Transitioning to renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, is key to building a sustainable future. These clean sources help cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce air pollution, and boost energy independence and job creation.
But moving to 100% renewable energy isn’t just about installing more solar panels or building wind farms. Connecting these sources to our current power grids brings a range of technical and logistical challenges.
In this article, we’ll discuss why the transition to renewable energy is quite complex and how we can transform these challenges into opportunities.
The challenge of intermittency
A major challenge with renewable energy is its intermittency. Solar panels only produce power when the sun shines, and their output drops on cloudy days. Wind turbines depend on wind, which isn’t always consistent. This makes it difficult to predict and control how much energy these sources will produce at any given time.
In contrast, traditional power plants—like coal or natural gas—can run around the clock, delivering a steady, reliable flow of electricity that helps keep the grid stable.
(Also read: No Power, No Progress: The Critical Role of Baseload Power in Mindanao’s Growth)
The challenge of outdated infrastructure
Today’s power grid was built for large, centralized power plants that send electricity over long distances to where it’s needed. But renewable energy sources are often spread out over wide areas, sometimes far from existing transmission lines.
To connect these scattered energy sources, the grid needs major upgrades. But the current system isn’t well-equipped to handle the variable and decentralized nature of renewables, leading to congestion and inefficiencies.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that to meet global climate targets, the world must urgently revamp its electricity grid, adding or refurbishing approximately 80 million kilometers of transmission lines by 2040—an amount equivalent to the entire existing grid.
“Governments need to open their eyes – if we want clean electricity, we not only need clean electricity generation, but we need to build grids,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol shared with The Guardian. “It has been a blind spot of the clean energy transition programmes of governments.”
(Also read: Inside Mindanao’s Grid: Power Gains and Gaps)
The challenge of balancing supply and demand
Keeping the power grid stable requires a constant match between how much electricity is being produced and how much is being used. This becomes harder when using renewable sources like wind and solar, which don’t produce energy consistently.
When output drops, other energy sources must quickly step in to keep the lights on. Traditionally, this backup has come from fossil fuel plants that can ramp up or down quickly. But relying on them isn’t a long-term solution if we want to meet climate targets.
While challenges like intermittency, outdated grid infrastructure, and balancing supply and demand remain significant, they also drive innovation in making renewable energy more reliable and easier to integrate.
This is especially urgent as global renewable electricity generation is expected to exceed 17,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030, a nearly 90% increase from 2023. To fully realize this potential, it’s crucial to bridge the gap between today’s grid limitations and tomorrow’s clean energy future.
Solving intermittency with storage and AI
Energy storage is a vital tool for addressing the unpredictable nature of renewable power. Large batteries store extra electricity generated during sunny or windy periods and release it when demand is higher. While developing affordable, large-scale storage is crucial, current technologies face hurdles: battery costs remain high, scaling up requires significant investment and land, and batteries degrade over time.
To better manage these fluctuations, grid operators can employ advanced forecasting tools that analyze weather data to predict renewable energy production more accurately.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the transformative impact of digital tools and AI in supporting high-renewable power systems. “With digital technologies, variable renewable energy (VRE) such as solar and wind … can supply power more consistently and sustainably,” the agency shared.
“Enabled by AI, real‑time performance monitoring and smart maintenance based on weather forecast and analysis allow operators to anticipate generation patterns and grid requirements with precision,” the IRENA continued.
(Also read: Why Energy Storage Systems Are Vital to Renewable Energy)
Enabling renewable growth through updated policies and collaboration
Clear, updated policies are vital to encourage investment and support the shift to renewable energy. Many current rules don’t fit today’s decentralized, variable grid and need to be modernized. At the same time, success depends on aligning diverse stakeholders: governments, utilities, developers, and consumers. These different entities must work together despite differing priorities to overcome challenges such as permitting and financing.
Building a resilient renewable future for the Philippines
In his recent opinion article, energy industry expert Alberto Dalusung III emphasizes the critical need for investments in transmission infrastructure to harness the full potential of renewable energy. He notes that the Philippine grid was not designed to accommodate the integration of large-scale renewables. In addition, he cites the “long approval process” by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for system impact studies, coupled with the lack of interconnection points, as reasons for the delayed completion of many renewable energy projects.
Dalusung advocates for a strategic shift towards a flexible and distributed energy system, highlighting that the Philippines’ archipelagic geography makes it ideal for distributed energy systems, which can improve grid resilience and expand access in remote areas. He calls for the strategic deployment of solar, wind, and storage technologies “tailored to local demand profiles” to optimize grid performance and effectively integrate renewables.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/17/global-electricity-grid-climate-iea
https://www.iea.org/energy-system/renewables
https://opinion.inquirer.net/181780/a-rational-energy-policy-for-the-philippines
