Myth: Renewable Energy is Too Intermittent to Be Reliable?

This chapter addresses the first common myth about renewable energy, which is that it is too intermittent to be reliable. It explains the causes and effects of renewable energy intermittency, and how it can be managed and mitigated by various methods, such as energy storage, grid integration, demand response, and smart technologies. It also provides some examples and case studies of how different countries and regions have successfully integrated high shares of renewable energy into their electricity systems, without compromising reliability or affordability. The chapter shows that renewable energy intermittency is not an insurmountable barrier to the integration of renewable energy into the grid, and that renewable energy sources can provide reliable and affordable electricity, even at high levels of penetration and integration. The chapter concludes by summarizing the main points and implications of the definition of renewable energy intermittency, and by outlining the key questions and issues that will be addressed in the following chapters.