid disruptions we all saw coming. Read more in a new op-ed from SEIA's Sean Gallagher in The Dallas Morning News: https://lnkd.in/ettUCBWC #solareclipse #solar #eclipse #texas #power #energy #grid #electricgrid #reliability #solarenergy #ercot

But what about solar power and the eclipse? The last eclipse hit the United States in 2017, and since then, solar power in the country has more than tripled, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, providing 4% of the nation’s generation last year. Texas has become a lab in deploying green power. Population growth, plenty of wind and sun, and a willingness to build have combined to result in astonishing amounts of utility-scale solar plants being deployed, as it’s now the cheapest form of new electricity. Texas generated 14 times more solar power last year than it did in 2017. On Sunday afternoon, solar provided about a third of power in Texas.

With so much focus on the sun with tomorrow’s eclipse, it got us thinking: what is the impact on solar energy? Turns out experts in the field have been giving this lots of thought! « For the most part, power grid operators aren’t too worried about outages or major problems during the eclipse. In fact, unlike disruptions like clouds, the moon passing between the Earth and the sun is easily predictable up to 1,000 years in advance. But behind the scenes, it will require a carefully choreographed series of energy transactions to precisely ramp up electricity from a handful of generators and route it across hundreds of miles of transmission lines to millions of customers to precisely match the needs of every monitor, air conditioner, and light bulb the instant they turn on. » 🌕☀️ #solarpower #solareclipse #renewables https://lnkd.in/eCJrF52P

🔋 In California, #Powin #batteries have the capability to produce 1.2 GWh of energy over time. We are proud of the role our #BESS solutions play in ensuring #grid stability during solar eclipses! 🌞🌒 Tomorrow morning, on October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will cross over the western United States, affecting solar power generation in #California ISO. 🌚 Solar eclipses are a spectacular natural event, but they can pose a challenge to power grids, especially those heavily reliant on #solarenergy. ☀️ This is where the #PowerOfInnovation comes into action. ⚡ Battery energy storage solutions are a powerful tool for ensuring #gridstability during these celestial events. They act as an energy reservoir, regulating #gridfrequency and ensuring uninterrupted #powersupply. 🔄💡 Back in 2017, during a #solareclipse, BESS successfully supported the grid, preventing #power interruptions in California. 👏 Find out how #CAISO is preparing for tomorrow's solar eclipse here: https://bit.ly/45rbQYw #EnergyStorage #PowinPower #GridStability #RenewableEnergy

Yet another thing that all countries and states with heavy solar energy reliance must plan for - solar eclipses! In Texas, which has over 23GW of installed solar capacity, falling down to 8% of that capacity means only 2GW could be produced, a shortage of 21GW. Out of 150GW of total capacity, that corresponds to 14% of peak capacity not being available on a solar eclipse day. #electricityreliability #gridreliability #solarpower #solareclipse #gridplanning https://lnkd.in/enuzwnky

Preparing the grid for rare annular solar eclipse! The chart, from a story published on California ISO’s new communications blog, ‘Energy Matters’, details the preparation and grid planning for the upcoming October 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse. The report’s authors are CAISO’s Jessica Stewart (Taheri), Senior Energy Meteorologist, and John Rudolph, Lead Forecast Modeler in the ISO Short-term Forecasting Unit. Since the total solar eclipse of 2017, grid-scale, and rooftop behind-the-meter solar capacity have grown by about 65% and 150% respectively across the ISO. The large footprint of solar capacity across CAISO and the eclipse’s western path makes this year’s event especially more difficult to manage. Of particular importance is the expected steep ramping conditions in solar generation and load during the event. Assuming clear-sky conditions at the time of the eclipse maximum, the grid-scale solar output will be reduced by 9,687 megawatts (MW), or about a 75% of the ISO’s usual available capacity, compared to a sunny October day at the same time. From the eclipse maximum to the eclipse end, solar production will increase by 10,800 MW over the course of 90 minutes. This is an increase of about 120 MW of grid-scale solar per minute — 10 times the normal rate of solar increase, or ramp. #poweringgood #hitachienergy #energymarkets #powergrid #CAISO #solareclipse #energymarketintel

Today is Total Solar Eclipse Day, the last visible from the contiguous US until 2044! Those in the path of totality will witness a rare celestial event as the Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun, creating a total solar eclipse. This phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's face entirely. What does this mean for solar energy production? ISO New England forecasts a significant decline in solar output during the solar eclipse, highlighting the increasing role of solar in the region's power mix. Learn more about this unique event and its impact on the grid here: https://hubs.ly/Q02rlXGV0 #SolarEclipse #SolarEnergy #ISO #FreedomEnergy