The theme for this week’s sustainability research is ENERGY
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Research in Details
Research #1
Development of an integrated energy system for smart communities
Highlights
Solar, wind and geothermal sources have been integrated in this smart energy system.
The system’s energy and exergy efficiencies are 81.3% and 84.6% respectively.
The PVT systems’ energy and exergy efficiencies are 57.9% and 49.2% respectively.
The geothermal systems’ energy and exergy efficiencies are 27.6% and 35.7%.
Authors: Azzam Abu-Rayash, Ibrahim Dincer
Date of publication: 01 JULY 2020
Summary
This paper introduces a newly developed integrated multigeneration energy system designed for a smart community. The system constitutes of various renewable energy sources, including solar and wind farms, and a quintuple geothermal system with reinjection. The system meets the demand and provides the main commodities of a small city with 5000 houses for their electricity, space heating, domestic hot water, and fresh water. The system is analyzed both energetically and exergetically using thermodynamic principles. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the proposed system are found to be 81.3% and 84.6% respectively. In addition, the energy and exergy efficiencies of the PVT system are 57.9% and 49.2%, respectively. The total electricity production is evaluated at 430 MW, while the capacity for domestic hot water is 20 MW. District heating is incorporated into this system at a capacity of 50 MW. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the geothermal system are found to be 27.6% and 35.7% respectively. Within the organic Rankine cycle, the exergy destruction at the boiler and the condenser add up to 15.8 MW, which makes up 94% of the total exergy destruction of this cycle. Moreover, a number of parametric studies are conducted to evaluate the level of influence that key parameters have on each system and consequently the overall system performance.
Keywords: Smart Communities, Sustainable Energy, Exergy, Efficiency, Renewable Energy, District Heating
Research #2
Transition from traditional historic urban block to positive energy block
Highlights:
Overall methodology for transition from traditional historic urban block to Positive Energy Block is developed.
Waste heat recovery from data center located within the block is incorporated in decarbonisation strategy.
Preliminary calculation of decarbonisation potential of selected urban block is performed.
After deep renovation 100% of thermal energy and 70% of electricity needed for selected can be covered with on – site RES.
To cover heating and electricity demand, 65% cut of electricity and 60% cut in heating demand is needed in selected block.
Authors: Andra Blumberga, Ruta Vanaga, Ritvars Freimanis, Dagnija Blumberga, Juris Antužsa, Artūrs Krastiņš, Ivars Jankovskis, Edgars Bondars,
Sandra Treija
Date of publication: 01 JULY 2020
Summary
Optimizing energy consumption in the cities might present a significant impact on decarbonization strategies approaching carbon neutral future in 2050. Positive Energy Block initiative is targeted particularly to densely build environments promoting shared on-site renewable energy production and storage, using smart grids, internet and communication technologies, Internet of Things and other highly advanced energy efficiency technologies within the neighborhoods. Research presented focuses on transition from traditional urban block to Positive Energy Block in valuable environment of historic city center exploring possibilities of waste heat regeneration and on-site renewable energy technologies. Energy consumption data is analyzed and the conception for possibilities of on – site renewable energy generation and waste heat recovery from data centers and cooling units in selected urban block is drawn. The results indicate that very ambitious targets for energy efficiency improvement are needed to achieve positive energy block – 65% and 60% for electricity and heating consumption, respectively. Possible savings of CO2 emissions are 45–50 kg/m2 per year.
Keywords: Decarbonization of existing building stock, Baukultur, Positive energy block, Renewable energy communities, Smart energy systems, Waste heat
Research #3
A novel economic structure to improve the energy label in smart residential buildings under energy efficiency programs
Highlights
A new energy labeling system is presented based on the incentive compensation costs.
Energy usage benchmark is expressed by a function of customers’ hourly consumption.
Economic load model is exploited on gas demand to increase energy efficiency.
Impacts of BIPV and PHEV presence are investigated on the building’s energy label.
Authors: Morteza Zare Oskouei, Behnam Mohammadi-Ivatloo, Mehdi Abapour, Ali Ahmadian, Md. Jalil Piran
Date of publication: 01 JULY 2020
Summary
Energy label could be a powerful tool to save energy and reduce energy costs in the residential sector. This paper proposes a novel economic structure between the residential consumers and the International Energy Agency (IEA) to determine the energy label of the smart residential buildings within the framework of the energy efficiency policies. The proposed structure is a developed model of the existing national certificates, such as Energy Star. In the proposed method, the concept of the energy labeling was improved based on the optimization problem by considering the hourly injected energy from the utility to buildings and annual energy consumption. In addition, an incentive mechanism was designed to encourage volunteer customers to change their consumption patterns based on the presented energy labeling structure. The incentive mechanism is flexible and can be changed by the system operator considering the energy label variation. Different practical methods, which included the economic heat and electrical demands model, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), and building integrated plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), were evaluated to promote the energy label of the residential building. For practical implementation, the proposed structure was applied to a sample smart residential building in East-Azerbaijan of Iran, and it was solved using GAMS software. The numerical results based on realistic data validated the effectiveness of the presented practical methods within the framework of the introduced energy labeling structure. According to the obtained results, the energy label index of the selected test system was promoted from F to E in the presence of the economic demand model and PHEV and promoted to D by using the economic demand model and BIPV system. In addition, the amount of energy injected into the building was decreased by up to 2.52% through the economic demand and PHEV schemes and up to 17.22% in the presence of the BIPV system.
Keywords: Energy labeling system, Energy efficiency, Residential customer, Energy policy design, Economic analysis
Research #4
Role of rent-seeking or technological progress in maintaining the monopoly power of energy enterprises: An empirical analysis based on micro-data from China
Highlights:
Monopoly modes of Chinese energy enterprises are analyzed.
Monopoly power, rent-seeking and TFP are all measured.
R&D is important channel for monopoly to promote TFP.
Factor distortion is channel for monopoly to increase rent-seeking and inhibit TFP.
Monopoly power maintenance in the China’s energy sector mainly depends on rent-seeking.
Authors: Weijian Du, Mengjie Li, Faming Wang
Date of publication: 01 JULY 2020
Summary
This study investigates the monopoly behavior of Chinese energy enterprises by measuring monopoly power, rent-seeking, and technological progress using relevant micro-data. Benchmark analysis shows that monopoly enterprises in China’s energy industry depend on rent-seeking, which exerts significant inhibitory effects on the technological progress of energy enterprises. Robustness analysis and endogeneity analysis support the above conclusions. A sub-sample regression that distinguishes enterprise ownership shows that state-owned enterprises spend heavily on rent-seeking to maintain monopoly power. In addition, influence mechanisms analysis shows that research and development decision-making is the important channel for monopoly power to promote technological progress of energy enterprises in China. Meanwhile, factor distortion is the important channel for monopoly power to increase rent-seeking behavior and inhibit technological progress of energy enterprises in China. Therefore, to achieve efficient and sustainable development in China’s energy industry, the Chinese government should implement differentiated policies for varied types of energy enterprises, optimize the research and development environment, and reduce the distortion of factor market to curb the rent-seeking behavior of energy enterprises and encourage energy enterprises to upgrade technology progress.
Keywords: Monopoly power, Energy enterprise, Rent-seeking, Technological progress, Factor distortion, Research and development
Research #5
Emergency Measures to Protect Energy Consumers During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Global Review and Critical Analysis
Highlights
The lockdown has worsened the situation of energy, poverty, and insecurity worldwide.
Emergency measures have been introduced to protect energy users.
Relief measures should be based on a proper targeting and financial consistency
Authors: Paolo Mastropietro, Pablo Rodilla, Carlos Batlle
Date of publication: 29 JUNE 2020
Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown exacerbated energy poverty and insecurity worldwide. Many governments introduced emergency measures to protect energy consumers during confinement. This article reviews and classifies the policies implemented in several jurisdictions around the world, identifying potential inefficiencies, but also best practices. According to our analysis, these much-needed relief measures should be based on a proper targeting and a consistent financing.
Keywords: Covid–19, energy poverty, fuel poverty, energy insecurity, disconnection ban, energy assistance program, social tariff