Surplus of Solar? Why the Current Overproduction is Actually a Good Thing

USA - English

• USA - English

LOS ANGELES, July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Solar capacity and storage are escalating to new heights nationwide. In fact, for the first time, many regions are experiencing an overproduction of renewable energy, which has sparked conversation to whether or not production should be decreased.

The answer? Not only should solar production not be slowed, but it should actually increase.

Nicki Zvik, Founder of Green Solar Technologies, explains why an increase in solar energy would be beneficial, stating, "Much like traditional means of producing energy, solar energy can be stored and literally saved for a rainy day. But unlike fossil fuels, electricity created by solar is completely free of charge, and during times when the sun is shining less, the surplus of stored solar energy can be used to fill in the gaps rather than costly and environmentally destructive fossil fuels."

An article by Richard Perez and Kark R. Rabago published on Newsweek goes into detail about filling the "gaps" Zvik mentions. "Let's say the operator of a regional electricity grid needs X megawatt-hours/day to meet demand. Today the solar farms in that region can meet or exceed this demand only on days of the highest production, such as clear days in the summer. On other days, the production gaps are met by storage...By contrast, when the solar resource is oversized, that solar generator can meet the X MWh/day demand more days of the year and there are fewer gaps—hence there are fewer times that energy storage is need to fill the gaps."

Zvik also notes that city and state governments are steadily increasing the requirements of renewable energy used by utility companies. "Because so many cities and states either have or are in the works of creating renewable energy goals, primarily solar energy goals, increased solar energy production will give the regions a buffer," he shares. "Solar energy doesn't expire, so as long as there are the means of storing it, all of the energy absorbed can be used whenever it's needed, either due to prolonged poor weather conditions or greater solar requirements."

Additionally, an abundance of solar energy would mean a healthier environment, which is a plus in and of itself. But looking beyond just the surface-level benefits of creating and maintaining a healthier environment, there are financial benefits here, too.

"As a country, we spend exorbitant amounts of money trying to fix the damage we do to the environment by using fossil fuels," explains Nicki Zvik, "but the more solar we use, the less we need to spend in terms of damage control. It is for this reason and so many others that we need to not only create and store a bounty of solar energy, but we need to put what is now seen as an oversupply to use. Thankfully, our leaders are taking notice to solar energy's benefits and seem to be paving the way for a brighter and more prosperous future."

Nicki Zvik is the founder of Green Solar Technologies and Spectrum Properties LLC.

SOURCE Green Solar Technologies