• Energy Research

Los nuevos sistemas inteligentes para ayudar a la transición energética y mejorar la sostenibilidad y la vida de las personas se pueden implementar a diferentes escalas, desde una casa hasta una región entera. Los campus universitarios son un tamaño intermedio interesante (lo suficientemente grande como para importar y lo suficientemente pequeño como para ser manejable) para la investigación, el desarrollo, las pruebas y la capacitación sobre la integración de la inteligencia en todos los niveles, lo que llevó a la aparición del concepto de "campus inteligente" en los últimos años. Este artículo de revisión propone un amplio análisis de la literatura científica sobre campus inteligentes de la última década (2010-2020). Las 182 publicaciones seleccionadas se distribuyen en siete categorías de inteligencia: edificio inteligente, entorno inteligente, movilidad inteligente, vida inteligente, personas inteligentes, gobierno inteligente y datos inteligentes. Las principales preguntas y desafíos abiertos con respecto a los campus inteligentes se presentan al final de la revisión y abordan la sostenibilidad y la transición energética, la aceptabilidad y la ética, los modelos de aprendizaje, las políticas de datos abiertos y la interoperabilidad. El presente trabajo se realizó en el marco de la Red de Energía de la Cumbre de Líderes Regionales (RLS-Energy) como parte de sus esfuerzos de investigación multilateral sobre regiones inteligentes. De nouveaux systèmes intelligents pour aider à la transition énergétique et améliorer la durabilité et la vie des gens peuvent être déployés à différentes échelles, allant d'une maison à une région entière. Les campus universitaires sont une taille intermédiaire intéressante (assez grande pour compter et assez petite pour être maniable) pour la recherche, le développement, les tests et la formation sur l'intégration de l'intelligence à tous les niveaux, ce qui a conduit à l'émergence du concept de « campus intelligent » au cours des dernières années. Cet article de synthèse propose une analyse approfondie de la littérature scientifique sur les campus intelligents de la dernière décennie (2010-2020). Les 182 publications sélectionnées sont réparties en sept catégories d'intelligence : smart building, smart environment, smart mobility, smart living, smart people, smart governance et smart data. Les principales questions et défis ouverts concernant les campus intelligents sont présentés à la fin de l'examen et traitent de la durabilité et de la transition énergétique, de l'acceptabilité et de l'éthique, des modèles d'apprentissage, des politiques de données ouvertes et de l'interopérabilité. Le présent travail a été réalisé dans le cadre du Réseau de l'énergie du Sommet des dirigeants régionaux (RLS-Energy) dans le cadre de ses efforts multilatéraux de recherche sur les régions intelligentes. Novel intelligent systems to assist the energy transition and improve sustainability and people's life can be deployed at different scales, ranging from a house to an entire region. University campuses are an interesting intermediate size (big enough to matter and small enough to be tractable) for research, development, test and training on the integration of smartness at all levels, which led to the emergence of the concept of "smart campus" over the last few years. This review article proposes an extensive analysis of the scientific literature on smart campuses from the last decade (2010-2020). The 182 selected publications are distributed into seven categories of smartness: smart building, smart environment, smart mobility, smart living, smart people, smart governance and smart data. The main open questions and challenges regarding smart campuses are presented at the end of the review and deal with sustainability and energy transition, acceptability and ethics, learning models, open data policies and interoperability. The present work was carried out within the framework of the Energy Network of the Regional Leaders Summit (RLS-Energy) as part of its multilateral research efforts on smart regions. يمكن نشر أنظمة ذكية جديدة للمساعدة في انتقال الطاقة وتحسين الاستدامة وحياة الناس على مستويات مختلفة، تتراوح من منزل إلى منطقة بأكملها. تعتبر الجامعات ذات حجم متوسط مثير للاهتمام (كبيرة بما يكفي لتكون مهمة وصغيرة بما يكفي لتكون قابلة للتتبع) للبحث والتطوير والاختبار والتدريب على تكامل الذكاء على جميع المستويات، مما أدى إلى ظهور مفهوم "الحرم الجامعي الذكي" على مدى السنوات القليلة الماضية. تقترح مقالة المراجعة هذه تحليلاً شاملاً للأدبيات العلمية حول الجامعات الذكية من العقد الماضي (2010-2020). يتم توزيع المنشورات الـ 182 المختارة على سبع فئات من الذكاء: البناء الذكي، والبيئة الذكية، والتنقل الذكي، والمعيشة الذكية، والأشخاص الأذكياء، والحوكمة الذكية، والبيانات الذكية. يتم تقديم الأسئلة والتحديات الرئيسية المفتوحة المتعلقة بالحرم الجامعي الذكي في نهاية المراجعة والتعامل مع الاستدامة وانتقال الطاقة والقبول والأخلاقيات ونماذج التعلم وسياسات البيانات المفتوحة وقابلية التشغيل البيني. تم تنفيذ العمل الحالي في إطار شبكة الطاقة التابعة لقمة القادة الإقليميين (RLS - Energy) كجزء من جهودها البحثية متعددة الأطراف حول المناطق الذكية.

In the present study, we explore an environmental tax reform for Austria as an instrument to achieve the main objectives of the current Austrian Climate and Energy Strategy #mission2030. Our concept aims at a dual objective of reducing CO2-eq emissions, while simultaneously further triggering innovation processes of the Austrian industry, resulting in a transfer of benefits to society. The focused measures at the national level to achieve climate protection comprise an increase of the mineral oil tax and the introduction of CO2-eq taxation for non-EU-ETS sectors. These taxes create revenues which are recycled through 1) reductions of non-wage labor costs for companies, 2) compensation transfers for private households of low- and middle-income groups, 3) investment in research and innovation for industry and 4) investments in key technologies to advance #mission2030, such as alternative propulsion systems (electric, H2), and the use of biomethane for space heating and thermal renovation. Results of simulations for the period 2020 to 2025 via a macro-sectoral model display the potential for multiple dividends if the revenues are reused this way. Furthermore, besides offering significant reductions of CO2e emissions, the proposed reform triggers positive impacts on GDP, employment, and private consumption, thereby ensuring social compatibility.

The study aims to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of renewable energy deployment in regional energy transitions for the regions of Bavaria, Georgia, Québec, São Paulo, Shandong, Upper Austria, and Western Cape, which comprise a political and scientific network called the Regional Leaders’ Summit (RLS) and RLS-Sciences, respectively. The results classify current renewable energy usage for electricity, heat and fuel production, existing renewable energy potentials, sound legal frameworks to support renewable energy, ongoing research and development activities and expertise in renewable energy conversion and storage as strengths. That fossil fuels still hold a significant share in gross inland energy consumption, energy-intensive industrial structures continue to be supported by fossil fuels and grid access is limited for renewables are identified as weaknesses. The main opportunities are green economies, climate change mitigation and technological innovations. Associated threats are demographic developments, lack of social acceptance and renewable energy resource volatility. We conclude that these regions’ energy systems could potentially enable the realization of a strong integration of renewables and cover partially distributed, decentralized energy systems with embedded energy storage, and the application of smart technologies. Furthermore, we discover that the role of governments in guiding and managing regional energy transitions is highly important.

Abstract Technological learning is a major aspect in the assessment of potential cost reductions for emerging energy technologies. Since the evaluation of experience curves requires the observation of production costs over several magnitudes of produced units, an early estimation of potential future technology implementation costs often presumes a certain degree of maturity. In this paper, we propose a calculation model for learning curves on the component or production process level, which allows to incorporate experience and knowledge on cost reduction potentials on a low level. This allows interchangeability between similar technologies, which is less feasible on a macro level. Additionally, the model is able to consider spill-over effects from concurrent technology usages for the inclusion of peripheral standard components for the assessment in an overall system view. The application of the model to the power-to-gas technology, especially water electrolysis, has shown, that the results are comparable to conventional approaches at the stack level, while providing transferability between different cell designs. In addition, the investigations made at the system level illustrate that the consideration of spill-over effects can be a relevant factor in the evaluation of cost reduction potentials, especially for technologies in an early commercial state with low numbers of cumulative productions.

To meet the future energy and climate targets in 2030 and 2050 in Austria, it is absolutely necessary to apply extensive measures to reduce the use of fossil fuels. By then, Austria will have to realize a 36% decrease (from 2005 levels) for emission sources outside the European Emission Trading System. The transport sector is a key driver of recently increasing greenhouse gas emissions in Austria. Hence, we examine the macroeconomic and ecologic impacts of an environmental tax reform in Austria from 2020 to 2030. We implement a revenue-neutral tax reform that raises revenues via an increase of the mineral oil tax on diesel and petrol consumption and redistributes these fiscal revenues to the industry and households. In addition, increased fossil fuel taxing would enhance revenues for green investments in e-mobility and thermal refurbishment that stimulate the Austrian economy. The simulation analyses focus on central macroeconomic variables as gross domestic product, employment, investment and private consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. We find that the proposed environmental tax reform generates a triple dividend, leading simultaneously to economic growth and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while low-income households can be fully compensated.

Region-specific meteorological data show that Upper Austria will mainly be affected by increasing temperatures (up to +2.7 °C in 2050) and decreasing precipitation (up to - 27 mm in 2050). Using an interdisciplinary framework, we derive climatic developments and quantify the resulting direct sectoral and macroeconomic impacts for Upper Austria. Based on a set of climate change indicators, sectoral damages are monetized for selected impact chains in forestry, health, agriculture, space heating and cooling, and winter tourism. These damage costs are used as input for ex-ante simulations to quantify the macroeconomic impacts in 2022-2050. The results show an annual decline in gross regional product, accompanied by an annual decline in employment. This study provides a basis for decision making in Upper Austria, as well as in regions with comparable geographical, economic or demographic structures, and highlights the importance of region-specific climate change adaptation strategies.