Solar Thermal Power as the Plausible Basis of Grid Supply

The energy system must be producing close to zero emissions by mid-century to meet stringent climate goals. There are many possible clean energy options, but few are ready or able to replace coal and gas as primary electricity supplies. This paper addresses the issue of whether a viable energy system can be based mostly around solar thermal electricity. It is found that, using thermal storage, correlations >90% between hourly grid load data and hourly solar plant performance are easily attained, aggregated as seasonal and annual loads. We also discuss the ability of low cost solar thermal electricity with storage to assist other renewable energy technologies with useful seasonal correlations. The results suggest that both state and national US systems can be largely supplied by direct solar thermal electric systems which are close to market-ready.