• Energy Research
• AT close
• EU close
• Energy Policy close

Abstract Carbon emissions from the industrial sector represents nearly 21% of global carbon emissions. The chemical manufacturing industries are a major part of the industrial sector, which tends to be less included in battle against climate change. This paper analyses the impact of natural gas prices on carbon abetment costs while analysing IRR and payback period for different CO2 prices, using the linear optimisation model MESSAGE. We show that carbon capture and solar technology may provide the technology mix for deep carbon reduction targets by 2030. In addition, the volatility in natural gas prices was found to create an increase in the abatement costs by $20/Ton as the gas prices increase by $0.10/MMBTU. Furthermore, we find that the minimum carbon price needed is $27/Ton to make investments viable though at a long payback period, 9.5 years. Results show practical scenarios complemented with policy recommendation for energy transition in the chemical industry to achieve climate targets by 2030. This suggests that current commercial prices of carbon ($29/Ton in Europe) may be sufficient to pay off the costs required for carbon capture.

Abstract Techno-economic assessments confirm the potential of wind energy to contribute to a low carbon bioeconomy. The increasing diffusion of wind energy, however, has turned wind energy acceptance into a significant barrier with respect to the deployment of wind turbines. This article assesses whether, and at what cost, Austrian renewable energy targets can be met under different expansion scenarios considering the socio-political and market acceptance of wind energy. Land-use scenarios have been defined in a participatory modeling approach with stakeholders from various interest groups. We calculated the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for all of the potential wind turbine sites, which we used to generate wind energy supply curves. The results show that wind energy production could be expanded to 20% of the final end energy demand in three out of four scenarios. However, more restrictive criteria increase LCOE by up to 20%. In contrast to common views that see local opposition against wind projects as the main barrier for wind power expansion, our participatory modeling approach indicates that even on the level of key stakeholders, the future possible contribution of wind energy to Austrian renewable energy targets reaches from almost no further expansion to very high shares of wind energy.

Demand response (DR) programs are increasingly discussed as policy options to facilitate an efficient energy transition. More recently, quota schemes, a novel type of incentive-based DR program that aims to restrict electricity consumption of some household appliances at certain times, have received considerable attention as a tool for preventing local grid congestion. However, little is known about the preferences of household consumers regarding the design of DR programs in general and quota schemes in particular. We examined the preferences of 1034 German consumers using data from a choice experiment. Our model results show that respondents’ choices for quota scheme designs are mainly driven by the time period during which consumption is constrained, followed by the financial compensation. That said, the order of importance reverses if consumers are free to choose whether to participate or not, while the frequency and duration of DR measures remain unimportant. This shift in preferences suggests that preferences for certain DR programs may not necessarily translate into willingness to participate. Sociodemographic characteristics explain these preferences only to a limited extent, with female and older persons and persons currently purchasing green electricity showing a slightly higher willingness to participate. We discuss policy implications arising from these findings.

The Smart Meter Implementation Program (SMIP) lays the legal framework in the United Kingdom so that a smart gas and electricity meter, along with an in-home display, can be installed in every household by 2020. Intended to reduce national household energy consumption by 5-15%, the SMIP represents arguably the world’s largest and most expensive smart meter rollout. However, a series of obstacles and delays has restricted implementation, and progress has been far more sluggish than envisioned. To explore why, this study utilizes a mixed methods approach to investigate the socio-technical challenges facing the SMIP, with a strong emphasis on the “social” side of the equation. It first explains its two primary sources of data, a systematic review of the academic literature coupled with participant observation of seven major SMIP events in the UK during 2015-2016. It then offers a history of the SMIP rollout, including a summary of 67 potential benefits as well as the often-discussed technical challenges, before delving into pertinent non-technical challenges, specifically vulnerability as well as consumer resistance and ambivalence. The article argues that the dominant focus on technical problems may obscure societal issues that the implementation program must address. In doing so, the paper not only presents a critique of the UK’s implementation program for smart meters, it also offers a review of academic studies on consumer responses to smart meters, an analysis of the intersection between smart meters and other social concerns such as poverty or the marginalization of rural areas, and the generation of lessons for other smart meter programs.

Abstract From a biophysical perspective, woody biomass resources are large enough to cover a substantial share of the world's primary energy consumption in 2050. However, these resources have alternative uses and their accessibility is limited, which tends to decrease their competitiveness with respect to other forms of energy. Hence, the key question of woody biomass use for energy is not the amount of resources, but rather their price. In this study we consider the question from the perspective of energy wood supply curves, which display the available amount of woody biomass for large-scale energy production at various hypothetical energy wood prices. These curves are estimated by the Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM), which is a global partial equilibrium model of forest and agricultural sectors. The global energy wood supply is estimated to be 0–23 Gm3/year (0–165 EJ/year) when energy wood prices vary in a range of 0–30$/GJ (0–216$/m3). If we add household fuelwood to energy wood, then woody biomass could satisfy 2–18% of world primary energy consumption in 2050. If primary forests are excluded from wood supply then the potential decreases up to 25%.

Abstract Decoupling energy consumption and carbon emissions from economic growth is at the core of the climate change debate: successful decoupling is evidence that efficiency measures can be economically sustainable. In this article, the authors analyze the underlying nature of this decoupling in the European Union from 1990 to 2014. The objective is to quantify the role of structural changes and the effectiveness of energy efficiency measures in lowering energy consumption. We decompose final energy consumption per sector, including households and transportation into three key drivers: economic growth, economic structure and energy intensity. Our results show that a significant part of the reduction in energy consumption can be attributed to structural changes, such as deindustrialization, while an equally significant part can be attributed to energy efficiency. This further corroborates the idea that much of the observed decoupling is virtual; largely due to outsourcing of energy intensive activities. Energy is then imported in the form of embodied energy in goods and services. The dynamics of these effects suggest that a shift in our understanding of decoupling is necessary. The implementation of effective energy efficiency policies, accounting for embodied energy, remain of high priority.

Abstract In a recent article, Trainer argues that electricity from concentrating solar power (CSP) in winter would be unreliable and prohibitively expensive, even if generated in premium desert sites. However, he does not carry out a detailed analysis of the reliability or the cost, but bases his conclusion on five arguments, each of which is either irrelevant or erroneous. In particular, his research question, concerning the cost of a CSP kilowatt-hour during winter is irrelevant, and the answer misleading, because the power station will deliver electricity in summer too. A more relevant and not misleading question would be about the performance – the yearly levelised costs of electricity and the reliability – of a CSP fleet. We argue based on a detailed analysis of the performance of CSP in four deserts worldwide, that a coordinated fleet of CSP stations can indeed provide fully dispatchable electricity, and in some cases even baseload, at low cost.

Digital consumer innovations offer low-carbon alternatives to mainstream consumption practices. We contribute new insights on the importance of social influence in the uptake of digital consumer innovations for climate change across mobility, food, homes, and energy domains. Using nationally representative UK survey data (n = 3007), we show that electronic word-of-mouth is the dominant mechanism of information exchange for strengthening adoption intentions. This finding is robust across 16 innovations from car clubs to 11th hour food apps. Other social influence mechanisms such as social norms and neighbourhood effects are as important only for highly visible innovations such as electric vehicles. Using deep dive early adopter studies of ridesharing platforms, digital food hubs, and smart home technologies, we show that trust in digital platforms and place-based community networks are important characteristics affecting social influence. Social norms can help build trust, while word-of-mouth spreads positive information for locally salient innovations. Policies stimulating innovation adoption tend to focus on purchase incentives. Opportunities to harness social influence processes remain unexploited. Our research emphasises the importance of digital skills and infrastructure for supporting these processes, social marketing for building positive norms, and community networks for enabling interpersonal exchange.