The Future of the European Electricity Grid Is Bright: Cost Minimizing Optimization Shows Solar with Storage as Dominant Technologies to Meet European Emissions Targets to 2050
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2017

The European roadmap for the power sector dictates an 80–95% cut of existing levels of carbon dioxide emissions is needed by the year 2050 to meet climate goals. This article describes results from a linear cost optimization investment model, ELIN, coupled with a solar technology model, Distributed Concentrating Solar Combined Heat and Power (DCS-CHP), using published investment costs for a comprehensive suite of renewable and conventional electricity generation technologies, to compare possible scenarios for the future electricity grid. The results of these model runs and sensitivity analyses indicate that: (1) solar photovoltaics (PV) with battery storage will likely play a very large role in meeting European targets; (2) concentrating solar power (CSP) with thermal energy storage is at a slight economic disadvantage with respect to PV to compete economically; (3) the economic potential of wind power is only comparable with solar PV if high wind penetration levels are allowed in the best wind sites in Europe; and (4) carbon capture and nuclear technologies are unlikely to compete economically with renewable technologies in creating a low-carbon future grid.

solar power

energy systems

energy storage

Författare

Zack Norwood

Chalmers, Energi och miljö, Fysisk resursteori

Joel Goop

Chalmers, Energi och miljö, Energiteknik

Mikael Odenberger

Chalmers, Energi och miljö, Energiteknik

Energies

1996-1073 (ISSN) 19961073 (eISSN)

Vol. 10 12 2080

Ämneskategorier

Energiteknik

Energisystem

Styrkeområden

Energi

DOI

10.3390/en10122080

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2022-04-05