Germany鈥檚 wind turbines run out of steam in summer heat wave
Germany's unusually hot summer has dealt a blow to the country鈥檚 wind power output, with the yield in July 2018 being 20 percent lower than in the same month last year, J眉rgen Flauger and Kathrin Witsch write in Handelsblatt. While solar power plants went from one output record to the next, only 1,300 megawatts (MW) out of Germany鈥檚 total 58,000 MW of wind power capacity were available at times, they report. Stable high-pressure areas above western and central Europe prevented weather changes that cause wind. 鈥淭he dependence on weather conditions continues to be one of the unsolved problems of renewable energy,鈥� the authors write. Rolf Martin Schmitz, head of energy company RWE, said a 鈥�broad energy mix鈥� that includes coal was needed to ensure a stable power supply.
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See the 威力彩玩法 articles Germany鈥檚 power system weathers heat wave despite fossil plant curbs and Renewables overtake coal as Germany鈥檚 most important power source for background.