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Longterm yearly average of global horizontal irradiation (GHI) and of direct normal irradiation (DNI), data obtained from the Global Solar Atlas, owned by the World Bank Group and provided by Solargis.
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The amount of energy striking the earth’s surface in one hour is higher than global annual societies energy use, yet the fraction of incoming solar radiation that can be harvested is significantly constrained. A global grid-cell methodology was adopted to assess the available global solar energy potential taking into account four constraints: land-...
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Context 1
... this model we use solar resource data obtained from the Global Solar Atlas, owned by the World Bank Group and provided by Solargis, with a resolution of 30 arcsec (1 km). 8 to 20 years of data were used to estimate yearly averages of daily totals of global horizontal and direct normal irradiation, and the area covered extends from 60 • N to 55 • S (Figure 3). ...
Citations
... The latest solar panels are highly durable, more efficient even in low light conditions, and better suited to harsh environments like mines. Given the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, efficient energy storage solutions like batteries must be considered to provide a reliable power supply during non-sunlight or low-wind periods (Dupont et al., 2020). As mined resources could be located in remote areas, connecting to the grid can be costly or unfeasible. ...
The mining industry in the Republic of Guinea has traditionally relied on fossil fuels as its primary source of energy. However, due to the environmental problems associated with traditional energy sources and the increasing demand for energy in the mining sector, it is necessary to look for alternative infrastructures. In addition, the management of water resources in urban areas is crucial, as water scarcity is a major challenge. This study examines the difficulties and possible solutions for the management of energy and water infrastructures in urban and rural mining areas in the context of the energy transition. The study identifies the main challenges as inadequate infrastructure, inefficient access to energy and water, poor water quality, low investment capital and know-how, and insufficient environmental protection. The study recommends increasing investment in infrastructure, building capacity through innovative technologies, and promoting socially responsible mining practices to ensure sustainable mining practices.
... Many studies have been conducted to determine the solar energy potential, and these studies continue to be conducted. While some of these studies focused on a global scale [2][3][4][5], some of them on regional case studies [6][7][8][9] that aimed to address more accurate results. ...
Shading in photovoltaic systems is known to cause serious energy losses. However, predicting how much shading photovoltaic systems in living spaces will experience throughout the year and the resulting energy loss is not easy. In this study, the effects of near shading on the system efficiency of photovoltaic systems have been investigated with PVsyst software. Instead of standard shading elements, a mosque with a complex architecture was chosen to test the drawing capabilities of the software. A 20 kWp PV power plant is assumed to be installed in three different locations in the courtyard of the mosque. In Scenario-1, 2, and 3, the modules are located in the west, east, and north directions of the mosque, respectively. The annual energy production values obtained in these scenarios have been compared with the reference scenario without shading. According to the results, the annual production in the scenario without near shading was realized as 28.84 kWh. In Scenario-1, 2, and 3, the annual production was 20.43 kWh, 21.46 kWh, and 19.05 kWh, respectively. In the content of the study, sample geometries of shading for all scenarios are presented comparatively for critical dates. In addition, monthly energy production, performance ratio values, and loss diagrams have been presented comparatively.
... Theoretical and numerical models for estimating incident solar radiation have been developed in different climates for local applicability and sometimes according to climatic similarities [16]. Therefore, there are several types of so-called empirical models that use sunshine duration, meteorological parameters as input to determine the components of solar radiation and evaluate the energy potential in a given region [17][18][19][20][21]. The so-called semiempirical models need geographic coordinates as input and some characteristics such as the state of the sky, the albedo to take into account the phenomena that solar radiation undergoes when crossing the atmosphere [22]. ...
... It is fairly well-known that sunlight is one of the most abundant and widespread sources of energy available on the Earth, with normal incident values at sea level of about 1000 W/m 2 [3]. In comparison to other renewable energy sources, its higher natural abundance and reliability, as well as the technological readiness and easy and economical installation for domestic applications, have made solar cells the most used and widespread devices for energy production from non-conventional sources [4]. ...
Bifacial photovoltaic (BPV) panels represent one of the main solar technologies that will be used in the near future for renewable energy production, with a foreseen market share in 2030 of 70% among all the photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Compared to monofacial panels, bifaciality can ensure a gain in energy production per unit panel area together with a competitive cost. However, it is of paramount importance to identify whether there is also an environmental benefit when adopting bifacial technologies as opposed to traditional monofacial ones. To obtain a proper insight into the environmental impact, this paper reviews the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies of bifacial solar panels, identifying the most crucial processes and materials that raise environmental burdens. The analysis also contributes to determining whether the major aspects that influence energy production in real operation scenarios and, most of all, that can ensure the gain associated with bifaciality, are considered and how these can further affect the overall environmental impacts. In this sense, it was found that the installation parameters like the mounting structure, or the choice of ground material to raise the albedo as well as the diffuse irradiation that hits the rear surface of thepanel, are commonly not considered during LCA analysis. However, none of the analyzed studies address the issue in a comprehensive way, hampering an effective comparison between both the different works and traditional monofacial PV panels. Recommendations for future LCAs are finally proposed.
... Technological specifications, described below, include conversion efficiency, angle, spacing factor, shading, performance ratio (which includes the efficiency of turning DC into AC), capacity factor, and single versus dual tracking. Some studies also include transmission losses (2,9), scenarios of development (4,54), and scarcity of resources (e.g., minerals) (33). Analyses often do not specify a target year but simply use technological characteristics representative of technology already in operation or planned at the time of the study. ...
... Early studies (e.g., 3, 5, 6) used data from the Climate Research Unit, which has irradiance monthly averages from 4,040 stations around the world. More recent studies (9,10,16,33) use newer data sets that have average daily profiles or hourly resolution (such as NASA's SSE data set or the Global Solar Atlas). Spatial resolution is not as important as temporal, because weather conditions are similar at distances of the same order as data set resolution. ...
... Early studies (4-6) estimated that conversion efficiencies would reach 25% in 2050, whereas others (9,36) use conversion efficiencies between 15% and 18%. Recent studies use a range of values, from point estimates of 13% (10) or 20% (16,54) to values between 17% and 24% (33). Efficiency is directly proportional to the potential, thus affecting the estimates. ...
Renewable electricity generation will need to be rapidly scaled to address climate change and other environmental challenges. Doing so effectively will require an understanding of resource availability. We review estimates for renewable electricity of the global technical potential, defined as the amount of electricity that could be produced with current technologies when accounting for geographical and technical limitations as well as conversion efficiencies; economic potential, which also includes cost; and feasible potential, which accounts for societal and environmental constraints. We consider utility-scale and rooftop solar photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, onshore and offshore wind, hydropower, geothermal electricity, and ocean (wave, tidal, ocean thermal energy conversion, and salinity gradient energy) technologies. We find that the reported technical potential for each energy resource ranges over several orders of magnitude across and often within technologies. Therefore, we also discuss the main factors explaining why authors find such different results. According to this review and on the basis of the most robust studies, we find that technical potentials for utility-scale solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, onshore wind, and offshore wind are above 100 PWh/year. Hydropower, geothermal electricity, and ocean thermal energy conversion have technical potentials above 10 PWh/year. Rooftop solar photovoltaic, wave, and tidal have technical potentials above 1 PWh/year. Salinity gradient has a technical potential above 0.1 PWh/year. The literature assessing the global economic potential of renewables, which considers the cost of each renewable resource, shows that the economic potential is higher than current and near-future electricity demand. Fewer studies have calculated the global feasible potential, which considers societal and environmental constraints. While these ranges are useful for assessing the magnitude of available energy sources, they may omit challenges for large-scale renewable portfolios.
... Renewable energies, particularly wind and solar power, have emerged as viable alternatives due to their widespread availability and ability to provide sustainable energy without the drawbacks of fossil fuels. Furthermore, there has been a notable surge in interest surrounding the utilization of hydrogen as a clean substitute for traditional fossil fuels [13]. ...
The concept behind this research article is advancement towards utilizing renewable energy sources of wind–solar to generate electrical energy for E-bike (electric bike) charging stations. To optimize the design and operation control of the wind–solar E-bike charging station system, the development of modelling this hybrid power generation system, consisting of solar and wind energy combined with battery storage, is proposed and will be studied in this paper. A university campus setting is utilized for the case study by comparing offshore (Huangdao) and onshore (Laoshan) sites. The proposed research will focus on annual energy production (AEP) and system cost analysis. The proposed work’s main objectives are to analyze the wind/solar properties of the installation’s location using the last 20 years’ data, calculate the AEP for wind turbines and solar PV, and estimate how many E-bikes can be charged day/year with reliable operation. We have calculated that the hybrid power available is 27.08 kWh/day offshore and 22 kWh/day onshore. This research study concludes that on average, based on AEP, in the case of offshore, 5110 E-bikes can be charged per year and in the case of onshore, 4015 E-bikes can be charged per year. We have also calculated the COE (cost of energy) for 20 years for the proposed project, which is $0.62/kWh onshore and $0.46/kWh offshore.
... Optimal land use is the biggest constraint in designing an HRES-based powerplant (Dupont, Koppelaar, and Jeanmart 2020). Optimal design is possible if land use is optimized and COE of the entire system is minimized. ...
Remote hilly hamlets in India still face acute energy security problems. As a solution, the present study discusses a Novel Hybrid Solar Pumped Storage Powerplant that can operate in grid-connected and standalone modes to provide stable power throughout the year. Genetic algorithm-based optimization techniques and actual resource and demand data were utilized to optimize the system’s design. Site-specific power generation and grid interaction models were established and multiple operational modes of the system were simulated with a system dynamics modeling approach. Results show a 73% reduction in greenhouse emissions, a levelized energy cost of 0.09$/kWh, and assured generation security of 82% during standalone operation. The probability of power supply loss during the grid-connected operation was minimized, and 20% was incurred during standalone operation. This innovative solution can provide reliable and sustainable power to remote hilly hamlets, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-7 and helping India achieve its COP-26 & 27 commitments. As the government takes active initiatives to improve grid stability in remote locations, this system can be effectively implemented and scaled up to provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for storage and utilization of solar power.
... To quantify this parameter, we adopt a bottom-up approach, utilizing a yearly-average geographical discretization at a grid resolution of 0.75°× 0.75°(equivalent to approximately 80 km × 80 km at the Equator). Specifically, we calculate the energy production per unit area from solar photovoltaics for all grid cells, N, using the following formula 87 : ...
Proposals for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 include scaling-up electrolytic hydrogen production, however, this poses technical, economic, and environmental challenges. One such challenge is for policymakers to ensure a sustainable future for the environment including freshwater and land resources while facilitating low-carbon hydrogen production using renewable wind and solar energy. We establish a country-by-country reference scenario for hydrogen demand in 2050 and compare it with land and water availability. Our analysis highlights countries that will be constrained by domestic natural resources to achieve electrolytic hydrogen self-sufficiency in a net-zero target. Depending on land allocation for the installation of solar panels or wind turbines, less than 50% of hydrogen demand in 2050 could be met through a local production without land or water scarcity. Our findings identify potential importers and exporters of hydrogen or, conversely, exporters or importers of industries that would rely on electrolytic hydrogen. The abundance of land and water resources in Southern and Central-East Africa, West Africa, South America, Canada, and Australia make these countries potential leaders in hydrogen export.
... The collection of energy from the environment is constrained by its availability and accessibility. The first constraint is represented by the limited volume of fossil fuels likely to be extracted by mankind due to geological, economic and technological factors -called Ultimately Recoverable Resource (URR). 2 This first constraint is also represented by the maximum harvesting potential of renewables due to physical and geographical aspects of the planet (Zhou et al., 2015;Hoes et al., 2017;Dupont et al., 2018Dupont et al., , 2020. The second constraint, closely interrelated with the first one, is the declining accessibility of resources because of the increase in the energy required for their extraction and processing. ...
... We use the global final EROI curves generated for wind and solar energies by Dupont et al. (2018Dupont et al. ( , 2020. 9 The curves describe how the mean EROI of renewable energy production facilities (onshore wind turbines, offshore wind turbines or solar panels) evolves as new facilities are added to scale up renewable production worldwide. ...
... As outlined by the literature review of Murphy et al. (2022), there still exists a large uncertainty on the EROI of renewable energies, on which our computation of capital intensity is based. For example, when using some of the assumptions and data from Fthenakis and Leccisi (2021) to compute the EROI of PV panels worldwide with the method from Dupont et al. (2020), we obtain capital intensity values 30% lower for solar energy. Second, we re-ran the simulations after modifying the degrowth rates of the energy intensity of each final goods subsector by ±50%. ...
The biophysical foundations of socioeconomic systems are underrepresented in the vast majority of macroeconomic models. This lack is particularly troublesome when considering the links between energy, matter and the economy in the context of the energy transition. As a remedy, we present here a biophysical stock-flow consistent macroeconomic model calibrated at the global scale, that combines detailed bottom-up estimates for the high capital intensity of renewable energies and the decreasing energy return on investment (EROI) of fossil fuels. We find that the completion of a global energy transition scenario compatible with the 1.5 • C objective of the Paris Agreement leads to a decrease of the system's EROI and to high investment share, employment and inflation trends, characteristic of a ''war economy''. Our results further indicate that a slower growth rate eases the transition, and call for further work on post-growth scenarios studies.
... Solar panel usage is also mitigated by restrictions. These restrictions include regulation of land for conservation purposes [62] and isolation of the panels [63]. The conservation of land is regulated by governments and policies and is important for preserving a region's biodiversity. ...
Land is a limited commodity that has always been fought over. It's use and allocation for various purposes have been the subject of much debate, and for good reason. It's necessary for most industries. It is becoming more and more a topic of conversation as available land is used up. This review paper explores land competition as it relates to the production of food and energy, as well as the ramifications of taking natural land and converting it to human use for these purposes. It also discusses the policies that some countries are enacting to deal with the ever-shrinking availability of free land and ways that society can decrease the necessity for more land.
