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1 |
ID:
098611
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Publication |
2010.
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Summary/Abstract |
Cadmium telluride photovoltaic (CdTe PV) technology is growing rapidly, and already represents the largest contributor to non-silicon based photovoltaics worldwide. We assessed the extent to which CdTe PV will play a notable role in the Cd use and emission flows in the future, and whether it will be environmentally beneficial or detrimental. Our results show that while CdTe PV may account for a large percentage of future global Cd demand, its role in terms of Cd sequestration may be beneficial. We calculated that its potential contribution to yearly global Cd emissions to air and water may well be orders-of-magnitude lower than the respective current Cd emissions rates in Europe.
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2 |
ID:
113469
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Publication |
2012.
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Summary/Abstract |
A high energy return on energy investment (EROI) of an energy production process is crucial to its long-term viability. The EROI of conventional thermal electricity from fossil fuels has been viewed as being much higher than those of renewable energy life-cycles, and specifically of photovoltaics (PVs). We show that this is largely a misconception fostered by the use of outdated data and, often, a lack of consistency among calculation methods. We hereby present a thorough review of the methodology, discuss methodological variations and present updated EROI values for a range of modern PV systems, in comparison to conventional fossil-fuel based electricity life-cycles.
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3 |
ID:
110372
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Publication |
2011.
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Summary/Abstract |
Several countries and states have set targets for substantially increasing renewable energy (RE) contributions in their electricity grids. As the potential for additional hydro-electricity is limited in the US most future RE penetration is envisioned to be in the form of wind and solar. Our simulations, based on hourly resource and load data, demonstrate the maximum penetration achievable in the grid managed by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), by wind- and solar-power independently, and when they are combined. By optimizing the synergy between these two intermittent resources, a maximum penetration of renewable-energy in the grid can be accomplished; this is shown for different scenarios of grid flexibility. For example, for an 80% flexible grid, a total penetration of 30% of wind and solar energy can be achieved in the NY state without adding storage and without having to dump more than 3% energy, whereas if this was to be met by wind alone, 12% of energy would have to be dumped. Considering that several US states and countries have high targets for renewable energy penetration, optimizing the mixture of RE to accomplish such goals is valuable for energy managing and planning.
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