Energy Intermittency

Bent Sørensen is professor emeritus at Roskilde University, Denmark. He previously held academic positions at the Universities of New South Wales (Australia), Grenoble (France), Kyoto (Japan), Copenhagen (Denmark), Yale (Connecticut), and Berkeley (California), and at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Colorado). He has been technical director of Denmark’s largest engineering firm, served as advisor for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and several government and UN agencies, and was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Second Assessment Report. He is the recipient of several awards and honours, including the European Solar Prize.

Introduction. Intermittency Dependence on Type of Energy System. Timescales Relevant for the Intermittency of Individual Energy Sources. Using Case Studies to Explore the Options. Power-Line Interchange. Pipeline Interchange. Other Trade Options. System-Integrated Storage. Storage in Dedicated Facilities. Decentralized Storage. Load Management. Using Grids to Transmit Information. Systemic Transitions. Final Remarks. Appendix.