• Energy Research
• 2021-2025close
• 11. Sustainability close
• Applied Energy close

Abstract The urge to increase renewable energy penetration into the power supply mix has been frequently highlighted in response to climate change. South Korea was analyzed as a case study for which the government has shown motivation to increase renewable energy penetration. Herein, a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) including solar and wind energies were selected due to their relatively stable and mature technology. In addition, Power-to-X has been incorporated to cover other renewable energy options such as hydrogen and synthetic natural gas (SNG). Therefore, an approach of forecasting the weather characteristics and demand loading over a relatively long timeframe was implemented via deep learning techniques (LSTM and GRU) and statistical approaches (Fbprophet and SARIMA), respectively. A deployment strategy incorporating HRES and Power-to-X is then proposed in correspondence to the forecasted results of the 15 regions considered in this study. An extension of this, the reliability of the designed system is further assessed based on the probability of the demand losses with the aid of Monte-Carlo simulation. With the proposed deployment strategy, a total annual cost of 9.88 × 1011 $/year and a greenhouse gas reduction of 1.24 × 106 tons/year are expected for a 35% renewable energy penetration. However, only SNG shows relatively competitive cost (at 23.20 $/m3 SNG), whereas the average costs of electricity (0.133 $/kWh) and hydrogen (7.784 $/kg H2) across the regions are yet to be competitive compared to the current market prices. Nonetheless, the priority of deployment across regions has been identified via TOPSIS.

Abstract Integrating low-carbon technologies (e.g. heat pumps, photovoltaic systems) in buildings influences the stability of the low-voltage grid, which therefore often requires to be reinforced. This article proposes a techno-economic methodology to identify the reinforcements needed to maintain grid stability at the lowest life-cycle cost. Novel contributions include the consideration of three-phase connection of low-carbon technologies as a reinforcement option and the fact that we study to what extent grid reinforcements can mitigate voltage unbalance issues. Additionally, to reduce computing time, a dummy island approach is used, whereby one feeder is modelled in detail and the remainder of the distribution island is represented by an aggregated load. Finally, random repetitions are proposed, to consider uncertainties related to building properties, occupants and the location of low-carbon technologies in the feeders. The methodology is applied to investigate the integration of heat pumps and photovoltaic systems in typical Belgian rural and urban grids. For the rural grid, heat pumps may lead to significant reinforcement costs (up to 1230 €/dwelling), mainly due to voltage stability problems. For the urban grid, heat pump and photovoltaic integration causes low reinforcement cost (

Abstract Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is an important option in the portfolio of emission mitigation solutions in scenarios that lead to deep reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We focus on CCS application in hard-to-abate sectors (cement industry, iron and steel, chemicals) and introduce industrial CCS options into the MIT Economic Projection and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model, a global multi-region multi-sector energy-economic model that provides a basis for the analysis of long-term energy deployment. We use the EPPA model to explore the potential for industrial CCS in different parts of the world, under the assumptions that CCS is the only mitigation option for deep GHG emission reductions in industry and that negative emission options are not available for other sectors of the economy. We evaluate CCS deployment in a scenario that limits the increase in average global surface temperature to 2 °C above preindustrial levels. When industrial CCS is not available, global costs of reaching the target are higher by 12% in 2075 and 71% in 2100 relative to the cost of achieving the policy with CCS. Overall, industrial CCS enables continued growth in the use of energy-intensive goods along with large reductions in global and sectoral emissions. We find that in scenarios with stringent climate policy, CCS in the industry sector is a key mitigation option, and our approach provides a path to projecting the deployment of industrial CCS across industries and regions.

Abstract Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. Some countries have therefore invested significantly in wind energy, but emissions, which is a common measure for sustainability in this context, have not fallen significantly. Reductions between 20% and 40% are typical. We therefore test the hypothesis that wind energy reduces emissions compared to using gas turbines when life-cycle emissions are included. The Irish grid is studied due to its record-high wind penetration. The model is based on high resolution grid data covering four years and input from 828 Life-Cycle Assessment cases to allow detailed analysis of demand, supply, life-cycle emissions and their changes due to the increased ramping of gas turbines and increased grid reserves required to maintain grid reliability when wind is deployed. Indirect effects are included to some extent. The model is sampled 10,000 times using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that emissions are reduced by 10–20%, which supports the hypothesis. However, with an average wind penetration of 34% in 2019, reaching many times the 65% limit for non-synchronous generation set by the system operator to maintain grid reliability, such modest reductions logically imply that achieving an affordable, low-carbon grid using wind together with fossil energy balancing is infeasible with today’s technology, emissions and costs. This key finding is transferable to other grids where wind has large penetration and requires fossil energy balancing. Thus, wind energy is not sustainable when balanced by fossil fuel generators.

This paper proposes a shared multi-stakeholder PV system for traction substations and nearby residential loads to reduce the need for storage, AC grid exchange, and curtailment. The residential stakeholders offer both the base electrical load and the solar panels installation space needed by the traction stakeholder, who brings the peak load and investments to the former. Two case studies were conducted for one year in the city of Arnhem, The cy=Netherlands, using comprehensive and verified simulation models: A high-traffic and a low-traffic substation. The results showed a positive, synergetic benefit in reducing the PV system's excess energy and size requirement for any type of traction substations connected to any number of households. In one detailed example, the multi-stakeholder system suggested in this paper is shown to reduce curtailment by up to 80% in moments of zero-traction load. Generally, the direct load coverage of a PV system is increased by as much as 7 absolute percentage points to the single-stakeholder system when looking at energy-neutral system sizes. This multi-stakeholders system offers then an increase in the techno-economic feasibility of PV system integration in urban loads. ; DC systems, Energy conversion & Storage

Abstract The methodology, the site and the dataset as well as the emissions scenario considered in the weather file definition influence the numerical evaluation of efficiency measures resilience. With a complete statistical and critical approach, the paper analyzes the importance of these aspects by means of a residential case study simulated in Benevento, a city of south Italy. Using data monitored from 2015 to 2020, a current weather file is built with different methodologies. The comparison indicates that there is not repeatability of the year chosen as a reference for the various months and thus the resolution of the building energy balance could bring different results. Some future climate projections are also generated on medium (2050 s) and long (2080 s) term considering different emission scenarios. With long term projection, the heating degree days are reduced also of − 21% meanwhile the cooling degree days are more than double compared with the current condition. This suggests a remarked transition towards a dominant cooling climate for Benevento. Moreover, when the climate change is considered, the insulation intervention and the installation of double glazed low emissive window is not resilient because the heating energy need decreases also of −56%, but the cooling energy need increases of + 62% (2080 s). If the efficiency measures include also the cool roof and the external shadings, the cooling demand could be reduced until –33% in some scenarios (e.g. RCP 4.5-50th percentile) and increased (+31%) in some others (e.g. 2080 s).

100 Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are to be created in Europe by 2025, with a stated goal of urban decarbonization. These are highly energy efficient residential urban areas, powered entirely through renewables. PED creation is to be guided by principles of quality of life, sustainability, and inclusiveness (specifically focusing on affordability and energy poverty prevention). Although there is research into the decarbonization aspects of PEDs, there has been little focus on the guiding principles, and their potential to reduce energy vulnerability. Using energy vulnerability factors and an energy justice framework, this article examines how the topic of energy vulnerability mitigation is perceived by professional PED stakeholders. Stakeholders from multiple countries were interviewed in order to determine how and to what extent they approached the topic of inclusivity and energy vulnerability. The contribution of this paper to academic research is in helping to frame energy vulnerability in European smart city urban areas, focusing on the perceptions of key stakeholders. This contributes to research on the identification and evaluation of innovations such as PEDs which offer a potential model for an inclusive transition. Furthermore, this article offers a contribution for policymakers, informing PED replication policies with a focus on the synergistic aims of decarbonization and energy vulnerability mitigation.