Abstract
Due to the increasing global importance of decarbonizing human activities, especially the production of electricity, the optimal deployment of renewable energy technologies will play a crucial role in future energy systems. To accomplish this, particular attention must be accorded to the geospatial and temporal distribution of variable renewable energy sources (VRES), such as wind and solar radiation, in order to match electricity supply and demand. This study presents a techno-economical assessment of four energy technologies in the hypothetical context of Mexico in 2050, namely: onshore and offshore wind turbines and open-field and rooftop photovoltaics. A land eligibility analysis incorporating physical, environmental, and sociopolitical eligibility constraints and individual turbine and photovoltaic park simulations, drawing on 39 years of climate data, is performed for individual sites across the country in an effort to determine the installable potential and the associated levelized costs of electricity. The results reveal that up to 54 PWh of renewable electricity can be produced at a levelized cost of electricity of less than 70 EUR·MWh−1. Around 91% (49 PWh) of this electricity would originate from 23 TW of open-field photovoltaic parks that could occupy up to 578,000 km2 of eligible land across the country. The remaining 9% (4.8 PWh) could be produced by 1.9 TW of onshore wind installations allocated to approximately 68,500 km2 of eligible land that is almost fully adjacent to three mountainous zones. The combination of rooftop photovoltaic and offshore wind turbines accounts for a very small share of less than 0.03% of the overall techno-economical potential.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilThe last decade has seen a significant increase in the contribution of renewable energy technologies to the reduction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions
Due to the recent progress in the field not being applied to Mexico and given the large methodological divergences in previous assessments, this study aims to assess the techno-economical potential in the entire Mexican territory (Approximately 2 million km2 of land and 3.2 million km2 of sea) of four variable renewable energy sources (VRES) technologies: onshore wind, offshore wind, open-field PV, and rooftop PV for the future 2050 context using a state-of-the-art approach with tailor-made geospatial considerations
The average electricity generation, full load hours (FLH), and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) were calculated, and the VRES techno-economic potential was obtained by curtailing electricity production with an LCOE over 70 EUR·MWh−1 that corresponds to historic average electricity costs in Mexico according to data reported by the National Electricity Control Authority [38]
Summary
The last decade has seen a significant increase in the contribution of renewable energy technologies to the reduction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Renewables account for around 34% of global installed power capacity [1], and investments in them have grown steadily by at least 10% per year over the last decade [2], spurred by cost reductions and technological improvements [3]. International commitments in the form of environmental policies and market integration mechanisms, such as those outlined in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement [4], underpin the trend towards increasing renewable power generation. In order to aid policy initiatives and the other decisionmaking processes necessary for an effective energy transition, the generation potential of renewable energy technologies must be assessed with consideration given to their intrinsic geospatial and temporal heterogeneity for optimizing their use. In order to aid policy initiatives and the other decisionmaking processes necessary for an effective energy transition, the generation potential of renewable energy technologies must be assessed with consideration given to their intrinsic geospatial and temporal heterogeneity for optimizing their use. iations.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
