Tag: Solar

EIA’s Electric Power Monthly – August 2017 Edition with data for June

D Coyne 615 Comments

A Guest Post by Islandboy

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The EIA released the latest edition of their Electric Power Monthly on August 24th, with data for June 2017. With all the data for the first half of 2017 now available the half year performance of the various sectors can be assessed. As reported on the web site utilitydive.com “Coal tops gas as leading generation source in first half of 2017“. PV Magazine on their news web page chose to highlight that, “Renewables generate (almost) as much U.S. power as nuclear during H1 2017“. The highlights of the first half of 2017 include (See the YTD row of Table 2 below for data):

• Coal generated slightly more than Natural Gas
• Nuclear generated slightly more than All Renewables
• Conventional hydro generated slightly more than Wind and Solar combined
• Non-Hydro Renewables generated more than conventional hydroelectric
• Carbon neutral and zero emission sources combined generated more than either gas or coal Read More

World Energy 2014-2050 (Part 3)

Minqi Li 84 Comments

This is a guest post by Political Economist

Solar Correction

As I reviewed my spreadsheet, I identified a copy and paste error resulting in a mis-calculation of the solar projection.  This affects the projection of annual installation of Solar PV capacity (see Part 2).

The correct projections of annual installation of Solar PV capacity are shown below:

photo SolarCorrection070414_zps407c310d.png

Under the current projection, solar PV annual installation is projected to rise from 38 gigawatts in 2013 to 106 gigawatts by 2020.  Beyond 2020, the growth will slow down.  After 2030, it will plateau and approach 145 gigawatts (not 108 gigawatts as previously stated).

Again, please note this does not imply that solar electricity generation will peak.  Instead, it assumes that the GROWTH of solar electricity generation will peak and plateau.  In other words, it assumes that at some point in the future, solar electricity generation growth will become linear rather than exponential.  (I had an interesting discussion with Dennis on this after the post of Part 2)

I made corrections of the projected primary energy consumption and world GDP in accordance with the solar PV correction.  These are shown below.

Total Primary Energy Consumption

According to BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2014, world primary energy consumption reached 12,730 million metric tons of oil-equivalent, 2.3 percent higher than world primary energy consumption in 2012.  Figure 24 shows the primary energy consumption by the world’s five largest energy consumers from 1965 to 2013.

photo PrimaryEnergy062114-1_zpsf37768e7.jpg
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World Energy 2014-2050 (Part 2)

Minqi Li 165 Comments

This is a guest post by Political Economist

Nuclear Electricity

According to BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2014, world consumption of nuclear electricity reached 2,489 terawatt-hours (563 million metric tons of oil-equivalent) in 2013, 0.9 percent higher than world consumption of nuclear electricity in 2012.  In 2013, nuclear electricity accounted for 4.4 percent of the world primary energy consumption.

Figure 16 shows nuclear electricity consumption by the world’s five largest nuclear electricity consumers from 1965 to 2013.

photo Nuclear062114-1_zps59fc6b2c.jpgAccording to the World Nuclear Association, as of January 2014, 375 gigawatts of nuclear electric power plants were operative worldwide.  75 gigawatts were under construction, 187 gigawatts were being planned, and 351 gigawatts were being proposed.  World Nuclear Association claims that most planned nuclear power plants are expected to operate within 8-10 years. Assuming that in 10 years, all of the currently constructed and planned nuclear power plants become operative, then in average the world will need to build 26 gigawatts of nuclear power plants a year in the next 10 years.  In reality, some delays are inevitable.

I assume that from 2015 to 2050, the world will build 20 gigawatts of nuclear power plants each year.  On the other hand, 2 percent of the existing nuclear generating capacity will retire each year.  Under these assumptions, nuclear electricity consumption is projected to rise to 4,648 terawatt-hours (1,052 million metric tons of oil-equivalent) by 2050.

Hydro Electricity

According to BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2014, world consumption of hydroelectricity reached 3,782 terawatt-hours (856 million metric tons of oil-equivalent) in 2013, 2.9 percent higher than world consumption of hydroelectricity in 2012.  In 2013, hydroelectricity accounted for 6.7 percent of the world primary energy consumption.

Figure 17 shows hydroelectricity consumption by the world’s five largest consumers of hydroelectricity from 1965 to 2013.

photo Hydro062114-1_zps02929bac.jpgFrom 2000 to 2013, the average annual growth of world hydroelectricity consumption was about 90 terawatt-hours (20 million metric tons of oil-equivalent).  I assume that world hydroelectricity consumption will rise to 880 million metric tons of oil-equivalent in 2014 and will keep growing by 20 million metric tons of oil-equivalent each year from 2015 to 2050.
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