A recent analysis shows that renewable energy could be a viable alternative to diesel fuel for science at the South Pole. The analysis deeply explores the feasibility of replacing part of the energy production at the South Pole with renewable sources.
For almost as long as humans have spent time in Antarctica, the continent has been a home for science. One of the research outposts located there is the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. The science done there includes studies of climate change and cosmology.
Currently, this site exclusively uses nonrenewable energy sources, specifically diesel fuel, to power the instruments and provide warmth for staff. A recent analysis by scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that renewable energy could be a viable alternative. Their analysis, published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, explores the feasibility of replacing part of the energy production at the South Pole with renewable sources.
“All of the energy at the South Pole currently is generated by diesel fuel and a generator,” said Amy Bender, a physicist in Argonne’s High Energy Physics division. “We were asking if it is possible to transition to renewables. This study is the beginning of trying to make that case.” Bender, who has spent time working at the South Pole, is the paper’s corresponding author. The analysis illustrates the first steps for how renewable energy sources could be implemented at the South Pole, as well as details of what energy could be generated by these sources and the potential carbon savings that this program could enable.
To begin with, according to Ralph Muehleisen, chief building scientist and group manager for Buildings & Industrial Technologies at Argonne, the team wanted to know if using solar energy sources during the austral summer (November-February) would be feasible as a means of substantially reducing diesel fuel usage at the South Pole. “Just having diesel as a backup during the summer, you could reduce the carbon footprint,” says Muehleisen. “Even if we aren’t eliminating the use of diesel completely, being able to avoid having to buy that diesel fuel for the summer cuts back on its use significantly.”
“All of the energy at the South Pole currently is generated by diesel fuel and a generator. We were asking if it is possible to transition to renewables. This study is the beginning of trying to make that case.” — Amy Bender, Argonne High Energy Physics division
Sue Babinec, the program lead for stationary storage at Argonne, described the team’s focus on the type of energy storage required to make the project possible. She pointed out that renewable energy needs different energy storage than everyday battery applications such as transportation or consumer electronics. Demands specific to the South Pole make the differences even more stark. “The types of batteries that you need for power with renewable energy don’t just have to last for years, they have to provide energy for a very long period of time,” she said. “We did a detailed analysis of what type of battery works best…
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