Extended Data Fig. 4: Energy utilization cost as a function of percent utilization when combining solar and wind.
The categories are (a) locations with the best solar and wind (lowest 15% of LCOA for each), (b) locations with the best solar (lowest 10% of LCOA) and average wind (45th–55th percentile of LCOA), (c) locations with the best wind and average solar and (d) locations with average solar and wind (45th–55th percentile of LCOA for each). The results for 10 locations sampled in each category are averaged. It is assumed that the ratio of solar to wind remains constant at each level of energy utilization, and this ratio is determined by the optimal ratio at the optimal level of curtailment.
