A Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi last week displayed the whole universe of systems and technologies that will be required for a post-carbon world. More than 100 providers of solar equipment and services had their wares on display, in addition to companies, utilities and organizations involved in wind, hydro, nuclear, biofuels, bio systems for carbon capture, and energy storage. Also present were investors and advisors on systems, grid management and transition planning. Much of what was on display is emergent and not close to full marketability. But the massive solar panels on the floor were indicative of what imminently faces utilities and energy suppliers these days. Discussion focused on how to integrate more and more variable renewable energy (VRE) to enhance flexibility across power systems and ensure grid stability. The imperative now is to boost grid capacity to cope with VRE at different time scales from short to […]