Analyzing Geospatial Cost Variability of Hybrid Solar–Gravity Storage System in High-Curtailment Suburban Areas

The increased decentralization of renewable energy has increased curtailment rates in stagnating demand zones, increasing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The geographically dynamic nature of gravity energy storage (GES) is emerging in the field of mechanical energy storage, over pumped hydro. H...

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Published inEnergies (Basel) Vol. 17; no. 9; p. 2162
Main Authors Basu, Soumya, Hoshino, Tetsuhito, Okumura, Hideyuki
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.05.2024
Subjects
Alternative energy sources
Analysis
cost optimization
decentralized
Economic aspects
Energy consumption
Energy storage
Force and energy
Geography
gravity storage
Labor costs
location-dependent costs
Logistics
Optimization
Semiconductor industry
Semiconductors
Solar energy industry
solar photovoltaic
suburban
Suburban areas
Japan
India
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Summary:The increased decentralization of renewable energy has increased curtailment rates in stagnating demand zones, increasing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The geographically dynamic nature of gravity energy storage (GES) is emerging in the field of mechanical energy storage, over pumped hydro. However, GES costs vary geospatially, specifically in decentralized suburban areas, due to the impact of urban socioeconomics. This study aims to find a mathematical approximation of a cost-optimized location for suburban Solar–GES hybrid systems in curtailment-prone areas. A multi-parameterization model mathematically programmed land, transmission, supply chain and excavation costs into geospatial matrix approximations for suburban areas of 2500 km2 in Fukuoka and Ibaraki in Japan. It was found that SPV-GES location-dependent costs were mainly affected by distance from the city’s economic center and flat plains in suburbs, and supply chain and transmission costs optimized the location-dependent cost for GES at a specific point. It was also found that flat terrains were more economical than mountainous terrains due to high GES supply chain costs. With GES found to be cost-competitive compared to other storage technologies in Japan, this study reveals that GES introduction benefits the LCOE of suburban, decentralized SPV when curtailment is >50% irrespective of terrain.
ISSN:1996-1073
1996-1073
DOI:10.3390/en17092162