scholarly journals Technical Review of Constraints and Solutions of Low-Carbon Energy Sources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Pinner
Keyword(s):  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Technical Review ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Implementation of Brackish Groundwater Desalination Using Wind-Generated Electricity as a Proxy for Energy Storage: A Case Study of the Energy-Water Nexus in Texas

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Clayton ◽  
Ashlynn S. Stillwell ◽  
Michael E. Webber
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Compressed Air ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
West Texas ◽  
Storage Technologies ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

With a push toward renewable electricity generation, wind power has grown substantially in recent U.S. history and technologies continue to improve. However, the intermittency associated with wind-generated electricity without storage has limited the amounts sold on the grid. Furthermore, continental wind farms have a diurnal and seasonal variability that is mismatched with demand. To increase the broader use of wind power technologies, the development of systems that can operate intermittently during off-peak hours must be considered. Utilization of wind-generated electricity for desalination of brackish groundwater presents opportunities to increase use of a low-carbon energy source and supply alternative drinking water that is much needed in some areas. As existing water supplies dwindle and population grows, cities are looking for new water sources. Desalination of brackish groundwater provides one potential water source for inland cities. However, this process is energy-intensive, and therefore potentially incongruous with goals of reducing carbon emissions. Desalination using reverse osmosis is a high-value process that does not require continuous operation and therefore could utilize variable wind power. That is, performing desalination in an intermittent way to match wind supply can help mitigate the challenges of integrating wind into the grid while transforming a low-value product (brackish water and intermittent power) into a high-value product (treated drinking water). This option represents a potentially more economic form of mitigating wind variability than current electricity storage technologies. Also, clean energy and carbon policies under consideration by the U.S. Congress could help make this integration more economically feasible due to incentives for low-carbon energy sources. West Texas is well-suited for desalination of brackish groundwater using wind power, as both resources are abundant and co-located. Utility-scale wind resource potential is found in most of the region. Additionally, brackish groundwater is found at depths less than 150 m, making west Texas a useful geographic testbed to analyze for this work, with applicability for areas with similar climates and water supply scarcity. Implementation of a wind-powered desalination project requires both economic and geographic feasibility. Capital and operating cost data for wind turbines and desalination membranes were used to perform a thermoeconomic analysis to determine the economic feasibility. The availability of wind and brackish groundwater resources were modeled using geographic information systems tools to illustrate areas where implementation of a wind-powered desalination project is economically feasible. Areas with major populations were analyzed further in the context of existing and alternative water supplies. Utilization of wind-generated electricity for desalination presents a feasible alternative to energy storage methods. Efficiency, economics, and ease of development and operation of off-peak water treatment were compared to different energy storage technologies: pumped hydro, batteries, and compressed air energy storage. Further economics of compressed air energy storage and brackish groundwater desalination were examined with a levelized lifetime cost approach. Implementation of water desalination projects using wind-generated electricity might become essential in communities with wind and brackish groundwater resources that are facing water quality and quantity issues and as desires to implement low carbon energy sources increase. This analysis assesses the economic and geographic feasibility and tradeoffs of such projects for areas in Texas.

Prioritizing low-carbon energy sources to enhance China’s energy security

2015 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 129-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingzheng Ren ◽  
Benjamin K. Sovacool
Keyword(s):  
Energy Security ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Energy efficiency a source of low carbon energy sources? Evidence from 16 high-income OECD economies

Energy ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 123063
Author(s):  
Taimoor Hassan ◽  
Huaming Song ◽  
Yasir Khan ◽  
Dervis Kirikkaleli
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
High Income ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Does air pollution affect clean production of sustainable environmental agenda through low carbon energy financing? evidence from ASEAN countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 0958305X2110078
Author(s):  
Muhammad K Anser ◽  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Danish I Godil ◽  
Malik S Shabbir ◽  
Mosab Tabash ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Productivity Level ◽  
Clean Production ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
Asean Countries ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

This study describes different options regarding financing in low carbon energy sectors and air pollution, which further affect clean production and sustainable environment agenda regarding the Association of southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states. The purpose of this study is to reduce air pollution and improve environmental production through low carbon energy financing. This study further investigates, which particular country among selected ASEAN states has most affected by air pollution and decrease their energy sources as well as clean productivity level. The findings of this study indicate that transformation toward low carbon energy increased energy efficiency encouraged by all sectors of society in the target countries. It is observed that around 20,000 people have died in South East Asia (SEA) every year due to the polluted air environment among these countries.

scholarly journals Will We Ever Stop Using Fossil Fuels?

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Covert ◽  
Michael Greenstone ◽  
Christopher R. Knittel
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
Relative Price ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Market Failures ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Low Carbon Energy ◽  
Over Time

Scientists believe significant climate change is unavoidable without a drastic reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels. However, few countries have implemented comprehensive policies that price this externality or devote serious resources to developing low-carbon energy sources. In many respects, the world is betting that we will greatly reduce the use of fossil fuels because we will run out of inexpensive fossil fuels (there will be decreases in supply) and/or technological advances will lead to the discovery of less-expensive low-carbon technologies (there will be decreases in demand). The historical record indicates that the supply of fossil fuels has consistently increased over time and that their relative price advantage over low-carbon energy sources has not declined substantially over time. Without robust efforts to correct the market failures around greenhouse gases, relying on supply and/or demand forces to limit greenhouse gas emissions is relying heavily on hope.

scholarly journals Constitutional Change to Address Climate Change and Nonrenewable Energy Use

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (1, 2 & 3) ◽  
pp. 2008
Author(s):  
Lynn McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Constitutional Change ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Address Climate Change ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Climate change, or climate breakdown, is arguably the greatest challenge we now face. The need to address it seriously has been widely accepted by all national political parties in Can- ada, if only lately and grudgingly. Yet Canada is far behind European countries in turning to low-carbon energy sources — we remain the world’s highest per capita energy user and car- bon emitter. We signed the Kyoto Protocol,1 but far from meeting our obligations under it, we have increased our greenhouse gas emissions. Our record is worse than even the Americans, who did not sign Kyoto.

scholarly journals Integrating Mobile Thermal Energy Storage (M-TES) in the City of Surrey’s District Energy Network: A Techno-Economic Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1279
Author(s):  
Maha Shehadeh ◽  
Emily Kwok ◽  
Jason Owen ◽  
Majid Bahrami
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
District Energy ◽  
Low Carbon Energy ◽  
The City ◽  
Energy Network

The City of Surrey in British Columbia, Canada has recently launched a district energy network (DEN) to supply residential and commercial buildings in the Surrey Centre area with hot water for space and domestic hot water heating. The network runs on natural gas boilers and geothermal exchange. However, the City plans to transition to low-carbon energy sources and envisions the DEN as a key development in reaching its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction targets in the building sector. Harvesting and utilizing waste heat from industrial sites using a mobile thermal energy storage (M-TES) is one of the attractive alternative energy sources that Surrey is considering. In this study, a techno-economic analysis (TEA) was conducted to determine the energy storage density (ESD) of the proposed M-TES technology, costs, and the emission reduction potential of integrating waste heat into Surrey’s DEN. Three transportation methods were considered to determine the most cost-effective and low-carbon option(s) to transfer heat from industrial waste heat locations at various distances (15 km, 30 km, 45 km) to district energy networks, including: (i) a diesel truck; (ii) a renewable natural gas-powered (RNG) truck, and (iii) an electric truck. To evaluate the effectiveness of M-TES, the cost of emission reduction ($/tCO2e avoided) is compared with business as usual (BAU), which is using a natural gas boiler only. Another comparison was made with other low carbon energy sources that the city is considering, such as RNG/biomass boiler, sewer heat recovery, electric boiler, and solar thermal. The minimum system-level ESD required to makes M-TES competitive when compared to other low carbon energy sources was 0.4 MJ/kg.

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