Figure - available via license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
The presented paper shows a hypothetical large solar farm that would be the only source of electricity for the entire country. The energy crisis in Europe raises the question of whether it is possible to supply an electrical system based only on renewable energy sources. What should the surface area of the solar panels be in a hypothetical large so...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... the area of each solar farm is larger than the total area of the panels used. Based on the data provided by the International Energy Agency [49] and Equations (4)-(12), the total surface areas of PV panels in hypothetical solar farms for some other Central European countries are shown in Table 1. Taking into account the angle of incidence of sun rays during different months of the year in Central Europe, it is assumed that the surface area of the solar farm should be approx. ...Citations
... The previous research results presented in paper [24] have shown that it is possible to power the entire country based solely on solar farms. To make it feasible, it is necessary to use sufficiently large energy storage. ...
... This value is the most unfavorable variant of "d" parameter. Substituting d = 7, E year =170 TWh [24] and η = 0.6 (η =60%) into Equation (7a) give below Equation (7b). ...
Decarbonization and the replacement of coal-fired power plants with solar and wind farms require adequately large energy storage facilities. This is especially important in countries such as Poland, which still do not have a nuclear power plant. Supercapacitors represent a new generation of energy storage. The paper demonstrates that the use of supercapacitors presents an opportunity to increase the share of solar and wind power plants in the energy market. Furthermore, there is no need to replace all coal plants (that are being gradually decommissioned) with nuclear ones. The paper underscores that any further decarbonization and increase in the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the Polish energy market necessitates the deployment of large energy storage facilities. Rechargeable batteries have a short lifespan, and their production results in significant greenhouse gas emissions. The widespread use of supercapacitors in a new generation of energy storage unveils new possibilities and bolsters decarbonization efforts. Based on an annual analysis of hourly electricity production from wind farms and PVs, a formula is proposed to calculate the capacity of energy storage necessary for the operation of the grid-powered national electricity, mainly from RES.
Europe is currently facing the potentially biggest energy crisis in history. There are many reasons for this, and the current geopolitical situation makes it clear that we are being forced to take immediate action to ensure sufficient energy supplies to consumers. Until recently, the European Union was dependent on Russian energy resources (mainly oil and gas). For many years, the EU countries had been shutting down their own production and importing much cheaper raw material from Russia. The threat of a blackout is becoming increasingly possible. European governments are preparing businesses and households for the energy crisis in various ways, but there is also a great deal of mobilization to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources (RES). The aim of this study was to identify the barriers and prospects for RES development in Poland in the current geopolitical conditions. The reasons for insufficient grid HC were analyzed. Additionally, the article aimed to assess the prospects for solar energy development in Poland. Wind power was discussed only in general terms because the development of wind farms is inhibited by the regulatory framework. Particular attention was paid to hosting capacity (HC) and the condition of the power infrastructure as the main determinants of RES development in Poland. Numerous documents developed by power companies and government agencies responsible for implementing and managing energy in Poland were analyzed. Special attention was paid to legal regulations and the need for legislative changes. As a country, Poland has one of the highest growth rates in photovoltaic (PV) installations. The forecasts for increasing HC, as a prerequisite for RES development in Poland, are not promising.
