Student research opportunities
All-renewable electricity future
Project Code: CECS_955
This project is available at the following levels:
Honours, Summer Scholar
Please note that this project is only for undergraduate students.
Supervisor:
Professor Andrew BlakersOutline:
Most new electricity generation capacity in recent years has been wind and photovoltaics (PV). Demand for electricity has been falling since 2008. If this situation continues then Australia will achieve a renewable electricity system by default by about 2040, as existing fossil fuel power stations retire at the end of their service lives and are replaced with renewables.
Scenario
• The currently-declining consumption of electricity stabilises at 2013 levels
• New capacity to replace retiring fossil fuel power stations at end of system life is exclusively wind and solar i.e. no new gas or coal plant.
• Existing fossil fuel power stations retire at the end of their service lives and are replaced by renewables
• Existing hydro and other renewables is maintained but not increase
Goals of this project
Examine this scenario, including determining expected retirement dates of current power stations.
Draw conclusions about the likelihood of an all-renewables electricity system by natural attrition
