Science Wednesday: Better Together: Wind and Solar Power in California
Posted on September 10th, 2008 - 10:30 AM
Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection. Previous Science Wednesdays.
About the author: Matthias Fripp is a doctoral student in the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley. His work is funded by an EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Research Fellowship.
Before I started my studies, I thought that graduate students were free to study any topic they liked. That’s true in principle, but in practice we need to find funding for our research. Fortunately, I was granted an EPA STAR fellowship in 2006, allowing me to pursue a question I consider particularly important: how much wind and solar power should we use in the electricity system in upcoming decades?
Over the last couple of years, I’ve gathered data on the amount of power that could be produced every hour at potential wind farm sites and solar power facilities all over California. I’ve also collected information on existing power plants and transmission lines, and forecasted the cost of building new wind, solar or conventional power plants or transmission lines in the future.
Next, I built a computer model that determines which combination of new and existing power plants and transmission lines will give the least expensive electricity between 2010 and 2025, while also ensuring that the state has enough power every hour. I also use this model to see how much our power bills might change if we work seriously on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The results of this research are exciting. I found that wind and solar power are available at complementary times in California, so we can use them together to make a more reliable (and cheaper) power system than we could if we just used wind or solar alone. I also found that even if we didn’t care about greenhouse gas emissions, we should still plan to use a lot of wind power, because it is beginning to be less expensive than power from natural gas plants. Finally, I found that there is no sharp limit to the amount of renewable power we could use in California: power bills rise slowly as we build more and more renewables, but emissions could be reduced substantially with little or no extra cost.
The EPA STAR fellowship has made a huge difference, freeing me to focus all my efforts on this work, and providing the resources to do it right.
Tags: California, EPA STAR fellowship, solar power, wind power
| Permalink | TrackBack
Question of the Week
September 10th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
The true cost of energy should include the environmental and human cost. For example, the coal fired plants in the Midwest that cause mercury levels in eastern water bodies to rise to the point where fish are contaminated and can no longer be eaten. If we include these kind of costs then for certain wind and solar energy are viable and should be implemented as soon as possible.
[Reply]
September 11th, 2008 at 12:10 am
I would like to see the actual data collected and the report, not just a summary. Where is the verification in that. At the same time it is important that soalr and wind be exploited not just because of cost or even greenhouse reasons, but because they increase our energy independence and balance of trade.
Freedom is always a better choice. Independence is always a better choice. Reliance on fossil fuels from abroad, even if cheaper, would be a bad idea.
[Reply]
September 13th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Congratulations on your work, weldone, and it would be very interesting and useful to read the whole article from your research findings (not just a summary which could be vague). Is there anywhere can I get it online? I have been working with regulator bodies for oil and gas as the main source for energy and now I am doing more studies on energy management, looking forward to learning more the alternatives and renewable energy particularly those that are more environmentaly friendly.
[Reply]
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
A couple of responders have asked to see a more detailed report on my work. I am currently rushing to finish my dissertation by the end of the month, and don’t have a version ready to publish yet. But once the dissertation is done, I’ll be happy to post it on-line and leave a link to it here. I’m also planning to publish journal articles with more details on this work over the next year or so. You can reach me by e-mail at mfripp {..} berkeley.edu if you have specific questions. (replace {..} with @)
[Reply]
October 9th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Yes! Keeping in mind the drastic environmental changes and rising fuel prices going Solar is one option open to all at minimal investments. The Solar Water heating systems are so easy to install and most of them come in a Do-it Yourself kit, With the technological advancement the once heavy, bulky hard to move panels are now available widely in light weight easy to carry by one personal only packages. The advancement in technology is not only limited to light weight, but for those concern about the aesthetics of the panels, the good news is that the panels are now available with a variety of trim colors to choose from and can be easily matched to your roof. Saving about $25.00 on ones electricity bill every month on a residence of 4. We all use hot water, as one of our basic needs and what can be a better way, than helping our environment, saving our resources and ourselves some money other than by investing in a Solar Water Heating System.
There is a useful website I’m aware off, that I would like to share with you, http://www.dsireusa.org - is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Lastly, the local utilities in some areas also provide additional rebates and incentives for adding a Solar Water Heating System to your existing water tank.
Keep the look out on. Feel Good and save- money for you, environment for us.
[Reply]