What is curtailment?
Curtailing in the context of wind energy refers to intentionally reducing or limiting the electricity production of wind turbines, even when there is sufficient wind to generate electricity. This is done for various reasons, including maintaining the stability of the electricity grid, preventing grid overload, and optimizing energy generation in line with electricity demand.
Here are some situations where curtailing may occur:
- Electricity oversupply: If more electricity is being produced than the grid can handle or utilize at that moment, curtailing may be applied to prevent grid overload. This helps in maintaining the stability of the electricity grid.
- Low electricity demand: During periods of low electricity demand, when supply significantly exceeds demand, reducing production through curtailing can help better match available electricity to demand.
- Network stability: To ensure the stability of the electricity grid, especially in situations where there is significant variability in the supply of renewable energy sources such as wind, curtailing production at certain times may be necessary.
While curtailing can contribute to the stability of the electricity grid, there are also discussions about its efficiency and sustainability, as it essentially means that potentially available renewable energy is not fully utilized. It is often seen as a temporary solution until more advanced energy storage technologies are available to store excess energy for future use.