scholarly journals Low emission vehicle integration: Will National Grid electricity generation mix meet UK net zero?

2021 ◽  
pp. 095765092110154
Author(s):  
Kathryn G. Logan ◽  
John D. Nelson ◽  
Astley  Hastings
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Vehicle Type ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Low Emission ◽  
The Uk

Assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced from electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen vehicles (HVs) requires understanding of the carbon intensity of electricity generation. Without the decarbonisation of electricity generation, environmental benefits of low emission vehicles (LEVs) will be diminished. The UK aims to produce net zero emissions by phasing out and banning the sale of new conventionally fuelled vehicles (CFVs) by 2035 in favour of LEVs. A comparison of the UK’s planned and future electricity production systems between 2020 and 2050 was conducted to analyse different vehicle-type mix scenarios: (1) 100% CFVs, (2 A/B) 100% EVs/HVs, (3 A/B) EVs/HVs integrated from 2035 and (4 A/B) EVs/HVs integrated from 2025 onward. This was conducted using four energy scenarios from the UK National Grid: two degrees, steady progression, consumer evolution and community renewables. This study does not consider the embedded carbon costs of the construction and decommissioning of vehicles. Results demonstrated that while the four electricity generation scenarios reduce the projected emissions they fail to achieve low emission targets. The two degree scenario produced the lowest level of emissions under each vehicle-type mix scenario. Technological improvements of CFVs are not enough to meet targets. Therefore, phasing out and banning the sale of new CFVs from 2025 (rather than 2035) would provide a stronger impetus to reduce transport emissions. Although these targets are possible, encouraging a change in transport modes from individual travel to public transport whilst simultaneously replacing buses and trains with electric or hydrogen alternatives would see a greater emission decrease.

scholarly journals Thermal system-specific and net-zero carbon least-cost design of new houses in Canadian cold climates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Wilbur
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

Whole-building model optimizations have been performed for a single-detached house in 5 locations with varying climates, electricity emissions factors, and energy costs. The multi-objective optimizations determine the life-cycle cost vs. operational greenhouse gas emissions Pareto front to discover the 30-year life-cycle least-cost building design heated 1) with natural gas, and 2) electrically using a) central air-source heat pump, b) ductless mini-split heat pump c)ground-source heat pump, and d) electric baseboard, accounting for both initial and operational energy-related costs. A net-zero carbon design with grid-tied photovoltaics is also optimized. Results indicate that heating system type influences the optimal enclosure design, and that neither building total energy use, nor space heating demand correspond to GHG emissions across heating system types. In each location, at least one type of all-electric design has a lower life-cycle cost than the optimized gas-heated model, and such designs can mitigate the majority of operational GHG emissions from new housing in locations with a low carbon intensity electricity supply.

scholarly journals Sustainable Housing: Understanding the Barriers to Adopting Net Zero Energy Homes in Ontario, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6236
Author(s):  
Ranjita Singh ◽  
Philip Walsh ◽  
Christina Mazza
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Home Owner ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero

Buildings in Canada account for a significant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and net zero energy building technology has been identified as part of the solution. This study presents a conceptual model identifying barriers to the adoption of net zero energy housing and tests it by administering a survey to 271 participants in a net zero energy housing demonstration project in Toronto, Canada. Using multivariate correlation and multi-linear regression analyses this study finds that of all the innovation adoption variables it was the construction and design quality that was the most significant contributor to the adoption of a net zero energy home by a potential home owner. This study found that the (a) extra cost compared to a conventional home, b) lack of knowledge about the technology associated with a net zero energy home or (c) not knowing someone who owned a net zero energy home were not significant barriers to accepting net zero energy homes. Our results suggest that policy-makers should promote the diffusion of net zero energy home technology by encouraging housing developers to include net zero energy homes in their collection of model homes, with an emphasis on quality design and construction. Furthermore, engaging in trust building initiatives such as education and knowledge about the technology, its related energy cost savings, and the environmental benefits would contribute to a greater acceptance of net zero energy homes.

scholarly journals Beneficial land-use change in Europe: deployment scenarios for multifunctional riparian buffers and windbreaks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskar Englund ◽  
Pål Börjesson ◽  
Blas Mola-Yudego ◽  
Göran Berndes ◽  
Ioannis Dimitriou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Riparian Buffers ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Land Use Impacts ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Eu

Abstract The land sector needs to increase biomass production to meet multiple demands while reducing negative land use impacts and transitioning from being a source to being a sink of carbon. The new Common Agricultural Policy of the EU (CAP) steers towards a more needs-based, targeted approach to addressing multiple environmental and climatic objectives, in coherence with other EU policies. In relation to this, new schemes are developed to offer farmers direct payments to adapt practices beneficial for climate, water, soil, air and biodiversity. Multifunctional biomass production systems have potential to reduce environmental impacts from agriculture while maintaining or increasing biomass production for the bioeconomy across Europe. Here, we present the first attempt to model the deployment of two such systems, riparian buffers and windbreaks, across >81.000 landscapes in Europe (EU27 + UK), aiming to quantify the resulting ecosystem services and environmental benefits, considering three deployment scenarios with different incentives for implementation. We found that these multifunctional biomass production systems can reduce N emissions to water and soil loss by wind erosion, respectively, down to a “low” impact level all over Europe, while simultaneously providing substantial environmental co-benefits, using less than 1% of the area under annual crops in the EU. The GHG emissions savings of utilizing the biomass produced in these systems for replacing fossil alternatives, combined with the increases in soil organic carbon, correspond to 1-1,4% of total GHG emissions in EU28. The introduction of “eco-schemes” in the new CAP may resolve some of the main barriers to implementation of large-scale multifunctional biomass production systems. Increasing the knowledge of these opportunities among all EU member states, before designing and introducing country-specific Eco-scheme options in the new CAP, is critical.

Biofuels for Transport in the Uk: What is Feasible?: Review/Commentary Article

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan ◽  
M.O. Scurlock
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Renewable Energy Policy ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Policy Context ◽  
The Uk

Recent claims about the potential of UK land to support significant biofuels production for transport are bold, if not surprising. British renewable energy policy appears to be focussed on electricity production, at the expense of the heat and transport sectors. However there are environmental and strategic reasons for reducing the carbon intensity of UK road transport. This paper reviews past and recent studies of the feasibility of liquid biofuels production in Britain. Many earlier studies may have underestimated this potential, and the policy context has shifted significantly, but it would still be difficult to meet current UK gasoline needs from arable and set-aside land. In conclusion, a realistic short-term goal may be 2–3% of UK transport fuel needs from domestic resources by 2010.

scholarly journals Thermal system-specific and net-zero carbon least-cost design of new houses in Canadian cold climates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Wilbur
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Heat Pump ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Carbon

Whole-building model optimizations have been performed for a single-detached house in 5 locations with varying climates, electricity emissions factors, and energy costs. The multi-objective optimizations determine the life-cycle cost vs. operational greenhouse gas emissions Pareto front to discover the 30-year life-cycle least-cost building design heated 1) with natural gas, and 2) electrically using a) central air-source heat pump, b) ductless mini-split heat pump c)ground-source heat pump, and d) electric baseboard, accounting for both initial and operational energy-related costs. A net-zero carbon design with grid-tied photovoltaics is also optimized. Results indicate that heating system type influences the optimal enclosure design, and that neither building total energy use, nor space heating demand correspond to GHG emissions across heating system types. In each location, at least one type of all-electric design has a lower life-cycle cost than the optimized gas-heated model, and such designs can mitigate the majority of operational GHG emissions from new housing in locations with a low carbon intensity electricity supply.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES IN ELECTRICITY AND TRANSPORT SECTORS BASED ON CARBON INTENSITY AND COSTS

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 606-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalia Štreimikienė
Keyword(s):  
Emission Reduction ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
Energy Technologies

The aim of the paper is to address the EU policy for achieving low carbon economy by assessing energy technologies in electricity and road transport sector based on costs and impact on climate change and to indicate the most competitive electricity and transport technologies taking into account EU policy targets in GHG emission reduction, utilization of renewable and energy efficiency improvements. The main tasks of the paper are: to develop the multi-criteria framework for comparative assessment of energy technologies by applying MCDM methods for the electricity generation and transport technologies assessment. The interval TOPSIS method is employed in order to tackle the uncertain criteria. The assessment framework allows the comparison of electricity generation technologies and road transport technologies in terms of their GHG emission reduction and economic impacts and facilitates decision making process in energy sector seeking to implement EU energy policies. The main indicators selected for technologies assessment are: private costs and life cycle GHG emissions. The ranking of energy technologies based on private costs and GHG emissions allowed prioritizing these technologies taking into account the lowest GHG emission reduction costs.

Noise control in power plant

1997 ◽  
Vol 211 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Snow
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Coal Gasification ◽  
Noise Control ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Noise Assessment ◽  
The Uk

During the last decade the shape of the UK non-nuclear electricity generation industry has changed fundamentally from a stable monopoly providing power primarily from large coal-fired units to a rapidly developing competitive industry with a wide range of plant types. The removal of the restrictions on burning natural gas in power stations and the introduction of flue gas desulphurization on some of the traditional plants has highlighted the reduced cost and lower emissions of gas-powered generation, leading to a major increase in the use of this fuel in more efficient combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant. Outside the United Kingdom, the economics and politics of fuel supply and electricity production may be different, and both traditional plant and new CCGT projects are being constructed in overseas markets by UK utilities, often in partnership arrangements with other companies. In parallel with these developments there is significant new effort expended on the development of combined heat and power (CHP) plant and renewable energy sources, especially wind power. Although relatively small in MW terms, the latter plant type presents significant and particular noise control requirements. On the horizon, new coal plant using coal gasification or fluidized bed technologies may be anticipated. At the same time as these major changes in plant selection are occurring there are simultaneous developments in the methods of environmental noise assessment. In this article the use of noise control within the electricity generation industry is reviewed and the influence of the changing trends in plant and environmental noise assessment are discussed.

scholarly journals Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 6277
Author(s):  
Yuxi Wang ◽  
Jingxin Wang ◽  
Xufeng Zhang ◽  
Shawn Grushecky
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Pyrolysis Oil ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Pellet Production ◽  
Bio Oil ◽  
Stochastic Production

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were applied to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of utilizing multiple biomass feedstocks for bioenergy products under three different technological pathways with consideration of uncertainties. Three cases were studied for the production of pellets, biomass-based electricity, and pyrolysis bio-oil. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to examine the uncertainties of fossil energy consumption, bioenergy conversion efficiency, stochastic production rate, etc. The cradle-to-gate LCA results showed that pellet production had the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and fossil fuels consumption (8.29 kg CO2 eq (equivalent), 0.46 kg, and 105.42 MJ, respectively). The conversion process presented a greater environmental impact for all three bioenergy products. When producing 46,929 Mg of pellets, 223,380 MWh of electricity, and 78,000 barrels of pyrolysis oil, the net present values (NPV) indicated that only pellet and electricity production were profitable with NPVs of $1.20 million for pellets, and $5.59 million for biopower. Uncertainty analysis indicated that pellet production showed the highest uncertainty in GHG emission, and bio-oil production had the least uncertainty in GHG emission but had risks producing greater-than-normal amounts of GHG. Biopower production had the highest probability to be a profitable investment with 85.23%.

scholarly journals Effects of hedgerow enhancement as a net zero strategy on farmland biodiversity: a rapid review

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Megan E. Tresise ◽  
Mark S. Reed ◽  
Pippa J. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Farmland Biodiversity ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
The Uk

In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, the UK government has set a target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Agricultural GHG emissions in 2017 were 45.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e; 10% of UK total GHG emissions). Farmland hedgerows are a carbon sink, storing carbon in the vegetation and soils beneath them, and thus increasing hedgerow length by 40% has been proposed in the UK to help meet net zero targets. However, the full impact of this expansion on farm biodiversity is yet to be evaluated in a net zero context. This paper critically synthesises the literature on the biodiversity implications of hedgerow planting and management on arable farms in the UK as a rapid review with policy recommendations. Eight peer-reviewed articles were reviewed, with the overall scientific evidence suggesting a positive influence of hedgerow management on farmland biodiversity, particularly coppicing and hedgelaying, although other boundary features, e.g. field margins and green lanes, may be additive to net zero hedgerow policy as they often supported higher abundances and richness of species. Only one paper found hedgerow age effects on biodiversity, with no significant effects found. Key policy implications are that further research is required, particularly on the effect of hedgerow age on biodiversity, as well as mammalian and avian responses to hedgerow planting and management, in order to fully evaluate hedgerow expansion impacts on biodiversity.

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