Local Energy Communities in Spain: Economic Implications of the New Tariff and Variable Coefficients

The European Union advocates for legislative support to local energy communities. Measures include the promotion of dynamic energy allocation and discriminatory electricity tariffs such as the recent Spanish framework. However, the impact of these normative changes is not yet evaluated. This paper inquires into the impact of dynamic allocation coefficient and different electricity tariffs on the profitability of local energy communities. To do so, a linear optimisation model is developed and applied to real consumer data in Spain around a variable capacity photovoltaic generation plant. Comparing the economic performance of the static or variable power allocation under the effect of changing electricity tariffs. While both measures are beneficial, the new electricity tariffs result in larger profitability increases than the planned variable coefficients. The combination of measures allows for profitability improvements of up to 25% being complementary measures. However, installations that maximise the potential for electricity generation are still not as profitable due to the low purchase price of surplus energy. While discriminatory electricity price tariffs and variable allocation coefficients are positive measures, further measures are needed for these communities to install generation plants as large as the potential that each case allows.

The Influence Of Youth Empowerment Through Development Of Rafting Tourism Business Entity Village Owned to Youth Capacity Buluh Duri Village Sipispis Subdistrict

The presence of Law No. 6 of 2014 on Villages, has brought new hope for the birth of efforts to increase the capacity of the community of BuluhDuri Village, including for. Efforts to increase the capacity of the youth of Buluh Duri Village are carried out by the Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) Buluh Duri Mandiri (BUDUMA) through the development of Rafting TourismUnit. This research was conducted to find out the influence of empowerment consisting of enabling, empowering, andprotecting the capacity of the youth of Buluh Duri Village in the development of BUMDes BUDUMA Rafting Tourism Unit. This research was conducted with quantitative approach through a survey on a sample of 38 respondents. Data analysis is performed using multiple linear regression tests. The results of the partial analysis using the T test showed that the three independent variables tested, namely enabling, empowering, and protecting had a positive and significant influence on the variable capacity of the youth of Buluh Duri Village. The results of the analysis conducted simultaneously using the F test showed independent variables consisting of enabling, empowering, and protecting simultaneously significantly affect dependent variables, namely capacity in the youth of Buluh Duri Village.

Capacity Value from Wind and Solar Sources in Systems with Variable Dispatchable Capacity—An Application in the Brazilian Hydrothermal System

The most robust methods to determine the capacity contribution from intermittent sources combine load curve, variable generation profile, and dispatchable generators’ data to calculate any new inserted variable source’s capacity value in the power system. However, these methods invariably adopt the premise that the system’s dispatchable generators’ capacity is constant. That is an unacceptable limitation when the energy mix has a large share of hydroelectric sources. Hydroelectric plants are dispatchable sources with variable maximum power output over time, varying mainly according to the reservoirs’ level. This article develops a method that makes it possible to calculate the capacity value from renewable resources when the dispatchable generation units of an electric system have variable capacity. The authors apply the method to calculate the capacity value from solar and wind sources in Brazil as an exercise. By abandoning the hypothesis of constant dispatchable capacity, the developed approach is in principle extensible for other energy-limited resources, such as batteries and concentrating solar power (CSP). This can be a strategy to incorporate energy-limited capacity sources into the planning and operation models as reliable capacity sources.

Performance analysis of a two-stage variable capacity air source heat pump and a horizontal loop coupled ground source heat pump system

The thermal performance of a new two-stage variable capacity air source heat pump (ASHP) and a horizontal ground loop ground source heat pump (GSHP) was investigated side-by-side at the Archetype Sustainable Twin Houses located in Toronto, Canada. The heat pumps were tested in cooling mode, as well as heating mode under extreme winter conditions. In cooling mode, the ASHP COP ranged from 4.7 to 5.7 at an outdoor temperature of 33 degrees C and 16 degrees C respectively, while the GSHP COP ranged from 4.9 (at an ELT of 8.5 degrees C and EST of 19.2 degrees C) to 5.6 (at an ELT of 12. 4 degrees C and EST of 17.8 degrees C). In heating mode, the ASHP COP ranged from 1.79 to 5.0 at an outdoor temperature of -19 degrees C and 9 degrees C respectively, while the GSHP COP ranged from 3.05 (at an ELT of 44.4 degrees C and an EST of 2.7 degrees C) to 3.44 (at an ELT of 41.5 degrees C and an EST of 5.48 degrees C) during the earlier winter test period. Data extrapolation and energy simulation was also performed to predict annual heat pump performance in Toronto as well as other Canadian regions.

Technical feasibility study of net-zero energy house for Canada - case study of Team North 2009 US DOE Solar Decathlon competition

In October 2009, Team North competed in the US DOE 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. Team North's mission was to design and deliver North House, an energy efficient solar-powered home while training Canada's next generation of leaders in sustainable design. In North House, the PV system on the roof was the primary energy generation, complimented by a custom PV cladding system on the south, east and west facades. A solar assisted heat pump system, including a three-tank heat transfer and storage system, the horizontally mounted evacuated-tube solar thermal collectors on the roof and a variable capacity heat pump met the hot water and space heating demands. A second variable capacity heat pump was utilized for space cooling. The solar thermal system was studied using TRNSYS simulation. For the initial assessments the simulations were run for Baltimore. Then, the analyses were extended to different cities across Canada. In all scenarios the same house was linked to the system. The minimum annual solar fraction of the different cities was 64% and it rose up to 81%. Finally, the data measured during the competition were analyzed and compared with the data resulting from the simulation. According to competition measures, during the 10 days of competition in Washington DC, the PV system generated 271.6kWh of electricity and the solar thermal system produced 91.7kWh while the house consumption was 294.1kWh. As a result, North House was evidently a net-positive house.

Performance analysis of a two-stage variable capacity air source heat pump and a horizontal loop coupled ground source heat pump system

The thermal performance of a new two-stage variable capacity air source heat pump (ASHP) and a horizontal ground loop ground source heat pump (GSHP) was investigated side-by-side at the Archetype Sustainable Twin Houses located in Toronto, Canada. The heat pumps were tested in cooling mode, as well as heating mode under extreme winter conditions. In cooling mode, the ASHP COP ranged from 4.7 to 5.7 at an outdoor temperature of 33 degrees C and 16 degrees C respectively, while the GSHP COP ranged from 4.9 (at an ELT of 8.5 degrees C and EST of 19.2 degrees C) to 5.6 (at an ELT of 12. 4 degrees C and EST of 17.8 degrees C). In heating mode, the ASHP COP ranged from 1.79 to 5.0 at an outdoor temperature of -19 degrees C and 9 degrees C respectively, while the GSHP COP ranged from 3.05 (at an ELT of 44.4 degrees C and an EST of 2.7 degrees C) to 3.44 (at an ELT of 41.5 degrees C and an EST of 5.48 degrees C) during the earlier winter test period. Data extrapolation and energy simulation was also performed to predict annual heat pump performance in Toronto as well as other Canadian regions.

Technical feasibility study of net-zero energy house for Canada - case study of Team North 2009 US DOE Solar Decathlon competition

In October 2009, Team North competed in the US DOE 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. Team North's mission was to design and deliver North House, an energy efficient solar-powered home while training Canada's next generation of leaders in sustainable design. In North House, the PV system on the roof was the primary energy generation, complimented by a custom PV cladding system on the south, east and west facades. A solar assisted heat pump system, including a three-tank heat transfer and storage system, the horizontally mounted evacuated-tube solar thermal collectors on the roof and a variable capacity heat pump met the hot water and space heating demands. A second variable capacity heat pump was utilized for space cooling. The solar thermal system was studied using TRNSYS simulation. For the initial assessments the simulations were run for Baltimore. Then, the analyses were extended to different cities across Canada. In all scenarios the same house was linked to the system. The minimum annual solar fraction of the different cities was 64% and it rose up to 81%. Finally, the data measured during the competition were analyzed and compared with the data resulting from the simulation. According to competition measures, during the 10 days of competition in Washington DC, the PV system generated 271.6kWh of electricity and the solar thermal system produced 91.7kWh while the house consumption was 294.1kWh. As a result, North House was evidently a net-positive house.

Metabolomics analysis of follicular fluid coupled with oocyte aspiration reveals importance of glucocorticoids in primate periovulatory follicle competency

Gonadotropin administration during infertility treatment stimulates the growth and development of multiple ovarian follicles, yielding heterogeneous oocytes with variable capacity for fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst formation. To determine how the intrafollicular environment affects oocyte competency, 74 individual rhesus macaque follicles were aspirated and the corresponding oocytes classified as failed to cleave, cleaved but arrested prior to blastulation, or those that formed blastocysts following in vitro fertilization. Metabolomics analysis of the follicular fluid (FF) identified 60 unique metabolites that were significantly different between embryo classifications, of which a notable increase in the intrafollicular ratio of cortisol to cortisone was observed in the blastocyst group. Immunolocalization of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR, NR3C1) revealed translocation from the cytoplasm to nucleus with oocyte maturation in vitro and, correlation to intrafollicular expression of the 11-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenases that interconvert these glucocorticoids was detected upon an ovulatory stimulus in vivo. While NR3C1 knockdown in oocytes had no effect on their maturation or fertilization, expansion of the associated cumulus granulosa cells was inhibited. Our findings indicate an important role for NR3C1 in the regulation of follicular processes via paracrine signaling. Further studies are required to define the means through which the FF cortisol:cortisone ratio determines oocyte competency.