Renewable energy quality trilemma and coincident wind and solar droughts

Autor: Mingquan Li, Qingyuan Ma, Rui Shan, Ahmed Abdulla, Edgar Virguez, Shuo Gao, Dalia Patiño-Echeverri
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2662-4435
DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01850-5
Popis: Abstract Renewable energy is essential for power system decarbonization, but extended and unexpected periods of extremely low wind and solar resources (i.e., wind and solar droughts) pose a threat to reliability. The challenge is further exacerbated if shortages of the two occur simultaneously or if they affect neighboring grids simultaneously. Here we present a framework to characterize these events and propose three metrics to comprehensively assess renewable energy quality: resource availability, variability, and extremeness. An examination of long-term data across a vast geographical region shows a strong spatial correlation and temporal coincidence of renewable energy droughts. It also finds a lack of sites that excel in all three quality attributes, which presents a trilemma to investors, system planners, and policymakers. These findings underscore the significance of considering factors beyond mere resource availability and contribute to developing informed strategies for the reliable and sustainable deployment of variable energy resources.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals