Distributed solar electricity generation across large geographic areas, Part I: A method to optimize site selection, generation and storage

摘要: Abstract Perhaps the greatest obstacle to large-scale solar energy generation is intermittent nature of and associated costly storage. This paper presents a method optimize combinations selected worldwide regions in different time zones with surprising capability providing sufficient electricity overcome intermittency or reduce it such an extent that substantially less storage capacity are needed. The recent sharp drop cost photovoltaic (PV) accompanied by increased investment PV plants suggests new economic base for cooperative efforts sequentially combine day insolation. approach presented here optimizes two aspects, first, selection sites across large geographic areas, second, size relative proportion at each site. Our converts 20 years daily insolation data NASA Solar Sizer hourly scale. used assess compare supranational distributed networks parts globe have recently been proposed, subsequently their We show linking on hemispheres can fully eliminate without need fuel renewable other than solar.