The impact of location on competitiveness of wind and PV electricity generation - Case study for Austria

The generation potential of renewable energy sources and their time profile of production depends on geographic characteristics. Furthermore, the integration of renewable energy technologies into the energy system is constrained by existing distribution infrastructure. The paper does a preliminary assessment on how the availability of spatially and temporally highly resolved data on resource potentials may affect the projections on the development of wind and photovoltaic electricity generation in Austria, using the technology bottom-up JRC EU TIMES optimization model. In particular, we assess the differences in costs and CO₂ emissions between a spatially disaggregated and an aggregated approach. Results show that disaggregating RES locations significantly affects results especially for wind leading to higher electricity generation from wind and reduced electricity trade with other countries.