scholarly journals “A Heat Pump Needs a Bit of Care”: On Maintainability and Repairing Gender–Technology Relations

2020 ◽  
pp. 016224392097830
Author(s):  
Mandy de Wilde
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Feminist Ethics ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Transitions ◽  
Current Energy

As part of current energy transitions in the Global North, households have begun adopting renewable energy technologies, such as heat pumps and solar power systems, in significant numbers. These changes give rise to the following question: how are technology and gender configured when new technologies enter everyday life? Based upon ethnographic fieldwork on interactions between households, technologies, and technicians and interviews with sales technicians, installers, and service mechanics, I demonstrate how both stable and fragile variants of renewable energy technologies are enacted during prepurchase consultations and postpurchase installations, respectively. I employ science and technology studies scholarship, feminist ethics, and repair and maintenance studies—captured through the analytical lens of care—to analyze how technicians mobilize and tinker with gendered affection, knowledge, and action in households to effectuate adoption of renewable energy technologies. I clarify how, in this process, openings are created to configure both hegemonic and heterogeneous gender–technology relations. Finally, I advance discussion beyond gender issues by arguing that acknowledging the role of maintainability and the repair of user–technology relations in current energy transitions opens pathways not only for exploring gender in new and exciting ways in relation to technology but technician–user relationships as well.

Renewable Energy Technologies, Sustainable Development, and Environment

2015 ◽  
pp. 159-193
Author(s):  
Abdeen Mustafa Omer
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Ground Source ◽  
Reduction Of Energy Consumption

The move towards a low-carbon world, driven partly by climate science and partly by the business opportunities it offers, will need the promotion of environmentally friendly alternatives, if an acceptable stabilisation level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is to be achieved. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of energy sources, and the development of sustainable technologies to explore these energy sources. It also includes potential renewable energy technologies, efficient energy systems, energy savings techniques and other mitigation measures necessary to reduce climate changes. The chapter concludes with the technical status of the ground source heat pumps (GSHP) technologies. The purpose of this study, however, is to examine the means of reduction of energy consumption in buildings, identify GSHPs as an environmental friendly technology able to provide efficient utilisation of energy in the buildings sector.

User Innovation and Peer Assistance in Small-Scale Renewable Energy Technologies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sampsa Hyysalo ◽  
Jouni K. Juntunen
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
User Innovation ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Ground Source Heat Pumps ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Peer Assistance

There have been many attempts to include citizens as more active players in the proliferation of renewable energy technologies. However, the roles that citizen users play in renewables proliferation are not limited to adoption, but include technological domestication, innovation, and market creation. This chapter first reviews innovation by citizen users in the early phases of small-scale renewable energy technologies (S-RET) technology development in wind turbines, solar collectors, and low-energy housing. It then examines user innovation and peer assistance in the later phases of diffusion in air-source and ground-source heat pumps, pellet-burning systems, and solar collectors. It reviews research user motivations, diffusion pathways, and peer intermediation, and pays particular attention to how the forms of innovative citizen energy communities are changing from locality-based community energy initiatives to distributed and Internet-mediated energy communities. The chapter concludes by drawing policy implications regarding user innovation and peer assistance in the transformation of energy systems.

scholarly journals Synthesis and Optimal Operation of Smart Microgrids Serving a Cluster of Buildings on a Campus with Centralized and Distributed Hybrid Renewable Energy Units

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Testi ◽  
Paolo Conti ◽  
Eva Schito ◽  
Luca Urbanucci ◽  
Francesco D’Ettorre
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Optimal Operation ◽  
Optimal Control Strategy ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies

Micro-district heating networks based on cogeneration plants and renewable energy technologies are considered efficient, viable and environmentally-friendly solutions to realizing smart multi-energy microgrids. Nonetheless, the energy production from renewable sources is intermittent and stochastic, and cogeneration units are characterized by fixed power-to-heat ratios, which are incompatible with fluctuating thermal and electric demands. These drawbacks can be partially overcome by smart operational controls that are capable of maximizing the energy system performance. Moreover, electrically driven heat pumps may add flexibility to the system, by shifting thermal loads into electric loads. In this paper, a novel configuration for smart multi-energy microgrids, which combines centralized and distributed energy units is proposed. A centralized cogeneration system, consisting of an internal combustion engine is connected to a micro-district heating network. Distributed electric heat pumps assist the thermal production at the building level, giving operational flexibility to the system and supporting the integration of renewable energy technologies, i.e., wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and solar thermal collectors. The proposed configuration was tested in a hypothetical case study, namely, a University Campus located in Trieste, Italy. The system operation is based on a cost-optimal control strategy and the effect of the size of the cogeneration unit and heat pumps was investigated. A comparison with a conventional configuration, without distributed heat pumps, was also performed. The results show that the proposed configuration outperformed the conventional one, leading to a total-cost saving of around 8%, a carbon emission reduction of 11%, and a primary energy saving of 8%.

scholarly journals Economic Effects of Renewable Energy Technologies

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Maradin ◽  
Ljerka Cerović ◽  
Trina Mjeda
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
The Other ◽  
Economy Model ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Multiplier Effect ◽  
Energy Economy

Abstract Rapid economic development has resulted in the more frequent use of renewable energy technologies. On the other hand, the production and use of renewables fosters the development of new technologies, creating many new opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded individuals and, consequently, the economy in general. Renewable energy technologies have a multiplier effect in spurring the economy and the development of not only the energy sector but also all the supporting activities related to such industry. The purpose of this research is to analyse both the positive and the negative economic effects of investing in various renewable technologies, as well as to confirm, by means of the energy-economy model, the benefit of such technologies in boosting the economy.

Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) for Economic Development in Developing Countries

2012 ◽  
pp. 16-30
Author(s):  
Phillip Olla ◽  
Nkemdilim Onwudinjo
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Energy Options ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

There has been an increase in the deployments of renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy due to the concerns regarding global warming. This growth in renewable energy projects along with the technological innovations is leading to lowering costs, which is making available an array of renewable energy options to developing nations to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although Africa’s main discussions on renewable energy have been focused on large scale grid-connected power systems, this chapter presents the arguments that several renewable energy technologies are well-suited to providing modern energy services for low-income people. The article presents a comprehensive framework that highlights how to scale up a broad portfolio of micro-renewable energy solutions that can make a major contribution to achieving the MDGs.

Renewable Energy Technologies, Sustainable Development, and Environment

2017 ◽  
pp. 971-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdeen Mustafa Omer
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Ground Source ◽  
Reduction Of Energy Consumption

The move towards a low-carbon world, driven partly by climate science and partly by the business opportunities it offers, will need the promotion of environmentally friendly alternatives, if an acceptable stabilisation level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is to be achieved. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of energy sources, and the development of sustainable technologies to explore these energy sources. It also includes potential renewable energy technologies, efficient energy systems, energy savings techniques and other mitigation measures necessary to reduce climate changes. The chapter concludes with the technical status of the ground source heat pumps (GSHP) technologies. The purpose of this study, however, is to examine the means of reduction of energy consumption in buildings, identify GSHPs as an environmental friendly technology able to provide efficient utilisation of energy in the buildings sector.

scholarly journals Energy Meets Water

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (07) ◽  
pp. 34-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Hightower
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies

This article discusses the need for new technologies to address emerging energy and water challenges. The demand for both energy and water is expected to grow with growth in global economy and population. Therefore, there is a need to minimize future conflicts between energy and water development and to foster more reliable and sustainable use of these two very important natural resources. Several renewable energy technologies and alternative cooling approaches for thermoelectric power plants exist that could reduce water consumption for electric power generation. Improving dry, hybrid, and other alternative cooling technologies and carbon sequestration approaches could help lower future water consumption and reduce the water footprint of power plants. Likewise, research to address the issues that are limiting the implementation of low-water-use renewable energy technologies could accelerate their use, reducing both water consumption and carbon emissions. Any major scale-up of alternative transportation fuels must consider approaches that use less fresh water than current methods, and must improve water use efficiency in mining, processing, and refining future fuel resources.

Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) for Economic Development in Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
pp. 303-317
Author(s):  
Phillip Olla ◽  
Nkemdilim Onwudinjo
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Energy Options ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

There has been an increase in the deployments of renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy due to the concerns regarding global warming. This growth in renewable energy projects along with the technological innovations is leading to lowering costs, which is making available an array of renewable energy options to developing nations to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although Africa’s main discussions on renewable energy have been focused on large scale grid-connected power systems, this chapter presents the arguments that several renewable energy technologies are well-suited to providing modern energy services for low-income people. The article presents a comprehensive framework that highlights how to scale up a broad portfolio of micro-renewable energy solutions that can make a major contribution to achieving the MDGs.

Comprehensive Review on India’s Growth in Renewable Energy Technologies in Comparison With Other Prominent Renewable Energy Based Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajvikram Madurai Elavarasan
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Energy Field ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Consumption Model ◽  
Work First ◽  
Current Energy

Abstract Renewable energy will be the irrefutable future of mankind, where fulfilling fuel needs is concerned and its non-renewable predecessors were by definition, destined to short-lived in the grand scheme of things. Debating this issue is equivalent to flogging a dead horse, so now what is left is to optimize the utilization of these resources. This research work first reviews India’s technological advancements in the renewable energy field in recent decades. Simultaneously, it is going to be compared with the rate of other country’s work in the same field. The goal of this study is to identify the specific renewable methods of electricity generation where India is significantly trailing behind and that requires a redirection of the country’s efforts. A focus is given not only to the technological aspects of the various renewable energies but also to the obstacles faced while using them. And the policies to overcome those obstacles are also discussed. Other than China, India is the only other nation with a population exceeding 1.3 billion mark and the nation with the highest population density at a rather astonishing 382 humans/km2. India also has a population growth rate of 1.10%, compared with China’s 0.39%. Its current energy consumption model may prove unsustainable and will soon need to convert to renewable energy sources for basic survival.

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