Diversity of options to eliminate fossil fuels and reach carbon neutrality across the entire European energy system.

ABSTRACT: Disagreements persist on how to design a self-sufficient, carbon-neutral European energy system. To explore the diversity of design options, we develop a high-resolution model of the entire European energy system and produce 441 technically feasible system designs that are within 10% of the optimal economic cost. We show that a wide range of systems based on renewable energy are feasible, with no need to import energy from outside Europe. Model solutions reveal considerable flexibility in the choice and geographical distribution of new infrastructure across the continent. Balanced renewable energy supply can be achieved either with or without mechanisms such as biofuel use, curtailment, and expansion of the electricity network. Trade-offs emerge once specific preferences are imposed. Low b

SUBMITTER: Pickering B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9220955 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature