Availability of solar and wind energy during extreme high heat events
Abstract
The availability, or lack thereof, of solar and wind power during high heat events has significant implications for energy system planning, particularly as we increase our reliance on solar and wind power. Heat waves often result in high electricity demand and are generally accompanied by clear skies and calm winds, which correspond to high solar and low wind energy resource availability. We find, however, that this general tendency for wind does not apply uniformly to all regions of the globe. In fact, the sign, magnitude, and consistency of local and regional wind availability anomalies during extreme temperature events varies by location. Within this variation, we show that high heat events are accompanied by sharp increases in locally available wind power in some regions. In contrast, high heat events are accompanied by sharp increases in locally available solar power across nearly all regions of the globe. Our results suggest that increasing the penetration of solar and wind energy generation has the potential to provide dual benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing electrical grid robustness to extreme high temperatures in many regions. This second benefit appears to be strongest in the low latitudes where electricity demand for cooling is expected to substantially increase in the near future.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMGH33A..03F
- Keywords:
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- 0240 Public health;
- GEOHEALTH;
- 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 4313 Extreme events;
- NATURAL HAZARDS;
- 4330 Vulnerability;
- NATURAL HAZARDS