Robust energy systems scheduling considering uncertainties and demand side emission impacts

This paper focuses on the strategies that employ the fifth generation (5G) wireless networks in the optimal management of demand-side response in the future energy systems with the high penetration of renewable energy sources (RES). It also provides a comparison between advantages and challenges of 5G networks in demand-response renewable energy grids. Large-scale renewable energy integration always leads to a mismatch between generation and load demand in the short run due to the intermittency. It is often envisioned that 5G wireless networks that were recently launched and would most likely be fully deployed worldwide by 2035 would bring many technological and economic benefits for a plethora of the future high-renewables grids featuring electric transport and heating as well as prosumers generating renewable energy and trading it back to the grid (for example, in the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) framework) and among themselves using peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Our paper offers a comprehensive analysis of 5G architecture with the perspectives of optimal management of demand-side response in the smart grids of the future. We show that the effective deployment of faster and more reliable wireless networks would allow faster data transfers and processing, including peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trade market, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) market, or faster smart metering, and thence open the path for the full-fledged Internet of Energy (IoE). Moreover, we show that 5G wireless networks might become in the future sustainable energy systems paving the road to even more advanced technologies and the new generations of networks. In addition, we demonstrate that for the effective management of energy demand-side response with a high share of renewables, certain forms of governments funding and incentives might be needed. These are required to strengthen the support of RES and helping to shift to the green economy.

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Flexible energy systems for planning the world’s main copper mines considering geographical conditions

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-20568 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Simon Moreno Leiva ◽

Jannik Haas ◽

Wolfgang Nowak ◽

Tobias Junne

Keyword(s):

Energy Demand ◽

Energy Systems ◽

Demand Side Management ◽

Energy System ◽

Energy Planning ◽

Demand Side ◽

Management Options ◽

Available Energy ◽

Copper Mines ◽

Ore Grade

Energy systems of the future will be highly renewable, but building the required infrastructure will require vast amounts of materials. Particularly, renewable energy technologies are more copper-intensive than conventional ones and the production of this metal is intensive in energy and emissions. Moreover, as mineral resources are being depleted, more energy is required for their extraction, with subsequent increase in environmental impacts. Highly stressed and uncertain water resources only worsen this situation.In this work, we will first provide a comprehensive review of the limited available energy planning approaches on copper mines, including transferrable learnings from other fields. Our second contribution is to compare the influence of different geographical locations on the optimal design of energy systems to supply the world&#8217;s main copper mines. For this, we use a linear energy system optimization model, whose main inputs are hourly time series for solar irradiation and power demand, and projections for energy technology costs and ore grade decline. Our third contribution is to propose a multi-vector energy system with novel demand-side management options, specific to copper production processes, including water demand management, illustrated on a case study in Chile (where mining uses a third of the nationwide electricity).In the first part, the review, we learned that energy demand models in copper mines have only coarse temporal and operational resolutions, and require major improvements. Also, demand-side management options remain unstudied but could promise large potentials. In general, the models applied in copper energy planning seem overly simplistic when contrasted to available energy decision tools.For the second part, we observed that in most locations, using local photovoltaic power not only lowers future electricity costs but also compensates for increased energy demand from ore grade decline. Some regions gain a clear competitive advantage due to extremely favorable climatic conditions.In the third and final part, regarding the demand-side management, we saw how the geography and the spatial design of the mines strongly influence the available options and their performance. Jointly planning flexible water and energy supply seems to be particularly attractive. Also, there is space for smart scheduling of maintenance of the production lines, the hardness of the rock feed, oxygen production, and the hauling (rock transport) fleet.As an outlook, &#160;we highlight the need for consideration of lifecycle impacts as a design goal, and to further develop demand model&#8217;s and their flexibility on the mining side. We expect that implementing these smarter approaches will help secure a cleaner material supply for the global energy transition.

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