In order to meet a 2°C target scenario, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Energy Technology Perspectives (ETP) 2015 predicts that the electricity sector must be composed of more than 60% renewable energy sources in the global energy mix by 2050. To better describe the costs and implications of increasing use of renewable energy sources, the potentials for solar photovoltaics (PV), solarthermal electricity (STE) and wind (onshore and offshore) must be better characterised with respect to their spatial and temporal distribution, proximity to cities and other demand hotspots, viability of transmission pathways, and relative access to high-quality wind speed or insolation.
Estimated renewable potentials were based on geospatial data sets – firstly meteorological and insolation resources, and secondly urban density data sets to characterise the location of the main electricity demand centres. The analysis is crucial underpinning information for studies seeking to understand the potential for and costs of renewable energy systems.
Jonathan is a PhD student within the Grantham Institute’s NERC Doctoral Training Partnership and his research interests have taken him to the International Energy Agency to conclude studies on renewable energy potentials for the Energy Technology Perspectives flagship publication.
Jonathan began his PhD in 2014 at Imperial College London and his research scope is the modeling of energy systems with a particular emphasis on modeling methods for transitions to low carbon energy systems. His research will focus on taking the UK energy system as a case study.
Jonathan has an MEng in mechanical engineering and spent the early part of his career in fundamental science designing structural components and instrumentation for the LHC particle accelerator at CERN.