On Wed, 2 Nov 2011 01:36:30 -0700 (PDT), harry wrote:

Small PV arrays reduce the size needed on th grid as electricity is
produced locally.

So when the sun sets (or is clouded out) you sit in the dark? Don't
watch telly or use any other electrical appliance?

I think that power generators will take into account sunlight
intensity and national cloud patterns to predict needs.

Not with the total installed capacity of less than 1% of demand. ISTR
they work with a 20% margin of spinning reserve. So if a nuke station
and a big coal fired station fall off line at the same time (say
3,400,000 kW) the grid struggles but doesn't collapse.

They already look at weather forecasts.

Mostly for the temperature, if it gets cold the demand for space
heating shoots up.

--
Cheers
Dave.