intermittency

noun

in·​ter·​mit·​ten·​cy ˌin-tər-ˈmi-tən(t)-sē How to pronounce intermittency (audio)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Navigating this intermittency, as it’s known among energy geeks, demands a fundamental rethink of how consumers use and even help store energy. Matt Simon, Wired, 31 Jan. 2022 The biggest hurdle to getting more electricity from renewable energy sources is the intermittency of the sun and wind — a problem that better batteries with less expensive materials could solve by storing large amounts of energy until needed. Katherine Bourzac, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2014 That’s because renewables will still be dogged by their intermittency problem (the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow), a problem for which there is, as yet, no workable solution. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 6 Nov. 2021 The rapid rollout of wind and solar power in the U.S. creates intermittency problems that call for storage solutions such as Freyr’s lithium-ion batteries. Stephen Wilmot, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 FPVs also still suffer from many of the intermittency issues that land installations suffer; energy only when the sun is out and disparate timing in stressing power grids. Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 28 June 2022 So is solar, which suffers from the same intermittency problems as wind, along with not being available at night. Jonathan Lesser, National Review, 16 Mar. 2022 The intermittency of growing renewable capacity also means that there is an increase in for balancing by a stable and dispatchable baseload such as coal or natural gas. Baker Institute, Forbes, 26 Apr. 2022 But a grid with a larger proportion of wind and solar requires more storage capacity to overcome intermittency. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intermittency.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intermittency was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near intermittency

Cite this Entry

“Intermittency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittency. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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