Towards a solar-hydro based generation: The case of Switzerland

Switzerland has voted for a gradual nuclear phase-out, starting in 2019 with the decommissioning of a first nuclear reactor; however, there is still a debate about how the country will replace nuclear generation. Electricity markets are transitioning towards renewable sources such as hydro, wind and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy policy 2020-03, Vol.138, p.1-11, Article 111197
Main Authors: Martínez-Jaramillo, Juan Esteban, van Ackere, Ann, Larsen, Erik R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electricity
Energy policy
Feasibility
Markets
Nuclear reactors
Photovoltaics
Pumped hydro storage
Pumping
Reservoirs
Self-sufficiency
Storage
Supply & demand
Sustainability
Swiss electricity market
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Switzerland has voted for a gradual nuclear phase-out, starting in 2019 with the decommissioning of a first nuclear reactor; however, there is still a debate about how the country will replace nuclear generation. Electricity markets are transitioning towards renewable sources such as hydro, wind and solar. The latter two could produce a mismatch between demand and supply. Combining renewables with storage is one way to address this challenge. This paper analyzes the feasibility of 100% renewable generation in Switzerland. We consider hydro and PV generation, combined with pumped hydro storage, to address the timing problem between demand and PV generation. We explore several combinations of installed solar capacity, reservoir levels and pumping capacity. Our findings indicate that given current technological development, Switzerland would need to double its pumping capacity, increase solar generation capacity by a factor between 13 and 25, while increasing reservoir size up to 100% depending on the installed solar capacity. •The question: Can Switzerland be 100% self-reliant using only hydro-storage and PV.•Pump-storage allows storing excess PV generation in summer for use in winter.•Trade-off between PV capacity and reservoir size: non-linear relationship.•A limited reservoir size leads to significant curtailment of PV in summer.
ISSN:0301-4215
1873-6777
DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111197