Can a solar-wind system meet future energy demands?

Accelerating energy transition towards renewables is central to net-zero emissions. However, building a global power system dominated by solar and wind energy presents immense challenges. Here, we demonstrate the potential of a globally interconnected solar-wind system to meet future electricity demands.

Are solar and wind resources interconnected?

Theoretically, the potential of solar and wind resources on Earth vastly surpasses human demand 33, 34. In our pursuit of a globally interconnected solar-wind system, we have focused solely on the potentials that are exploitable, accessible, and interconnectable (see “Methods”).

How much electricity can a solar-wind power plant generate?

Our estimates suggest that the total electricity generation from global interconnectable solar-wind potential could reach a staggering level of [237.33 ± 1.95] × 10³ TWh/year (mean ± standard deviation; the standard deviation is due to climatic fluctuations).

What happens if solar-wind generation exceeds net power demand?

When solar-wind generation within a grid exceeds its net power demand (i.e., total demand minus baseload), surplus power is first transferred to interconnected grids experiencing shortages, with the remaining surplus stored until capacity is reached. Any surplus beyond storage capacity is curtailed.

Where do grid-boxes contain solar and wind resources?

In densely populated regions such as western Europe, India, eastern China, and western United States, most grid-boxes contain solar and wind resources apt for interconnection (Supplementary Fig. S1). Nevertheless, these regions exhibit modest power generation potential, typically not exceeding 1.0 TWh/year (Fig. 1a).

What if a solar generation hub fails?

Failures at generation hubs like northern America, southern America, and Australia, or demand centers like eastern Asia, southern Asia, and southeastern Asia would sharply increase global solar-wind curtailment and reduce penetration (Fig. 4d).