Solar Grand Plan:

1
Solar Grand Plan The Role of Energy Storage
James Mason Renewable Energy Research
Institute asap_at_solarplan.org Presentation for ISA
Expo Houston, TX 6 October 2009
2

• Solar Grand Plan Components
• Wind Power Plants in Midwest U.S.
• Energy Storage
• Compressed Air
• i. Thermal for Compressed Air
• Solar Power Plants in Southwest U.S.
• Photovoltaics (PV) Solar Thermal
• Energy Storage
• Compressed Air and Thermal
• National HVDC Transmission System
• Electric Vehicles
• Fuel Cell and Plug-in Hybrid
• National Fueling Infrastructure
• Using Renewable Fuel Sources
• Electrolytic H2 and/or Electricity
• Geothermal
• Cellulosic Biomass

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Solar Grand Plan Costs

• Base Load Retail Electricity Price
  0.11-0.13/kWh.
• Peak Retail Electricity Price
  0.14-0.16/kWh.
• Total Capital Investment to 2050 16 trillion.
• Is This Cost Too Great?
• Consider 2008 U.S. Oil and Natural Gas
  Drilling Costs
• from EIA Well Cost Data (2004 billion )
• Oil 28b Natural Gas 64b Dry Wells
  24b
• Total 2008 U.S. Drilling Costs 105b
• Domestic Oil and Natural Gas Drilling
  Costs Alone
• Easily Could Be As Much As 10
  trillion by 2050.

10
Benefits of Solar Grand Plan

• Stabilization of Long-term Electricity Prices.
• While Capital Costs Are High, Fuel Cost Is Free.
• A doubling of natural gas and coal prices will
  result in cost competitive solar and wind
  electricity rates.
• Increases U.S. Energy Security.
• Is a Safe and Sure Means to End Carbon Dioxide
  Emissions.
• Creates a Significant Increase in Energy
  Efficiency.
• Creates Jobs and Economic Growth.

11
Next Steps on Path to the Solar Grand Plan

• Transform Intermittent Wind into Dispatchable
  Load Capacity by Coupling Wind Plants to
  Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) Plants in
  Midwest. Need to Include CAES in Fed/State
  Renewable Energy Incentive Rules and Regulations.
• Develop Low Cost Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
  Systems
• One-Tank, Thermocline, Thermal Energy
  Storage Systems
• for Concentrating Solar Thermal Plants
• Compressed Air Heat Capture and Storage
  System for CAES.
• 3. Comparative Research of Fuel Infrastructure
  Design and Costs for Plug-In Hybrid and Fuel Cell
  Vehicle Pathways, which Includes Evaluation of
  Public Driving Preferences.

12
The Solution to Wind and PV Intermittency Compre
ssed Air Energy Storage (CAES) Alabama Electric
Cooperatives McIntosh, Alabama 110 MW CAES Power
Plant in Continuous Operation Since 1991
13
CAES Air Turbine Power Plant
14
A Coupled PV-CAES Plant for Peak Load Capacity
15
CAES Compressed Air Energy Storage Power Plant

• Next CAES Plant Will Be Similar In Design to the
  Schematic
• Adiabatic CAES (No Natural Gas) Will Not Be
  Available Until Post-2020
• Wind/PV Electricity for Air Compression
• Conventional CAES 0.8 kWh In / kWh Out
• Adiabatic CAES (No Natural Gas) 1.43 kWh In /
  kWh Out
• CAES Plant Natural Gas Consumption
• Conventional CAES 4,800 Btu (HHV) / kWh Out
• Fuel Efficiency of a Coupled PV-CAES Peak Power
  Plant
• Aggregate Electricity Supplied to Grid 64 PV
  and 36 CAES
• Aggregate PV-CAES Fuel Efficiency 191 (3,412
  Btu / 1,786 Btu)
• Conclusion Coupled Wind/PV CAES Is
  Dispatchable Load Capacity, Improves Grid
  Reliability, and Significantly Reduces Fuel
  Consumption and CO2 Emissions

16
Existing Underground Natural Gas Storage Sites
17
Solar Thermal Power Plant with a One-Tank
Thermocline Thermal Storage System (Future)
Solar Collector Field
Thermal Storage Tank (Molten Salt ?
Steam Electricity Generator
18
Immediate Needs

• Define CAES in Renewable Energy Incentives.
• - In Fed/State Legislatures and Regulatory
  Agencies.
• Federal Support to Design/Build a HVDC Grid to
  Distribute Midwest Wind and Southwest Solar
  Electricity Nationwide.
• Create a 10-Year Feed-In Tariff Program to
  Support the Development of Wind Solar Energy
  Storage Power Plants.
• Development of Automated Systems to Synchronize
  the Supply Route of Wind, PV, and CAES
  Electricity Production.

19
Conclusion

• Development of Low Cost (12-15/kWt)
• Thermal Energy Storage is Essential for Solar and
• Wind to Become Sources of Dispatchable,
• Zero CO2 Emissions Power and Fully Capable of
• Replacing Both Base and Peak Load Fossil Fuel
• Power Plants. With Dispatchable Solar and
• Wind Power Plants, We Can Stabilize Long-Term
• Electricity Prices and Be Approaching Zero
• Energy Related CO2 Emissions by 2050.

20
Acknowledgements

• Bill Burr in the Saddle Bailey Fiscal
  Associates
• Ken Zweibel George Washington University
• Vasilis Fthenakis Columbia University and
• Brookhaven
  National Lab