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Why might a windy island have to switch off a wind turbine?

Strong wind does not guarantee that every turbine’s electricity can enter the network. If local demand and export capacity cannot absorb the available generation, some output may be curtailed. Orkney’s managed connections show how a network can admit generators while limiting their output at particular times.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • How would storage or flexible demand change the constraint without making it disappear?

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How can a heat pump deliver more heat than its electricity input?

Energy4–5 minA heating device seems to promise something impossible when its heat output exceeds the electricity it uses. A heat pump's energy account includes another input: heat moved from its surroundings.

Energy

How does a photovoltaic cell turn light into electricity?

A solar cell can generate electricity without a turbine or other moving machinery. Light interacting with a semiconductor starts the process, but separating and collecting the resulting charges is what makes electrical output possible.

4–5 min

How does a photovoltaic cell turn light into electricity?

Energy4–5 minA solar cell can generate electricity without a turbine or other moving machinery. Light interacting with a semiconductor starts the process, but separating and collecting the resulting charges is what makes electrical output possible.

How does a wind turbine turn moving air into electricity?

Energy3–5 minA turbine's blades are only the visible beginning of the journey from wind to electricity. Their rotation drives a generator, though the machinery connecting those parts differs between turbine designs.

Why might a windy island have to switch off a wind turbine? | Speech Topic | speaking.app