Renewables group makes case for combined wind-solar ‘baseload’ alternative

A theoretical analysis conducted by a leading global renewable-energy company indicates that electricity generated from a combination of South African wind and solar resources “closely follows” the country’s electricity demand profile and could, therefore, make a “baseload” power contribution. Produced by Mainstream Renewable Power, the assessment is premised on wind and solar resource data measured in 2013 across 18 domestic sites, representing a combined theoretical generation capacity of 42 000 MW (30 000MW wind and 12 000 MW solar). The information was then compared with Eskom’s 2008 electricity demand data.