On the potential contribution of rooftop PV to a sustainable electricity mix: The case of Spain

Antonio Gomez-Exposito, Angel Arcos-Vargas and Francisco Gutierrez-Garcia

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2020, vol. 132, issue C

Abstract: This work evaluates on a large-scale basis the potential contribution of rooftop PV to the future electricity mix. First, based upon an estimation of the available urban rooftop surface, the maximum PV distributed capacity is calculated for each conurbation. Then, several sustainable scenarios are considered, each comprising different shares of centralized renewables, rooftop PV and storage. For each generation scenario, the storage capacity that balances the net hourly demand is determined, and the portfolio combination that minimizes the cost of supplying electricity is obtained. The analysis is applied to mainland Spain, using public information and detailed granular models, both in time (hourly resolution) and space (municipal level). For the Spanish case, when the flexibility of hydro and biomass generation is taken into account, the least-cost portfolio involves rather modest storage capacities, in the order of daily rather than seasonal values. This shows that a sustainable, almost emissions-free electricity system for Spain is possible, at a cost that can be even lower than current wholesale market prices.

Keywords: Self-supply; Regulation; Cities; Emissions; Renewables; Storage; Rooftop PV (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2020.110074

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