Technologies that contribute to reducing environmental impacts of electrical production

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-24
Author(s):  
M T E Kahn ◽  
W Fritz
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Distributed Generation ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Energy Applications ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Active Research

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) was attended by approximately 21 000 international delegates in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002. The aim was to institute ecologically sound environmental management. Research has shown that fossil fuel or coal fired power plants are the major cause of air pollution in electricity generation. This paper seeks to show technologies that can contribute to reducing the environmental impacts of electricity production, via emission control systems, industry energy policy, renewable energy technologies etc. and the promotion of active research and development in alternative energy applications in Africa. Innovative energy technology research and development and applications such as smaller scale distributed generation and solid state lighting (SSL) are seen as capable of adding a positive contribution in this area.

scholarly journals Optimal Solar Plant Site Identification Using GIS and Remote Sensing: Framework and Case Study

Energies ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alhammad ◽  
Qian (Chayn) Sun ◽  
Yaguang Tao
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Solar Plant ◽  
Plant Site ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Total Study Area ◽  
Site Identification

Many countries have set a goal for a carbon neutral future, and the adoption of solar energy as an alternative energy source to fossil fuel is one of the major measures planned. Yet not all locations are equally suitable for solar energy generation. This is due to uneven solar radiation distribution as well as various environmental factors. A number of studies in the literature have used multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to determine the most suitable places to build solar power plants. To the best of our knowledge, no study has addressed the subject of optimal solar plant site identification for the Al-Qassim region, although developing renewable energy in Saudi Arabia has been put on the agenda. This paper developed a spatial MCDA framework catering to the characteristics of the Al-Qassim region. The framework adopts several tools used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), such as Random Forest (RF) raster classification and model builder. The framework aims to ascertain the ideal sites for solar power plants in the Al-Qassim region in terms of the amount of potential photovoltaic electricity production (PVOUT) that could be produced from solar energy. For that, a combination of GIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques were employed to determine five sub-criteria weights (Slope, Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), proximity to roads, proximity to residential areas, proximity to powerlines) before performing spatial MCDA. The result showed that ‘the most suitable’ and ‘suitable’ areas for the establishment of solar plants are in the south and southwest of the region, representing about 17.53% of the study area. The ‘unsuitable’ areas account for about 10.17% of the total study area, which is mainly concentrated in the northern part. The rest of the region is further classified into ‘moderate’ and ‘restricted’ areas, which account for 46.42% and 25.88%, respectively. The most suitable area for potential solar energy, yields approximately 1905 Kwh/Kwp in terms of PVOUT. The proposed framework also has the potential to be applied to other regions nationally and internationally. This work contributes a reproducible GIS workflow for a low-cost but accurate adoption of a solar energy plan to achieve sustainable development goals.

Potential and future of concentrating solar power in Namibia

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Le Fol ◽  
K. Ndhlukula
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Electricity Sector ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Power Utility ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
National Power ◽  
Near Future

The Namibian electricity sector has mainly relied on electricity imports from the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) over the last decade. However, a growth in electricity demand and scarce import options could cause energy shortages. Therefore, new power plants ought to be commissioned in the near future to avoid the forecasted energy crisis. In this context, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) generation is regarded as an appropriate alternative to conventional energy technologies, particularly for the excellent solar regime available in Namibia. The study presents a GIS analysis that identifies suitable areas for CSP establishment. A broad range of geographical parameters such as solar radiation, topography, hydrology or land use are examined. The calculations show that the CSP ceiling generation in Namibia is equivalent to 70% of the worldwide electricity production. Moreover, the study offers a scenario analysis where concrete CSP alternatives are compared to coal-fired plant projects developed by the national power utility. Meteonorm and System Advisor Model (SAM) are used to design CSP alternatives located in the area offering the best combination between high solar irradiation and short distances to the infrastructures. Despite the affordability concern which has to be addressed with sound financial instruments, CSP represents a seminal opportunity for the energy sector in

scholarly journals Distributed Generation Integration to Grid using DG Controlled PQ Theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6S3) ◽  
pp. 754-760
Keyword(s):  
Distributed Generation ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Active Power ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Source Power ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
Bulk Power

Pollution and far-away location of generation are the main disadvantages regarding bulk power generation from conventional power plants like gas plants, thermal and nuclear power plants. These constraints give scope to look for alternative energy sources reducing pollution and distance of location. Distributed generation (DG) is a viable option to generate power at distribution level without pollution and further reducing transmission line losses due to distance. Sending power from renewable energy sources needs an inverter to be integrated with grid. Inverter also performs the task of harmonic filtering in source components acting as active power filter. This paper presents integration of distributed generation from PV array to grid via an inverter controlled with DG controlled PQ theory. When power is fed from distributed generation, the source power from main grid to load will decrease and this variation is shown in results. MATLAB/Simulink software was used to develop the proposed model and the results are discussed for different cases. Results are presented for two cases where the source current is affected by the load without APF and variable active power to grid with the integration of DG along with APF.

Development of alternative energy of Ukraine in the context of energy and environmental security of the state.

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-91
Author(s):  
I. PRYDATKO ◽  
◽  
Oleksandr Kollarov ◽  
N. TYUTYUNNYK ◽  
D. KARDASH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Electric Cars

Increased greenhouse gas emissions, climate change; loss of diversity of fauna and flora, depletion of mineral deposits, accumulation of huge volumes of industrial waste, increasing risks of shortages of some types of energy has led to the development and reaching new levels of renewable energy in many countries, mainly with strong economies. To date, a number of EU countries have virtually abandoned traditional nuclear energy, virtually curtailed fuel energy using nonrenewable fossil resources, and are working hard to develop new energy-saving technologies. In Ukraine, there is a similar tendency to reduce the production of electricity from thermal power plants and increase the share of renewable energy in total production. Unfortunately, in 2020 the structure of electricity production in Ukraine has changed and does not correspond to global trends in energy development. The share of electricity generation at TPPs has increased significantly, and the share of cleaner and cheaper NPP generation has decreased to 40%. There are a number of reasons for this, but we consider it urgent to return to the process of reducing TPP generation capacity. The dynamics of renewable energy development in the country is quite positive. Additional measures are also needed to ensure the safety of nuclear energy - to finally eliminate dependence on Russian fuel. Many countries have decided to abandon cars with internal combustion engines altogether. In Ukraine, the market for electric cars is also developing and the demand for such cars is growing every month. We are among the top 5 countries in terms of market development dynamics. The development of car designs with so-called "nuclear batteries" cannot be ruled out. There are many such technologies, but all of them are currently unfinished and limited in the use of security issues. It is necessary to stimulate the development of hydrogen and electric transport in our country at the legislative level. And last but not least: in order to form a philosophy of ecological consumption among the citizens of Ukraine, it is necessary to develop appropriate government programs, introduce them in education, science and industrial production

Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Electricity Production by Solarthermal Power Plants in Spain

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolanda Lechón ◽  
Cristina de la Rúa ◽  
Rosa Sáez
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Thermal Plant ◽  
Solar Thermal Power ◽  
Whole Life Cycle

The objectives of the analysis reported in this paper are to evaluate the environmental impacts of the electricity produced in a 17MW solar thermal plant with central tower technology and a 50MW solar thermal plant with parabolic trough technology, to identify the opportunities to improve the systems in order to reduce their environmental impacts, and to evaluate the environmental impact resulting from compliance with the solar thermal power objectives in Spain. The methodology chosen is the life cycle assessment (LCA), described in the international standard series ISO 14040-43. The functional unit has been defined as the production of 1kWh of electricity. Energy use needed to construct, operate, and dismantle the power plants is estimated. These results are used to calculate the “energy payback time” of these technologies. Results were around 1yr for both power plants. Environmental impacts analyzed include the global warming impacts along the whole life cycle of the power plants, which were around 200g∕kWh generated. Finally, the environmental impacts associated with the compliance of the solar thermal power objectives in Spain were computed. Those figures were then used to estimate the avoided environmental impacts including the potential CO2 emission savings that could be accomplished by these promotion policies. These savings amounted for 634kt of CO2 equiv./yr.

Economics of Renewable Energy: A Comparison of Electricity Production Costs Across Technologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Govinda R. Timilsina ◽  
Kalim U. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Heat Rate ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies

The levelized costs of electricity generation for renewable energy technologies differ and fluctuate depending on factors including capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, utilization factors, and economic lives. In addition to these factors, In the case of fossil fuels, prices and heat rate are also responsible for fluctuations. There is a global movement in favor renewable energy. Many countries have announced carbon-free electricity within the next 30–40 years, which implies massive expansion of renewable energy technologies. The newer investment trends in electricity generation technologies indicate the same. Technological breakthroughs and cost reductions of energy storage technologies would further favor renewable energy technologies and would decrease their intermittency hurdles. Developments that expand the scaling effect of renewable energy and the potential improvement in efficiency through continued research and development could bring the cost of renewable energy further down in the future. When the levelized costs of electricity generation are estimated, the declining trends of renewable energy costs are observed and can to a large extent (but not fully) be explained by certain potential drivers. Particularly for wind and solar, these drivers include technological innovation/improvements that have increased efficiency, policy supports such as research and development funding, economy of scale both on the manufacturing of equipment (solar panels, wind turbines) and installation of plants, and monopoly rent dissipation due to increased number of manufacturers and suppliers. Competition among equipment manufacturers and project developers may also contribute to cost decline as could cost reduction through improved product efficiency related to technological improvements and innovations.

scholarly journals Environmental and Economic Assessment of Portable Systems: Production of Wood-Briquettes and Torrefied-Briquettes to Generate Heat and Electricity

Fuels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-366
Author(s):  
Kamalakanta Sahoo ◽  
Sevda Alanya-Rosenbaum ◽  
Richard Bergman ◽  
Dalia Abbas ◽  
E. M. (Ted) Bilek
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Forest Residues ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Capital Costs

This study assessed the environmental impacts and economic feasibility of generating heat using wood-briquettes (WBs), and heat and electricity using torrefied-wood-briquettes (TWBs). WBs and TWBs were manufactured from forest residues using portable systems and delivered to either residential consumers or power plants in the United States. An integrated cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) approach was used to quantify environmental impacts and minimum-selling prices (MSPs) of heat and electricity, respectively. Results illustrated that 82% and 59% of the cradle-to-grave global warming (GW) impact of producing heat resulted from the feedstock preparation in WBs and torrefaction in TWBs, respectively. About 46–54% of total cost in the production of heat were from labor and capital costs only. The GW impact of electricity production with TWBs was dominated by the torrefaction process (48% contribution). Capital cost (50%) was a major contributor to the total cost of electricity production using TWBs. The GW impacts of producing heat were 7–37 gCO₂eq/MJ for WBs, and 14–51 gCO₂eq/MJ for TWBs, whereas producing electricity using TWBs was 146–443 gCO₂eq/kWhe. MSPs of generating heat from WBs and TWBs were €1.09–€1.73 and €1.60–€2.26/MJ, respectively, whereas the MSP of electricity from TWBs was €20–€25/kWhe. Considering carbon and pile-burn credits, MSPs of heat and electricity were reduced by 60–90% compared to the base-case.

scholarly journals INSTALLATION OF A ROOF SOLAR (PHOTOVOLTAIC) POWER PLANT FOR A COTTAGE COMPLEX OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WITH A CAPACITY OF 401.21 kW•peak

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Leonov
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
General System ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Potential Use

The publication is devoted to alternative energy in the general system of electricity production, in particular, solar power plants. Prospects for the introduction of solar energy in households in Ukraine are studied. An assessment of the potential use of solar energy in Ukraine is given. The risks of investing in solar power plants are analyzed.

WIND-DIESEL INSTALLATIONS FOR ISOLATED FAR NORTH AREAS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Александр Григорьевич Комков ◽  
Александр Константинович Сокольский
Keyword(s):  
Energy Supply ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Far North ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
Current State ◽  
Solar Power Plants

В статье рассмотрено современное состояние энергоснабжения и перспективы развития альтернативных источников энергии на территории Крайнего Севера. Отмечено, что несмотря на острую потребность во внедрении возобновляемых источников энергии, установленные мощности всех ветряных и солнечных электростанций в регионе не превышают 7-8 МВт. Также в работе рассчитаны технический и экономический потенциал ветровой энергии региона, на основании которых подобрана наиболее эффективная установка. The article discusses the current state of energy supply and the prospects for the development of alternative energy sources in the Far North. It is noted that despite the urgent need for the introduction of renewable energy sources, the installed capacities of all wind and solar power plants in the region do not exceed 7-8 MW. Also, the technical and economic potential of the region’s wind energy was calculated based on which the most efficient installation was selected.

scholarly journals Emerging Energy Harvesting Technology for Electro/Photo-Catalytic Water Splitting Application

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Jianfei Tang ◽  
Tianle Liu ◽  
Sijia Miao ◽  
Yuljae Cho
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Water Splitting ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Energy Applications ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Splitting System

In recent years, we have experienced extreme climate changes due to the global warming, continuously impacting and changing our daily lives. To build a sustainable environment and society, various energy technologies have been developed and introduced. Among them, energy harvesting, converting ambient environmental energy into electrical energy, has emerged as one of the promising technologies for a variety of energy applications. In particular, a photo (electro) catalytic water splitting system, coupled with emerging energy harvesting technology, has demonstrated high device performance, demonstrating its great social impact for the development of the new water splitting system. In this review article, we introduce and discuss in detail the emerging energy-harvesting technology for photo (electro) catalytic water splitting applications. The article includes fundamentals of photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting and water splitting applications coupled with the emerging energy-harvesting technologies using piezoelectric, piezo-phototronic, pyroelectric, triboelectric, and photovoltaic effects. We comprehensively deal with different mechanisms in water splitting processes with respect to the energy harvesting processes and their effect on the water splitting systems. Lastly, new opportunities in energy harvesting-assisted water splitting are introduced together with future research directions that need to be investigated for further development of new types of water splitting systems.

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