scholarly journals Towards Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Energy and Chemical Sectors in Switzerland and Beyond – A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 788-799
Author(s):  
Simone Brethauer ◽  
Michael Hans-Peter Studer
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Oil Demand ◽  
Current Energy

In today's societies, climate-damaging and finite fossil resources such as oil and natural gas serve a dual purpose as energy source and as carbon source for chemicals and plastics. To respond to the finite availability and to meet international climate goals, a change to a renewable energy and raw material basis is inevitable and represents a highly complex task. In this review, we assess possible technology paths for Switzerland to reach these goals. First, we provide an overview of Switzerland's current energy demand and discuss possible renewable technologies as well as proposed scenarios to defossilize the current energy system. In here, electric vehicles and heat pumps are key technologies, whereas mainly photovoltaics replace nuclear power to deliver clean electricity. The production of chemicals also consumes fossil resources and for Switzerland, the oil demand for imported domestically used chemicals and plastics corresponds to around 20% of the current energetic oil demand. Thus, we additionally summarize technologies and visions for a sustainable chemical sector based on the renewable carbon sources biomass, CO2 and recycled plastic. As biomass is the most versatile renewable energy and carbon source, although with a limited availability, aspects and proposed strategies for an optimal use are discussed.

scholarly journals Enough Metals? Resource Constraints to Supply a Fully Renewable Energy System

Resources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Moreau ◽  
Piero Dos Reis ◽  
François Vuille
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Renewable Energy System

The transition from a fossil fuel base to a renewable energy system relies on materials and, in particular, metals to manufacture and maintain energy conversion technologies. Supply constraints shift from fossil fuels to mineral resources. We assess the availability of metal reserves and resources to build an energy system based exclusively on renewable energy technologies. A mass balance of 29 metals embodied in renewable energy technologies is compiled in order to satisfy global energy demand, based on five authoritative energy scenarios for 2050. We expand upon these scenarios by modeling the storage capacity needed to support high shares of intermittent renewables (wind and solar). The metal requirements are then compared with the current demand and proven reserves and ultimate mineable resources. This allows us to distinguish between constraints related to renewable energy sources from those linked to technology mixes. The results show that proven reserves and, in specific cases, resources of several metals are insufficient to build a renewable energy system at the predicted level of global energy demand by 2050. The comparison between reserves and resources shows that scarcity relates sometimes more to techno economic supply than to raw material availability. Our results also highlight the importance of substitution among technologies and metals as well as the limited impact of recycling on the depletion of scarce metals.

scholarly journals Techno-Economic Analysis of a Novel Hydrogen-Based Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Both Grid-Tied and Off-Grid Power Supply in Japan: The Case of Fukushima Prefecture

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoto Takatsu ◽  
Hooman Farzaneh
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Integrated Simulation ◽  
Hybrid Renewable Energy System ◽  
Renewable Energy System ◽  
Hybrid Renewable Energy

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, energy security and vulnerability have become critical issues facing the Japanese energy system. The integration of renewable energy sources to meet specific regional energy demand is a promising scenario to overcome these challenges. To this aim, this paper proposes a novel hydrogen-based hybrid renewable energy system (HRES), in which hydrogen fuel can be produced using both the methods of solar electrolysis and supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of biomass feedstock. The produced hydrogen is considered to function as an energy storage medium by storing renewable energy until the fuel cell converts it to electricity. The proposed HRES is used to meet the electricity demand load requirements for a typical household in a selected residential area located in Shinchi-machi in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. The techno-economic assessment of deploying the proposed systems was conducted, using an integrated simulation-optimization modeling framework, considering two scenarios: (1) minimization of the total cost of the system in an off-grid mode and (2) maximization of the total profit obtained from using renewable electricity and selling surplus solar electricity to the grid, considering the feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme in a grid-tied mode. As indicated by the model results, the proposed HRES can generate about 47.3 MWh of electricity in all scenarios, which is needed to meet the external load requirement in the selected study area. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of the system in scenarios 1 and 2 was estimated at 55.92 JPY/kWh and 56.47 JPY/kWh, respectively.

scholarly journals Optimal Planning and Operation of a Residential Energy Community under Shared Electricity Incentives

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2045
Author(s):  
Pierpaolo Garavaso ◽  
Fabio Bignucolo ◽  
Jacopo Vivian ◽  
Giulia Alessio ◽  
Michele De Carli
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Technical Equipment ◽  
Optimal Planning

Energy communities (ECs) are becoming increasingly common entities in power distribution networks. To promote local consumption of renewable energy sources, governments are supporting members of ECs with strong incentives on shared electricity. This policy encourages investments in the residential sector for building retrofit interventions and technical equipment renovations. In this paper, a general EC is modeled as an energy hub, which is deemed as a multi-energy system where different energy carriers are converted or stored to meet the building energy needs. Following the standardized matrix modeling approach, this paper introduces a novel methodology that aims at jointly identifying both optimal investments (planning) and optimal management strategies (operation) to supply the EC’s energy demand in the most convenient way under the current economic framework and policies. Optimal planning and operating results of five refurbishment cases for a real multi-family building are found and discussed, both in terms of overall cost and environmental impact. Simulation results verify that investing in building thermal efficiency leads to progressive electrification of end uses. It is demonstrated that the combination of improvements on building envelope thermal performances, photovoltaic (PV) generation, and heat pump results to be the most convenient refurbishment investment, allowing a 28% overall cost reduction compared to the benchmark scenario. Furthermore, incentives on shared electricity prove to stimulate higher renewable energy source (RES) penetration, reaching a significant reduction of emissions due to decreased net energy import.

scholarly journals Optimal Design on Fossil-to-Renewable Energy Transition of Regional Integrated Energy Systems under CO2 Emission Abatement Control: A Case Study in Dalian, China

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2879
Author(s):  
Xinxin Liu ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Feng Liu ◽  
Hailin Mu ◽  
Longxi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Optimal Design ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Total Annual Cost ◽  
Emission Abatement ◽  
Integrated Energy Systems

Optimal design of regional integrated energy systems (RIES) offers great potential for better managing energy sources, lower costs and reducing environmental impact. To capture the transition process from fossil fuel to renewable energy, a flexible RIES, including the traditional energy system (TES) based on the coal and biomass based distributed energy system (BDES), was designed to meet a regional multiple energy demand. In this paper, we analyze multiple scenarios based on a new rural community in Dalian (China) to capture the relationship among the energy supply cost, increased share of biomass, system configuration transformation, and renewable subsidy according to regional CO2 emission abatement control targets. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model was developed to find the optimal solutions. The results indicated that a 40.58% increase in the share of biomass in the RIES was the most cost-effective way as compared to the separate TES and BDES. Based on the RIES with minimal cost, by setting a CO2 emission reduction control within 40%, the RIES could ensure a competitive total annual cost as compared to the TES. In addition, when the reduction control exceeds 40%, a subsidy of 53.83 to 261.26 RMB/t of biomass would be needed to cover the extra cost to further increase the share of biomass resource and decrease the CO2 emission.

scholarly journals Bioenergía a partir de microalgas en México

2019 ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Sheila Genoveva Pérez-Bravo ◽  
Ana María Mendoza-Martínez ◽  
Maria del Refugio Castañeda-Chávez ◽  
Luciano Aguilera-Vázquez
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
World Population ◽  
Fuel Prices ◽  
Lipid Contents ◽  
Current Energy ◽  
Short Carbon

The energy demand of the world population is increasing due to population growth and technological development. The current energy base is a generator of CO2 emissions, the most abundant and main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, as well as pollutants, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. The environmental deterioration and the increase in fossil fuel prices make it necessary to investigate less aggressive energy sources with the environment at competitive costs in the market. Biofuels are an alternative for energy production due to their origin in the short carbon cycle, their emissions are considered almost zero, including biodiesel and bioethanol. The latter can be obtained from microalgae rich in carbohydrates and lipids, easy to grow in short periods of time. The objective of this research is to summarize the findings made about the existence of useful microalgae as raw material to produce biofuels in Mexican territory. An exhaustive review of the literature was carried out, which contributed to estimate the microalgal diversity in the country and its lipid contents as well as carbohydrates, with different species of the genera Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Desmodesmus being found mainly.

Sustainable energy solutions for thermal load in buildings - Role of heat pumps, solar thermal, and hydrogen-based cogeneration systems

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Praveen Cheekatamarla ◽  
Vishaldeep Sharma ◽  
Bo Shen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Coefficient Of Performance ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Economic and population growth is leading to increased energy demand across all sectors – buildings, transportation, and industry. Adoption of new energy consumers such as electric vehicles could further increase this growth. Sensible utilization of clean renewable energy resources is necessary to sustain this growth. Thermal needs in a building pose a significant challenge to the energy infrastructure. Supporting the current and future building thermal energy needs to offset the total electric demand while lowering the carbon footprint and enhancing the grid flexibility is presented in this study. Performance assessment of heat pumps, renewable energy, non-fossil fuel-based cogeneration systems, and their hybrid configurations was conducted. The impact of design configuration, coefficient of performance (COP), electric grid's primary energy efficiency on the key attributes of total carbon footprint, life cycle costs, operational energy savings, and site-specific primary energy efficiency are analyzed and discussed in detail.

scholarly journals Optimal Municipal Energy System Design and Operation Using Cumulative Exergy Consumption Minimisation

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Kriechbaum ◽  
Thomas Kienberger
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
System Design ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Variable Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Exergy Consumption

In developed countries like Austria the renewable energy potential might outpace the demand. This requires primary energy efficiency measures as well as an energy system design that enables the integration of variable renewable energy sources. Municipal energy systems, which supply customers with heat and electricity, will play an important role in this task. The cumulative exergy consumption methodology considers resource consumption from the raw material to the final product. It includes the exergetic expenses for imported energy as well as for building the energy infrastructure. In this paper, we determine the exergy optimal energy system design of an exemplary municipal energy system by using cumulative exergy consumption minimisation. The results of a case study show that well a linked electricity and heat system using heat pumps, combined heat power plants and battery and thermal storages is necessary. This enables an efficient supply and also provides the necessary flexibilities for integrating variable renewable energy sources.

scholarly journals Research on Operation Optimization Strategy of Integrated Energy System Considering Ground Source Heat Pump

2020 ◽  
Vol 165 ◽  
pp. 01013
Author(s):  
Linfeng Wang ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Nan Xu ◽  
Jingyan Wang ◽  
Danyang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Heat Pumps ◽  
Optimal Operation ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Operation Strategy ◽  
Ground Source Heat Pumps ◽  
Operation Optimization ◽  
Ground Source ◽  
Integrated Energy System

With the depletion of fossil energy and the popularity of renewable energy, a comprehensive energy system with the goal of improving system energy efficiency and consuming renewable energy is booming. Based on the combined heat, power, and heat generation, this paper builds a comprehensive energy system operation optimization model in conjunction with ground source heat pumps. It aims to find the optimal operation strategy based on the actual situation of the park’s load, equipment capacity, and energy prices. Using the linear programming method, a mathematical model with the best economic efficiency of the integrated energy system is established, the optimal operation strategy for a typical day is analyzed, and the annual operation is simulated. Finally, it compares with conventional energy supply methods and analyzes the contribution to the consumption of renewable energy.

Shaping Our Future With Sustainable Energy: A Direction From Young Engineers

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Fabian Feldhoff ◽  
Carina Hofmann ◽  
Stefan Hübner ◽  
Jan Oliver Kammesheidt ◽  
Martin Kilbane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Electricity Market ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Sustainable Energy System ◽  
The U.S

It is broadly accepted that current energy systems should become more sustainable in both a global and local context. However, setting common goals and shared objectives and determining the appropriate means by which to get there is the subject of heavy debate. Therefore, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the German Association of Engineers (VDI) initiated a joint project aimed at providing a young engineers’ perspective to the global energy conversation. The young engineer project teams set a common goal of assembling a completely sustainable energy system for the U.S. and Germany by 2050. This includes not only the electricity market, but the overall energy system. Based on the current global energy paradigm, a completely sustainable energy system seems very ambitious. However, multiple analyses show that this path is possible and would in the medium to long run not only be desirable, but also competitive in the market. This future ‘energy puzzle’ consists of many important pieces, and the overall picture must be shaped by an overarching strategy of sustainability. Besides the many detailed pieces, four main critical issues must be addressed by engineers, politicians and everybody else alike. These challenges are: i) Rational use of energy: This uncomfortable topic is rather unappealing to communicate, but is a key issue to reduce energy demand and to meet the potentials of renewable energy carriers. ii) Balancing of electricity demand and generation: This is a challenge to the electricity markets and infrastructures that are currently designed for base-load, mainly fossil power plants. The overall mix of renewable energy generation, storage technologies, grid infrastructure, and power electronics will decide how efficient and reliable a future energy system will be. iii) Cost efficiency and competitiveness: It is a prerequisite for industrialized countries to stay competitive and to establish RE in the market. Developing economic technologies while at the same time establishing a strong RE market is the secret of success. iv) Acceptance of the system and its consequences: The best energy strategy cannot be realized without broad public acceptance for it. Therefore, the understanding of the energy technologies and an objective discussion must be promoted — without old fashioned emotionalizing of certain risks. The paper will present details on the four mentioned aspects, compare the situations between the U.S. and Germany, and propose solutions for appropriate political frame conditions to achieve a sustainable energy system.

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