Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition最新文献

Despite the growth rates of photovoltaic solar parks, their potential to alter land surface temperature remains unclear. Yet, resolving temperature impacts is pivotal to understanding the implications for ecosystem function, and the consequences for society due to perturbations to ecosystem service supply and natural capital stores. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate the existence of a solar park land surface temperature cool island effect that extends beyond the solar park boundary, using Landsat satellite imagery. The cool island effect was quantified for two large ground-mounted solar parks, Longyangxia (850 megawatts) in China and Stateline (300 megawatts) in the United States of America, where the effect was confirmed using field-based measurements. At both sites, the cooling extended up to 730 m away from the solar park boundary with localized reductions in LST of up to 2.3 °C. These cool islands could affect large areas of the land surface as solar parks proliferate across the world, with notable positive or negative impacts on ecosystem function. Given the potential implications for ecosystem processes, including carbon feedbacks to climate change and the carbon intensity of the electricity produced, improved understanding of solar park LST impacts is required. Specifically, this knowledge is needed to inform the development of sustainable land use and energy policies considering the rapid growth of solar park developments.

The UK has adopted ambitious climate targets aiming to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050). One pathway for decarbonisation is the electrification of space heating, at the same time as the power system is decarbonised through a rising share of renewable sources. Heat pumps (HP) offer a potentially highly efficient form of electric heating and could make an important contribution to the transition to a low carbon economy. Compared to several North and Central European countries, the level of adoption in the UK has been low. The research question in this paper is what are the factors that might lead to a mass-market take-up of HP in the UK residential sector? This question is addressed using a techno-economic model which compares investments in HP with competing options (e.g. gas boilers) under a number of scenarios regarding progress on the efficiency of HP, energy prices and supportive policies like a feed in tariff (in the UK the Renewable Heat Incentive), capital grants and the removal of the climate policy cost from electricity prices. The comparison is made from a social utility and a consumer utility perspective. The goal of this study is to identify those policy mechanisms that would enable decarbonising heat through heat pump uptake at least cost for society. The methodology developed is suitable for exploring the take-up of other low-carbon options, and is therefore of wider international relevance. The study showed that HP efficiency, the assumed shadow carbon price and the inclusion or not of climate policy costs in the electricity price were the factors with the highest impact on HP uptake. Key policy recommendations include the removal of the climate policy cost from electricity prices and the introduction of financial incentives (e.g., capital grants) as necessary conditions to overcome the high up-front and running costs which hinder HP adoption.

This article systematically compares 26 different scenarios of climate-friendly energy systems, aiming at a reduction of CO${}_2$ emissions of at least 90% for Germany in 2050. Technical strategies in terms of technology or energy carrier mixes in the end-use sectors industry, buildings, and transport as well as in the conversion sectors are examined. In addition, the consequences of those different strategies in terms of electricity demand, installed capacity for electricity generation, demand for synthetic fuels and gases (P2X), etc. are looked at. Furthermore, imports of electricity and P2X are compared. In conclusion, there is a wide range of transformation pathways that are projected for Germany, and there is far from consensus on how to technically achieve a reduction in CO${}_2$ emissions of at least 90% by 2050 in comparison to 1990 levels. This, in turn, illustrates that there is still much need for research and discussion to identify feasible and sustainable transformation strategies towards a “net zero” energy system for Germany.

Morocco’s electricity demand is increasing and the country is struggling to improve its energy independence. Also, air quality levels in Morocco are considered moderately unsafe, as its PM_2.5 annual mean concentration of 33 $\mu$g/m³ exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 $\mu$g/m³. Renewable energy could be the solution to reduce the country’s harmful air pollution levels, mitigate climate change and decrease energy dependence. Incorporating external cost of air pollution from electricity generation into energy decision making-processes could lead to a shift from the use of fossil fuels to more sustainable and less polluting renewable energy sources. For this to happen, a detailed quantification of external costs is necessary. This paper presents a first bottom-up calculation of the costs of damage to human health from air pollution resulting from energy generation, following the Impact Pathway Approach without atmospheric chemistry modelling for the Moroccan energy system of 2015, to give a first estimate and guideline on the order of magnitude of costs. The overall external costs for 2015 were calculated to be between 8.4 and 18 billion € ₂₀₁₅, equating to 18% of the Moroccan GDP.

Mexico, similarly to other developing countries, has planned landfilling as the central technology to manage municipal solid waste (MSW). In this research, the current and future situation of final disposal of MSW in Mexico was studied, focusing on the spatial and temporal evaluation of final disposal sites (FDS), landfill gas (LFG) emissions, and potential power generation in an 80-year horizon. Geographic information systems were applied for spatial evaluation. The Mexico LFG 2.0 model was used to estimate the LFG emissions in 1782 FDS in operation, considering statal MSW characteristics and local FDS features. The transition towards a MSW management system that is less dependent on final disposal was carried out via a sensitivity analysis of the reduction of FDS in LFG emissions, power generation, and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The study estimated that Mexico had an LFG generation of 2298 Mm³ in 2020, where only 4.6% of FDS were suited for power generation, up to 2534 GWh y^-1. This electricity can avoid the emission of 1.45 Mt CO₂ , since fossil fuels are predominant in the Mexican power grid. The sensitivity analysis showed that suppressing MSW landfilling could reduce 1636 Mt CO₂ eq over the period studied compared to the business-as-usual scenario. The power generation potential of LFG has been used scarcely (165 GWh y^-1). Public policies may focus on proposing economic incentives and establishing conditions for a biogas market, increasing the number of SL that use LFG for energy purposes.

Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C requires transformations in every aspect of our societies and economies. In contrast to 2°C pathways, the 1.5°C target requires even deeper and faster cuts in emissions. While this will bring enormous collective benefits, mitigation action also risks significant disruptions and losses to some groups. In this Perspective, we set out the justice implications of 1.5°C-consistent modelled pathways, focusing on fossil fuel extraction, critical resources, economic impacts and human needs. This leads to the identification of three cross-cutting characteristics of just transitions to 1.5°C-consistent pathways: the inherently politicised nature of transitions; the need to integrate multiple perspectives; and the challenges they present to values and assumptions. We propose a research agenda which recommends ways in which research must be interdisciplinary, integrative of diverse actors and perspectives, and able to robustly test and explore radical ideas if researchers are to rise to the challenge of delivering just transitions to 1.5°C.

Napier grass is a promising energy crop owing to its advantages over other energy crops; however, when determining sites for the power plants utilizing Napier grass as a feedstock, relevant data are required. The spatial distribution of the Napier grass dry matter yield (DMY) is among these important data. Unlike agricultural residues, the spatial distribution of the DMY cannot be obtained through surveys or statistical data. In this study, a methodology for locating biogas power plants utilizing Napier grass as a feedstock is proposed. A geographic information system and analytic hierarchy process are used to evaluate land suitability for biogas power plants based on environmental and socioeconomic criteria. The spatial distribution of the DMY is integrated with the land suitability map to locate suitable sites for biogas power plants. The proposed approach is applied to southern Thailand because the region lacks self-sufficient power generation. The results reveal that, five biogas power plants that utilize Napier grass from abandoned areas can be established with a total contracted capacity of 420 MW. Based on this analysis, introducing Napier grass-based biogas power plants could significantly help reduce the dependency on imported electricity. Stakeholders are recommended to treat this study as a tool to be utilized before implementing new dedicated energy crops.

Renewables-based mini-grids have the potential to improve electricity access with lower emissions and better reliability than national grids. However, these systems have a challenging cost to revenue ratio, hindering their implementation. Combining residential loads with an anchor load, a relatively large non-domestic user, can help to improve mini-grid economics. Using measured electricity demand data from India and energy modelling, we assess the cost and emissions advantages of integrating health clinics as anchor loads within domestic solar mini-grids. For comparison, we also assess the ability of the national grid to meet our demand scenarios using monitored grid data. We apply a scenario-based approach, using separate domestic and anchor load demand profiles, and both in combination; we test meeting two levels of energy demand, 95% and 100%; and compare systems using PV and batteries, diesel, and hybrid generation. We find that the national grid has poor availability, at just over 50% at the most comparable monitoring site; and that it would meet a lower fraction of energy demand for our anchor load scenarios than the domestic only ones. For the off-grid systems, we find substantial cost and emissions reductions with anchor loads relative to demand scenarios without anchor loads. At 95% of demand met, we find PV and battery systems are 14-22% cheaper than diesel-only systems, with 10 times lower carbon intensity. Our findings illustrate the role off-grid systems can play in the provision of reliable low-carbon electricity and highlight the advantages of incorporating anchor loads like health centres into such systems.

Massive investments in offshore wind power generate significant challenges on how this electricity will be integrated into the incumbent energy systems. In this context, green hydrogen produced by offshore wind emerges as a promising solution to remove barriers towards a carbon-free economy in Europe and beyond. Motivated by the recent developments in Denmark with the decision to construct the world's first artificial Offshore Energy Hub, this paper investigates how the lowest cost for green hydrogen can be achieved. A model proposing an integrated design of the hydrogen and offshore electric power infrastructure, determining the levelised costs of both hydrogen and electricity, is proposed. The economic feasibility of hydrogen production from Offshore Wind Power Hubs is evaluated considering the combination of different electrolyser placements, technologies and modes of operations. The results show that costs down to 2.4 €/kg can be achieved for green hydrogen production offshore, competitive with the hydrogen costs currently produced by natural gas. Moreover, a reduction of up to 13% of the cost of wind electricity is registered when an electrolyser is installed offshore shaving the peak loads.