Solar power cannot contribute above 5% during peak season in S. Korea, data shows

[Photo by Kim Ho-young]

Photovoltaic power contributed less than 5 percent to energy supply in South Korea during the summer peak of July and August despite heavy investment in solar power for renewable and carbon reduction campaign under the government.

The South Korean government in August claimed solar power was behind 11.1 percent of electricity supplied to the country during peak hours from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in July.

But according to data obtained by People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Young-seok from the Korea Power Exchange (KPX), solar panels generated 5 percent of electricity used in July and 4.4 percent in August. They contributed 2.7 percent and 4.3 percent in winter season of January and February. The figure included the so-called ‘hidden’ solar power from Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO)’s power purchase agreements (PPA) and private PV power generation.

The government began including unofficially traded solar power in August amid criticism that solar contributes a mere 1.7 percent in total electricity generation at peak times from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and cannot be relied for reliable replacement for coal and nuclear fueled generation.

The data found that solar power contribution increased to 5.2 percent in March and around 6 percent in April to June before falling in July. Solar panels fail to generate enough power when electricity demand increases during the summer or winter as its output hinges of volatile climate.

Solar power generation reached the highest at 94.6GWh in April and the lowest at 46.4GWh in January.

The intermittency is one of the problems of renewable energy sources as they cannot always provide constant energy throughout the day. Indeed, solar energy contribution fluctuated between the lowest 1.4 percent on Aug.23 and the highest 6.5 percent on July 1 and Aug.15.

Experts point out that it is difficult to increase the share of solar power in total electricity generation without reliable energy storage system (ESS) technology.

According to the government’s ‘2050 net-zero’ scenario, it aims to completely end coal-fired power generation by 2050 although it represents more than 35 percent of the country’s total power generation. It also plans to roll back on nuclear energy by three quarters, while increasing the share of renewable energy to 60.9 percent to 70.8 percent.

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