{"id":350489,"date":"2024-11-07T16:54:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T15:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350489"},"modified":"2024-11-07T16:54:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T15:54:32","slug":"the-dunkelflaute-disaster-what-happens-when-wind-power-goes-silent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350489","title":{"rendered":"The Dunkelflaute Disaster: What Happens When Wind Power Goes Silent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Charles Rotter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the latest illustration of why you can\u2019t rely on wishful thinking as a power source, the UK and Germany faced a harsh lesson in \u201cDunkelflaute.\u201d For those not familiar with this charming German term, it means \u201cdark doldrums\u201d\u2014or, in practical terms, a blackout in renewable power. While we\u2019ve been lectured about the virtues of a green energy future, these countries got a taste of the reality: when the wind stops blowing, the entire grand plan goes belly-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past Tuesday, Britain\u2019s much-heralded wind farms managed to cover a pitiful 3-4% of electricity demand during peak hours. <\/a>The National Grid had no choice but to ramp up gas-fired plants, which handled a whopping 60% of demand. Meanwhile, solar and biomass did their best to chip in, but as always, they came up short. Across the Channel, Germany experienced similar woes. Wind speeds dropped so low that turbines were spinning at a meager 7% of their theoretical capacity. Once again, it was back to coal and gas\u2014those supposed relics of the past that are actually the backbone of modern energy security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cGreen\u201d Fantasy vs. Reality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what the climate evangelists won\u2019t admit: renewable energy is a fair-weather friend. When the high-pressure systems settle in, the wind dies, and the sun disappears behind clouds, the whole green energy charade falters. Dunkelflaute is a reality every winter in Europe. Yet, this doesn\u2019t stop policymakers from pushing for an energy system increasingly dependent on wind and solar, demanding that we double down with offshore wind farms and solar panels as if weather-dependent power will suddenly become reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the UK\u2019s National Energy System Operator (NESO), achieving \u201cclean power by 2030\u201d requires nothing short of a \u201cHerculean effort.\u201d We\u2019re talking about doubling onshore wind capacity, tripling offshore wind, and quadrupling solar power. And even with all of that, there\u2019s an acknowledgment that the system will need significant backup from nuclear power, battery storage, and, yes, gas plants. It\u2019s as if they know this plan doesn\u2019t hold up without fossil fuels lurking in the background, ready to save the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unpacking the Fantasy Numbers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To prop up this fantasy, NESO envisions a massive expansion of not only wind and solar farms but also \u201csystem flexibility.\u201d What does that mean? Well, they expect the public to adjust their energy usage based on availability. Imagine being asked to cook dinner at 2 p.m. because the wind happens to be blowing. This is the absurdity we\u2019re being sold: an \u201ceco-friendly\u201d lifestyle where you\u2019re at the mercy of the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the infrastructure needed. NESO\u2019s pathway demands thousands of miles of new cables, pylons, and a reworked planning system to connect all these intermittent sources. And after all that, they admit gas will still be part of the equation, justifying its role as \u201cbackup.\u201d In plain terms, gas will continue to do the heavy lifting during Dunkelflautes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Never-Ending Need for Fossil Fuels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chris Stark, one of the government\u2019s leading voices in this green campaign, recently acknowledged on social media that gas is, for now, the main \u201cbackup.\u201d In his words, they hope to replace it with \u201clow-carbon flexibility,\u201d which is code for technology that doesn\u2019t yet exist at the scale required. Meanwhile, we\u2019re supposed to celebrate incremental shifts in \u201crenewable generation,\u201d especially in offshore wind\u2014despite its sky-high costs and inconsistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stark and his colleagues envision an elaborate future where energy storage and \u201cflexibility\u201d will reduce gas dependence. But let\u2019s not kid ourselves. Even if small, \u201clow-carbon\u201d energy sources are developed, they won\u2019t magically replace gas. We\u2019re talking about filling a chasm of energy needs with a handful of experimental technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why This Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The truth here is painfully simple. Europe\u2019s renewable dream relies on natural gas, coal, and nuclear. Without these, the entire system is a non-starter. Dunkelflaute is just the latest chapter in a long saga showing that renewables, as they stand today, cannot sustain a modern grid. And while the green lobby loves to demonize fossil fuels, they remain essential, especially when the wind stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The takeaway? We can\u2019t afford to abandon reliable energy sources in favor of a pipe dream. If Europe and the UK want to avoid future Dunkelflautes, they\u2019ll need to face reality and embrace a balanced, reliable mix of energy sources\u2014one that doesn\u2019t leave entire nations powerless in the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the latest illustration of why you can\u2019t rely on wishful thinking as a power source, the UK and Germany faced a harsh lesson in \u201cDunkelflaute.\u201d For those not familiar with this charming German term, it means \u201cdark doldrums\u201d\u2014or, in practical terms, a blackout in renewable power. While we\u2019ve been lectured about the virtues of a green energy future, these countries got a taste of the reality: when the wind stops blowing, the entire grand plan goes belly-up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":350491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819405,691831373,691818228,691821965,691820740],"class_list":{"0":"post-350489","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-dunkelflaute-or-dark-doldrums","9":"tag-fantasy-vs-reality","10":"tag-fossil-fuels","11":"tag-green-energy-future","12":"tag-wind-energy","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0-The-Dunkelflaute-Disaster.jpeg?fit=1500%2C1001&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1tb3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":359985,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=359985","url_meta":{"origin":350489,"position":0},"title":"Do conventional and intermittent system have the same\u00a0dynamic?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/01\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, I came across the blog post titled\u00a0The Dunkelflaute Disaster: What Happens When Wind Power Goes Silent. That post discusses the phenomenon known as Dunkelflaute, a German term that means \u201cdark doldrums\u201d (periods when there is little to no wind and sunlight, leading to a significant drop in energy production\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Dunkelflaute or \u2018dark doldrums\u2019\"","block_context":{"text":"Dunkelflaute or \u2018dark doldrums\u2019","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=dunkelflaute-or-dark-doldrums"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590.webp?fit=1200%2C528&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590.webp?fit=1200%2C528&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590.webp?fit=1200%2C528&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590.webp?fit=1200%2C528&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590.webp?fit=1200%2C528&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":377048,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=377048","url_meta":{"origin":350489,"position":1},"title":"Dunkelflautes: Germany versus\u00a0Belgium","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/05\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Dunkelflaute = period in which total daily production of solar, and wind is less than 10% of its installed capacity","rel":"","context":"In \"Belgium\"","block_context":{"text":"Belgium","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=belgium"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/077353323-07cf-485c-95eb-21caaaf9d66d_1280x720.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/077353323-07cf-485c-95eb-21caaaf9d66d_1280x720.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/077353323-07cf-485c-95eb-21caaaf9d66d_1280x720.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/077353323-07cf-485c-95eb-21caaaf9d66d_1280x720.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/077353323-07cf-485c-95eb-21caaaf9d66d_1280x720.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":368211,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=368211","url_meta":{"origin":350489,"position":2},"title":"The German Dunkelflautes at the end of\u00a02024","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst) mentioned a\u00a0Dunkelflaute between November 2 and 7\u00a0(meaning 6 days), but I found other (less reliable) sources that also included November 8 (so 7 days). The Dunkelflaute in December was even more elusive. I only found one (not reliable) source that mentioned December 10 \u2192\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Agorameter Energiewende\"","block_context":{"text":"Agorameter Energiewende","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=agorameter-energiewende"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/00energiewende-desaster-dunkelflaute-treibt-deutschland-in-die-stromkrise-1187.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/00energiewende-desaster-dunkelflaute-treibt-deutschland-in-die-stromkrise-1187.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/00energiewende-desaster-dunkelflaute-treibt-deutschland-in-die-stromkrise-1187.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, 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\"countryside\"","block_context":{"text":"countryside","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=countryside"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Abandonned-wind-park.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Abandonned-wind-park.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Abandonned-wind-park.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Abandonned-wind-park.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Abandonned-wind-park.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":350906,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350906","url_meta":{"origin":350489,"position":4},"title":"Don\u2019t Rely On Solar\u00a0Power!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/11\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"While the dunkelflaute has already lasted a week, and appears to be carrying for another, as well as having little wind power, we have little solar power either.","rel":"","context":"In \"Dunkelflaute or \u2018dark doldrums\u2019\"","block_context":{"text":"Dunkelflaute or \u2018dark doldrums\u2019","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=dunkelflaute-or-dark-doldrums"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590-1330x560-1.webp?fit=1200%2C505&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590-1330x560-1.webp?fit=1200%2C505&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590-1330x560-1.webp?fit=1200%2C505&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0RWE_Blog_Thema-Dunkelflaute_1340x590-1330x560-1.webp?fit=1200%2C505&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, 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