Thailand to Taiwan: Look to Renewable Energy and Storage

Thailand’s solar power generation far outstrips that of Taiwan.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/01/04
By: Noah Kittner and Sopitsuda Tongsopit

Households in Bangkok have installed rooftop solar to reduce demand when air conditioning use is at its highest.

This past August, surging air conditioning demand and the accidental shutdown of a natural gas-fired plant led to a blackout that cut power off to 6.6 million customers for a five-hour period, a quarter of Taiwan’s population.

This summer’s blackout creates an opportunity for the Tsai administration to review its national energy and critical infrastructure strategy. The interruption highlights Taiwan’s insufficient generation capacity and inflexible centralized generation architecture that struggles to meet spikes in electricity demand. Given its similarities to Taiwan, the Thai experience may be instructive on how to implement renewables and why energy storage systems would provide much-needed flexibility.    [FULL  STORY]