Gas' Role in Renewable World Goes Well Beyond Backup,Exec Says

摘要

Gas is a vital component of today's energy mix,especially in places with growing renewable market share.But rather than serving as a backup for wind and solar intermittency,the main need for gas in many parts of the world-including the US-boils down to the huge difference between summer and winter energy demand,said Didier Holleaux,executive vice president of French utility Engie.In North America and Europe,for example,solar power generation becomes inherently lower in winter just as heating demand is peaking.This,along with the fact that electricity is generally not easily storable,makes it “almost impossible” to address total energy demand with electricity only.Compared with seasonality,short-term renewable intermittency is “almost a secondary issue,” Holleaux told Energy Intelligence in an interview.Gas turbines are currently “indispensable” when wind stops or clouds diminish solar output for a few hours or a few days because they can start and stop very quickly.