Antarctica hosts numerous research stations, all of which are powered by diesel-generated energy. But that’s for now. A new study claims that a hybrid renewable system can bring down diesel consumption at the South Pole by 95 percent. This system will produce energy using solar panels, wind turbines, and Li-ion batteries.

The study authors conducted an in-depth analysis to check the feasibility and impact of their proposed renewable energy system. The analysis suggested that once operational, their system can reduce annual carbon emissions by 1,210 metric tons. This is equal to the carbon footprint of 157 U.S. households.

However, a major problem with many renewable energy solutions is that they look great on paper, but aren’t economically viable. This isn’t the case here as the researchers have also provided a return on investment estimate for their system. 

“The cost of buying and installing the renewable energy system would be around 9.7 million U.S. dollars, However, after this initial investment, the reduced diesel usage will lead to a net savings of 57 million United States dollars over 15 years, with a time to payback of approximately two years,” Amy Bender, one of the study authors and a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory, told ZME Science.

Just solar and wind aren’t enough

The overall power used at the South Pole research stations is low compared to other places in the world. However, since the South Pole region is so remote, transporting supplies such as diesel there is quite challenging and expensive. 

Energy from renewable resources such as solar and wind can reduce how much fuel is needed and, of course, can avoid the carbon emissions released by diesel generators. But a system involving only solar panels or wind turbines, or even both, won’t be enough to meet the power demands of the research stations at the South Pole.  

“The South Pole is especially unique because the sun is either always above the horizon or always below. So there is only one sunrise and sunset each year which means in the summer the sun is always up and can be providing power, but in the winter, there is no sunlight but darkness for 24 hours. So solar panels won’t generate any power,” Amy said.

Wind energy is available throughout the year, but the power supply from wind turbines is also not constant, so you can’t entirely depend on them. This is where the proposed hybrid system can make a difference.

A hybrid system is best suited for the South Pole

The hybrid renewable energy system will utilize solar panels, wind turbines, Li-ion batteries, and long-distance energy storage applications to power the South Pole throughout the year. The idea is that during the ‘austral’ summer (the Southern hemisphere summer) the solar panels would collect solar radiation and then generate power. 

Then there are the wind turbines, which generate power based on the speed of the wind at any given time. They would generate most of their power in the winter. However, as mentioned earlier, the wind speed can vary up and down, as can the solar energy generated during the summer.  

“So for periods when there isn’t enough sun or wind, we have the Li-ion batteries. They will charge up from solar panels and wind turbines and then provide power when these resources won’t be generating enough power,” Amy told ZME Science.  

However, every once in a while, the batteries may also use up all their stored energy, and in those times, the power would be provided by a diesel generator. This is why the study mentions that the system can reduce diesel consumption by 95 percent as five percent of diesel will still be required when renewable energy is insufficient.

According to the study authors, when operational, the hybrid system would produce 170kW of power all day year-round. This is sufficient to meet the daily power needs of nearly 140 households in the US.   

The transition from diesel to renewables will take time

Amy claims that their study marks the first step towards improving the carbon footprint at the South Pole. She suggests that decarbonizing this one extreme and remote region will help us preserve the pristine Antarctic environment. 

“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 said.

This will also encourage the adoption of renewable energy in other parts of the world where it is comparatively easier to set up such hybrid systems. 

However, the researchers can’t replace diesel with renewable energy at the South Pole immediately. They still need to figure out things like what kind of wind turbines can withstand and generate maximum power there in extreme winter, and how they will protect their system from large snow buildups formed as a result of drifting snow.

“It would be a few years before we would do a large implementation of renewable energy technology at the South Pole.  In general, plans for work at the South Pole are made years in advance, but we also will want that time to fully develop a design, address the engineering challenges (including the two above), and do some small-scale demonstrations,” Amy said.

The study is published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.