Volume 2 Issue 2: December 2023

Solar PV and wind energy conversion are now so economical that they compete head-on with all forms of fossil fuel and nuclear energy conversion. In view of climate change and the rising price of electricity due to wars, all governments are also facing popular policy pressures to rapidly switch to renewable energy. In this article, broad research questions are raised, and an attempt is made to provide answers in a logical manner. The questions may be categorized as being those related to the validation of fundamental data needed for the design of renewable energy (RE) systems, the long-term measured performance of those systems and the cost of RE electricity. Interest rates are rising rapidly in the current economic situation, and therefore, the present analysis is based on concurrent rates that are payable by borrowers. Measured data from a medium-sized solar PV and wind turbine facility that has been in operation for over a decade in Central Scotland has been used for this work. The main objectives of this article are: (a) to evaluate the manufacturer’s acclaimed performance, (b) to evaluate capacity factors for PV and wind conversion, and complementarily of solar and PV resources, and (c) to obtain the cost of electricity generation of PV and wind. The primary source for undertaking the above exercise was a decade long, measured dataset from an agricultural farm located in Central Scotland. Commercial PV design software was also used to cross check the presently undertaken analysis. The main conclusion was that a community-based wind/solar plant is much more economical than grid- purchased electricity. The novelty of the present work is that all conclusions that were drawn are based on long datasets of measured wind/solar plants.

To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Australia must decarbonise the energy sector and other sectors. The 'energy transition' is driven by policy-led construction of renewable infrastructure and regulation changes. However, no holistic analysis of the path forward currently exists. This research aims to develop a clear plan for Victoria's energy transition by evaluating three scenarios. A Business as Usual (BAU) scenario is compared against two alternative solutions. The alternates emulate two of Victoria's possible trajectories. Alternative 1 (ALT1) focuses on Victoria's reliance on imported interstate renewable energy, while Alternative 2 (ALT2) involves Victoria becoming self-sufficient through renewable generation. Each of the three scenarios is compared across four bottom lines: technical performance, social, economic, and environmental. Interviews among energy experts revealed that economic and social metrics were considered most important. Applying the n-bottom line (nBL) assessment framework delivers a result that finds ALT2 and ALT1 tied as the preferred solution. Hence, the construction of renewable infrastructure in Victoria and increased interstate transmission capacity should be built. Further research could include a deeper understanding of the embodied carbon in infrastructure built for the energy transition.