[GreymanTheGrey]

In regards to your first question, the word you're looking for in google-able energy industry jargon is "dispatchable". And yes, dispatchability of intermittent generation is achieved in a couple of ways in contemporary electricity networks:

  1. Deliberately backing off wind or solar generation from full capacity to provide reserves for demand spikes, transmission/generator outages, etc.  This means other generation that may otherwise not have generated at all over that period, is brought online to cover the shortfall.

  2. Co-locating grid-scale batteries at intermittent generation sites ("hybrid generation facilities" in energy industry jargon) to cover short-term contingency events.

[courgette]

Thank you, not my industry and not my language so “dispatchable” is a valuable keyword for me. ( it would be “pilotable” in French; if you ever have to discuss that abroad with my snotty kind )

Anyway. What I read is : having something else on the side can make solar dispatchable. Realistically, what would be that other things ?

Nuclear don’t like to be turned on/off. Wind has the same issue… are we saying the good ol’ coal burning kettle ?