Curtailment: smart use of renewable energy

What is curtailment?

Curtailment means temporarily slowing down renewable energy generation to avoid overloading the grid. It is an intervention that is deployed as soon as the demand for power is lower than the supply, or when there is not enough capacity on the power grid. This keeps you in balance with the available infrastructure and prevents outages.

Grid operators and energy companies play an important role in this. They monitor the stability of the grid and indicate when intervention is required. By applying curtailment, the energy supply can be better regulated and the reliability of our energy supply is guaranteed.

The importance of curtailment

Curtailment is necessary to avoid overloading the power grid. If too much renewable energy is being generated at the same time, the grid can become congested. By temporarily producing less power, you ensure that everything remains in balance and that supply remains safe and reliable.

Peak moments of renewable energy occur mainly when solar and wind together reach high production. At those times, there is more supply than demand, which can lead to disruptions. Curtailment keeps the system in balance, ensuring that the power that does get on the grid can be consumed or stored without problems.

So curtailment ensures a better balance between energy supply and demand. It helps grid managers and energy companies to make optimal use of the infrastructure, without the need for large investments in grid reinforcement. This way, you limit waste of generated energy and contribute to a more stable energy network.

Curtailment at home solar panels

When your own solar panels produce more power than you directly consume or can feed back, the power may be temporarily reduced. This causes you to lose some of the potential output. To you as a solar panel owner, this may feel illogical, but it happens to keep the grid stable and prevent overloading.

Fortunately, you can take steps yourself to reduce curtailment. For example, by installing a large home battery, so you can store energy surpluses and use them later. In addition, dynamic energy tariffs offer opportunities: if you adjust your consumption to periods with low tariffs, you can use extra sustainably generated energy at home. That way, you need to put less power on the grid and keep more control over your solar energy.

Curtailment in the future: less waste, more flexibility

In the future, curtailment will be less and less necessary, thanks in part to innovations in energy storage and smart grids. With better and more affordable batteries, flexible energy tariffs and smart control systems, you can match production and consumption more precisely. As a result, you need to "cut off" less energy and less renewable power is lost.

During the energy transition, curtailment will still remain a tool to handle extreme peaks. But as our infrastructure and storage capabilities improve, curtailment will increasingly serve as a safety net rather than a standard intervention. In this way, we will jointly contribute to a sustainable energy supply that makes optimal use of all available resources.

Curtailment tackle with Frax

Curtailment remains a reality in our energy transition for now, but with smart solutions we can significantly reduce its impact. Energy storage is a powerful asset in this regard - and this is exactly where Frax comes in. With innovative battery solutions for both home and business use, Frax offers the opportunity to make optimal use of generated renewable energy, even when the grid (temporarily) has no room for it.

Want to rely less on grid constraints and get more out of your solar or wind energy? Find out how Frax energy storage systems can help you reduce curtailment AND increase your energy autonomy. Take the step to a smarter and more resilient energy system today.