Can a solar-wind system meet future energy demands?

Accelerating energy transition towards renewables is central to net-zero emissions. However, building a global power system dominated by solar and wind energy presents immense challenges. Here, we demonstrate the potential of a globally interconnected solar-wind system to meet future electricity demands.

Are solar and wind resources interconnected?

Theoretically, the potential of solar and wind resources on Earth vastly surpasses human demand 33, 34. In our pursuit of a globally interconnected solar-wind system, we have focused solely on the potentials that are exploitable, accessible, and interconnectable (see “Methods”).

How much electricity can a solar-wind power plant generate?

Our estimates suggest that the total electricity generation from global interconnectable solar-wind potential could reach a staggering level of [237.33 ± 1.95] × 10³ TWh/year (mean ± standard deviation; the standard deviation is due to climatic fluctuations).

How does solar-wind generation affect the cost of a solar system?

High penetration of solar-wind generation is invariably associated with increased curtailments and system-wide costs, with pronounced marginal cost effects. For instance, the cost increase required to raise penetration from 78% to 80% is more than four times that of raising it from 72% to 75%.

How does interconnectivity affect solar-wind development?

As the degree of interconnectivity increases, solar-wind development gradually shifts towards regions with distinct resource advantages, such as the midwestern United States for superior solar resources, and coastal or high-altitude areas for high wind energy potential (Fig. 2a, b).

What happens if solar-wind generation exceeds net power demand?

When solar-wind generation within a grid exceeds its net power demand (i.e., total demand minus baseload), surplus power is first transferred to interconnected grids experiencing shortages, with the remaining surplus stored until capacity is reached. Any surplus beyond storage capacity is curtailed.