Renewable Energy Systems: Enhanced Resilience, Lower Costs

Abstract

The enhanced resilience of today's renewable energy systems, comprising solar photovoltaic and wind electricity generators, coupled with the storage of electricity in Li‐ion batteries and solar hydrogen, is a key attribute of current clean energy technology. Referring to selected recent examples, it is shown how families, companies, and entire regions can now safely rely on renewable energy to meet their energy needs.

Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics: A Critical Perspective on the Dawn of their Global Adoption

“…Even in a remote Hawaii's island only this year one utility company will save purchase and import of more than 1,000 tonnes of diesel fuel, supplying its customers with electricity of unsurpassed quality (frequency of the alternating current, and stable voltage) generated with PV modules stored in a 100 MWh battery energy system. [33] Chemical companies in conventional plastics may wish to learn from this single example how to avoid what happened to the manufacturers of turbines for thermoelectric power plants, whose global market, displaced by the world's adoption of PV and wind power, has gone from a total generation capacity of 71.6 GW in 2011 to about 30 GW in 2018, [34] and is currently continuing to shrink.…”

Oil refining in Sicily: A critical perspective looking to the future

“…Solar PV generation plus storage in energy storage systems is feasible and convenient not only in remote areas. Numerous large installations (storage >100 MWh and PV parks exceeding 50 MW of power) already exist across the world, whose exceptional performance in balancing and regulating the grid has allowed to almost entirely displace natural gas thermoelectric generators previously used …”

“…Numerous large installations (storage >100 MWh and PV parks exceeding 50 MW of power) already exist across the world, whose exceptional performance in balancing and regulating the grid has allowed to almost entirely displace natural gas thermoelectric generators previously used. 39 In brief, after more than a decade of skepticism concerning renewable energy, and solar PV in particular, 40 today's electric utilities are fully aware of the synergistic and beneficial effects on energy production costs due to the concomitant expansion of battery EV adoption and growth of the PV energy generation, reflecting the greater and beneficial impact of the PV generation with increasing electricity demand. 41 It is instructive, in this respect, to learn that one large petrochemical company based in Sicily's Augusta petrochemical site has purchased a fleet of 40 modern EVs replacing 40 diesel fuel-powered passenger cars, and it also installed two external charging points (adding to 15 within the site) available to external customers to recharge their own EVs.…”

Father Verspieren and Mali Aqua Viva: Lessons Learned from Fighting Drought and Poverty with Photovoltaic Solar Energy in Africa

“…29 Second, the uptake of solar-powered irrigation systems should take place along with the uptake of rainwater harvesting and efficient water utilization practices. 20 Third, aware that utility-scale electricity production via PV modules coupled to energy storage systems (ESS) based on Liion batteries has lately become competitive with centralized thermoelectric generation, 30 Africa's policy makers aiming to support industrial development should focus investments on PV technology coupled to ESS, and local (and affordable) energy distribution grids.…”