This short article discusses the now famous “Duck Curve” as well as the less well-kwown “Nessie Curve” that have been used to describe California and Hawaii respectively and proposes a new member of the family, the “Shark Curve”. The Shark Curve, with its sharp (and often invisible) peak provides a more accurate picture of the daily electricity demand curve in most emerging economies.
Quick Read:
- The Duck Curve and the Nessie Curve apply well to electricity markets with high air conditioning loads and growing shares of solar PV like California and Hawaii.
- However, the load curve of most places around the world, notably in emerging countries, looks more like a shark, with an abrupt peak often hidden by load shedding.
- When load shedding is included in electricity system analysis, the need for smarter solutions, including energy efficiency, demand response, and both thermal and battery storage comes sharply into view.
