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Research and deployment priorities for renewable technologies: Quantifying the importance of various renewable technologies for low cost, high renewable electricity systems in an Australian case study

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  • Riesz, Jenny
  • Elliston, Ben

Abstract

This study aims to identify research priorities to enable low cost, high renewable power systems. An evolutionary program optimises the mix of technologies in 100% renewable energy portfolios (RE) in the Australian National Electricity Market. Various technologies are reduced in availability to determine their relative importance for achieving low costs. The single most important factor is found to be the integration of large quantities of wind; therefore wind integration is identified as a research priority. In contrast, photovoltaics are found to “saturate” the system at less than 10% of total energy (in the absence of storage or demand management, installation of further photovoltaics does not contribute significant further value). This indicates that policies to promote utility-scale photovoltaics should be considered in partnership with complementary measures (such as demand side participation and storage). Biofuelled gas turbines are found to be important; a complete absence of bioenergy increases costs by AU$20–30/MWh, and even having only 0.1TWh per year of bioenergy available reduces average costs by AU$3–4/MWh. Limits on the non-synchronous penetration (NSP) are found to be relatively expensive, suggesting a significant research priority around finding alternative approaches to providing synchronous services, such as inertia. Geothermal and concentrating solar thermal technologies do not appear essential as long as sufficient wind and peaking bioenergy is available.

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  • Riesz, Jenny & Elliston, Ben, 2016. "Research and deployment priorities for renewable technologies: Quantifying the importance of various renewable technologies for low cost, high renewable electricity systems in an Australian case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 298-308.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:98:y:2016:i:c:p:298-308
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2016.08.034
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Ted Trainer, 2022. "Can Australia Run on Renewable Energy: Unsettled Issues and Implications," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Yousefzadeh, Moslem & Lenzen, Manfred, 2019. "Performance of concentrating solar power plants in a whole-of-grid context," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Vithayasrichareon, Peerapat & Riesz, Jenny & MacGill, Iain, 2017. "Operational flexibility of future generation portfolios with high renewables," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 32-41.
    6. Tino Aboumahboub & Robert J. Brecha & Himalaya Bir Shrestha & Ursula Fuentes & Andreas Geiges & William Hare & Michiel Schaeffer & Lara Welder & Matthew J. Gidden, 2020. "Decarbonization of Australia’s Energy System: Integrated Modeling of the Transformation of Electricity, Transportation, and Industrial Sectors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-39, July.
    7. Li, Xiaomin & Chen, Pu & Wang, Xingwu, 2017. "Impacts of renewables and socioeconomic factors on electric vehicle demands – Panel data studies across 14 countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 473-478.
    8. Hansen, Kenneth & Breyer, Christian & Lund, Henrik, 2019. "Status and perspectives on 100% renewable energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 471-480.

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