The Arithmetic of Decarburization - Part 5: The Physical Ceiling: Assessing the Limits of Local Renewable Resources
·742 words·4 mins
The Resource Question # We’ve established that decarbonizing Austria requires roughly 166 TWh of carbon-free electricity. But how much renewable energy can Austria actually produce within its borders?
This question requires careful analysis. There are many ways to define “potential”:
Theoretical potential: How much energy is physically available (e.g., total solar radiation) Technical potential: What fraction can be captured with current technology Economic potential: What can be deployed cost-effectively Reduced Technical Potential (RTP): What can realistically be built given all constraints