Carbon Footprint Reduction in Energy Sector with Higher Penetration of Renewable Energy Resources

Abstract

Energy sector is a big source of carbon emissions. Traditionally, it is built, almost entirely, on fossil fuels with the exception of hydro and nuclear power plants. In line with the global mobilization toward tackling global warming by reducing carbon emissions, energy sector is trying to transition its generation portfolio to clean and sustainable energy sources. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and wave provide energy without carbon emissions and provide a good alternative to traditional fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas. Another opportunity lies at the intersection of energy with transportation sector, another big contributor to carbon emissions. When electrified with renewables, transportation sector can both reduce its carbon emissions and provide support to electrical grid via novel solutions such as smart charging. However, these benefits come at a price. Non-dispatchable nature of renewable energy sources and their low inertia create operational and planning issues that make it hard to ensure demand is always met and the system operates in a healthy way. This chapter covers how renewable penetration can be increased while mitigating these issues with novel solutions. These include novel optimization ideas based on nature and new devices such as smart inverters.