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Reduction in Emissions by Massive Solar Plant Integration in the US Power Grid

Authors :
Esteban A. Soto
Ebisa Wollega
Alexander Vizcarrondo Ortega
Andrea Hernandez-Guzman
Lisa Bosman
Source :
Energies, Vol 17, Iss 7, p 1611 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Fossil fuels, the predominant energy source in the United States, have been identified as major contributors to environmental pollution through the release of harmful emissions. As a countermeasure, there has been an increasing focus on the exploration and development of cleaner energy alternatives to alleviate the environmental degradation caused by fossil fuels and to satisfy the growing energy needs. This study conducted scenario analyses to evaluate the impact of integrating solar energy into specific US power grids on reducing carbon emissions. The analysis encompassed electrical systems within California, New England, New York, and the Southwest, utilizing datasets from the Energy Information Administration and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Energy Information Administration dataset includes information on net generation according to each source and carbon emissions according to fuel type, whereas the National Renewable Energy Laboratory dataset provides hourly projections for 6000 theoretical photovoltaic installations and detailed solar energy output data every five minutes over a year. Our findings indicated a notable decrease in carbon dioxide emissions following the introduction of solar power facilities. The most significant reductions were observed in the Southwest and California, attributed to solar plant integration. Conversely, New York and New England were identified as regions requiring additional policy measures and incentives to meet the emission reduction goals.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19961073
Volume :
17
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Energies
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.bc511fa8dd5a4cf29fb7984d6f774d87
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071611