Editing Wind power (section)

===Predictability===
{{Main|Wind power forecasting}}
For any particular generator, there is an 80% chance that wind output will change less than 10% in an hour and a 40% chance that it will change 10% or more in 5 hours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrel.gov/wind/systemsintegration/system_integration_basics.html |title=Wind Systems Integration Basics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607000124/http://www.nrel.gov/wind/systemsintegration/system_integration_basics.html |archive-date=7 June 2012}}</ref>

In summer 2021, [[wind power in the United Kingdom]] fell due to the lowest winds in seventy years,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stevens|first=Pippa|date=2021-09-29|title=UK energy titan SSE says low wind, driest conditions in 70 years hit renewable generation|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/29/sse-says-low-wind-dry-conditions-hit-renewable-energy-generation.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111110700/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/29/sse-says-low-wind-dry-conditions-hit-renewable-energy-generation.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the future, smoothing peaks by producing [[green hydrogen]] may help when wind has a larger share of generation.<ref>{{Cite web|title='UK's largest electrolyser' could fuel hundreds of bus journeys with wind power each day|url=https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/uk-s-largest-electrolyser-could-fuel-hundreds-of-bus-journeys-with-wind-power-each-day|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.imeche.org|archive-date=22 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122212128/https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/uk-s-largest-electrolyser-could-fuel-hundreds-of-bus-journeys-with-wind-power-each-day|url-status=live}}</ref>

While the output from a single turbine can vary greatly and rapidly as local wind speeds vary, as more turbines are connected over larger and larger areas the average power output becomes less variable and more predictable.<ref name="huang" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uwig.org/IEA_Report_on_variability.pdf |title=Variability of Wind Power and other Renewables: Management Options and Strategies |publisher=IEA |year=2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230204247/http://www.uwig.org/IEA_Report_on_variability.pdf |archive-date=30 December 2005}}</ref> [[Weather forecast]]ing permits the electric-power network to be readied for the predictable variations in production that occur.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Santhosh|first1=Madasthu|last2=Venkaiah|first2=Chintham|last3=Kumar|first3=D. M. Vinod|date=2020|title=Current advances and approaches in wind speed and wind power forecasting for improved renewable energy integration: A review|journal=Engineering Reports|language=en|volume=2|issue=6|pages=e12178|doi=10.1002/eng2.12178|issn=2577-8196|doi-access=free}}</ref>

It is thought that the most reliable low-carbon electricity systems will include a large share of wind power.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tong |first1=Dan |last2=Farnham |first2=David J. |last3=Duan |first3=Lei |last4=Zhang |first4=Qiang |last5=Lewis |first5=Nathan S. |last6=Caldeira |first6=Ken |last7=Davis |first7=Steven J. |date=2021-10-22 |title=Geophysical constraints on the reliability of solar and wind power worldwide |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=6146 |doi=10.1038/s41467-021-26355-z |pmid=34686663 |pmc=8536784 |bibcode=2021NatCo..12.6146T |issn=2041-1723}}</ref>