Sustainable Electric Power System Based on Solar Energy

This chapter analyses the possibility of implementation of Sustainable Electric Power System (SEPS) as a totally green strategy of electric energy production for the world by the year 2040. The analysis presented in the paper is based on the EREC strategy which foresees the share of 82% of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The problem of implementation of this strategy is that the more significant RES (Sun and wind) are characterized by intermittence of input energy, for which reason they cannot provide continuous and reliable supply of energy to consumers without electric storage. The solution to this problem and to creating conditions for achieving SEPS is an innovative concept of Solar Hydro Electric (SHE) power plant which is a basically combined photovoltaic power plant and pump storage which can produce and store relatively large quantities of energy and provide continuous supply of electric power and energy to consumers. In this way SHE is put into equal position with power plants using conventional power fuels, and because of that, SHE is presented in this paper as the main building element of the future SEPS. The conducted analysis and results clearly point not only to the reality, but the necessity for SEPS and to the exceptionally big achievements which the PV generator use will reach in the future. The proposed strategy of SEPS development could significantly contribute to realization of sustainability objectives, particularly to reduction of the problem of global warming.

Keywords: Sustainable development, sustainable energy supply, intermittent energy management, green energy, energy policy, renewable energy sources, solar energy, photovoltaics, solar power, hydroelectric power, PV generator, hydro energy, water storage, energy storage, hybrid energy systems, solar hydroelectric power plant.