Renewable Energy Lab
Renewable Energy — Solar, Wind & Grid Mix
Renewable energy systems must match variable solar and wind generation to fluctuating electricity demand — a challenge requiring storage, flexible backup, and smart dispatch. This simulator places solar panels and wind turbines, sets their capacity, and connects them to a battery and grid demand curve, then asks how well you can meet demand with minimal fossil backup over a 24-hour period. Seasonal irradiance and wind-speed profiles make the intermittency problem concrete.
What you can do in this simulation
- Set solar panel capacity and orientation to generate hourly output from irradiance data
- Add wind turbines with a capacity factor curve based on hourly wind speed
- Manage battery storage dispatch to cover evening demand after solar output drops
- Track hourly grid balance — surplus, shortfall, and fossil backup required
- Compare curtailment and storage needs as the renewable share of capacity increases
Concepts covered
solar irradiance · capacity factor · battery storage · grid balancing · curtailment · intermittency
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