SaltyNZ:

 

tweake:

 

there is a case for having big battery banks to help compensate for the variable nature of solar/wind/etc.

 

 

 

 

Which was the other reason for Lake Onslow. While the unreliable renewables are generating excess power you can use it to pump water up into Onslow and/or reduce the flow of the normal hydro stations. When they are not generating enough, you use Onslow to cover the gap. And batteries are used to soak up the short-term fluctuations.

 

absolutely. even just batteries at the solar plant it would help with the fluctuations due to changes in cloud cover etc or simply to help supply over night.