Solar energy breeders

Grimmer, D. P.

doi:10.1016/0038-092x(81)90111-0

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…An energy production industry is based on sequential installation of many of these energy production systems. Growth of the industry normally proceeds exponentially at rate r. Grimmer (1981) defines the relationship between the fractional reinvestment, f [%], the EPBT [yrs] of a technology, and the growth rate, r [%/yr] of an energy production industry based on deployment of that technology as f = rEPBR = r (CED)/(E ̇g). 21 Using this relationship, Figure S1 shows the relationship between EPBT, industry growth rate, and fractional reinvestment.…”

Section: ■ Energy Balance and Industry Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Balance of the Global Photovoltaic (PV) Industry - Is the PV Industry a Net Electricity Producer?

Dale

Benson

2013

Environ. Sci. Technol.

106

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A combination of declining costs and policy measures motivated by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and energy security have driven rapid growth in the global installed capacity of solar photovoltaics (PV). This paper develops a number of unique data sets, namely the following: calculation of distribution of global capacity factor for PV deployment; meta-analysis of energy consumption in PV system manufacture and deployment; and documentation of reduction in energetic costs of PV system production. These data are used as input into a new net energy analysis of the global PV industry, as opposed to device level analysis. In addition, the paper introduces a new concept: a model tracking energetic costs of manufacturing and installing PV systems, including balance of system (BOS) components. The model is used to forecast electrical energy requirements to scale up the PV industry and determine the electricity balance of the global PV industry to 2020. Results suggest that the industry was a net consumer of electricity as recently as 2010. However, there is a >50% that in 2012 the PV industry is a net electricity provider and will "pay back" the electrical energy required for its early growth before 2020. Further reducing energetic costs of PV deployment will enable more rapid growth of the PV industry. There is also great potential to increase the capacity factor of PV deployment. These conclusions have a number of implications for R&D and deployment, including the following: monitoring of the energy embodied within PV systems; designing more efficient and durable systems; and deploying PV systems in locations that will achieve high capacity factors.

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Section: ■ Energy Balance and Industry Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Balance of the Global Photovoltaic (PV) Industry - Is the PV Industry a Net Electricity Producer?

Dale

Benson

2013

Environ. Sci. Technol.

106

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“…To avoid the creation of an energy and/or GHG sink, in general, the growth of the industry should be limited by 1/ PBT 1112, where PBT (payback time) is the time in which upfront investments in either CED or GHG emissions are paid back. However, energy and GHG sinks from periods of growth exceeding 1/ PBT can be offset by decreased growth rates (or decreasing PBT ) in later stages.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The concept of the PV industry as an energy sink, and more recently GHG sink is well known in the PV community. Grimmer et al 11. have been one of the first to address this issue in terms of energy, stating that to maximise the (positive) impact of solar technologies, they should have short energy payback time (EPBT) and long lifetime.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-assessment of net energy production and greenhouse gas emissions avoidance after 40 years of photovoltaics development

et al. 2016

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Since the 1970s, installed solar photovoltaic capacity has grown tremendously to 230 gigawatt worldwide in 2015, with a growth rate between 1975 and 2015 of 45%. This rapid growth has led to concerns regarding the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of photovoltaics production. We present a review of 40 years of photovoltaics development, analysing the development of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions associated with photovoltaics production. Here we show strong downward trends of environmental impact of photovoltaics production, following the experience curve law. For every doubling of installed photovoltaic capacity, energy use decreases by 13 and 12% and greenhouse gas footprints by 17 and 24%, for poly- and monocrystalline based photovoltaic systems, respectively. As a result, we show a break-even between the cumulative disadvantages and benefits of photovoltaics, for both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, occurs between 1997 and 2018, depending on photovoltaic performance and model uncertainties.

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“…Moreover, once solar technology is in place on a large scale, it could become a "solar energy breeder." In other words, part of the energy it produced could be used to build more power plants and eventually eliminate global warming caused by electric power generation (Grimmer 1981).…”

Section: Tp-3772mentioning

confidence: 99%