TY  - JOUR
A1  - Becker, Sarah
A1  - Frew, Bethany A.
A1  - Andresen, Gorm B.
A1  - Jacobson, Mark Z.
A1  - Schramm, Stefan
A1  - Greiner, Martin
T1  - Renewable build-up pathways for the US: Generation costs are not system costs
T2  - Energy
N2  - The transition to a future electricity system based primarily on wind and solar PV is examined for all regions in the contiguous US. We present optimized pathways for the build-up of wind and solar power for least backup energy needs as well as for least cost obtained with a simplified, lightweight model based on long-term high resolution weather-determined generation data. In the absence of storage, the pathway which achieves the best match of generation and load, thus resulting in the least backup energy requirements, generally favors a combination of both technologies, with a wind/solar PV (photovoltaics) energy mix of about 80/20 in a fully renewable scenario. The least cost development is seen to start with 100% of the technology with the lowest average generation costs first, but with increasing renewable installations, economically unfavorable excess generation pushes it toward the minimal backup pathway. Surplus generation and the entailed costs can be reduced significantly by combining wind and solar power, and/or absorbing excess generation, for example with storage or transmission, or by coupling the electricity system to other energy sectors.
KW  - Energy system design
KW  - Large-scale integration of renewable power generation
KW  - Renewable power generation
KW  - Optimal mix of wind and solar PV
KW  - Levelized cost of electricity
Y1  - 2015
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/77078
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-770786
SN  - 0360-5442
VL  - 81
SP  - 437
EP  - 445
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -