Sustainability and Economic Feasibility of Combinations of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Fossil Fuels For Production of Heat And Electricity

Author(s):  
Kiril Popovski ◽  
Sanja Popovska Vasilevska
2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (4II) ◽  
pp. 309-325
Author(s):  
Rafi Amir-Ud-Din

Energy crisis in Pakistan had been brewing long before it became an important national issue with the potential to significantly affect the outcome of general elections of 2013. The looming crisis of depleting non-renewable energy sources combined with a feeble economy has lent a new urgency to the search for an energy mix which is sustainable, economically viable and environmentally least hazardous. Fossil fuels with their known adverse environmental impacts dominate the current energy mix of Pakistan. The renewable energy sources remain underutilised despite being cost effective and less hazardous for the environment. A substantial amount of literature has highlighted various dimensions of existing energy sources in Pakistan with a particular emphasis on the environmental impact, the sustainability and the efficiency of various energy sources [see Asif (2009); Basir, et al. (2013); Bhutto, et al. (2012); Mirza, et al. (2009, 2008, 2003); Muneer and Asif (2007); Sheikh (2010) for example]. This study analyses the environmental impact, economic feasibility and efficiency of various energy sources subject to various economic and noneconomic constraints. Section 2 discusses energy security by reviewing various tapped and untapped energy sources besides analysing current energy mix and its future prospects. Section 3 highlights the interaction of energy use and environment. Section 4 discusses two approaches to assess the feasibility of an energy mix: disaggregated and aggregated. The latter approach makes a multidimensional comparison of all the energy sources discussed in this study. Section 5 consists of discussion and concluding remarks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 433-444
Author(s):  
Olusola Joshua Olujobi ◽  
Temilola Olusola-Olujobi

Fossil fuels have been the mainstream of energy supply and a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the Federal Government of Nigeria, in spite of being an unrenewable and unsustainable source of energy. Nigeria is yet to tap into the full benefits after privatising its power sector, including the new global evolution in the energy sector and the resulting increasing demand for renewable energy sources, which some consider to be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels and their allied products. Energy security is a challenge to socio-economic development in Nigeria, due to the country’s over-dependency on fossil fuels. In terms of their impact and the potentials to preserve energy sources for longevity and sustainability, however, fossil fuels will come to be seen as an out-dated alternative in the power sector as the energy industry evolves. The implications for Nigeria’s oil sector will not be limited to dwindling crude oil prices. The concerns include poor energy utilisation in Nigeria and the need to promote energy efficiency and sustainability. They have led to the formulation of new energy policies around the world to serve as a vehicle for translating solutions into reality. This study has adopted a library-based legal research method with a comparative approach. The study reveals that it is the lack of a coherent legal framework with incentives for using renewable energy that is largely seen as the key issue causing slow uptake of renewable energy as an alternative source of energy in Nigeria. As well as the need for a coherent legal framework on energy and incentives for using renewable energy sources, the study advocates stringent enforcement of existing energy regulatory policies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5142
Author(s):  
Javier Menéndez ◽  
Jorge Loredo

The use of fossil fuels (coal, fuel, and natural gas) to generate electricity has been reduced in the European Union during the last few years, involving a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions [...]


1992 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruud Pleune

Present energy use - largely dependent on fossil fuels - is incompatible with the sustainable world concept. In a sustainable world, energy sources are renewable and used in a way that damage to the environment is minimalized. This study investigates the possibility of a sustainable world using renewable energy sources. It appears that - when strict energy conservation is applied - such a sustainable world seems to be attainable. This requires, however, drastic changes in most parts of society.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7525
Author(s):  
Mariusz Niekurzak

The aim of the manuscript was to present the collective results of research on the profitability of using various renewable sources in Poland with the greatest development potential. In the paper, the economic parameters of various investment projects were determined and calculated, i.e., Net Capital Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and the Period of Return on Invested Capital (PBT). The economic assessment of the use of RES technologies was supplemented with the assessment of environmental benefits. The ecological criterion adopted in the study was the assessment of the potential and costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a result of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy technologies. On the basis of the constructed economic model to assess the profitability of investments, it has been shown that the analyzed projects will start to bring, depending on their type and technical specification, measurable economic benefits in the form of a reduction in the amount of energy purchased on an annual basis and environmental benefits in the form of reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Moreover, the calculations show a high potential for the use of certain renewable sources in Poland, which contributes to the fulfillment of energy and emission obligations towards the EU. The analyzes and research of the Polish energy market with the use of the presented models have shown that the project is fully economically justified and will allow investors to make a rational decision on the appropriate selection of a specific renewable energy source for their investment. The presented economic models to assess the profitability of investments in renewable energy sources can be successfully used in other countries and can also be a starting point for a discussion about the direction of energy development. Due to the lack of collective, original and up-to-date research on the domestic market, the manuscript provides the reader with the necessary knowledge regarding the legitimacy of using renewable energy sources, investment and environmental profitability.


2010 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zlatica Predojevic

The use of renewable energy sources (biofuels), either as a component in the conventional fossil fuels, gasoline and diesel, or as a pure biofuel, contributes to energy saving and decrease of total CO2 emission. The use of bioethanol mixed with gasoline significantly decreases gasoline consumption and contributes to environment protection. One of the problems in the production of bioethanol is the availability of sugar and starch based feedstock used for its production. However, lignocellulosic feedstocks are becoming more significant in the production of bioethanol due to their availability and low cost. The aim of this study is to point out the advantages and shortcomings of pretreatment processes and hydrolyses of lignocellulosic feedstocks that precede their fermentation to bioethanol.


2020 ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Tetyana DERKACH ◽  
Denys CHEBANENKO

Introduction. The topic of renewable energy today is one of the most relevant and requires consideration from the point of view of all components of this process, namely economic, financial, environmental, technological, and others. The transition to renewable energy is already irreversible today since natural resources are depleted, fuel prices are the subject to significant fluctuations, and the stable growth of the national economy is ensured by energy security. The purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the volume of global energy consumption, to analyze the impact of the introduction of renewable energy sources on the development of the national economy, to ensure energy security with the depletion of hydrocarbon resources and a slight diversification of their suppliers. Results. Today the Ukrainian economy is the most energy-intensive. Unstable energy prices are a threat both to the global economy and to each country separately. Therefore, in the event of a decrease in the supply of traditional energy resources, the importing countries experience the greatest difficulties. The existing tendency in Ukraine to increase the consumption of traditional energy sources, combined with the absence of a targeted policy aimed at reducing the volume of environmental pollution, will lead to an increase in negative economic consequences. The advantage of renewable energy sources is their equal distribution throughout the country (with the exception of water resources). This feature leads to the formation of one of the main characteristics of power systems based on renewable energy sources, namely, their decentralization. It should be borne in mind that the world energy market is made up of state and non-state participants. Non-state participants are showing an upward trend. However, the state should have the greatest influence on the national energy sector. Renewable energy is an area that, in the Ukrainian context, depends on state support, namely economic and administrative incentives. The dynamics of the development of renewable energy should be combined with the balanced development of the fuel and energy sector in Ukraine. Conclusions. The process of development and transition to renewable energy needs a systematic approach. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are needed to assess the transition to renewable energy. An effective strategy for the transition to the introduction of renewable energy technologies should be justified by economic feasibility. The transition from traditional energy to renewable sources should lead to energy security, which contributes to stable economic growth, political independence, and improving the quality of the environmental component.


2021 ◽  
Vol 850 (1) ◽  
pp. 012008
Author(s):  
N Rajamurugu

Abstract Renewable energy sources become suitable valid options to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels or petroleum products. The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that the world will harvest 40% of energy from renewable energy sources by 2030. Conventional technologies such as solar PV technology, consumes higher capital per unit (kWh) of electricity generation cost significantly higher than the traditional sources. Hence, solar chimney power generation system can be suitable option for generating low cost energy. Solar chimneys are developed and tested by different researchers in enhancing the performance of the system. Studies on the geometric modifications of the collector, and chimney are limited. The aim of this paper is to analyse the experimental data obtained from a divergent solar chimney. Experimentation is carried under sunlight in an open atmosphere. The airflow rates in the chimneys are tested under different collector outlet height. The experimental results showed that a chimney with higher collector openings was performed well than other models. The computational analysis is also carried out using ANSYS Fluent software package which shows that the collector opening of 2.5m is recommended for higher high mass flow rate and system efficiency.


2014 ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Zoltán Balla

The renewable energy sources could be used in energy production, while no or only very slightly emit harmful substances to the environment. The solar, wind, hydropower, biomass and heat rational utilization of land contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.Renewable energy sources also reduces the dependence on fossil fuels, thus contributing to increase security of supply. The creation of local jobs to strengthen the area's population retaining ability.


Originally, coal was the main source of energy. It remains so throughout the 18th century during the period of the rapid industry development. Later on, oil and naphtha began to be used as energy sources and their usage expanded especially in 19th century. A special feature of the above mentioned fossil fuels is their long creation period – requiring millennia. They are a result of rotting of different plant and animal kinds. In comparison to the period of their formation, the period of their utilization is far shorter. In accordance with a number of existing statistics about 2050 year it may be talked about a depletion of the liquid fossil fuels, also, the world coal supplies are considered to last within the next 200 years. Therefore, the development of nuclear power engineering is considered to be one of the alternatives to generate energy. Recently, the nuclear power energy generation has been denied in many countries because of the risks associated with its generation and because these risks have been confirmed by serious accidents throughout the World. The storage of worked nuclear waste is also a problem and risky. The renewable energy sources are another possibility to generate energy.


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