Solar Energy Technologies and Stabilizing Atmospheric CO_2 Concentrations

摘要

In this analysis, we explore the role of solar energy,specifically utlity-scale photovoltaic (PV) technology, in supplyingthe world's growing demand for energy while limiting the impactof climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Wepresent a range of cost paths for the technology and examine therole of solar energy in the global energy system under these pathsand a reference scenario. We also assess the impacts of these costpaths on the role of solar power under carbon constraint scenariosdesigned to stabilize the concentration of atmospheric carbondioxide over the next century. Our analysis shows that solar energycan play a significant role in the future global energy system, andthat the benefit of the solar energy option increases as thelimitation on carbon emissions becomes more stringent. But,lowering the cost of power production to the point at which solaris competitive with other options is critical if solar power is tobecome a core generation technology. Aggressively lowering thecost of solar energy in the next few decades will ensure that solarenergy technologies are a prominent part of any global energysystem, so the potential value of research in solar energy is great.