scholarly journals Renewable Energy as a Catalyst for Equity? Integrating Inuit Interests With Nunavik Energy Planning

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Paquet ◽  
Geneviève Cloutier ◽  
Myriam Blais
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Petroleum Resources ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Integrated Sustainability

Nunavik’s residents experience significant social and environmental disruptions due to climate change. These disruptions add to the widespread changes that the Inuit have encountered over the last century—changes that have left this community totally dependent on fossil fuels for heat and power. Over time, Nunavik’s residents have taken control of petroleum resources and their distribution, transforming this energy source into a major regional economic asset. Recently, there has been a transition towards renewable energy technologies (RETs) in Nunavik. However, are these alternative sources of energy appealing to local residents? This article explores the potential of RETs through the lens of procedural and substantive equity in the context of Inuit interests and integrated sustainability. Based on informal discussions with Inuit residents, interviews with stakeholders of the energy transition in Nunavik, and a literature analysis, this article presents two main results: (1) The level of substantive equity depends mainly on the type of RET and on idiosyncrasies between communities, and (2) local governance and procedural equity need to be asserted so that RETs can become true catalysts for equity.

scholarly journals  Can the 1.5 deg C warming target be met in a global transition to 100% renewable energy? 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Schwartzman ◽  
Peter Schwartzman
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Status ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Air Capture ◽  
State Of The Science

<p>Can the 1.5 deg C warming target still be met with an aggressive phaseout of fossil fuels coupled with a 100% replacement by renewable energy?  We address this question in our modeling study by computing the continuous generation of global wind/solar energy power along with the cumulative carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in a complete phaseout of fossil fuels over a 20 year period. We assume a baseline of energy status at 2018, as well as the EROI of currently available wind/solar energy technologies.  We compare these computed emissions with the state-of-the-science estimates for the remaining carbon budget of carbon dioxide emissions consistent with the 1.5 deg C warming target. Our conclusion is that it is still possible to meet this warming target if the creation of a global 100% renewable energy transition of sufficient capacity begins very soon, coupled with aggressive negative carbon emissions. The latter technology uses a fraction of total renewable energy delivery for direct air capture for permanent crustal storage over the last ten years of this energy transition that is compatible for simulations with no more than 10 to 15 % reinvestment of renewable energy to make more of itself. More efficient renewable technologies in the near future will make this transition easier.  The maximum amount of fossil fuel consumed in our scenarios for the complete transition is no more than 5% of the proven reserves of coal, natural gas and oil as currently estimated.  </p><p> </p><p> </p>

scholarly journals The state of green energy transition in regional industrial centres—The case study of Székesfehérvár

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
Sustainable Solutions

Abstract Industrial parks may be high pollutants of the local environment, but also engines of regional development, employment, and economic value added. To make them more sustainable, regional planning often purports to promote a transition to a greener approach, but in reality, many green measures oppose business logic and profitability, while those companies that do invest in sustainable solutions do so without having a clear strategy. This complicated setup is to be explored and modelled in this article which is focused on a remarkable area, the urban region of Székesfehérvár, an industrial city in Hungary having an impressive economic development and hosting significant domestic and international companies. The disharmony between greening policies, intentions and actions is observable in Székesfehérvár, despite the considerable local and regional potentials of renewable energy resources. Findings indicate that systemic thinking and future-oriented decision making will be necessary to achieve true sustainability, which also requires a mutually proactive attitude and the cooperation of different sectors. A legitimate strategy aiming at greening the local and regional economy (with renewable energy concerns), implemented by both public and business actors can be the key element of a successful transition. This strategy needs to be stimulated by local governance.

Modern Optimization Algorithms and Applications in Solar Photovoltaic Engineering

2016 ◽  
pp. 390-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Tyukhov ◽  
Hegazy Rezk ◽  
Pandian Vasant
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Smart Grids ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Point Tracking ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
Primary Energy Supply ◽  
Power Point

This chapter is devoted to main tendencies of optimization in photovoltaic (PV) engineering showing the main trends in modern energy transition - the changes in the composition (structure) of primary energy supply, the gradual shift from a traditional (mainly based on fossil fuels) energy to a new stage based on renewable energy systems from history to current stage and to future. The concrete examples (case studies) of optimization PV systems in different concepts of using from power electronics (particularly maximum power point tracking optimization) to implementing geographic information system (GIS) are considered. The chapter shows the gradual shifting optimization from specific quite narrow areas to the new stages of optimization of the very complex energy systems (actually smart grids) based on photovoltaics and also other renewable energy sources and GIS.

scholarly journals Long-Term Electricity Scenarios for the MENA Region: Assessing the Preferences of Local Stakeholders Using Multi-Criteria Analyses

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 3046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Zelt ◽  
Christine Krüger ◽  
Marina Blohm ◽  
Sönke Bohm ◽  
Shahrazad Far
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Electricity Mix ◽  
Hierarchy Process

In recent years, most countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), including Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, have rolled out national policies with the goal of decarbonising their economies. Energy policy goals in these countries have been characterised by expanding the deployment of renewable energy technologies in the electricity mix in the medium term (i.e., until 2030). This tacitly signals a transformation of socio-technical systems by 2030 and beyond. Nevertheless, how these policy objectives actually translate into future scenarios that can also take into account a long-term perspective up to 2050 and correspond to local preferences remains largely understudied. This paper aims to fill this gap by identifying the most widely preferred long-term electricity scenarios for Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. During a series of two-day workshops (one in each country), the research team, along with local stakeholders, adopted a participatory approach to develop multiple 2050 electricity scenarios, which enabled electricity pathways to be modelled using Renewable Energy Pathway Simulation System GIS (renpassG!S). We subsequently used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) within a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) to capture local preferences. The empirical findings show that local stakeholders in all three countries preferred electricity scenarios mainly or even exclusively based on renewables. The findings demonstrate a clear preference for renewable energies and show that useful insights can be generated using participatory approaches to energy planning.

Risk Analysis in Renewable Energy System (RES) Investment for a Developing Country: A Case Study in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-223
Author(s):  
Izzet Alp Gul ◽  
Gülgün Kayakutlu ◽  
M. Özgür Kayalica
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Infrastructure Investments

Technological improvements allow changing a significant part of the electricity generation investments to renewable energies. Especially in emerging markets and energy import-dependent countries, shift to renewable energy generation became more important to break the links of dependency. Pakistan relies on imported fossil fuels; however, the country’s experience and ambition about the renewable energy transition gain prominence in recent years. Considering the long-term life cycle of energy infrastructure investments, possible risk factors and their dynamic nature must be analysed before the financial decisions are taken. This article aims to propose a system dynamics model for the risk analysis of investment life cycle. In this study, possible risk factors are detected and discussed in different categories. The casual loop diagram of possible risk factors and risk assessment model are designed, and the impacts are analysed. Case study of the proposed model in Pakistan highlighted the importance of commercial risks. The results achieved through this study will guide investors, sector participants and policymakers to develop stable strategies for promoting renewable energy in the country. JEL: Q42, P48, O13

scholarly journals The Power to Change: A Brief Survey of The Wind Power’s Technological and Societal Potential, Barriers to Use, and Ways Forward

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. p11
Author(s):  
Helen Kopnina
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
The Government ◽  
Carbon Dependency

With the effects of climate change linked to the use of fossil fuels, as well as the prospect of their eventual depletion, becoming more noticeable, political establishment and society appear ready to switch towards using renewable energy. Solar power and wind power are considered to be the most significant source of global low-carbon energy supply. Wind energy continues to expand as it becomes cheaper and more technologically advanced. Yet, despite these expectations and developments, fossil fuels still comprise nine-tenths of the global commercial energy supply. In this article, the history, technology, and politics involved in the production and barriers to acceptance of wind energy will be explored. The central question is why, despite the problems associated with the use of fossil fuels, carbon dependency has not yet given way to the more ecologically benign forms of energy. Having briefly surveyed some literature on the role of political and corporate stakeholders, as well as theories relating to sociological and psychological factors responsible for the grassroots’ resistance (“not in my backyard” or NIMBYs) to renewable energy, the findings indicate that motivation for opposition to wind power varies. While the grassroots resistance is often fueled by the mistrust of the government, the governments’ reason for resisting renewable energy can be explained by their history of a close relationship with the industrial partners. This article develops an argument that understanding of various motivations for resistance at different stakeholder levels opens up space for better strategies for a successful energy transition.

scholarly journals Can the 1.5 ℃ warming target be met in a global transition to 100% renewable energy?

AIMS Energy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1170-1191
Author(s):  
Peter Schwartzman ◽  
◽  
David Schwartzman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation

<abstract> <p>First, we recognize the valuable previous studies which model renewable energy growth with complete termination of fossil fuels along with assumptions of the remaining carbon budgets to reach IPCC warming targets. However, these studies use very complex combined economic/physical modeling and commonly lack transparency regarding the sensitivity to assumed inputs. Moreover, it is not clear that energy poverty with its big present impact in the global South has been eliminated in their scenarios. Further, their CO<sub>2</sub>-equivalent natural gas emission factors are underestimated, which will have significant impact on the computed greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, we address this question in a transparent modeling study: can the 1.5 ℃ warming target still be met with an aggressive phaseout of fossil fuels coupled with a 100% replacement by renewable energy? We compute the continuous generation of global wind/solar energy power along with the cumulative carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in a complete phaseout of fossil fuels over a 20 year period. We compare these computed emissions with the state-of-the-science estimates for the remaining carbon budget of carbon dioxide emissions consistent with the 1.5 ℃ warming target, concluding that it is still possible to meet this warming target if the creation of a global 100% renewable energy transition of sufficient capacity begins very soon which will likely be needed to power aggressive negative carbon emission technology. The latter is focused on direct air capture for crustal storage. More efficient renewable technologies in the near future will make this transition easier and promote the implementation of a global circular economy. Taking into account technological improvements in 2<sup>nd</sup> law (exergy) efficiencies reducing the necessary global energy demand, the renewable supply should likely be no more than 1.5 times the present level, with the capacity to eliminate global energy poverty, for climate mitigation and adaptation.</p> </abstract>

scholarly journals Integrated Renewable Energy Systems in Fruit and Vegetable Processing Industries: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Sofia Lewis Lopes ◽  
Elizabeth Duarte ◽  
Rita Fragoso
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Waste Production ◽  
New Business ◽  
Exponential Population Growth

The exponential population growth will put great pressure on natural resources, agriculture, energy systems and waste production. New business models and innovative technological approaches are necessary to tackle these challenges and achieve the energy transition targets set by the European Commission. Renewable energy technologies and processes such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and anaerobic co-digestion have become a subject of interest and research as a solution that could be fully implemented in industries and solve several environmental and economic problems. This paper discusses the possibility of integrating and complement these technologies to maximize renewable energy production and circularity. The review was performed with a funnel approach aiming to analyze broad to specific subjects. Beginning with a literature review on the various definitions of circular economy, bioeconomy, and circular bioeconomy, ultimately proposing a single definition according to an industrial and academic scope combination, followed by a systematization and assessment of data and literature regarding energy systems present state and projections. The next phase was to assess data and literature of the fruit and vegetable processing industry from an energy consumption and biowaste production perspective to consequently discussing technologies that could help manage problems identified throughout this review. This paper culminates in propounding an Integrated Renewable Energy System conceptual model that promotes energy and waste circularity, envisioning how industries could be designed or redesigned in the future, coupled with a circular bioeconomy business model.

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