Topic: 100% renewable energy target (Only generation side) - LEAP vs Homer ProSubscribe | Previous | Next
Sikandar Ali 10/30/2020
1 Like I am confused about which software should I use considering the following circumstances.
To reach 100% renewable generation for a country X, I am trying to determine the technology mix based on the least cost for the year 2030. At the same time, I am also concerned about the power quality and stability of a grid. Can someone suggest/refer which tool is best to optimize the supply mix in terms of technical as well as cost-effectiveness? Thanks in advance
Muhammad Shahid 3/25/2021
Jose Antonio Ordonez 3/27/2021
1 Like Reaching 100% RE in the supply side is a very ambitious and quite complex problem. If you have a look at long term decarbonization scenarios of Germany or Europe, you will find reserachers working with very complex models, which include, for instance very high time and space resolution for supply, demand, grids, and also weather data (which might affect the system strongly if you have a high share of solar PV and wind. To find least cost options, you might need sound projections on technology development costs, as for key technologies such as solar PV or wind, costs are very dynamic and have been declining rapidly. Also, some non-mature technologies as CCS might come to maturity (depending on time frame you are looking at). Reaching 100% RE will also, to a certain degree, require that you can flexibilize your demand (which might also go along with costs), so lookig at supply costs only might give you a parcial view. But LEAP is great to understand how the system behaves and some of the main challenges, while also considering costs and cost minization. So I would defenitely start with LEAP, and increase complexity step by step.