Written Research
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Dunkelflaute: how big do the batteries need to be?
How big would the batteries need to be, to ride through the biggest dunkelflautes that occur each year, in renewable-heavy grids? This 8-page report has gathered data for Spain, the UK and California. 30 GWH of storage per GW of renewables would help ride through wind-driven dunkelflautes. But shutting thermal generation still seems unfeasible. Thus…
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Renewable-heavy grids: total system costs?
Renewables can have similar LCOEs as conventional generation sources. Yet ramping renewables to c50% of a developed world power grid inflates total system costs by at least 50%. This is because renewables require back-ups, additional T&D and power electronics. This 16-page report aims to quantify the total system costs of renewable-heavy grids, and their implications.
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Solid state transformers: the architect’s dream?
Solid-state transformers are a beautiful re-imagining of power distribution sub-stations. They could become economically appealing around 2030, especially in renewable- and AI-heavy grids. This 15-page report explores SST technology, quantifying costs, efficiency, challenges and implications (in grids, and for MOSFET/SiC demand).
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Power price volatility: where are the opportunities?
Does real-world power price volatility follow a regular daily pattern (suited to batteries), incur periodic and protracted price spikes (suited to gas back-ups), or fluctuate somewhat randomly in real time (suited to DSR, batteries and gas generation?). To answer this question, we have attributed 2024 power price volatility, in the wind-heavy UK grid (9-pages) and…
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New energies deflation: myths and legends?
How much of the market’s current disenchantment with new energies can be attributed to persistently high costs, which failed to deflate as much as hoped? This 15-page report reviews the evidence. Cost trajectories have varied. CCS and hydrogen cost more than initially advertised. Wind costs recently re-inflated. Yet, solar, electronics and lithium ion batteries remain…
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Data center energy: caps lock?
Everybody knows “AI data centers use round-the-clock power”. Yet one of the biggest power challenges for AI data data centers is precisely that they do not use round-the-clock power. They incur large load transients that cannot be handled by batteries, power grids or most generation. This 15-page report explores data center load profiles, which may…
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Energy transition: a new era? (driven by AI)
Energy transition remains among the most important and exciting topics in the world. But it is now less driven by Net Zero ambitions, and more so by digital and AI technologies. These offer world-changing possibilities; re-accelerating GDP, returns on capital, and commodities. This 13-page report captures our latest outlook on energy transition, and the opportunities…
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Gas generation: what kind of bear is best?
This 20-page report compares combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs), heavy-duty gas turbines, aeroderivative gas turbines, reciprocating engines and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), on ten dimensions. No one gas generation technology is best. But modular solutions may increasingly rival CCGTs, especially for energizing AI data-centers?
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Wicked smart: what if AI re-shaped the power grid?
What if AI re-shaped the power grid? This 16-page report sees potential to halve levelized T&D costs; de-bottleneck 4.5% pa of global electricity demand growth; and shift over $100bn pa of spending away from high-voltage capital goods to low-voltage smart devices and networking equipment.
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Sustainable aviation fuel: flight path?
As things stand, we argue Europe will be forced to scale back its SAF targets, due to Sustainable Aviation Fuel costs and land constraints. However, our 17-page report asks what could improve the outlook. Specifically, what yields, costs and other properties would we need to see from an oil crop to get excited about unlocking…
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