Why batteries are like Bacon – they make everything better.
TLDR – Transmission network from Scottish wind farms are not adequate to transmit all of the produced power.
Building more transmission lines is expensive and presents more difficulties.
Solution: Batteries to soak up power at times of lower demand, and release it when demand rises.
Falling price of batteries represents a phase change for modern grid architecture.
Recently completed a bucket list item by visiting a wind farm. Over about 1/2 hour, some of the turbines wound up for a few minutes, then slowed down to stop. Do not know what the commercial situation is but felt it was very inefficient and wasteful.
When stopping, about 40 cm (???) tips of the blades extended and turned 90 degrees forming a brake. After a period of slowing down one heard the mechanical brakes engage and stop the rotation. Found that also interesting.
They actually started and stopped three times over 1/2 to one hour.
I’m guessing that’s curtailment, and a dedicated battery buffer would reduce that.