scholarly journals Trade-Offs in German Wind Energy Expansion: Building Bridges Between Different Interests, Values and Priorities.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Reitz ◽  
Lauren Goshen ◽  
Dörte Ohlhorst
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Local Opposition

Abstract Background: In order to achieve climate targets, a transition to low-carbon energy production is necessary. However, conflicts between different interests, values and priorities, particularly at the community level, can constrain this transition. This paper aims to analyze lines of conflict and opportunities for building bridges between conflicting interests in the expansion of wind energy in Germany at the local level, in order to achieve successful implementation of wind energy projects.Results: Our analysis of four cases of local-level wind energy projects in Germany shows that limited local options for action reinforce the need for local actors to maximize the benefits of energy transition projects. In addition to the conflict over scarce space, the lines of conflict at the local level run primarily along the dimensions of costs and benefits, winners and losers. Real or perceived procedural and distributive injustices have the potential to fuel resistance to wind energy projects in the selected cases. Wind energy projects were successfully implemented in the four selected cases despite the presence of local opposition.Conclusions: The results show that, by integrating procedural and distributive justice and offering tailored solutions, community support for expansion of renewable energy projects can be enhanced. Further, the paper advances the concept of societal sponsorship, which is the willingness of members of a community to bear, or tolerate, decisions despite conflicting opinions. This concept is presented as an alternative to the concept of acceptance, which implies a positive, supportive attitude, and that protest should be avoided or overcome instead of recognized as a contribution to the debate. Societal sponsorship can be enhanced when procedural and distributive justice are adequately addressed.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency and GHG Emissions Mapping of Buildings for Decision-Making Processes against Climate Change at the Local Level

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Lorenzo-Sáez ◽  
José-Vicente Oliver-Villanueva ◽  
Eloina Coll-Aliaga ◽  
Lenin-Guillermo Lemus-Zúñiga ◽  
Victoria Lerma-Arce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy

Buildings have become a key source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the consumption of primary energy, especially when used to achieve thermal comfort conditions. In addition, buildings play a key role for adapting societies to climate change by achieving more energy efficiency. Therefore, buildings have become a key sector to tackle climate change at the local level. However, public decision-makers do not have tools with enough spatial resolution to prioritise and focus the available resources and efforts in an efficient manner. The objective of the research is to develop an innovative methodology based on a geographic information system (GIS) for mapping primary energy consumption and GHG emissions in buildings in cities according to energy efficiency certificates. The developed methodology has been tested in a representative medium-sized city in Spain, obtaining an accurate analysis that shows 32,000 t of CO2 emissions due to primary energy consumption of 140 GWh in residential buildings with high spatial resolution at single building level. The obtained results demonstrate that the majority of residential buildings have low levels of energy efficiency and emit an average of 45 kg CO2/m2. Compared to the national average in Spain, this obtained value is on the average, while it is slightly better at the regional level. Furthermore, the results obtained demonstrate that the developed methodology is able to directly identify city districts with highest potential for improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions. Additionally, a data model adapted to the INSPIRE regulation has been developed in order to ensure interoperability and European-wide application. All these results have allowed the local authorities to better define local strategies towards a low-carbon economy and energy transition. In conclusion, public decision-makers will be supported with an innovative and user-friendly GIS-based methodology to better define local strategies towards a low-carbon economy and energy transition in a more efficient and transparent way based on metrics of high spatial resolution and accuracy.

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 Climate Change Policy and Power Sector Reform in Mexico under the Golden Age of Gas

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Valenzuela ◽  
Isabel Studer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The Political ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Change Policy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Term Energy ◽  
The One

Mexico’s low-carbon technology perspectives show lack of coherence with the rising ambition in climate change commitments, for which Mexico is internationally praised. The comparison of two recent energy reforms, corresponding to two administrations, explains this lack of coherence by, on the one hand, the permanence of a strong climate institutional framework devised as a means to increase energy security and, on the other hand, the political commitment to reduce electricity tariffs through the access to low-priced gas in North America. The chapter underscores the political economy trade-offs between the need for a strong climate commitment that provides a stable long-term energy transition pathway and the political and economic short-term benefits derived from low electricity tariffs.

Energy Transition: Optimizing Existing E&P Value and Clean Energy Potential

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Allan ◽  
Richard Brogan
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
P Value ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Reduction of CO2 emissions has become a key component of many E&P company strategies, reflecting the accelerating demands of interest groups, activist investors, and country specific legislation for specific targets and measures of carbon footprint reduction. Underlying this requirement for change are the existing investments and cash flows resulting from the core ‘conventional’ business opportunities, that while potentially carbon heavy generate the cashflows needed to sustain and grow the business. Our work with several major energy firms has shown that assumptions and decisions impacting the pace of needed change need to be carefully tested, as many of the optimal decisions are counter intuitive. An example at a large integrated company was the insight that expansion of its shale resource investments accelerated the transition to a lower carbon footprint, given the cashflow generation and potential to advance low carbon alternatives in parallel. A portfolio model has been developed that replicates many of the options a company might assess in developing a strategy for carbon reduction and energy transition. This includes estimations of carbon generation from existing businesses as well as carbon reducing strategies ranging from carbon capture to new clean energy sources such as wind, solar, or hydrogen. A case study is used to represent the existing performance delivery and expectations for a large, integrated oil firm as it ‘transitions’ into a cleaner, low-carbon company. This modelling provides a window into the complexity of timing trade-offs, criticality in specific early investments, and drivers to the decisions surrounding a transitional business. The impacts of stasis, premature ‘forced’ transition, and errors in new clean energy ‘bets’ are assessed and tested, providing insights into risk mitigation strategies and alternatives. The case study clarifies the complexity in trade-offs within what appears to be a ‘simple’ energy transition strategy. This highlights the value and insights resulting from quantitative modelling of these decision structures. This paper provides examples of current methods of quantifying and assessing carbon reducing strategies. As the actual costs of generation depends on political considerations and societal demands, a wide range of typical company assumptions is outlined. In assessing alternative sources, the paper outlines the related ‘costs’ in the most touted clean-energy alternatives, both in the costs of implementation as well as the possible costs or charges resulting from future carbon generation. While most integrated energy companies have considered carbon reduction within their strategic plans for many years now, the investments in carbon reduction are for the most part negligible in comparison to conventional investments. International attention to carbon reduction and changes in societal expectations are putting additional pressures on companies to adapt more rapidly. However, transition introduces additional uncertainty, as seen by the possibility of a reduction in the credit ratings of some companies. Planning and understanding the proposed path is key to success.

scholarly journals Prospects, Politics, and Practices of Solar Energy Innovation in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frauke Urban ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Sam Geall
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Trade Offs

This article examines the prospects of, and politics and practices around, solar energy in China. It examines two different solar energy technologies, namely, solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heaters (SWHs), to understand how different pathways for low-carbon innovation are supported and constrained by (the lack of) political support at the national and local level, the interactions between state and nonstate actors, as well as how they relate to changing practices among consumers. This article also discusses obstacles and trade-offs. We find two very different approaches to solar energy. The solar PV industry in China is experiencing increased domestic growth, after many years of being mainly export-oriented. Prices declined rapidly in recent years, and solar PV also enjoys much political and financial support from the central government and local governments. However, there are high bureaucratic and technical hurdles to get grid connected and access the feed-in-tariff, particularly for individual users. SWHs on the other side are a “homegrown” Chinese technology that is ubiquitous in China, particularly in rural areas; that is easy to install and use; and that has developed from the grassroots levels to mass products with relatively little government support. Although being largely neglected by high-level discussions and plans, SWHs could contribute much to low-carbon transitions that are driven at the local level in China.

(Counter)mapping renewables: Space, justice, and politics of wind and solar power in Mexico

2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862110606
Author(s):  
Sofia Avila ◽  
Yannick Deniau ◽  
Alevgul H Sorman ◽  
James McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Critical Geography ◽  
Critical Cartography ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Political Dimensions ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Political Economic

The ongoing expansion of renewable energies entails major spatial reconfigurations with social, environmental, and political dimensions. These emerging geographies are, however, in the process of taking shape, as their early configurations are still open to democratic intervention and contestation. While a recent line of research highlights the prominent role that maps are playing in directing such processes, the potential effects of countermapping on these evolving geographies have not yet been explored. In this article, we present a countermapping initiative promoting a dialogue between critical geography, political ecology, and environmental justice. Our work is the result of an alliance between Geocomunes—a collective of activist cartographers based in Mexico—and the EjAtlas—a global collaborative project tracking cases of grassroots mobilizations against environmental injustices. We take the case of Mexico's low-carbon development strategy to dissect the spatial expansion of wind and solar mega-projects at both national and regional scales. Our project consists of a series of databases and maps aimed to “fill” the spaces and relations otherwise “emptied” by the state's cartographic tools designed to promote investments in the sector. When presenting our results, we highlight how renewable energy projects in Mexico have so far juxtaposed with local territories, peoples, and resources, in ways that trigger instances of environmental injustice on the ground. We close this article by discussing the role of critical cartography and countermapping in building alternative political–economic projects for the energy transition.

scholarly journals Optimization of Generation Cost, Environmental Impact, and Reliability of a Microgrid Using Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1277-1284
Author(s):  
Ikramul Hasan Sohel ◽  
Showrov Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
System Reliability ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Nsga Ii ◽  
Optimal Dispatch ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Generation Cost

Over the past years, energy sectors have accomplished considerable progress in the transition from conventional fossil-based energy to low-carbon energy production, and microgrids are playing important roles in this sustainable energy transition. One of the key challenges for microgrids is to deliver power with the least possible cost and that too with such an approach that the environmental impact is the lowest and the overall system reliability is high enough. For this reason, generation cost, emission entities, and system reliability need to be efficiently optimized. Towards this goal, an online multi-objective technique has been employed to optimize cost, emission and system reliability taking these three factors in pairs at a time. The optimization model is designed using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), and the algorithm has been employed for several double objective scenarios considering reliability as an objective and later as a constraint. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, the simulation results are compared with the relative parameters from a different model that uses the strength pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA). The results show that the proposed technique satisfies the multi-objective optimization goals and provides good trade-offs between the conflicting objective functions while finding the optimal dispatch.

Valuing System Flexibility Through adding Pumped Hydro Energy Storage in the New England Electricity System

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Destenie Nock ◽  
Erin Baker
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Power System ◽  
New England ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
System Sustainability

<p>As energy transition pushes the world towards low-carbon or high renewable economies, the share of renewables supplying electricity continues to increase. Due to their intermittent nature, as the share of renewables increases so does the demand for flexibility in power systems. Pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) is one method of enhancing power system flexibility due to its ability to regulate power output from renewables, acting as a supplier and consumer, and enhance overall system sustainability through enhancing the capacity factor of renewables and being a low emission technology. In this paper we estimate the trade-offs of PHES additions to a regions power system using an electricity dispatch model tied with multi-criteria decision analysis considering the three pillars of sustainability (i.e. social, environmental, and economical). We rank various low carbon generation portfolios, which contain a mix of PHES, wind, solar, natural gas, nuclear, and oil, under nine illustrative preference scenarios. In this work we find that using PHES to support renewables increases sustainability in the New England Power System. We find that the optimal strategy to enhance flexibility and sustainability of power systems may be to simply add storage to the system due to its ability to reduce GHG emissions and support renewables.</p>

Determinants and barriers of PV self-consumption in Spain from the perception of the installers for the promotion of distributed energy systems

2020 ◽  
pp. 153-169
Author(s):  
José Ángel Gimeno ◽  
Eva Llera Sastresa ◽  
Sabina Scarpellini
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Distributed Energy ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Transition Scenario

Currently, self-consumption and distributed energy facilities are considered as viable and sustainable solutions in the energy transition scenario within the European Union. In a low carbon society, the exploitation of renewables for self-consumption is closely tied to the energy market at the territorial level, in search of a compromise between competitiveness and the sustainable exploitation of resources. Investments in these facilities are highly sensitive to the existence of favourable conditions at the territorial level, and the energy policies adopted in the European Union have contributed positively to the distributed renewables development and the reduction of their costs in the last decade. However, the number of the installed facilities is uneven in the European Countries and those factors that are more determinant for the investments in self-consumption are still under investigation. In this scenario, this paper presents the main results obtained through the analysis of the determinants in self-consumption investments from a case study in Spain, where the penetration of this type of facilities is being less relevant than in other countries. As a novelty of this study, the main influential drivers and barriers in self-consumption are classified and analysed from the installers' perspective. On the basis of the information obtained from the installers involved in the installation of these facilities, incentives and barriers are analysed within the existing legal framework and the potential specific lines of the promotion for the effective deployment of self-consumption in an energy transition scenario.

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