scholarly journals The use of primary energy factors and CO2 intensities for electricity in the European context - A systematic methodological review and critical evaluation of the contemporary literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 111182
Author(s):  
Sam Hamels ◽  
Eline Himpe ◽  
Jelle Laverge ◽  
Marc Delghust ◽  
Kjartan Van den Brande ◽  
...  
Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2165
Author(s):  
Sam Hamels

The European Union strives for sharp reductions in both CO2 emissions as well as primary energy use. Electricity consuming technologies are becoming increasingly important in this context, due to the ongoing electrification of transport and heating services. To correctly evaluate these technologies, conversion factors are needed—namely CO2 intensities and primary energy factors (PEFs). However, this evaluation is hindered by the unavailability of a high-quality database of conversion factor values. Ideally, such a database has a broad geographical scope, a high temporal resolution and considers cross-country exchanges of electricity as well as future evolutions in the electricity mix. In this paper, a state-of-the-art unit commitment economic dispatch model of the European electricity system is developed and a flow-tracing technique is innovatively applied to future scenarios (2025–2040)—to generate such a database and make it publicly available. Important dynamics are revealed, including an overall decrease in conversion factor values as well as considerable temporal variability at both the seasonal and hourly level. Furthermore, the importance of taking into account imports and carefully considering the calculation methodology for PEFs are both confirmed. Future estimates of the CO2 emissions and primary energy use associated with individual electrical loads can be meaningfully improved by taking into account these dynamics.


Energy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 771-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Richard Wilby ◽  
Ana Belén Rodríguez González ◽  
Juan José Vinagre Díaz

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Hitchin

This Technical Note describes a framework for handling the inherent complexities of carbon emission and primary energy factors for networked electricity supply systems within building energy codes and similar policy instruments. The proposed framework reflects the main characteristics of carbon emissions from such networked supplies, while retaining a level of complexity (and simplification) comparable to that of procedures used in existing building energy codes. The main issues that are addressed are the time-varying nature of factors for networked supply, the impact of variability and curtailment for variable and intermittent renewable sources of electricity and relationship between “marginal” factors and “average” factors. These are important issues as the currently common use of annual system-average factors can result in misleading guidance as to the most effective ways of reducing carbon emissions or primary energy demand. The note first explains the relationship between building energy performance ratings and networked electric supplies. It then discusses the characteristics of electricity demand and the networked supply systems before proposing and discussing the framework. Practical application: A framework that can improve the reliability of building energy performance rating based on carbon emissions or primary energy factors.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 4099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rokas Tamašauskas ◽  
Jolanta Šadauskienė ◽  
Dorota Anna Krawczyk ◽  
Violeta Medelienė

Following a new climate and energy plan, the European Union (EU) gives big attention to energy savings. The overall assessment of energy saving measures is very important. Thus, it is crucial to estimate in a proper way the primary energy factor, which is used in calculations of primary energy consumption from renewable energy (RE) sources in a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB). The conduced studies of the literature and national regulations showed that different methods to determine energy from photovoltaic (PV) systems are used. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the primary energy factors of energy from photovoltaics and determine the average value. To achieve this aim, the data of 30 photovoltaic systems from Lithuania were analyzed. The results show a 35% diversification in the values of non-renewable primary energy factor, depending on the PV systems’ capacities, with the average on a level of 1.038.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Życzyńska ◽  
Zbigniew Suchorab ◽  
Dariusz Majerek

The paper presented the analysis of heat consumption for heating in multi-family residential buildings before and after thermal retrofitting. The analysis involved four groups of buildings, i.e., 43 buildings in total, located in various localities, belonging to one weather station. The predicted level of energy savings resulting from thermal retrofitting was achieved from the energy audits. The actual heat consumption, following the calculation into so-called external standard conditions, was obtained based on the readouts from heat-meters. For each building, the values of heat consumption over the periods of 6–10 years were read. The performance measurements involved the periods before, during, and after thermal retrofitting. The following statistical tests were used for data analysis: Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney, Shapiro–Wilk, Bartlett, ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, Dunn and Holm post-hoc. The performed analyses showed that the mean value of energy savings predicted by audits reached 38.5% when the real mean value of savings, achieved from heat-meters, equaled 30.3%. The annual energy demand factors for heating were calculated for final energy and non-renewable primary energy factors. It was established that most of the analyzed objects fulfilled the primary energy factor requirements found in the Polish technical and construction regulations, which were valid at the time of investment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 710
Author(s):  
Andrea Gabaldón Moreno ◽  
Fredy Vélez ◽  
Beril Alpagut ◽  
Patxi Hernández ◽  
Cecilia Sanz Montalvillo

In this paper, a methodology for calculating the energy balance at the district level and energy performance of those districts aspiring to become a Positive Energy District (PED) is proposed. PEDs are understood as districts that achieve a positive energy balance on an annual basis by means of exporting more energy than is consumed within their limits. The main issue to standardize the concept, besides which characteristics should be considered, is that current standards to calculate an energy balance are not applied at the district level. This paper reviews the current standards and adapts them to propose an energy balance calculation methodology. Calculation of an energy balance at the district level is complex since it includes several parameters, such as which loads (or elements) should be included, which renewable energy technologies should be considered on-site production, and which primary energy factors should be used. The proposed methodology is thought to help cities at the design stage of a district and to evaluate its annual energy balance. The methodology is performed in eight steps, and all the needed assumptions that affect the calculation of the annual energy balance are discussed in each step.


Author(s):  
Kjartan Van den Brande ◽  
Sam Hamels ◽  
Jelle Laverge ◽  
Michel De Paepe ◽  
Arnold Janssens ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 2042 (1) ◽  
pp. 012095
Author(s):  
Parantapa Sawant ◽  
Christian Braasch ◽  
Manuel Koch ◽  
Adrian Bürger ◽  
Sonja Kallio

Abstract A coordinated operation of decentralised micro-scale hybrid energy systems within a locally managed network such as a district or neighbourhood will play a significant role in the sector-coupled energy grid of the future. A quantitative analysis of the effects of the primary energy factors, energy conversion efficiencies, load profiles, and control strategies on their energy-economic balance can aid in identifying important trends concerning their deployment within such a network. In this contribution, an analysis of the operational data from five energy laboratories in the trinational Upper-Rhine region is evaluated and a comparison to a conventional reference system is presented. Ten exemplary data-sets representing typical operation conditions for the laboratories in different seasons and the latest information on their national energy strategies are used to evaluate the primary energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and demand-related costs. Various conclusions on the ecologic and economic feasibility of hybrid building energy systems are drawn to provide a toe-hold to the engineering community in their planning and development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Andrea Gabaldón ◽  
Rosamaria Olivadese ◽  
Beril Alpagut ◽  
Cecilia Sanz ◽  
George B. Huitema

The calculation of the energy balance at the district level is complex since it includes a diverse set of loads, technologies, energy carriers, trading interactions between users and external grids (power, district heating/cooling, gas, etc.) and assumptions such as the identification of Primary Energy Factors (PEFs) in different contexts. This research validates the H2020 MAKING-CITY methodology for calculating the energy balance of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in two case studies: the cities of Groningen and Torrelago. For each case, the steps defined in the methodology are followed, dealing with assumptions on non-renewable Primary Energy Factors and critical elements regarding the district boundary. This research shows the applicability of the developed calculation methodology for cities in the design phase as well in the implementation phase of PEDs.


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