Mars Renewable’s Post

In my ON-GOING energy posts (now at Part 8) this post will cover a two-part series considering the costs and land consumed considering also battery storage backup using a 500 MW facility split in a 50/50 supply of wind and solar. This facility will be supplying 104,000 homes in California for day time and night time energy use calculating 33 kWhs per day consumption. The following post will cover landusage issues. PART 1: The Financial Reality of a 500 MW Wind and Solar Facility—Why the Economics Don’t Work! In today’s world, wind and solar power are hailed as the cornerstones of the renewable energy future. However, when we dive into the FACTUAL numbers, particularly the economics behind a large-scale 500 MW wind and solar project, the realities are stark. This analysis explores why the financial model behind such renewable projects is unsustainable when considering real-world factors like capacity factors, battery storage costs and wholesale electricity prices while incorporating our RECOC calculations (Renewable Energy Capacity Overlap Coefficient) to account for daily production overlaps and inefficiencies, which directly affect the energy output and financial viability. The RECOC gives a clear measure of how much energy is realistically available due to the limited operational hours of wind and solar to demonstrate how capacity factors, battery storage costs, and energy production dynamics make these projects financially unsustainable without major subsidies or higher electricity prices. A. The 500 MW Wind and Solar Facility basics are the evaluation of a typical 500 MW renewable energy facility, split equally between wind (250 MW) and solar (250 MW), to understand its feasibility in powering homes. Here’s a quick snapshot: Wind Capacity: 250 MW at a 35% capacity factor. Solar Capacity: 250 MW at a 27% capacity factor. Total Annual Energy Production: 1,357.8 GWh/year. But there’s more—this energy isn’t continuous. Wind and solar require battery storage to supply electricity at night or during low production hours. This drastically changes the economics of the project. B. The Economics Breakdown: Wholesale Prices vs. Reality CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) for a 500 MW facility: Wind: $1.5 million/MW = $375 million. Solar: $1 million/MW = $250 million. Battery Storage: $131/MWh for 1.94 GWh/day capacity = $96.53 million. Total Project Cost: $818 million. Contd below....

Storing electrical energy in large quantities is in great demand today with the continued widespread spread of renewable energy projects, the most important of which are wind and solar energy. The picture shows a model for designing large energy storage batteries that store more than a megawatt-hour of electrical energy and are used in large projects. These large containers contain several units of small-sized lithium batteries, in addition to an inverter, a charging regulator, a management and control system, and then a cooling, ventilation, and fire-fighting system. The practical need for these large-sized batteries is as follows: Firstly, enhancing the possibility of integrating renewable energy projects with existing electricity networks while maintaining the stability of these networks from the problems of rising and falling demand for electrical energy during the day, which constitutes a major economic burden and tremendous technical pressure on these networks to maintain the continued provision of service at a reasonable economic cost. Secondly, providing a backup source of electrical energy in some cases. It is possible to establish mini-electricity networks based on renewable energy projects, including these energy storage batteries to ensure the provision of energy needs in all circumstances. (Mini electricity grids mean a miniature electricity network to serve a specific small or large area without the need to extend electrical power transmission lines over long distances in a single network that includes an entire country and perhaps more than one country. Also, providing charging stations for electric cars requires such energy storage batteries so that they are not charged from traditional electricity networks and thus become like traditional cars in terms of their environmental pollution due to their consumption of energy from traditional sources. The challenges facing this important technology are its high cost, but prices are constantly declining as the need for it increases and competition between manufacturers increases.

California recently introduced Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0, marking a significant shift in the state's approach to managing renewable energy generation systems. This new iteration of the NEM policy has substantial implications for the economic feasibility of solar projects. In this article we explore how NEM 3.0 influences the landscape for renewable energy projects in California.

What are distributed energy resources (DER)? Distributed energy resources (DER) are sources of localized clean energy that are usually under 10 megawatts and produced by consumers. These resources are wide ranging, including the hardware and technologies that make it possible to generate, store, and distribute solar, wind, and battery power.

Wind and PV found to have higher energy returns per energy invested than fossil, even when including storage and intermittency. "A widespread view is that renewable energy systems require the investment of much more energy per unit of energy delivered than fossil fuels, leading to a low energy return on investment (EROI) — the ratio of energy delivered to energy invested." "Previous studies, however, omitted the fact that renewable energy systems such as wind power and solar photovoltaics (PV) yield a high-quality energy carrier: electricity. Electricity end-uses often have higher efficiencies than those of fossil-fuel-based carriers. By including end-use efficiencies, we extend the boundary of analysis to determine the EROI at the useful energy stage, which is the energy available after conversion of a final energy carrier in an end-use device." "...final-stage EROIs reported for wind power and solar PV are consistently higher than the EROI equivalent for the average fossil fuel mix (~4.6), suggesting that renewable energy systems return on average more useful energy than fossil fuels.[...] Importantly, we find that these results remain valid when including the effects of storage requirements and the intermittency of renewable energy systems."

New and innovative solutions are critical for optimizing energy generation, storage, and distribution. Cable pooling is one such concept, transforming offshore wind into multi-use energy parks ⚡🔌 . Cable pooling not only maximizes the utility of existing cables but also paves the way for cost-effective and environmentally sustainable energy solutions. In our latest blog you will learn: • How cable pooling integrates multiple renewable sources like wind, solar, and wave energy into a single, efficient infrastructure. • The emerging challenges and opportunities of multi-source energy parks. • The vital role of dynamic subsea cables in these innovative systems. Dive into the details of how this technology is making a significant impact:

GERC Reviews 35 MW Solar Power And Battery Storage Agreement For Sustainable Energy Solutions A significant agreement has been presented for approval regarding a power purchase initiative. The agreement is between a notable power corporation and a state-run energy generation company. This partnership involves a project featuring solar energy production combined with battery storage technology. The solar power plant, with a capacity of 35 MW, is set to be built in a region known for its thermal power station. Additionally, this project integrates a 57 MWh battery energy storage system, which aims to enhance the reliability and efficiency of the generated solar power. This type of energy project is seen as innovative due to […] Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/dse8snDg #solarenergy #alternativeenergy #solarpv #pvsolar #photovoltaic #cleanenergy #cleantech #climatechange #gerc #gujarat #india #regulatoryaffairs #solarenergy

As we navigate the complexities of modern energy management, the integration of storage technologies has become essential in addressing challenges posed by fluctuating demand and the increasing reliance on renewable energy sources. The article covers several key topics, starting with electric energy time-shift, where BESS enables the purchase and storage of inexpensive energy during low-cost periods for later use when prices rise. This practice not only stabilizes energy costs but also optimizes the utilization of renewable resources by storing excess energy that would otherwise be curtailed. Read more https://lnkd.in/gbeDQDNr

Major battery energy storage system in Arizona supports Meta data center Arizona’s newest and largest battery energy storage system (BESS) is part of a solar-plus-storage project that will supply Meta’s enormous energy needs for a new, 100% green energy-powered data center in the region... Orsted and U.S. utility Salt River Project (SRP) have announced a 300 MW/1.2 GWh BESS in Pinal County, Arizona is online. The 11 Mile Solar Center PV-plus-storage system is the largest in Arizona, with a four-hour duration BESS. Fluence supplied the battery systems, according to a release issued by the developers. The plant will largely supply technology giant Meta and its data center at Mesa. In 2023, Meta signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the 11 Mile project owners to secure power from the plant, at the time quantified only as a “majority” of the power generated by the site. Any excess energy will go into the SRP grid for businesses and homes. At the time, Meta’s renewable energy executives said they were “proud to partner with SRP to bring new solar energy to the grid,” without commenting on the storage aspect of the project... SRP said it now has 1.3 GW of battery and pumped hydro projects. The utility plans to retire 1.3 GW of coal-fired power resources while meeting increasing energy demands in the Phoenix area. https://lnkd.in/gdy-aWm5)

More energy storages are needed (and will be built) as renewable energy capacity grows. #energystorage #renewableenergy #greenenergy #cleanenergy #gridsolution #solar #wind #hydro #batteries #bess #peakdemand