Photovoltaics in Spanish deserts: Evaluation of the technology potential and costs

Abstract

The potential of large photovoltaic (PV) plants,particularly of those based on concentrator systems, is reallyhigh. In Spain, where 18% of land is affected by severedesertification, this technology could significantly contribute tothe total electric demand in just a few years. The availability oflarge stretches of abandoned lands with a very high level ofirradiation, the technological progress in concentrator systemsand the cost reduction in pV technology caused by experiencein production are the main reasons for this great potential. In this work, 3 technical scenarios are considered in order toevaluate the capacity of very large py plants for masselectricity production. For every scenario, the power to install,the land surface needed and the cost reduction expected withlarge pV plants are calculated. A proposal for a selectedscenario is also included. Both conventional flat panel andconcentrator systems are considered in this analysis. The results show that, with concentrator PV systems, the wholeelectricity demand in Spain could be provided using less than 3% of the total surface of arid lands in the country. The price ofthe systems could be significantly lower than that ofconventional flat panel installations, lower than 0.5 e/W forcumulative power of 10 GW.