Seasonal challenges for a California renewable- energy-driven grid
Mahmoud Y. Abido,
Zabir Mahmud,
Pedro Andrés Sánchez-Pérez,
Sarah R. Kurtz
Affiliations
Mahmoud Y. Abido
Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Aerospace Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Cairo 12613, Egypt; Corresponding author
Zabir Mahmud
Environmental Systems Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
Pedro Andrés Sánchez-Pérez
Environmental Systems Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
Sarah R. Kurtz
Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Environmental Systems Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering Graduate Program, School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
Summary: Currently, the most difficult time of year for California to supply the demanded electricity is around sunset on very hot summer days. As California uses more renewable electricity, that challenge may shift to any time of the year depending on the supply of electricity more than on the demand. We study various scenarios for applying a 100% renewable energy grid using six years (2015–2020) of historical demand and scaled-up solar and wind generation to investigate the main function of the storage in affording adequate electricity supply at all times of the year. We identify the times of year that may be most challenging. We detect that, for a solar dominant generation profile, the ultimate challenge shifts from summer to winter. Furthermore, the critical time of the year may be shifted by one or two months depending on the amount and the mix of the renewable generation that will be built.
