• Energy Research
• 12. Responsible consumption close

The ongoing climate change, together with the global increase in energy consumption and unpredictable fossil fuel prices have been the main drivers for the implementation of power exchange, market coupling, energy efficiency measures and larger use of renewable energy. All these targets bring up the need for the development of new modelling frameworks and governance systems that will be based on competitive, secure and sustainable national action plans. For this purpose, the Dispa-SET model has been applied to six countries in the Western Balkans region. In the first scenario, the model has been validated for the year 2010. The second scenario has been developed according to the targets from national energy strategies for the years 2020 and 2030, while the third scenario has been developed with the purpose of determining the maximum share of renewable energy sources in the regional power mix. Simulation results indicate that the integration of additional wind and solar capacities, compared to the short and long-term national strategies for the years 2020 and 2030, can be achieved without compromising the stability of the system.

Abstract This work examines the role of centralised cogeneration plants as one of the potential pathways of a future decarbonised energy system. Even in this context, thermal power plants will still exist and the utilisation of their excess heat via district heating networks can assist the decarbonisation of the built environment. In particular, the potential of existing thermal power plants to operate as combined heat and power (CHP) plants is assessed and their impact on the power system quantified. To do so, the European heat demand for the built environment is described, focused on the heat demand supplied with fossil fuels, and the European power sector is discussed. Then, a power system model (Dispa-SET) is used to evaluate this coupling pathway in terms of operating costs, efficiencies and associated CO2 emissions. The analysis is developed for the current and future European power system. Results show that the conversion of thermal into CHP plants increases the efficiency and reduces both the operating costs and the environmental impact of the energy system. Not only that, it also offers alternative flexibility options when coupled with thermal storage. Still, large investments regarding the deployment of thermal networks are required to leverage the full CHP potential.

Abstract The relevance of sector coupling is increasing when shifting from the current highly centralised and mainly fossil fuel-based energy system to a more decentralized and renewable energy system. Cross-sectoral linkages are already recognized as a cost-effective decarbonisation strategy that provides significant flexibility to the system. Modelling such cross-sectoral interconnections is thus highly relevant. In this work, these interactions are considered in a long-term perspective by uni-directional soft-linking of two models: JRC-EU-TIMES, a long term planning multisectoral model, and Dispa-SET, a unit commitment and optimal dispatch model covering multiple energy sectors such as power, heating & cooling, transportation etc. The impact of sector coupling in future Europe-wide energy systems with high shares of renewables is evaluated through five scenarios. Results show that the contributions of individual sectors are quite diverse. The transport sector provides the highest flexibility potential in terms of power curtailment, load shedding, congestion in the interconnection lines and resulting greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Nevertheless, allowing combinations of multiple flexibility options such as hydro for the long-term, electric vehicles and flexible thermal units for the short-term provides the best solution in terms of system adequacy, greenhouse gas emissions and operational costs.