Dirk Witthaut

Stories

Battery self-tests synced to the minute cause grid frequency dips

Lead researcher on the Nature Energy study; available for comment

A Jülich-led study found the one-minute dip in 12 of the power grids it examined, on five continents, including continental Europe, Britain, Korea, Australia and both main US interconnections. The cause is battery backup units that test their power supply at the top of every minute, with clocks set over the internet.

Updated Oct 31

Notable Quotes

It quickly became clear to us that the cause must be something controlled by the clock.

from Battery self-tests synced to the minute cause grid frequency dips · Updated Oct 31

You would simply have to distribute the checks randomly, rather than always starting them at the same time. — Forschungszentrum Jülich press release

from Battery self-tests synced to the minute cause grid frequency dips · Updated Oct 31