Indicators for the optimization of sustainable urban energy systems based on energy system modeling

Abstract Background Urban energy systems are responsible for 75% of the world’s energy consumption and for 70% of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Energy system models are used to optimize, benchmark and compare such energy systems with the help of energy sustainability indicators. We discuss several indicators for their basic suitability and their response to changing boundary conditions, system structures and reference values. The most suitable parameters are applied to four different supply scenarios of a real-world urban energy system. Results There is a number of energy sustainability indicators, but not all of them are suitable for the use in urban energy system optimization models. Shortcomings originate from the omission of upstream energy supply chains (secondary energy efficiency), from limited capabilities to compare small energy systems (energy productivity), from excessive accounting expense (regeneration rate), from unsuitable accounting methods (primary energy efficiency), from a questionable impact of some indicators on the overall system sustainability (self-sufficiency), from the lack of detailed information content (share of renewables), and more. On the other hand, indicators of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs, and final energy demand are well suitable for the use in optimization models. However, each of these indicators only represents partial aspects of energy sustainability; the use of only one indicator in the optimization process increases the risk that other important aspects will deteriorate significantly, eventually leading to suboptimal or even unrealistic scenarios in practice. Therefore, multi-criteria approaches should be used to enable a more holistic optimization and planning of sustainable urban energy systems. Conclusion We recommend multi-criteria optimization approaches using the indicators of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, absolute energy costs, and absolute energy demand. For benchmarking and comparison purposes, specific indicators should be used and therefore related to the final energy demand, respectively, the number of inhabitants. Our example scenarios demonstrate modeling strategies to optimize sustainability of urban energy systems.

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Reliable cost-efficient distributed energy systems with a high renewable penetration: a techno-economic case study for remote off-grid regional coal seam gas extraction

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj17238 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 493

Author(s):

Joachim Bamberger ◽

Ti-Chiun Chang ◽

Brian Mason ◽

Amer Mesanovic ◽

Ulrich Münz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Energy Systems ◽

Oil And Gas Industry ◽

Energy System ◽

Distributed Energy ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Gas Industry ◽

Oil And Gas Companies

As our energy systems evolve with the adoption of more variable renewable energy resources, so will our oil and gas industry play a pivotal role in what is expected to be a lengthy transitional phase to a greater mix of renewables with a reliance on fast, reliable gas peaking power generation, which have lower greenhouse gas emissions, and short delivery periods to construct. Oil and gas companies are also rapidly moving towards becoming integrated energy companies supplying a mix of gas, oil, photovoltaic power, wind power and hydrogen, coupling these into the electrical and gas grids. We discuss some of the components and tasks of a distributed energy system in its various system guises that contribute to a more cost effective, reliable and resilient energy system with lower greenhouse gas emissions. We discuss the role that hydrogen will play in the future as oil and gas companies explore alternatives to fossil fuels to address their need to reduce their carbon footprint, substituting or supplementing their conventional gas supply with renewably produced hydrogen. We talk about how Australia with its excellent renewable resources and the opportunity to potentially develop a new industry around the production of renewable fuels, power-to-X, such as hydrogen, with the potential for the oil and gas industry to leverage its existing assets (i.e. gas pipelines) and future embedded renewable assets to produce hydrogen through electrolysis with the intention of supplementing their liquefied natural gas exports with a portion of renewably produced hydrogen.

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Global Transportation Demand Development with Impacts on the Energy Demand and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a Climate-Constrained World

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12203870 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 3870 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Siavash Khalili ◽

Eetu Rantanen ◽

Dmitrii Bogdanov ◽

Christian Breyer

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Primary Energy ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Synthetic Fuels ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Transportation Demand ◽

Final Energy Demand

The pivotal target of the Paris Agreement is to keep temperature rise well below 2 °C above the pre-industrial level and pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 °C. To meet this target, all energy-consuming sectors, including the transport sector, need to be restructured. The transport sector accounted for 19% of the global final energy demand in 2015, of which the vast majority was supplied by fossil fuels (around 31,080 TWh). Fossil-fuel consumption leads to greenhouse gas emissions, which accounted for about 8260 MtCO2eq from the transport sector in 2015. This paper examines the transportation demand that can be expected and how alternative transportation technologies along with new sustainable energy sources can impact the energy demand and emissions trend in the transport sector until 2050. Battery-electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles are the two most promising technologies for the future on roads. Electric ships and airplanes for shorter distances and hydrogen-based synthetic fuels for longer distances may appear around 2030 onwards to reduce the emissions from the marine and aviation transport modes. The rail mode will remain the least energy-demanding, compared to other transport modes. An ambitious scenario for achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is applied, also demonstrating the very high relevance of direct and indirect electrification of the transport sector. Fossil-fuel demand can be reduced to zero by 2050; however, the electricity demand is projected to rise from 125 TWhel in 2015 to about 51,610 TWhel in 2050, substantially driven by indirect electricity demand for the production of synthetic fuels. While the transportation demand roughly triples from 2015 to 2050, substantial efficiency gains enable an almost stable final energy demand for the transport sector, as a consequence of broad electrification. The overall well-to-wheel efficiency in the transport sector increases from 26% in 2015 to 39% in 2050, resulting in a respective reduction of overall losses from primary energy to mechanical energy in vehicles. Power-to-fuels needed mainly for marine and aviation transport is not a significant burden for overall transport sector efficiency. The primary energy base of the transport sector switches in the next decades from fossil resources to renewable electricity, driven by higher efficiency and sustainability.

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Review of Energy in the Built Environment

Smart Cities ◽

10.3390/smartcities3020015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 248-288 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ioannis Lampropoulos ◽

Tarek Alskaif ◽

Wouter Schram ◽

Eelke Bontekoe ◽

Simone Coccato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Sustainable Energy ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Heating Systems ◽

Urban Energy

Urban environments can be key to sustainable energy in terms of driving innovation and action. Urban areas are responsible for a significant part of energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The share of greenhouse gas emissions is likely to increase as global urban populations increase. As over half of the human population will live in cities in the near future, the management of energy supply and demand in urban environments will become essential. Developments such as the transformation of the electricity grid from a centralised to a decentralised system as well as the electrification of the transportation and heating systems in buildings will transform the urban energy landscape. Efficient heating systems, sustainable energy technologies, and electric vehicles will be critical to decarbonise cities. An overview of emerging technologies and concepts in the built environment is provided in this literature review on the basis of four main areas, namely, energy demand, supply, storage, and integration aspects. The Netherlands is used as a case study for demonstrating evidence-based results and feasibility of innovative urban energy solutions, as well as supportive policies.

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Integrating vehicle‐to‐grid technology into energy system models: Novel methods and their impact on greenhouse gas emissions

Journal of Industrial Ecology ◽

10.1111/jiec.13200 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zongfei Wang ◽

Patrick Jochem ◽

Hasan Ümitcan Yilmaz ◽

Lei Xu

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Energy System ◽

Grid Technology ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Vehicle To Grid ◽

System Models ◽

Novel Methods

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Predicting Energy Demand in Spain and Compliance with the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Agreements

Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics - Modeling, Dynamics, Optimization and Bioeconomics III ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-74086-7_5 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 107-126

Author(s):

Diego J. Bodas-Sagi ◽

José M. Labeaga

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Gas Emissions

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Synthetic building stocks as a way to assess the energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions of national building stocks

Energy and Buildings ◽

10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.05.055 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 173 ◽

pp. 443-460 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Claudio Nägeli ◽

Clara Camarasa ◽

Martin Jakob ◽

Giacomo Catenazzi ◽

York Ostermeyer

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Gas Emissions

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Urban Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in East Asia and Pacific

Energizing Green Cities in Southeast Asia ◽

10.1596/9780821398371_ch01 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 25-46

Author(s):

Dejan R. Ostojic ◽

Ranjan K. Bose ◽

Holly Krambeck ◽

Jeanette Lim ◽

Yabei Zhang

Keyword(s):

East Asia ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Energy Use ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Urban Energy Use ◽

Urban Energy

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GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND ENERGY TRANSITION IN PAKISTAN

International Journal of Big Data Mining for Global Warming ◽

10.1142/s2630534819500062 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 01 (02) ◽

pp. 1950006

Author(s):

ARSHAD RAZA ◽

RAOOF GHOLAMI ◽

MINOU RABIEI ◽

VAMEGH RASOULI ◽

REZA REZAEE

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Energy System ◽

Gas Emissions ◽

Energy Conversion Systems ◽

Near Future ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Pakistan is ranked in the 7th position among the affected countries by climate changes. Although many studies have been done on the impacts of climate change in Pakistan, little attention has been given to the need for an energy transition and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in this country. This study highlights the needs of the national energy transition in Pakistan to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Considering the fact that natural gas has lower greenhouse gas emission than coal or oil, Pakistan needs to shift its energy system towards natural gas in the near future. Meanwhile, Pakistan government should take key measures and revise energy policies to support such energy transition by making large gas discoveries, increasing energy conversion systems, and implementing renewable and sustainable energies.

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