Economically Optimal Solar Power Generation

The Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative is considering installing solar modules on the roofs of two buildings while they stay connected to the public electricity grid. Solar power produced over their own needs would be sent to the public electricity grid for a credit on their electricity bill. When they need more power than they are generating, these buildings would purchase electricity from the grid. In addition to paying for the electricity they purchase, they would be subject to a “demand charge” that applies each month to the hour during which their consumption is at a peak for that month. Any electricity consumed during that peak hour would be charged at a rate about 100 times the rate for other hours. The case addresses three questions: (1) Is it profitable for these organizations to install solar on their roofs? (2) Can profitability be increased by adding a battery? and (3) How sensitive is profitability to uncertainty in future electricity prices? The case shows how the answers to these questions depend on the profile of hourly electricity consumption during the day, which is very different from one building to the other.

Sustainable Land Development Using Permaculture

This multi-faceted case study investigates sustainable land development using permaculture as the design tool. Permaculture, coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, is a sustainable design theory that builds off three ethical principles used to produce a set of guidelines to follow in order to create an ecologically focused project. Permaculture, a contraction of perma-nent and initially agri-culture, has evolved to perma-nent and culture, understanding that without agriculture, culture is impossible. This chapter begins with an overview of the environmental issues followed by a description and brief history of sustainable development, with emphasis placed on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The focus will be a three-part case study examining different scales (urban, suburban, and rural) of permaculture land development in the midwestern United States (U.S.). These permaculture designs will illustrate how SDGs can be achieved to forge a sustainable future.

Countries Progress in Solar PV in Support of NDC Implementation and Contribution to Achieving SDG7

This case study examines the progress being made by 12 least developed countries (LDCs) in their effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to clean and sustainable energy for all. Focusing on solar photovoltaics (PV), the authors look at what can be done to further the spread of renewable energy, and the role various actors have to playing in helping these countries to meet SDG7. Furthermore, with countries on the cusp of submitting their revised contributions under the Paris Agreement, they look at the role solar PV can play in helping LDCs to participate in taking action against climate change. After outlining the current policy landscape, and efforts being made within these countries, they look at the obstacles, opportunities, and the role of solar PV going forward. They also look at the steps that policymakers, both national and international, can take to encourage the rapid uptake of renewable energy in developing nations.

Self-Assistive Controller Using Voltage Droop Method for DC Distributed Generators and Storages

With the rapid growth of distributed generation currently, DC microgrids energy system structure is being deployed in parallel with, or independently from, the main power grid network. The DC microgrids energy system structure is designed to provide an effective coordination with the aggregating distributed generators, energy storage, and connected loads. In this sense, the DC microgrids energy system structure can be connected to the grid network or can be off-grid network. In the mode of grid network connected, DC microgrids energy system structure is presented as a controllable entity. When it is necessary, DC microgrids energy system is connected in islanded mode to deliver reliable power to the grid network during the interrupted power supply from the grid network system. Having said that, the DC microgrids energy system structure is encompassed of renewable energy sources, energy storages and loads, and not excluding the grid network transmission. Hence, this chapter proposes to focus on designing and modelling a self-assistive controller using voltage droop method for DC distributed generators and storages which is a part of the DC microgrids energy system structure.

The Boulder Breakup

The City of Boulder, Colorado has for 10 years attempted to break up with its electric utility, Xcel Energy, in favor of forming its own municipal utility. Environmental proponents of the separation argue that a democratically accountable, local utility would be better suited to achieve Boulder's ambitious environmental and climate action goals. However, other environmentalists disagree and instead argue that Xcel Energy is a willing and capable environmental partner. This case examines this conflict in order to illustrate a divide in Boulder's environmental community, which mirrors a divide in the larger environmental movement, between structural environmentalists on the one hand and neoliberal environmentalists on the other. The case offers a review of the theoretical work that informs these conflicting perspectives. Finally, it analyzes structural and neoliberal sentiments expressed in the opinion pages of the city's newspaper in order to demonstrate how they intervene and shape Colorado electricity politics.

Scaling up Renewable Energy Investment for Sustainable Development

Renewable energy generation is a fundamental component of the transition to a low-carbon economy. The world needs to invest up to USD 600 million annually to meet the electricity demand in a sustainable way whereas the current investment level stands at USD 280 billion. Scaling-up the current level of investment requires a larger implication of the private sectors and a different role for the public sector. The challenge lays in the fact that different investors are motivated by a different risk and return profiles. The current chapter presents the trends in renewable energy financial flows and investment vehicles. It looks at the risks associated with the investment in renewable energy and the relevant risk mitigation instruments. Finally, it applies these concepts to the case of the Lake Turkana wind farm in Kenya, a project that faced many challenges and involved more than 15 investors.

Energy Informatics Using the Distributed Ledger Technology and Advanced Data Analytics

The main drivers of the third industrial revolution era were the internet technologies and rise of renewable and distributed energy technologies. Transition to green and decentralized energy resources and digital transformation of the existing industrial infrastructure had been the biggest achievements of the third industrial revolution. The main drivers of the fourth era will be artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, advanced biotechnology, internet of things, additive manufacturing, and most importantly, distributed ledger technology (DLT). Energy forecasting such as wind and solar power forecasting models are the most common energy AI-based informatics applications in the energy sector. In addition, use of DLT is expected to be an industrial standard in various industrial sectors including energy business in the coming decade. This chapter emphasizes description of energy forecasting using AI and energy DLT and future developments and solutions to overcome challenges that are associated with standardization of the energy DLT applications.

Hybrid Electric Energy Storage and Its Dynamic Performance

This chapter concerns energy storage technologies. It firstly outlines two popular storage technologies, batteries and supercapacitors, while their working principles are revealed. The key issues of these two technologies, such as costs, key types, capacities, etc., are also discussed. Afterwards, a hybrid electrical energy storage (HEES) system consisting of both technologies are demonstrated where the electrical circuit is illustrated. The design of the system aims to demonstrate different characteristics of these two technologies via their charging and discharging process. A test rig is explained in detail while other components, including a load bank, an inverter, a data acquisition subsystem (both the hardware and the software) are also clarified. The experimental results are illustrated and analyzed thereafter. Also, this chapter presents several other promising technologies where their key features, pros and cons, and core applications are pointedly reviewed. The concerned storage technologies include photovoltaic (PV) systems, pumped hydro-energy storage (PHES), superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES), gas, and other alternatives sources. The authors provide the readers with a brief insight of various energy storage technologies and the inspiration of developing a low-cost, accessible energy storage system for the reader's own purposes.

Microfinance and Polycentric Governance as Strategies for Renewable Energy Deployment in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the least electrified regions in the world and also a region that is characterized by poverty and inequality due to high levels of climate change vulnerability. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, SSA policymakers are compelled to devise new innovative strategies and policies to enhance investments in renewable energy technologies (RETs). Accordingly, this chapter provides an assessment of some strategies to accelerate RET deployment and the potential of polycentric governance systems to improve RET deployment. The assessment concluded that even though renewable energy investments through climate finance and microfinance modalities are not at a level sufficient to ensure that universal energy access can be attained in the region, SSA can still accelerate its progress on RET deployment by utilizing nationally determined contributions as instruments to direct South-South aid, trade, and investments into priority renewable energy sub-sectors.

Promotional Policies and Legislative Support for Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Projects

Renewable Energy Sources-Based Electricity (RES-E) plays a key role in sustainable development – of meeting current energy demands, without adding to global warming concerns. However, as of 2017, only 8.5% of the total electricity generation came from RES-E. To boost this contribution, countries rely on strong legislative and policy support/tools. This case focuses on studying the legislative or regulatory frameworks put in place by the top three developed countries, and compares it with three developing countries, each of which are forerunners in RES-E, as of 2017. The comparative study suggests that while no single policy can be credited with the success behind rising RES-E in these countries, two key incentives are most important – namely feed-in-tariffs and renewable purchase obligations. Feed-in-tariffs act as floor price guarantee to the generator and renewable purchase obligations assures the generator of quantum of sale of the RES-E generated. When combined, these two incentives remain the most trusted policy tools even today for countries starting their journey in increasing their RES-E footprints.