Dunkelflaute

When you learn new languages, you can often find connections in words and ideas. Sometimes it’s wholesale incorporation of a word into the zeitgeist.

Dunkelflaute is one I see more and more used in the energy world. “A Dark Lull” is the exact translation, but it intends to describe what happens when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind is blowing.

The German language is beautiful; I don’t care what others say, but it is also incredibly literal. It is less flowery in its descriptors and often combines disparate words to create anew.

Dunkelflaute is a real issue we must contend with in this new energy world. Long-term storage is critical to our success. Combining more efficient utilisation and energy storage during excess will radically shift our reliance.