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Potential effects of climate change and solar radiation modification on renewable energy resources

Journal Article · · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [3];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [3]
  1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  3. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  4. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
  5. Univ. at Buffalo, NY (United States)
  6. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  7. Univ. of Cape Town (South Africa)

Solar radiation modification (SRM) is a possible deliberate approach to decrease or reflect incoming solar radiation with the goal of reducing global temperatures, which have increased over the last decades due to high atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Stratospheric aerosol injection, specifically, has shown potential for successfully reducing global temperatures in climate model simulations. Despite the growing literature in the areas of climate change and SRM, their combined effects on renewable energy generation, a climate change mitigation strategy, have not been addressed. Here, in this review paper, we synthesize previous literature on the possible effects of climate change and SRM on renewable energy resources (i.e., wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, and hydropower), review the status of climate change and SRM research, and explore potential effects of SRM on renewable energy primarily in the Continental United States (CONUS), but with global perspectives as well. We discuss the research challenges and impacts of SRM on renewable energy and conclude by discussing the potential implications of SRM for renewables for SRM governance and policy. This work is not advocating for or against SRM. It is highlighting an important potential impact for future decision makers.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
2447788
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2507056
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5000-89555; MainId:90334; UUID:f3097d01-9812-43e6-8afa-fd1a23690231; MainAdminId:73497
Journal Information:
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Journal Name: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Vol. 207; ISSN 1364-0321
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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