A Solar Grand Plan

Zweibel, K.; Mason, James; Fthenakis, Vasilis

doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0108-64

Cited by 164 publications

(103 citation statements)

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“…Fig. 4 also shows that our calculation is compatible with the Solar Grand Plan (12,20), as their optimal pair lies within the "secure" area given by the isoline (note that G and S in the Grand Plan are slightly higher than the extreme values given by our optimization). This figure also demonstrates an application of G−S isolines to the terawatt scale.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 55%

“…4 compares the optimal feasible pair from the Solar Grand Plan (12,20) with the optimal feasible pair found with the G−S isolines at 2012 costs. The latter requires less than 1/3 of the storage assumed by Zweibel et al (12) at 28% higher generation capacity (21). Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With CRF for batteries (6% interest rate, 20-y lifetime) = 0.087 and battery costs of $125/kWh, yearly costs of batteries are $10.90/kWh per year. With these costs for PV and batteries, the optimal feasible pair (7,549,12,914) (Table S2) be used. We will apply G−S isolines to support optimization combining different types of storage with different advantages and disadvantages (Table 2).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Intermittency can be mitigated or overcome through distributed solar networks (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19). Establishing such networks is a natural next step if such networks can provide dispatchable electricity at low costs.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Establishing such networks is a natural next step if such networks can provide dispatchable electricity at low costs. Research groups and large industrial consortia have proposed several continental and transcontinental solar networks, including Desertec EUMENA (connecting Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East) (13,16), an Asian−Australian energy infrastructure (14,15), and the "US Solar Grand Plan" (12,20), a predominantly renewable energy supply system using high-insolation areas in the US Southwest. These networks all still need large amounts of overcapacity and storage, even if solar, wind, and geothermal are combined (19,(21)(22)(23)(24).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Solar electricity supply isolines of generation capacity and storage

Grossmann

Steininger

2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The recent sharp drop in the cost of photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation accompanied by globally rapidly increasing investment in PV plants calls for new planning and management tools for large-scale distributed solar networks. Of major importance are methods to overcome intermittency of solar electricity, i.e., to provide dispatchable electricity at minimal costs. We find that pairs of electricity generation capacity G and storage S that give dispatchable electricity and are minimal with respect to S for a given G exhibit a smooth relationship of mutual substitutability between G and S. These isolines between G and S support the solving of several tasks, including the optimal sizing of generation capacity and storage, optimal siting of solar parks, optimal connections of solar parks across time zones for minimizing intermittency, and management of storage in situations of far below average insolation to provide dispatchable electricity. G−S isolines allow determining the cost-optimal pair (G,S) as a function of the cost ratio of G and S. G−S isolines provide a method for evaluating the effect of geographic spread and time zone coverage on costs of solar electricity.large-scale solar network | photovoltaics | US super grid | solar intermittency | dispatchable solar electricity

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 55%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Solar electricity supply isolines of generation capacity and storage

Grossmann

Steininger

2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Hydrogen Economy

Wells¹,

Sartbaeva²,

Кузнецов³

et al. 2005

Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry

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Hydrogen technologies and fuel cells evoke, for many people, vision of a future in which electrical energy and heat can be generated not only cleanly but also noiselessly and efficiently—with only water as by‐product at the point of use. These technologies—particularly for transport applications—are viewed as a bridge to a sustainable and secure energy future. But despite its clear promise, hydrogen is today still largely only a potential energy carrier of the future; this chemical element is usually a key component of long‐term energy policies. But, as recently noted by Eames and McDowall: “…it is expectations about, and visions of, the future of hydrogen that are currently driving investment and research.” This article explores some of these expectations; in particular, we examine important scientific and technological issues concerning the production, storage, and utilization of hydrogen, as well as outlining the interrelated—and equally challenging—socioeconomic issues for a future hydrogen energy economy. We hope that this approach allows the reader to assess the complexities, challenges—and, of course, the considerable potential—of hydrogen and fuel cells in long‐term transport strategies. We illustrate the very considerable central role of chemistry in building innovative solutions to key areas of a future hydrogen energy economy.

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Challenges of Large‐Scale Solar Cell Electricity Production

Faiman

2010

Solar Cells and Their Applications

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A Solar Grand Plan

Cited by 164 publications

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Solar electricity supply isolines of generation capacity and storage

Solar electricity supply isolines of generation capacity and storage

Hydrogen Economy

Challenges of Large‐Scale Solar Cell Electricity Production

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