Energy from the Desert: Very Large Scale Photovoltaic Systems: Socio-economic, Financial, Technical and Environmental Aspects

Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 11
Preface......Page 12
Task 8 Participants......Page 13
List of Contributors......Page 14
Acknowledgements......Page 15
List of Figures, Tables and Boxes......Page 16
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations......Page 24
A.1.2 VLS-PV for a sustainable future......Page 28
A.1.3 VLS-PV and other renewable resources......Page 29
A.2.1 Potential benefits for desert countries......Page 30
A.2.3 Sustainable community development......Page 31
A.2.5 Desalination......Page 32
A.3.1 The cost of VLS-PV generation......Page 33
A.3.3 Proposal for a VLS-PV business model......Page 34
A.4.2 The progress of MW-scale PV systems installation......Page 36
A.4.3 Advanced technology for VLS-PV systems......Page 37
A.4.4 Future technical options......Page 38
A.5.2 The ecological impact of VLS-PV development......Page 39
A.5.3 Analysis of global potential......Page 40
A.6.1 A case study on the Sahara Desert......Page 41
A.6.2 Case study on the Gobi Desert......Page 43
A.7.1 Future directions......Page 44
A.7.2 Scenarios on major technology streams......Page 45
A.7.3 VLS-PV roadmap proposal......Page 46
A.8.1 Conclusions......Page 48
A.8.2 Recommendations......Page 49
References......Page 50
1.2.1 Concept and definition......Page 52
1.2.3 A step-by-step approach for project development......Page 54
1.2.4 The potential advantages of VLS-PV......Page 55
1.3 Project development......Page 56
2.1 Energy issues......Page 57
2.2.3 Impacts of climate change......Page 58
2.2.4 Climate change mitigation strategies and renewable energy......Page 59
2.2.5 The response of international politics to climate change......Page 61
2.3.2 Deforestation and forest degradation......Page 62
2.3.4 The ecosystem......Page 63
2.4 VLS-PV for a sustainable future......Page 64
References......Page 65
3.1.1 CSP technology features......Page 67
3.1.2 Relative performance record......Page 68
3.1.3 The case for VLS-PV......Page 69
3.2 Conclusion......Page 70
References......Page 71
4.2.1 Potential benefits for desert countries......Page 72
4.2.3 Creation of a local industry......Page 73
4.3.1 Concept......Page 74
4.3.2 Revegetation by FoE Japan......Page 76
4.4.1 Significance of introducing alternative energy sources to and from desert areas......Page 77
4.4.3 Limited water resources at present and in the future......Page 78
4.4.4 Countering freshwater deficits and securing water for food production......Page 80
4.4.5 Example of border irrigation and fall leaching complex in Gansu, China......Page 81
4.4.6 Case study: Access of high-quality fresh water for sustainable irrigation......Page 82
4.5.1 Water shortage and its socio-economic impact......Page 85
4.5.2 Principles of desalination......Page 86
4.5.3 Solar powered desalination systems......Page 88
References......Page 92
5.1.1 The implications of high capital intensity......Page 94
5.1.3 Financing requirements......Page 95
5.1.4 Financing cost to society......Page 97
5.2.1 Description of a VLS-PV system......Page 105
5.2.2 Evaluation of the investment costs......Page 106
5.2.4 The financing scheme......Page 107
5.2.5 Simulation methodology – calculating the PV electricity price......Page 109
5.2.6 Conclusion......Page 110
5.3.1 System configurations......Page 111
5.3.2 Economic analysis......Page 112
References......Page 113
6.1.1 PV cell and module technology......Page 114
6.1.2 Considerations with respect to VLS-PV application......Page 115
6.1.3 Summary......Page 119
6.2.1 Electric connections......Page 120
6.2.3 Plant monitoring and security......Page 121
6.2.5 Energy yield......Page 122
6.3.1 Tracking technology overview......Page 123
6.3.2 CPV technology overview......Page 124
References......Page 128
7.1 Recent progreess of MW-scale PV systems......Page 129
7.2 Advanced design of VLS-PV systems......Page 137
7.2.2 From today’s to tomorrow’s plant architecture......Page 138
7.2.4 Components used for VLS-PV applications......Page 139
7.2.6 Conclusion......Page 140
7.3.1 System architecture of MW-scale PV systems......Page 141
7.3.2 Inverters for LS-PV systems......Page 142
7.3.3 Operation of MW-scale PV systems......Page 143
7.4.1 Costs reduction by an new array structure design......Page 144
7.4.3 Civil works: Conventional foundation systems......Page 146
7.4.4 Civil works: Cost reduction by use of an innovative foundation system......Page 147
References......Page 149
8.1.1 Previous studies for Texas, USA......Page 150
8.1.2 An Israel case study......Page 151
8.2 A statistical approach to energy storage......Page 152
8.2.2 Large storage capacity behaviour......Page 153
8.2.3 Small storage capacity behaviour......Page 154
8.3 Solar hydrogen......Page 155
8.3.2 The energetics of hydrogen packaging......Page 156
8.3.4 The energetics of hydrogen transfer......Page 157
8.3.5 Conclusion......Page 158
8.4.4 Control systems for operation of power plant with intermittent resource......Page 159
8.4.5 Predicting the moment of sun shading by clouds......Page 160
References......Page 161
9.1.1 Methodology of LCA......Page 163
9.1.2 Assumptions......Page 164
9.1.3 Results......Page 166
9.2 Estimation of ecological impacts of VLS-PV development in the Gobi Desert......Page 167
9.2.1 Overview of ecological footprint and ecological footprint analysis......Page 168
9.2.2 Estimation of possible impacts of VLS-PV development......Page 170
9.2.3 Summary......Page 172
References......Page 173
10.1.1 About satellite images......Page 174
10.1.3 Definition of suitable areas for the VLS-PV......Page 175
10.2.1 Pre-processing of analysis......Page 176
10.2.3 Undulating hills classification......Page 178
10.2.4 Vegetation index......Page 179
10.2.5 Integration......Page 180
10.3.1 Preparation of satellite images......Page 181
10.3.2 Results of the evaluation of six areas......Page 182
10.3.3 The ground truth......Page 183
10.3.4 Solar energy potential......Page 185
References......Page 186
11.2.1 Morocco......Page 187
11.2.2 Algeria......Page 190
11.2.3 Tunisia......Page 198
11.2.4 Libya......Page 204
11.2.5 Egypt......Page 207
11.3.1 Economic assumptions for VLS-PV (CPV) construction......Page 210
11.3.3 The case studies......Page 211
11.3.4 Sensitivity analysis......Page 214
11.5 Summary and conclusions......Page 215
References......Page 216
12.1.1 The project......Page 217
12.1.2 Calculation of the minimum electricity price......Page 221
12.3 Preliminary test of PV power systems installed in Naran Soum and Tibet......Page 222
References......Page 224
13.1 Future directions in the 21st century......Page 225
13.2 Assumed scenarios in major technology streams......Page 226
13.3.2 Annual installation......Page 228
13.3.3 Transition of market size and annual expenditure for VLS-PV......Page 229
13.3.4 VLS-PV installation by region......Page 231
References......Page 232
Annex......Page 233
14.2 Recommendations......Page 234
References......Page 236
Index......Page 237