How Firm Is Firm Enough? PV+BESS as a Fast-Deployment Option for Clean Firm Power and Data Center Energy
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The problem of supplying energy to data centers has become a major challenge for energy system planning with impacts throughout the energy sector, from gas turbine supply to retail electricity prices. In previous work [1], we described a GW-scale grid-connected project currently under development in Abu Dhabi, UAE intended to provide baseload power suitable for AI hyperscalers or other large loads using a PV+BESS system designed for 24-hour operation, dubbed the “Round the Clock” solar project [2]. Here, we will consider whether this project can provide a model for powering future data centers or other large loads by looking at the interaction between the load, the generation asset and the broader energy system. We will address the critical question of what it means for a renewable generation resource to be “firm” at a time when renewable developers are under pressure to prove that their systems are adequate for meeting baseload energy demand. We consider the economics of building truly firm and “near-firm” PV+BESS systems for baseload power, and particularly explore the option of using the electricity grid itself as a backup for the PV+BESS system, leveraging the unutilized capacity or “headroom” on the grid to supply power during low-sun periods when the BESS is discharged.
Source: EU PVSEC
Language: English
Subfield: Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223694349