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The European Geosciences Union (EGU) brings together geoscientists from all over the world covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary and space sciences. This geoscientific interdisciplinarity is needed to tackle the challenges of the future. One major challenge for humankind is to provide adequate and reliable supplies of affordable energy and other resources in efficient and environmentally sustainable ways. This Energy Procedia issue provides an overview of the contributions of the Division on Energy, Resources & the Environment (ERE) at the EGU General Assembly 2017.

AbstractThe European Union aspires to reducing the import dependency of raw materials that are critical to its industries. In this respect, mineral resource information and data sharing by European Geological Surveys is crucial. In 2010, the European Commission identified 14 critical non-energy non-agricultural raw materials. This list was updated in 2014. This article presents the Critical Raw Material (CRM) Map of Europe produced by EuroGeoSurvey's Mineral Resources Expert Group. This map shows European mineral deposits from the EU FP7 ProMine project database, as containing critical commodities, according to the list of CRM published by the European Commission.

Abstract European and Italian standards establish high levels of energy performance of buildings that have to be designed considering their energy balance near zero. To achieve this goal, the reduction of energy demand, attainable by improving energy efficiency of the construction, and the use of renewable energy available both on site and off site are effective solutions to be applied. In particular, in buildings that use energy produced from renewable sources, due to their unstable and unpredictable nature, having the right strategy to compensate the variations is essential. A technical solution reevaluated as a consequence of passive design principles, is to provide an adequate thermal inertia in order to store energy when it is offered and to use it when the source is not available. In these cases, the ability of construction elements to retain heat becomes fundamental as they contribute to maintain internal comfort conditions. This paper aims to investigate how various types of heating and cooling systems, based on different modes of heat transfer, are able to interact differently with the thermal mass of the building, producing a different level of its activation. The investigation considers a case study used to carry out dynamic simulation by means of DesignBuilder which is a user interface of EnergyPlus. The model consists of a building with elementary geometry and a single thermal zone, delimited by walls with outside thermal insulation and a heat accumulation layer inside. The variation of the internal temperature by using different types of conditioning system is analyzed in order to individuate the technology that takes the greatest advantages from the thermal mass.

AbstractThe CO2-neutral self-supply of heat and electric energy is an important objective for new and existing buildings in the future [1,2]. Therefor the energy autonomous house (EAH) as a new concept for single-family buildings in central Europe is presented. It represents a further development of the solar and efficiency house concepts based on full self-sufficiency in thermal (partly provided by a fireplace) and electrical energy (100%). Two occupied houses have been built in Germany and they are under an extensive scientific monitoring with real user behavior since 2014. This contribution is focused on thermal energy balances and the differences due to different user behavior and the influence of weather conditions. The evaluated solar fraction was fsol, th ≥ 71.4% and fsol, el ≥ 91.8% for both houses in 2014. So far the 100% autonomy in electricity could not be reached due to the unusual low irradiation in Jan. and Dec. 2014 (-24% / -37% compared to long term values). Nevertheless the planned low electricity consumption of ∼ 2000 kWh/year could nearly be achieved, whereby a self-consumption rate of electric energy gains of ≥ 31.8% were assumed. Further findings of 1 ½ years of monitoring of the two EAH are presented within the paper.

AbstractEven though the integration of renewable energies in new buildings is technically easy, the rise of solar thermal systems in the French market of energy renovation is limited by recurring constraints of implementation related to the installation of the storage tank. This is the reason why the Integrated Solar Collector (ISC) constitutes a very promising concept to develop. For both new buildings and renovation of the existing buildings, the ISC gives the opportunity to reduce the cost of installation and operation comparatively to a conventional Solar Domestic Hot Water System, because of their simplicity and passive operating process (without pump, nor controller). This second advantage is extremely important for the development prospects of the solar thermal market which is currently slowed down by the level of investment. The third advantage of our new ISC is the possibility of successful architectural integration, contrary to the currently available solutions with the storage installed on the roof.We developed a new concept of ISC adapted to the energy renovation with a multidisciplinary approach. Its design took into account various aspects: architectural integration (storage bellow the collector), energy performance (solar heat transfer at the bottom of the storage, fully insulated storage) and technological constraints (freezing risk). The project made it possible to study on the one hand its global performance (stratification, solar fraction) and on the other hand the free convective heat transfers inside the storage cavity. The approach used both numerical (architectural draft and design of the prototype, global modelling, and velocity / temperature fields) and experimental tools (test of heat, PIV on a cavity heated at the bottom, test of the prototype). The first prototype of ISC puts forward very satisfactory energy performances. Improvements are possible by enhancing thermal stratification in the storage system. Concerning the heat pipes operation against gravity, the project highlighted the current lack of technological solution adapted to our needs. The study of the building integration showed the architectural opportunities given during the renovation (new volumes) and the technical constraints which were solved (weight, storage insulation, freezing).

AbstractThe International Energy Agency Energy Technologies Perspectives (ETP) model is used for the assessment of the prospects for carbon abatement options, including carbon capture and storage, up to 2050. Three main scenarios are considered: a baseline scenario with current energy policies, an accelerated technology scenario (ACT) with an associated CO2 reduction incentive development, and a scenario in which global greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 50% compared to current levels in 2050 (BLUE). The analysis suggests that CCS can account for up to 19% of all CO2 reduction in 2050, which would equal 10.4 Gt CO2 capture and storage. The power sector would account for 54% of all CCS, the remainder is in manufacturing industry and the fuel transformation sector.CCS is a critical option. Without CCS, the cost to meet the same target would rise by 71%. The potential rate at which CCS can be introduced exceeds the rate at which regular capital stock is typically replaced, if plants are retrofitted or closed down before the end of their technical life span. Retrofitting of coal plants with CCS plays a very significant role in the ACT Map scenario. But at the price of USD 200/t CO2 envisaged in the BLUE scenario, there is sufficient economic incentive to accelerate the replacement of inefficient power plants with new plants equipped with CCS before the existing plants reach the end of their life span. In the BLUE scenario, 350 GW of coal-fired power-plant capacity is closed down early. The remaining 700 GW consists of 80% new capacity that is equipped with CCS, and 20% retrofits with CCS.Following IEA recommendations, the G8 countries have announced that they will commit 20 demonstration plants for CCS by 2010. Also the G8, China India and Korea have asked the IEA to continue its work on roadmaps and transition paths for CCS in power generation and in industry, in cooperation with other bodies such as CSLF. This work has started and final results will be reported in 2010.

Abstract A fundamental challenge of the German energy transition is the energy supply of industrial and chemical parks based on renewable energy. Presently, the energy demand of a chemical park with one third electricity and two thirds heat as a rough estimate is commonly supplied by a heat-controlled fossil fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant. If applicable, the surplus electricity generated by such plants is sold and fed into the grid. Since the reliable energy supply of all users and facilities is priority, energy storage can be incorporated, if fluctuating renewable energy sources shall be used. This paper presents energy supply concepts without adjustments to the industrial park infrastructure or the processes themselves and proposes utilization of high temperature thermal energy storage (TES) technologies such as molten-salt, as well as power-to-heat (PtH) technology in the central CHP supply infrastructure. The objective of this study is to identify the major possibilities for integrating TES in a future energy supply system for an industrial park in Germany. It shall be shown how the flexibility of an utility supplier can be increased, so that further revenue can be generated from participating in the energy market. For this task different concepts will be proposed and applicable TES technologies will be identified. The benefits for the utility supplier and how carbon dioxide reduction and integration of renewable energies can be achieved will be highlighted. Finally, an overview of concepts with additional TES and PtH components for the energy supply of industrial or chemical parks in Germany is presented qualitatively. This overview includes the following criteria: flexibility, carbon dioxide reduction and the increased use of CHP. Overall a better understanding of potential flexibility measures for the utility supply infrastructure in the chemical industry is generated.

Abstract To improve food security a conceptual integration beyond the scope of production in the agricultural sector due to examination of critical supply chain system compartments and levels of services (“integrated food production and supply systems”) is proposed. For creating systematic results, a platform integrating various perspectives of experts has been established following the principle of triple helix stakeholdership (business practice, public management/policy and also science). During a series of workshops, the main actors, success factors, challenges and communication strategies have been identified for shaping sustainable food supply chains under use of systems thinking and the application of Participatory Systems mapping (PSM). In this line, the paper presents how “system maps” based on the method of PSM are used to gain insights into sustainable logistics services facilitating sustainable consumption patterns, enabling participatory considerations and the productive exchange of knowledge.