Comparison of Dispatchable Renewable Electricity Options

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ARENA commissioned a study of options for dispatchable renewable electricity generation that can support a secure, reliable and affordable electricity system with a higher share of renewable energy. The outputs are a report and a spreadsheet-based cost model.Comparison of Dispatchable Renewable Energy Options – Technologies for an orderly transition examines individual technologies and combinations to classify their characteristics, appropriate uses, costs and sensitivities in a transparent and consistent way. It provides a broad overview of different technologies, rather than a detailed, in-depth analysis of any one technology.Technologies or combinations covered include wind- and PV- driven batteries, pumped hydro and hydrogen storage, alongside inherently dispatchable technologies bioenergy, concentrating solar thermal and geothermal.The analysis suggests a wide range of options are available, with a range of performance characteristics.Different technologies and configurations suit different market needs. For example, batteries are more competitive for short-duration storage, whereas pumped hydro or concentrating solar thermal are more competitive for long duration storage.Key results, such as the above estimated range of competitiveness, are based on 2017 costs. Costs are likely to continue to fall in real terms. The accompanying spreadsheet can be used to estimate future costs based on global growth assumptions.

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