SEOLAbs

 A solar farm can have bright sunshine available, functioning equipment and enough potential generation to produce electricity — yet still be instructed to reduce its output. The same thing can happen to a wind farm on a windy day. This is called renewable energy curtailment . It occurs when a renewable generator could produce more electricity, but its actual output is intentionally reduced because the electricity system cannot or does not need to use all of the available generation at that moment. Curtailment is an important concept for understanding renewable-energy statistics because installed capacity and potential generation do not always translate directly into electricity delivered to the grid. What Does Renewable Energy Curtailment Mean? Curtailment is the deliberate reduction of electricity generation below the level a generator could otherwise produce. Imagine a 100 MW solar plant capable of generating 90 MW under the current sunlight conditions. If the grid operator or e...