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Title: Land Availability, Utilization, and Intensification for a Solar Powered Economy
Solar energy, though promising as the energy source for a fossil fuel-deprived future, is a dilute resource and harvesting it requires vast tracts of land. In this study, we develop an extensive process system model for land requirement analysis in each of the 48 contiguous states of the United States for a solar powered economy to address the likely land competition. Land requirement analysis in this study takes into account several issues that are usually ignored. Efficiencies of major energy conversion steps from primary energy to end use are accounted and intermittent solar availability, actual solar farm output and land availability are all considered. In addition, we prefer local photons for local use for consideration of minimizing transmission loss and energy security. Under this preferred scenario, our land requirement analysis shows that 16 of the 48 contiguous states have insufficient available land and that the land competition for energy and food will be intense. Thus, in a solar economy, land use intensification will be required to avoid conflict between our competing land use needs.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1735282
PAR ID:
10073271
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Computer-aided chemical engineering
Volume:
44
ISSN:
1570-7946
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1915-1920
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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