Challenges in the Development of Renewable Energy in South Korea

Executive Summary 

This paper concerns the current technologies in green energy production. While there are numerous options available for review, the author chose solar and wind energy as alternatives to the production of energy in South Korea. The core of this paper is to establish the current challenges to a full adoption of the two forms of energy. In doing so, the author reviews literature reporting the potential for using the two technologies, the status of adoption, and the factors that could possibly affect the universal adoption of the technologies. The paper finds that while the nation has made genuine attempts at making solar and wind power energy the primary sources of energy for South Korea, it is yet to achieve full adoption. The steps, as the essay finds, means that the country might fail to realize its goal for green energy adoption, which is one of the commitments of South Korea because of its desire to lower its Carbon (IV) oxide emissions from fossil fuel, especially coal. The paper also notes specific challenges that would adversely affect the production and widespread use of the two energy sources, including the initial costs, efficiency, supply of the resources, and environment, social, and health implications, especially when the components used reach the end of their lifecycles. Several recommendations are made in this paper, most of which point at the need to advance research and development in the field. 

Introduction 

Energy security is among the primary issues for industrial nations, including South Korea, which has ranked the 9 th largest consumer of energy the world over since 2016 (BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 2017). For instance, the national energy production of South Korea was 441.2TWh in December 2017 (Park et al., 2017). In this case, it is notable that energy security refers to an interrupted energy sources availability at affordable prices in the long term. The definition considers the involvement of timely investment in the supply of energy that will ensure the attainment of economic developments as well as environmental needs while focusing on the capacity of the extant energy systems to address sudden changes to the supply and demand of energy in the short term. A number of factors are considered in the process of guaranteeing energy security, and they include the production and demand of energy, the sources of energy, operational expenditures, and environmental issues. It is unfortunate, however, to note that close to 84% of the total energy supply in South Korea depends on non-renewable energy sources—gas, oil, and coal which makes up a significant proportion of the nation’s imports considering that the resources are not naturally found in the country (Lee & Kim, 2016). Figure 1 is a representation of the energy policies, strategies, and sources as of 2017. 

While the country has been doing well with the non-renewable energy sources, the government has been increasing its concern has been the need to reduce the operational expenditure and the environmental effects associated with the production of energy. The concerns are genuine, especially when it is understood that South Korea is the seventh biggest of Carbon (IV) oxide around the world. One of the most viable approaches to dealing with the concern is the adoption of renewable sources of electricity, especially since the country has renewable resources that could be applied in the pursuance of a sustainable strategy for the production of energy, which combines society, economy, environment, and energy (Park et al., 2017; Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). Furthermore, the nation’s rapid utilization of renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency coupled with the technological diversification that is currently experienced in the sources of energy has contributed a great deal to energy security and the associated economic advantages. Hitherto, the government of South Korea is currently seeking to raise the proportion of energy that comes from renewable sources from the current 6.5% to 11% by 2030 as spelled out in its Fourth Basic Plan for New and Renewable Energy (Maennel & Kim, 2018). The projected increase is anticipated to realize efficient national development while ensuring sustainability of green energy around the country. 

Figure 1: a summary of the sources of energy in South Korea. Adapted from Alsharif, Kim, and Kim (2018). 

The South Korean government is expected to devote an increased attention to the use of wind and solar energy that will play a critical role in meeting the energy demands as well as an increase in the attainment of climate-friendly environment eventually. The government has the vision of raising the contribution of wind farms and solar stations to the energy supply to 18.2% and 14.1% respectively of the entire national energy production by 2035 (Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). Consequently, the government envisions that wind and solar energy will continue to dominate the country in the coming decades. 

While the prospect for solar and wind energy is high, experts fear that the country is likely to miss its target even when its production is anticipated to triple towards the end of 2019 (The Annual Report Korea Energy Agency, 2017). As one would anticipate, issues abound the production of green energy in the country, which informs the objective of this research paper. Precisely, the author researches on the current and future challenges that impact the production of green energy in the country and proposed evidence-based strategies that could drive the country towards the realization of the full potential of the two sources of energy. Overall, the paper argues that with precise policy development around the adoption of clean energy, South Korea will realize better energy security that would further its industrial development ambitions. 

To attain the objectives of this paper, the essay is organized into four major sections within its body, as follows: 

Section 1—describes the potential for solar energy through comparing the average solar radiations experienced across the different geographies of the country 

Section 2—describes the potential for wind energy through comparing the average wind speeds across South Korea 

Section 3—highlights the current challenges in the adoption of solar and wind energy 

Section 4—provides the policy recommendations that are likely to push the country towards the realization of its green energy ambition by 2035 or before. 

Background 

Geographically, South Korea is located between latitude 35.9 o N and longitude 127.7 o E. literature reports that the nation has a temperate climate that has four distinct seasons with a significantly high abundance of wind and sunlight across most of its geographies (Park et al., 2017). Importantly, the mean daily solar radiation experienced by the country is approximated to be 4.01 kWh/m 2 . According to Alsharif, Kim, and Kim (2018), the solar radiation ranges between 5.48 kWh/m 2 in May and 2.56 kWh/m 2 in December, and the reported figures are considered to be higher than the rest of the countries that are located within the same latitudes (Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). Furthermore, the mean speed of wind that the country experiences is approximated to be 4.0 m/s, and it ranges between 4.6 m/s in March and 3.5 m/s in September. Much as the average speed of wine would be low, this speed could still generate a significant amount of energy during winter, especially when the windfarms are located on the southeastern and eastern coasts during the strong cold winds that reach speeds of up to 8.5 m/s (Maennel & Kim, 2018). Therefore, the given data indicates that South Korea has an immense capacity for utilizing the two renewable energy sources in the generation of green energy, and it endeavors for a continuation in research and development in the field. One of the major contributions of this study is to explore the two energy sources in terms of the existing potential and challenges. The specific recommendations that this essay gives, therefore, may be applied in consideration for others from the rest of the academic family to move the country towards the realization of its green energy ambition. 

Much as the potential for the production of green energy through wind and solar power, it is unfortunate that the country is yet to make significant steps that would transform the energy production in the future. The plan that informs the current policy on energy production is feared to fail in its short-run. The country, according to some sources, will probably miss its target for renewable energy by 2030 even when it may be realized that its potential for production will triple by the end of this year (Maennel & Kim, 2018). Currently, South Korea, which is the fourth largest economy across Asia, relies on non-renewable energy sources, especially coal and nuclear power. While the impact of using coal is mainly environmental—South Korea is one of the leading emitters of Carbon (IV) oxide around the world—the use of nuclear power could easily result in a disaster. Nuclear energy is mostly risky for human life considering that any accidents could possibly lead to massive loss of life. Therefore, the author’s interest in this topic is informed primarily on their cautious approach to environmental sustainability and the co-existence between humans and nature—the balance should be a self-sustaining unit for the present and future generations. The author hopes that the findings of this paper will contribute significantly towards making South Korea one of the leading countries in terms of green energy technologies. 

Section 1: Solar Energy 

The Potential for Solar Energy in South Korea 

The location of the country, as previously described, places it in a region that receives considerably enough levels of solar radiation. What is worth emphasizing is the fact that the reported monthly variations in the amount of solar radiation received attributed to the variation in the angle of the sun’s elevation relative to the earth (Baek, Kim, & Chang, 2015). The level of direct solar radiation during the winter season in the nation ranges between 330 and 590 MJ in the month of December, 390 and 590 for January, and 370-470 for February (Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). However, the wet seasons that occur in early summer lower the horizontal irradiance of the glove between June and July. Figure 2 summarizes the monthly mean daily solar radiation for the country. 

Figure 2: the mean daily solar radiation experienced in South Korea. Adapted from Alsharif, Kim, and Kim (2018). 

Importantly, it should be noted that the amount of solar radiation experienced in the country varies across the cities. Figure 3 summarizes the amount of solar radiation across the different cities. From figure 4, it is revealed that the southeastern coastal region, including the Island of Jeju receives a high average of 5kWh/m 2 . In contrast, however, the monthly average reduces to about 4.7 kWh/m 2 within the northwestern region around Seoul while the western coast, especially around Gochang has the lowest monthly average of 4.48 kWh/m 2 . 

The amount of solar radiation experienced around the country is found to be higher relative to other countries that are located on the same latitude. For instance, according to Baek, Kim, and Chang (2015), the yearly mean horizontal irradiation experienced in Jeonju, South Korea on longitude 127 0 E and 36 0 N is close to 4.01 kWh/m 2 compared to that of Tokyo, which is 3.64 kWh/m 2 , which is located on the same latitude, but on an average longitude of 139 0 E (Baek, Kim, & Chang, 2015). Furthermore, in December, South Korea has over 470 MJ in the east regions and Gyeongsang and a cumulative 470 distribution in most of the parts of the nation with the exception of the west coast of Jeolla, Dokdo, and Ullengdo in January (Kwon, 2017). Therefore, the climatic conditions of South Korea, when assessed according to the rate of solar radiation experienced, are considered to be ideal for the extension and utilization of photovoltaic systems owing to the high rates of solar radiation that the country receives all year round. 

Figure 3: the average daily amounts of solar radiation across the cities of South Korea. Adapted from Alsharif, Kim, and Kim (2018). 

The Status in the Adoption of Solar Energy and Prospects 

Solar energy is perceived as the most important source of green energy in South Korea, and the potential for the photovoltaic system installations across the country is increasing rapidly. The cumulative potential of the photovoltaic installations was 500 W by 2016, which was only 32.5% of the maximum potential of renewable and new energy in South Korea (Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). In 2015, the proportion of photovoltaic installations and increase in the percentage of installations has continued rising over the recent years. The photovoltaic systems that are installed are grouped into two according to their purposes. In this case, it should be understood that a solar power plant is meant for commercial benefits while the rest are meant for private use. In 2016, the commercial photovoltaic systems in the country had a cumulative capacity of 4450 MW while those for private usage were only 551 MW (Lee & Kim, 2016). Furthermore, the country has a generating capacity of 5.7 GW from solar energy and 1.2 GW from wind energy. Furthermore the nation’s government hopes to raise the contribution of solar energy to 37 GW and that of wind power to 16.5 GW in the next ten years (Kwon, 2017). The potential for solar power can only be achieved through effective planning. 

In the recent years, the South Korean government constructed the largest solar power plant at Haenam, which is located in South Jeolla Province. According to Kwon (2017), the plant has a capacity of generating close to 57 MW that would produce enough electricity to be distributed to over 20,000 families. In addition, it is anticipated that the country will complete the construction of the largest floating solar air plant by 2020, the latter study still reports. When complete, the power plant will be able to generate up to 100 MW of energy, which will be sufficient to supply electricity to an approximated 140,000 households. 

The South Korean government has also created detailed and basic plans of actions for the technical generation and supply expansion of green energy, which will gradually ease the use of fossil fuel and coal. The plan hopes to expand the proportion of renewable energy used in the country to 11% going to 2030 (Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). In addition, the wind and solar energy produced by the country will be considered as the most critical source energy sources for reducing the contributing negative effects of waster energy from radioactive material. Accordingly, it is projected that the use of renewable energy will cut down the proportion of waste energy to about 29.2%, which will be down from the reported 67.0% in 2014. 

Section 2: Wind Power 

Literature reports that South Korea declared to the international community that it had a plan to cut down its rate of greenhouse gas emission by 2020 through deploying green energy systems. This section of the paper describes the feasibility and opportunities of wind energy. 

Potential and Opportunities of Wind Power 

Wind is another form of free and renewable source of energy, which could be converted to electricity. Data on the speeds of wind obtained from the National Institute of Meteorological Science and the KMA, the yearly mean speed of wind in South Korea is approximately 4.0 m/s and it varies between 4.6 m/s and 3.5 m/s in March and September respectively (Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). The speed of wind reduces considerably in summer compared to that in winter. Notably, the variations in the speed of wind are associated with the changes in atmospheric pressure and the direction of the winds in the country. Figure 4 depicts the trend in the direction of monsoon winds in the nation in summer and winter. Notably, the pressure over the North Pacific Ocean is directed toward the south of the country in summer, and it affects each region of the country. The reported condition, therefore, directs wind during this season southwest or southeast. In contrast, however, the primary direction of wind during winter in most areas is northeast, and the wind appears in some regions of the southern and southwestern coasts of the Gyeongnam. At the same time, southwestern winds are also experienced within the Gangwon Province. Notably, this wind distribution is a reflection of the northwestern system of winds that is influenced by the high pressure in the Siberian Peninsula during winter. 

The change in the direction of wind as seasons change is one of the challenges of utilizing wind energy in the country. Nevertheless, the speed of the winds varies significantly per province. Notably, most of the inland regions have low speeds of wind (less than 5.0 m/s) even though speeds of as high as 7.5 m/s can be witnessed in the mountainous sections surrounding the nearby east coast, including Mt. Deogyu, Mt. Taebaek, Mt. Odaesan, and Mt. Seorak. Other affected regions include Jeju Island and the southeastern coast that are found below the peninsula. For the offshore winds, it is reported that speeds of between 6.5 and 7.0 m/s can be witnessed in the western coasts of regions, such as Gangwon-do while high speeds of up to 7.5 m/s are reported in the south. Furthermore, the mean top speed of wind during winter, 8.5 m/s is experienced in the Gangwon Province, the east coast of Gyeongnam, Jeju Island in December. Conversely, strong winds that reach speeds of up to 8.5 m/s are experienced along the east coasts of Uljin and Pohang, and along the southwest of Mokpo and Jeju Island (Kwon, 2017; Alsharif, Kim, & Kim, 2018). The mountainous sections of the Gangwon-do also experience winds with speeds of over 8.5 m/s as do areas along the east coast of the Gyeongnam Province, southwestern South Jeonnam, and Jeju Island. 

Figure 4: the mean monthly speed of wind in South Korea, Adapted from Alsharif, Kim, and Kim (2018). 

Figure 5 (a) the direction of wind in summer over North Korea. Adapted from Kwon (2017). 

Figure 5 (b) the direction of wind in South Korea during the winter. Adapted from Kwon (2017). 

Figure 6: the average speeds of wind over South Korea. Adapted from (Kwon, 2017). 

The Status and Prospects for Wind Energy in South Korea 

Figure 7 indicates the cumulative wind energy production in South Korea over the past ten years. As the figure reveals, the production of this type of energy has been increasing annually, which is a reflection of the high levels of governmental interest in shifting towards the adoption of green energy solutions and deal with ecological and economic issues associated with fossil fuel in the coming years. Reviewed literature suggests that the cumulative production of wind power by the country was 1089 MW in 2016 which was produced from 345 units and 51 installed sites. The figure is an increase from the 2015 figure of only 869 MW (20.20%) (Lee & Kim, 2016). The biggest cumulative wind energy that was produced in Gangwon (189140 kW from 113 units and 11 installed sites) and the least came from a single site and unit in the wind farm at Busan. Additionally, the cumulative wind energy that was created from the wind farms in Jeju was 128150 kW, which figure 7 summarizes. 

Figure 7: cumulative wind power production in North Korea between 2007 and 2016. Adapted from Kwon (2017). 

A significant number of the wind farms in South Korea are located in Jeju Island and the Gangwon Province because of the strong winds that are experienced in winter, such as the 9 m/s, which are witnessed along the east coast of the Gangwon Province and Jeju Island in December. In addition, winds of speeds more than 9 m/s are witnessed on the costs of Uljin and Pohang as well as Mokpo and Jeju Island. Importantly, literature reports that Jeju Island is a critical location in the southern end of the country that is planned to be home to a new wind farm because of the existing number of wind energy resources. According to Park et al. (2017), Jeju Island was the site for the first wind turbine that generated 250 kW for the national grid. Since then, more wind farms have been developed on the Island and elsewhere to meet the growing need of electricity around the country. Overall, the country has high potential for advancing its production of green energy through wind resources. 

Section 3: The Challenges Experienced 

Solar Energy 

Much as the preceding section has described the prospect for solar energy in detail, challenges abound a full adoption of solar power in South Korea. 

Cost Constraints 

Most people around the nation wish to use solar energy, especially for personal and residential reasons. Nevertheless, cost is one of the primary limitations for a universal adoption of this type of energy. The International Energy Agency suggests that a comparison of the costs involved in generating energy from different technologies depends on the levelized cost of energy methodology. The method is a representation of the per-unit value in the total cost of production, which is measured according to the maintenance fuel, operation, and capital (EIA, 2019). Figure 8 is a summary of the costs of producing energy from different production technologies at a discount of 3% from the figures proposed by the International Energy Agency. As the figure indicates, which the cost of producing solar energy is lower in the long term, it is evident that the initial production of this type of energy remains higher relative to the traditional technologies involved in the production of power (EIA, 2019). The primary reason for the high costs involved in the production of solar energy relates to the large differences in capital costs. Capital costs, as the latter literature reports, capital costs make over 80% of LCOE (formula applied previously in calculating cost of production) while it is only 60% for fossil fuels. Importantly, the cost of fuel is the primary component of most of the fossil fuel technologies, which is why comparing the costs involved in producing energy using the two sources is a biased approach. 

Figure 8: the cost of producing energy using different technologies. Adapted from Kwon (2017). 

Energy Source 

The availability of solar energy is unpredictable and discontinues, and it is only available during daytime. In addition, this type of energy is vulnerable to changes in weather patterns, including spontaneous onset of rain or clouds. The advantage, however, is the fact that competent long and short-term forecasting, coupled with careful analysis and planning, could be one of the ways that will help to reach an optimal solutions to identified issue. 

Technical Challenges 

It is reported that lightning strikes could damage the electronic components contained in the solar systems while diodes could easily malfunction in high humidity conditions. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the long distances between homes and residences could increase the costs of supplying the generated solar power. 

Social and Ecological Impacts 

When solar modules reach the end of their life cycle, which is usually between 20 and 30 years, health, environmental, and safety issues arise, especially because of the need to dispose the modules. The challenge is even higher when high amounts of such wastes need to be disposed since dumping them in one landfill could threaten human life and biodata. It is also feared that harmful chemicals could percolate into ground water where they could produce adverse effects on the lives of plants and animals that depend on such water resources. 

Performance Limitations 

Literature reports that solar panels are relatively inefficient, as low as between 4 and 12% for thin films and just below 22% for the crystalline panels. Furthermore, mold, snow, water spots, sap, moss, tree debris, dust, dirt, and other factors significant limit the performance of PV solar panels, which could reduce the overall efficiency further. 

Wind Energy 

As does solar energy, wind energy is limited by several factors, which explains why the country is yet to realize its full potential and to fulfil its objective for reduced environmental implications for using other sources of energy. Notably, the challenges described in the solar energy section also affect the production of wind energy. 

Cost Challenges 

The average cost of producing wind energy is comparatively higher than that of the conventional technologies owing to the factors that were described for the solar energy section. However, as reported previously, the cost effects of wind power in the long run is likely to cancel out the cost challenges that are reported in the extant studies. 

Scarcity of the Wind Resources 

One almost expects that wind resources are unpredictable and intermittent, which is why it is needful to couple resources for the production of wind energy with other sources, such as the public electrical grid. Proper planning could also be important in ensuring an undisrupted supply of power through this technology. 

Conclusion and Recommendations 

This essay has described the challenges, prospects, and opportunities for wind and solar energy in the nation of South Korea. The findings of this study may have positive implications for policy in the country, especially because it hints at the need to create strong policies through the comprehension of the overall perspective of adopting the two types of energy through considering the challenges, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths. In addition, this essay has established that the strengths and opportunities for wind and solar energy are stronger than their weaknesses and challenges. Consequently, the current literature strongly advocates for the adoption of the two types of energy in South Korea, especially when the following proposals are considered because they promise to deal with the report issues reported in this study. 

The southeastern coasts, especially Jeju Island and others, is one of the ideal locations for solar power plants because these regions have relatively higher rates of solar radiation relative to others. More feasibility studies should be conducted on the region to establish their suitability for the projects as well as determining which specific locations could work best for the project. 

The Mountainous regions of the Gangwon Province, Jeju Island, the east coast of Gyeongnam, the coast to the East of Uljin and Pohang, and the southwestern coast of South Jeonnam are ideal regions for the establishment of wind farms. However, governmental support is needed to support local manufacturers in establishing turbines and other inputs that would be applied in the production of wind energy in these regions according to the most suitable designs. 

The infrastructure involved in the transmission systems of the two types of power should be designed to meet specific considerations of increased transmission efficiencies. Research and development in this area will also be a viable method of solving the anticipated challenges to the inefficiencies in power transmission. 

Generally speaking, the market for renewable markets have experienced significant growth in the recent past, especially in South Korea owing to significant technological advancements and governmental policies that favor the adopt of green energy solutions. Nevertheless, while the markets have expanded, large scale commercial adoption of solar and wind power should be made one of the policy agendas going forward because it will stimulate large scale production of these two types of energy. 

Since most of the private residential and individual solar and wind power creators can produce surplus energy, the government should organize that they sell such excess productions to the national grid and eliminate the perception of power wastage. 

The prospect, reliability, and efficiency of the two types of solar energy depends on competent forecasting of whether patterns in the short and long runs, which is why it is recommended that government sponsors efficient research and development in this sector. 

References 

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