Energy Storage and Solar for New Peaking Capacity in North Carolina
Abstract
Solar power paired with battery energy storage is increasingly presented as an alternative
to traditional natural gas
combustion turbine technology for providing power during times of very high demand.
This analysis uses hourly
simulation of the Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) electric system to compare the performance
and cost of solar plus storage and new simple cycle gas turbine (SCGT) technology.
The results show solar plus four-hour battery storage and SGCT perform similarly in
addressing the peaking capacity needs of the system. Solar plus four-hour battery
storage results in system-wide production cost savings compared to SGCT, but this
savings is limited by the SGCT's greater displacement of older, more expensive peaking
units and is outweighed in the short-term by higher fixed costs. However, If renewable
technology improvements and cost reductions follow historical trends it is possible
that new SCGT plants in the DEC system will not maintain high capacity factors and
could be economically displaced well before the end of their lifetimes. Utility planners
should weigh these risks carefully before committing to a peaking technology choice.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/18463Citation
Copple, Daniel (2019). Energy Storage and Solar for New Peaking Capacity in North Carolina. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/18463.Collections
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