Deploying ecosystem services to develop sustainable energy landscapes: a case study from the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Picchi ◽  
Simone Verzandvoort ◽  
Davide Geneletti ◽  
Kees Hendriks ◽  
Sven Stremke
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Energy Landscapes ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Design

PurposeThe transition to a low carbon future is an emerging challenge and requires the planning and designing of sustainable energy landscapes – landscapes that provide renewable energy while safeguarding the supply of other ecosystem services. The aim of this paper is to present the application of an ecosystem services trade-off assessment in the development of sustainable energy landscapes for long-term strategic planning in a case study in Schouwen-Duivenland, The Netherlands.Design/methodology/approachThe application consists in three activities: in (1) stakeholder mapping hot spots of ecosystem services and renewable energy technologies in a workshop, (2) landscape design principles being discussed by a focus group, (3) experts gathering the information and proceeding with an assessment of the potential synergies and trade-offs.FindingsThe case study indicates that (1) deploying the ecosystem services framework in planning and design can enhance the development of sustainable energy landscapes, (2) diversified and accurate spatial reference systems advance the trade-off analysis of both regulating and cultural ecosystem services and (3) the involvement of local stakeholders can advance the trade-off analysis and, ultimately, facilitates the transition to a low-carbon future with sustainable energy landscapes.Originality/valueThe originality of this research lies in the creation of an approach for the deployment of ecosystem services in the planning and design of energy transition. This is useful to advance energy transition by enhancing research methods, by providing methods useful for planners and designers and by supporting communities pursuing energy self-sufficiency in a sustainable manner.

scholarly journals Impactful engineering education through sustainable energy collaborations with public and private entities

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-407
Author(s):  
Lluís Pacheco ◽  
Luo Ningsu ◽  
Toni Pujol ◽  
Jose Ramon Gonzalez ◽  
Inès Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to report on a case study concerning the development of sustainable energy partnerships involving engineering faculty and undergraduate students at the University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Design/methodology/approach Faculty were motivated to seek partnerships with public and private entities in the local area for the purposes of realising mutually beneficial outcomes. The educational programmes of future engineers, when sustainability is considered, are analysed. Education for sustainable development has to include multidisciplinary active learning as a desirable competence. Active learning can be obtained when problems are based on real life because they are most motivating for students. Constructive alignment component is obtained because learning objectives are linked with learning activities related to the needs of public and private entities. Findings Through the provision of technical expertise, the adoption and success of renewable energy projects was facilitated on the one hand, while final year undergraduate students benefited in terms of hands-on experience in helping to bring these projects to life, drawing on the knowledge and skills they had acquired throughout their degree programmes. These works are addressed to students by faculty members with the aim of developing and promoting renewable energies. Outcomes from partnerships surpassed expectations; not only were different benefits realised as were initially hoped for, but this success led to partnerships being sustained over time. Originality/value Fossil fuel-based energy systems are associated with a myriad of negative environmental and social externalities. It is difficult to overstate the importance of transitioning towards alternative low carbon energy sources for climate change mitigation which are less centralised compared to the status-quo for energy security and energy independence. By actively facilitating the development of decentralised renewable energy sources in Catalonia, the projects reported herein are of significant value in social environmental and educational terms.

Low-carbon Electricity Market Transition in the UK: A Multi-level Perspective Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ting Lu ◽  
Tze-Luen Lin
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Electricity Market ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Market Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Energy Domain ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
The Uk

<p>As climate change issues arise and become a global concern, to reduce carbon emissions has become an urgent issue to respond to. Therefore, the application of renewable energy plays more and more important roles in the energy domain nowadays, which may also bring significant impacts to the low-carbon electricity market transition. With the advantages of developing renewable energy, the Taiwan government anticipates achieving the goal of reaching 20% renewable energy in electricity structure by 2025. Moreover, Taiwan has carried out the most vigorous amendment on the Electricity Act in history to open the electricity market so that more stakeholders can participate in it to propel energy transition. Since the UK is the lead in this field, it is worth investigating. This paper takes the UK as a case study to analyze its evolution in recent decades after the deregulation of its electricity market from the retail side perspective. It expects to explore how the transition drove actors to empower their roles, or even create new roles and responsibilities, and engage in the low-carbon electricity market transition pathway. This paper expects the UK case as a great reference for Taiwan, which echoes the current scenario in Taiwan with the potential to deliver further insights.</p>

scholarly journals Overcapacity as a Barrier to Renewable Energy Deployment: The Spanish Case

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo del Río ◽  
Luis Janeiro
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Low Carbon Energy ◽  
The Impact

Renewable energy sources (RES) play a critical role in the low-carbon energy transition. Although there is quite an abundant literature on the barriers to RES, the analysis of the electricity generation overcapacity as a barrier to further RES penetration has received scant attention. This paper tries to cover this gap. Its aim is to analyse the causes and consequences of overcapacity, with a special focus on the impact on RES deployment, using Spain as a case study. It also analyses the policies which may mitigate this problem in both the short and the longer terms.

Determinants and barriers of PV self-consumption in Spain from the perception of the installers for the promotion of distributed energy systems

2020 ◽  
pp. 153-169
Author(s):  
José Ángel Gimeno ◽  
Eva Llera Sastresa ◽  
Sabina Scarpellini
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Distributed Energy ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Transition Scenario

Currently, self-consumption and distributed energy facilities are considered as viable and sustainable solutions in the energy transition scenario within the European Union. In a low carbon society, the exploitation of renewables for self-consumption is closely tied to the energy market at the territorial level, in search of a compromise between competitiveness and the sustainable exploitation of resources. Investments in these facilities are highly sensitive to the existence of favourable conditions at the territorial level, and the energy policies adopted in the European Union have contributed positively to the distributed renewables development and the reduction of their costs in the last decade. However, the number of the installed facilities is uneven in the European Countries and those factors that are more determinant for the investments in self-consumption are still under investigation. In this scenario, this paper presents the main results obtained through the analysis of the determinants in self-consumption investments from a case study in Spain, where the penetration of this type of facilities is being less relevant than in other countries. As a novelty of this study, the main influential drivers and barriers in self-consumption are classified and analysed from the installers' perspective. On the basis of the information obtained from the installers involved in the installation of these facilities, incentives and barriers are analysed within the existing legal framework and the potential specific lines of the promotion for the effective deployment of self-consumption in an energy transition scenario.

Lessons for low-carbon energy transition: Experience from the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binu Parthan ◽  
Marianne Osterkorn ◽  
Matthew Kennedy ◽  
St. John Hoskyns ◽  
Morgan Bazilian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Transition Experience ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Climate financing: case study of Kenya Climate Venture Ltd.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Edward Mbucho Mungai
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Investment Fund ◽  
Content Type ◽  
European Development ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Successful Students

Learning outcomes Upon completion of the case study discussions, successful students will be able to: discuss the challenges of green financing and provide solutions on how to address such challenges. Explore the different dimensions for structuring a green financing fund. Analyse the risks and suggest a mechanism for de-risking an investment fund. Case overview/synopsis Kenya Climate Venture was established in 2016 as an independent subsidiary of Kenya Climate Innovation Centre, with a seed capital of $5m from European development financing institutions Danida and UKAid and the fund raised another $5m in new capital in early 2020. Its remit was to invest in commercially viable enterprises in agribusiness, water, commercial forestry, renewable energy and waste management, largely targeting small and medium-sized enterprises. The case is exploring three themes; Theme1: Challenges of climate financing, Theme 2: Structuring a climate financing fund Theme 3: De-risking an investment fund. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.

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