scholarly journals Learning Curve Analysis of Wind Power and Photovoltaics Technology in US: Cost Reduction and the Importance of Research, Development and Demonstration

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhou ◽  
Alun Gu

The strategic transition from fossil energy to renewable energy is an irreversible global trend, but the pace of renewable energy deployment and the path of cost reduction are uncertain. In this paper, a two-factor learning-curve model of wind power and photovoltaics (PV) was established based on the latest empirical data from the United States, and the paths of cost reduction and corresponding social impacts were explored through scenario analysis. The results demonstrate that both of the technologies are undergoing a period of rapid development, with the learning-by-searching ratio (LSR) being greatly improved in comparison with the previous literature. Research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) have contributed to investment cost reduction in the past decade, and the cost difference between high and low RD&D spending scenarios is predicted to be 5.5%, 8.9%, and 11.27% for wind power, utility-scale PV, and residential PV, respectively, in 2030. Although higher RD&D requires more capital, it can effectively promote cost reduction, reduce the total social cost of deploying renewable energy, and reduce the abatement carbon price that is needed to promote deployment. RD&D and the institutional support behind it are of great importance in allowing renewables to penetrate the commercial market and contribute to long-term social welfare.

2021 ◽  
Vol 271 ◽  
pp. 01021
Author(s):  
Wang Zhenyu ◽  
Zhang Jianhua ◽  
Shao Chong ◽  
Xu Lanlan ◽  
Han Yongjun

With the rapid development of wind power, the randomness and volatility of wind power have also caused severe problems of wind power consumption. The phenomenon of wind abandonment is particularly prominent in the "three north" areas. The environmental protection and controllability of regenerative electric heating provide a way for wind absorption and abandonment. Therefore, this paper proposes a model to promote wind power consumption by using regenerative electric heating. Firstly, the principle and advantages of the heat storage electric heating equipment are described; secondly, the fine modeling of regenerative electric heating is carried out;then, the mode of using regenerative electric heating to promote wind power consumption is designed;finally, an example is given to analyze the wind power consumption effect and the revenue of load aggregators.Therefore, it is verified that this mode can effectively promote wind power consumption and reduce wind abandon generation, and provide reference for alleviating wind abandon and power limit problem.


2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (02) ◽  
pp. 379-395
Author(s):  
Bernardita Escobar Andrae ◽  
Nelson Arellano Escudero

This research note uses the case of nineteenth-century Chile to argue that the phenomenon of early green entrepreneurship was not confined to the United States and Europe. It focuses on Chile-based inventors who pursued intellectual-property protection in solar, tidal, wave motion, water flow, and wind power. The backgrounds and careers of these inventors are examined. The case contests the popular assumption that knowledge always originated in the developed North and flowed southward. Instead, at least in the case of renewable energy, knowledge emerged endogenously in Chile and sometimes even flowed northward. This research note argues that the circulation of knowledge was strongly linked to the mobility of individuals rather than to the mobility of patents between North and South.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3199
Author(s):  
Heesun Jang

Texas has experienced a rapid development of wind power over the last 20 years. Since wind power was developed mostly in desolate areas that are remote from urban centers due to its nature conditions, Texas implemented the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) project, the goal of which is to integrate the wind supply regions with the large demand centers. The objectives of this paper are two-fold. The first is to investigate the impact of the CREZ project on market price convergence. Specifically, this paper analyzes the extent that the transmission project affected wholesale price level, variance, and difference between the regions. The second is to measure environmental benefits obtained from displacement of fossil fuel generators by wind power. The results provide a strong evidence for price convergence across the ERCOT market following the completion of the CREZ project. As well as price convergence, wholesale price level and variance are also reduced significantly. Specifically, the results show that the price difference between Houston and West which diverged up to around $100/MWh converges to zero after the project completed. The impacts are more significant during the high demand hours. The results also document significant reductions in emissions, as NOx emissions was reduced by around 4000 pounds in Texas as a whole. Effects on SO2 and CO2 are also calculated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Lauren K. D’Souza ◽  
William L. Ascher ◽  
Tanja Srebotnjak

Native American reservations are among the most economically disadvantaged regions in the United States; lacking access to economic and educational opportunities that are exacerbated by “energy insecurity” due to insufficient connectivity to the electric grid and power outages. Local renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass offer energy alternatives but their implementation encounters barriers such as lack of financing, infrastructure, and expertise, as well as divergent attitudes among tribal leaders. Biomass, in particular, could be a source of stable base-load power that is abundant and scalable in many rural communities. This case study examines the feasibility of a biomass energy plant on the Cocopah reservation in southwestern Arizona. It considers feedstock availability, cost and energy content, technology options, nameplate capacity, discount and interest rates, construction, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, and alternative investment options. This study finds that at current electricity prices and based on typical costs for fuel, O&M over 30 years, none of the tested scenarios is presently cost-effective on a net present value (NPV) basis when compared with an alternative investment yielding annual returns of 3% or higher. The technology most likely to be economically viable and suitable for remote, rural contexts—a combustion stoker—resulted in a levelized costs of energy (LCOE) ranging from US$0.056 to 0.147/kWh. The most favorable scenario is a combustion stoker with an estimated NPV of US$4,791,243. The NPV of the corresponding alternative investment is US$7,123,380. However, if the tribes were able to secure a zero-interest loan to finance the plant’s installation cost, the project would be on par with the alternative investment. Even if this were the case, the scenario still relies on some of the most optimistic assumptions for the biomass-to-power plant and excludes abatement costs for air emissions. The study thus concludes that at present small-scale, biomass-to-energy projects require a mix of favorable market and local conditions as well as appropriate policy support to make biomass energy projects a cost-competitive source of stable, alternative energy for remote rural tribal communities that can provide greater tribal sovereignty and economic opportunities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1392-1413
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner

Subject. This article discusses the effectiveness of government programmes to support renewable energy and whether they should continue to be implemented. Objectives. The article aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the changes in solar and wind power projects under the State support programme within the period from 2014 to 2019 and assess the effectiveness of the acting incentive mechanisms. Methods. For the study, I used the Learning-by-Doing theory and Project Management principles and methods. Results. The article proposes to consider the local content of the projects implemented as the key effectiveness indicator of the renewable energy support programme in Russia. For solar projects, this figure is currently significantly higher than the planned one, and it corresponds to the planned one for wind projects. In general, therefore, the programme can be considered effective. Conclusions. Further improvements in renewable energy support mechanisms should take into account the need to drastically increase the pace of training in the full cycle of the renewable energy project, including the operation phase of generating equipment and the supply of electricity to the grid.


Author(s):  
Sharon C Perelman ◽  
Steven Erde ◽  
Lynda Torre ◽  
Tunaidi Ansari

Abstract COVID-19 quickly immobilized healthcare systems in the United States during the early stages of the outbreak. While much of the ensuing response focused on supporting the medical infrastructure, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine pursued a solution to triage and safely treat patients with dental emergencies amidst the pandemic. Considering rapidly changing guidelines from governing bodies, dental infection control protocols and our clinical faculty's expertise, we modeled, built, and implemented a screening algorithm, which provides decision support as well as insight into COVID-19 status and clinical comorbidities, within a newly integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR). Once operationalized, we analyzed the data and outcomes of its utilization and found that it had effectively guided providers in triaging patient needs in a standardized methodology. This article describes the algorithm's rapid development to assist faculty providers in identifying patients with the most urgent needs, thus prioritizing treatment of dental emergencies during the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Kang Wang ◽  
Weicheng Duan ◽  
Yijie Duan ◽  
Yuxin Yu ◽  
Xiuyi Chen ◽  
...  

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases have increased rapidly in recent decades, which is associated with various genetic abnormalities. To provide a better understanding of the genetic factors in ASD, we assessed the global scientific output of the related studies. A total of 2944 studies published between 1997 and 2018 were included by systematic retrieval from the Web of Science (WoS) database, whose scientific landscapes were drawn and the tendencies and research frontiers were explored through bibliometric methods. The United States has been acting as a leading explorer of the field worldwide in recent years. The rapid development of high-throughput technologies and bioinformatics transferred the research method from the traditional classic method to a big data-based pipeline. As a consequence, the focused research area and tendency were also changed, as the contribution of de novo mutations in ASD has been a research hotspot in the past several years and probably will remain one into the near future, which is consistent with the current opinions of the major etiology of ASD. Therefore, more attention and financial support should be paid to the deciphering of the de novo mutations in ASD. Meanwhile, the effective cooperation of multi-research centers and scientists in different fields should be advocated in the next step of scientific research undertaken.


Joule ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley J. Cole ◽  
Danny Greer ◽  
Paul Denholm ◽  
A. Will Frazier ◽  
Scott Machen ◽  
...  

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