ALBERT

Description: In the foreseeable future, our electricity supply will depend mainly on RES. It can already be seen how the variability of RES is increasing uncertainty in the electricity market causing the increase of risk premium (RP), potentially leading to extreme price spikes. Market participants need to become aware of the risk level influencing the future energy price, as signaled by RP, and use the advanced RP models to mitigate those risks. Source: Mr Shoo Rayner, author of a graphical design of a wind turbine in the first picture. Abstract An important indicator of supply and demand uncertainty on electricity markets is risk premium (RP), an integral part of electricity price. The level of RP is describing the risk the market actors expect in the future due to the market uncertainties. With the electricity market price behavior rapidly changing, the rising market supply uncertainty is increasing the volatility of RP. To better understand this behavior, power market participants need new models that will efficiently use the information available in the processes driving the electricity price and RP and to explain the influence of RES uncertainties on the future RP and electricity prices. A decade ago, researchers investigating RP focused primarily on the uncertainties arising from consumption forecast and generation outages. RES share in generation mix was small and its influence on uncertainty was negligible, leading to much lower volatilities of RP than today. With the increasing influence of RES, typically exhibiting variability on a sub‐hourly level, traditional models using daily electricity price to calculate RP were becoming inadequate. In this dynamic period of electricity market transformation, this paper highlights the importance of RP signals to market actors. A stochastic method for RP calculation is discussed with the associated RP model, driven by the intraday dynamics. An example of the RP signal is presented on historical price data from the German electricity market, highlighting uncertainty pattern developed over the years. With such an approach, the market actors can adjust their trading strategies thus mitigating their market risk exposure. This article is categorized under: Energy Systems Economics 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Efficiency 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Volume 8, Issue 5, September/October 2019.

Description: Prevalence of literature ‐ plastics debates (weighted). Abstract This article surveys the politics of plastics through a reading and analysis of more than 180 scientific articles in the fields of environmental science and environmental studies. Despite the many benefits of plastics, the global plastic system is increasingly being recognized as the source of severe environmental problems. Rather than orient the investigation around specific venues, levels, or architectures of governance, our survey first follows plastic through its life cycle, and then considers the major categories of plastic objects addressed in the current literature, and the different approaches taken to each category. The politics of plastics is a growing field of inquiry, with the most rapid expansion in the areas of marine pollution and microplastics. Our consideration of plastic flows reveals increasing politicization towards the latter end of the life cycle, that is, plastic as waste and pollution. Turning to plastic objects, we observe different forms of mobilization, and varying connections between flows and objects, which allow for multiple interpretations of what is at stake. In the closing section, we consider two recent trends in the plastic governance discussion that take a more holistic view of the plastic crisis: attempts to construct (a) a circular plastics economy and (b) global plastics conventions or treaties. We end the paper by highlighting the need for studies to further investigate the norms and practices that maintain the role of plastics in society, as well as the political and economic arrangements that secure its overabundance and low price. This article is categorized under: Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy Fossil Fuels 〉 Science and Materials Fossil Fuels 〉 Climate and Environment

Description: Outcomes of the Participation of Wind Power Producers in Balancing Markets. At present, a harmonized pan‐European electricity market (EM) is a close reality. While in day‐ahead markets (DAMs) the harmonization is at an advanced stage, in balancing markets (BMs) still exist some challenging issues, notably the remuneration of imbalances: some countries have simple and clear methods, but others consider complex methods that are not appealing to the participation of variable renewable energy (VRE). The participation of VRE in BMs is technically feasible, although with some restrictions to guarantee security and stability. Thus the economic attractiveness of these markets should be increased in order to enable full integration of VRE without feed‐in‐tariffs or other incentives. This article presents an overview of EMs, focusing on European BMs, and also investigates the benefits of the participation of wind power producers (WPPs) in BMs at both economic and technical levels. In particular, the article presents a new strategy allowing WPPs to bid in BMs. It also presents a study involving four scenarios, where WPPs participate in: (a) the DAM (baseline scenario), (b) the DAM and the automatic‐activated frequency restoration reserve market, (c) the DAM and the manually activated FRR (mFRR) market, and (d) the DAM and a 15‐min mFRR market. The simulations are performed with the agent‐based system MATREM (for Multi‐Agent TRading in EMs). For the last scenario, the results indicate an increase around 6% in the wind energy value to the market, a decrease of 12% in the total reserve used, and a decrease around 16% in the costs from the BM. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Wind Power 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Energy and power system models can be categorized into four levels based on the complexity captured in terms of planning and operation. In the past, power system planning was based on meeting the load duration curve at minimum cost. The increasing share of variable generation (VG) makes operational constraints more important in the planning problem, and there is more and more interest in considering aspects such as sufficient ramping capability, sufficient reserve procurement, power system stability, storage behavior, and the integration of other energy sectors often through demand response assets. In VG integration studies, several methods have been applied to combine the planning and operational timescales. We present a four‐level categorization for the modeling methods, in order of increasing complexity: (1a) investment model only, (1b) operational model only, (2) unidirectionally soft‐linked investment and operational models, (3a) bidirectionally soft‐linked investment and operational models, (3b) operational model with an investment update algorithm, and (4) co‐optimization of investments and operation. The review shows that using a low temporal resolution or only few representative days will not suffice in order to determine the optimal generation portfolio. In addition, considering operational effects proves to be important in order to get a more optimal generation portfolio and more realistic estimations of system costs. However, operational details appear to be less significant than the temporal representation. Furthermore, the benefits and impacts of more advanced modeling techniques on the resulting generation capacity mix significantly depend on the system properties. Thus, the choice of the model should depend on the purpose of the study as well as on system characteristics. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Least‐squares means of mean annual increment (MAI) of aboveground total (stem + branch) dry biomass and MAI of aboveground total carbon for 15 poplar clones evaluated at an industrial brownfield in Panama City, FL (planting H1). With the exception of ‘DN21’ and ‘DN31’ that are both Populus deltoides × P. nigra F1 hybrids, all clones belong to the P. deltoides genomic group. Different letters above bars within a trait represent statistically significant differences (p 〈 .05). Error bars equal one standard error of the mean. Abstract Short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) including Populus species and their hybrids (i.e., poplars) are ideal for incorporating biomass production with phytotechnologies such as phytoremediation. To integrate these applications, 15 poplar plantings from nine long‐term phytoremediation installations were sampled from 2012 to 2013 in the Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin) and Southeast (Alabama, Florida, North Carolina) United States. In this review, we report summary results of this sampling and how performance at each site compared with comparable phytoremediation systems in the literature. We review significant genotypic differences from each planting within the context of provisioning (i.e., biomass production) and regulating (i.e., carbon sequestration) ecosystem services and how they relate to the need for a cleaner environment during times of accelerated ecological degradation. Overall, the contaminated poplar sites provided these ecosystem services comparable to noncontaminated poplar sites used for bioenergy and biofuels feedstock production. For example, phytoremediation trees at the Midwestern sites had biomass values ranging from 4.4 to 15.5 Mg ha−1 y−1, which was ~20% less relative to bioenergy trees (p = .0938). Results were similar for diameter and carbon, with some genotype × environment interactions resulting in phytoremediation trees exhibiting substantially greater growth and productivity (i.e., +131% at one site). As illustrated in the current review, phytoremediation success can be increased with the identification and deployment of genotypes tailored to grow well and tolerate a broad diversity of contaminants (generalists) (i.e., ‘DN34’, ‘NM6’, ‘7300501’) versus those that significantly outperform their counterparts under unique site conditions (specialists) (i.e., ‘220‐5’, ‘51‐5’, ‘S13C20’). This article is categorized under: Concentrating Solar Power 〉 Climate and Environment Bioenergy 〉 Economics and Policy Bioenergy 〉 Science and Materials

Description: Inertial and primary frequency control by wind power plants in the Mexican electric power grid. Abstract Large‐scale integration of converter‐based renewable energy sources into power systems, such as wind generation, can lead to frequency stability issues due to the variable nature and lack of inertia of these technologies in combination with the gradual replacement of conventional generating units. However, wind turbine generators (WTGs) can be exploited to provide frequency support and keep system frequency stability requirements. A case study considering the Mexican Electric Power System is presented in this study to highlight both the impact of large‐scale deployment of inverter‐interfaced wind energy generation on system frequency response, and the participation of WTGs in inertial and primary frequency control (IPFC) as a mitigation approach. By incorporating synthetic inertia and droop control functions into the active power control loop of WTG converters, IPFC by wind generation is assessed for several wind shares, different active power modulation strategies based on the rate of change of frequency and frequency deviation, and several IPFC contribution levels under critical contingencies for generation outage. Simulation results show the combination of increasing share of wind energy generation in the study system and retirement of conventional generation has a clearly negative impact on system frequency dynamics. However, the incorporation of IPFC functions into wind power generators of the sample system, with appropriate control gain values, may contribute to effectively achieve an improved system performance in terms of grid frequency response under high wind power penetration scenarios. This article is characterized under: Wind Power 〉 Science and Materials Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Research & Innovation 〉 Science and Materials

Description: Policies and programs to address challenges of industrial energy efficiency in four categories: awareness, information, technical capacity, and financial availability. China's industrial sector dominates the country's total energy consumption, and improving energy efficiency in that sector is crucial to help China reach its energy and carbon dioxide emissions reduction goals. There are many energy efficiency policies in China, but the motivation and willingness of enterprises to improve energy efficiency has weakened. This article first identifies barriers that enterprises face to be self‐motivated to implement energy efficiency measures and then categorizes these barriers into four categories: awareness, information, technical capacity, and financial availability. It then reviews international policies and programs to improve energy efficiency, and evaluates how these policies have helped to address the barriers identified. We found that policies and programs in energy efficiency and carbon reduction need to go hand in hand to incentivize companies, and that those policies and programs send clearer signals and help change enterprises' decisions when they are persistent but dynamic. Our specific policy recommendations to China fall under three key categories: identification of energy efficiency potential, workforce development, and market channels for energy efficiency financing. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Efficiency 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Efficiency 〉 Climate and Environment

Description: Poplars and willows are sustainably grown to conserve or utilize water in a variety of applications. The production of short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) such as poplars and willows is a promising component of global bioenergy and phytotechnology portfolios. In addition to the provision of biomass feedstocks and pollution remediation, these trees and shrubs have been sustainably grown to conserve or utilize water in a variety of applications. Growing these woody plants for multiple uses supports many of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG6) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG7). As a result, focusing on ecosystem services such as freshwater and biomass has become an important aspect of deploying these production systems across variable landscapes. The current review consists of an introduction of ecosystem services and the SDGs, as well as SRWCs and their applications. The middle section of the review contains case studies highlighting the positive water linkages of producing short rotation poplars and willows for bioenergy and phytotechnologies. The review concludes with a section that combines the common themes that are consistent among the case studies to address options for integrating new bioenergy feedstock production systems into rural and urban landscapes to promote environmental, social and economic sustainability. This article is categorized under: Bioenergy 〉 Economics and Policy Bioenergy 〉 Climate and Environment

Description: Measuring interdisciplinary understanding (MIU) framework. Abstract Our society currently faces complex ecological, social, and economic challenges that require collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches. Although interest in interdisciplinary research is growing, it is still confronted with significant obstacles stemming from difficulties in establishing a common understanding. While others have evaluated interdisciplinary in a top‐down funding‐oriented ex ante manner or a result‐oriented ex post manner, this focus paper intends to create a framework that enables the measurement of interdisciplinary understanding within a group. Therefore, using the case of the interdisciplinary Boysen‐TU Dresden Research Group, a framework for measuring interdisciplinary understanding (MIU) is presented. The basis of the framework is the development of dimensions based on the specific composition and requirements of the interdisciplinary group. With this framework, two main contributions are provided. First, interdisciplinary understanding within a research group can be measured with respect to the defined dimensions. Through discussions on the differences of the understanding of projects over the dimensions, it is possible to establish a common understanding of projects. Second, the interdisciplinarity within a group or interdisciplinary distance between two specific research projects can be evaluated in order to identify possible difficulties in understanding, as well as recognizing potentials for interdisciplinary research. The MIU framework and the dimensions established in this paper can be adapted and transferred to any interdisciplinary research group to improve joint understanding of researchers and enable them to tackle complex techno‐societal problems of the future. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Research & Innovation 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Volume 8, Issue 4, July/August 2019.

Description: Harmonization of European markets and expected effects of the new EC proposal on key market participants. Abstract The new proposal for regulating the European Internal Market for Electricity (EIME) can motivate the harmonization of the various National markets. The process of harmonizing the day‐ahead markets (DAMs) is at an advanced stage, with an efficiency in the use of interconnectors of 86%. However, the harmonization of both intraday (IDMs) and balancing markets (BMs) is still in its infancy, with an efficiency in the use of interconnectors of 50 and 19%, respectively. The new proposal brings new targets to DAMs, and European countries should make efforts to comply with them. The same is true for IDMs and BMs, but involving more ambitious targets, requiring higher efforts to be accomplished. Both the analysis of the various National markets (according to their compliance with the new proposal for regulating the EIME) and the advantages of the new proposal for key market participants (particularly, consumers, variable renewable generation, and conventional generation) are presented. The analysis indicates that the proposal contributes to a potential increase of the general welfare of market participants. However, some aspects of the proposal can negatively affect the revenue obtained from the National markets, notably for variable renewable generation and conventional generation. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Economics and Policy Energy and Development 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Ongoing changes in power systems call for enhanced transmission‐distribution coordination. Abstract This paper presents a literature review on the coordination between transmission and distribution grid operators in power systems, with particular emphasis on the provision of balancing and congestion management services. Firstly, a brief historical background is presented in order to highlight the ongoing changes current power systems are experiencing and that call for greater coordination between transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO). These include the growth in distributed energy resources (DER), new roles to be adopted by both system operators (SO), and the integration of new agents such as independent aggregators. Next, the paper places its focus on a particular topic which, based on the review presented, is presumably considered as the most relevant issue requiring tighter cooperation mechanisms, that is, the procurement of balancing services from DER by TSOs whilst DSOs procures the same DER flexibility to manage local congestions. Four key elements are identified for this coordination to take place, namely (a) DER flexibility integration, (b) coordination schemes, (c) transmission‐distribution optimization, and (d) data exchange. For each one of them, the paper presents a literature review and identifies the main existing technical, economic, and regulatory barriers. These barriers include, among others, the limitation for small DER flexibility to participate in grid service markets, the challenges for independent aggregators, the technical barriers for optimizing a transmission‐distribution grid, and the lack of maturity in coordination schemes and TSO‐DSO data exchange models. This article is categorized under:  Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Systems and Infrastructure  Energy Systems Economics 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Charging distribution networks and the thermal inertia of district heating (DH)‐connected buildings using wind power to be curtailed. Abstract Emissions reductions are often achieved through the increased share of renewable energy sources (RES) and China is the leader in the growth of RES in the power sector. This growth has led to high levels of curtailment of RES power due to insufficient reinforcement of the electricity grid to support such growth and due to competition with other power sources. Although the problem of curtailment has been alleviated in recent years, large amounts of power are still discarded, and it is important to consider how to address this problem in the short term and how much CO2e emissions could be avoided as a result. The use of district heating systems to reduce the curtailment of renewable power has seen increasing interest in recent years. Based on a review of potential energy storage in district heating, the current paper assesses the capability to use the national storage potential of district heating systems in China to reduce curtailment and to determine what effects that may have on avoiding CO2e emissions. The distribution networks and the thermal inertia of buildings connected to district heating are considered as two major forms of storage that can be “charged” using power that would otherwise be curtailed. The results show that there may be sufficient storage available to absorb all renewable power that is currently curtailed in those provinces using district heating during the heating season, resulting in avoided emissions of up to 14 MtCO2e/annum. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Wind Power 〉 Climate and Environment Energy Infrastructure 〉 Climate and Environment Energy and Urban Design 〉 Climate and Environment

Description: The energy‐carbon‐water (ECW) nexus mechanism of a simplified economy system. Abstract The energy–carbon–water (ECW) nexus has aroused increasing attention worldwide, as it is very important for sustainable development of socioeconomic systems. Researchers conducted a literature review of existing studies on the ECW nexus in terms of concepts, research focuses, mechanisms, and methodologies. Current research on the ECW nexus mainly focuses on the ECW flow accounting, the impact assessment of ECW‐related policies or measures, and the description of the nexus characteristics. ECW‐related measures may lead to a variety of cobenefits: economic growth, pollutant reduction, water quality improvement, and the carbon–water trade‐off—that is, that the adoption of water‐saving cooling technologies (such as wet cooling) could increase energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. ECW‐related measures could also lead to the deployment of some low‐carbon power generation technologies, such as hydro, nuclear, and biofuel that could increase power sector water use. Nexus mechanisms of existing studies are mainly aimed at a specific sector; fewer studies consider the mechanisms from an economy‐wide perspective. Integrated models, such as computable general equilibrium‐based models and input–output (IO)‐based hybrid life cycle assessment models, should be used to assess the broad socioeconomic impacts of ECW‐related measures in future, in order to inspire policymakers to design and implement effective measures for integrated ECW management. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Concentrating Solar Power 〉 Climate and Environment

Description: The integration of flywheels or supercapacitors in existing pumped‐storage plants is economical, little intrusive, environmentally friendly, and yields an energy storage plant with all necessary features for the integration of renewable energy: fast active and reactive power response, large energy storage capacity and an extraordinary capability to withstand a vast number of charge–discharge cycles. Abstract This paper suggests the integration of fast acting energy storage systems in existing pumped‐storage power plants as a practical solution to enhance the system's frequency control. The term “fast acting energy storage” is used in the paper to refer to, in the authors' opinion, the most suitable energy storage technologies for the purpose of frequency control, that is, flywheels and supercapacitors. The paper describes the few research works that have so far dealt with the coordination of flywheels or supercapacitors and pumped‐storage or hydropower, and compare the proposed solution with the upgrade of existing pumped‐storage power plants to allow variable speed operation. To finish, the paper describes other side benefits of the proposed solution, discuss the most important barrier for its realization and summarize a few regulatory changes that have been recently implemented in a few electric power systems which provide some hope for the proposed solution to become a reality. This article is categorized under: Energy Infrastructure 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Engaging the local utility and including electrical distribution system design in district master planning can reduce costs and improve performance of sustainable urban districts with high penetrations of renewable energy, but new research tools are needed to facilitate an integrated design. Source: fujisawasst.com/EN/. Recent efforts to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions have resulted in the development of sustainable, smart districts with highly energy efficient buildings, renewable distributed energy resources (DERs), and support for alternative modes of transportation. However, there is typically little if any coordination between the district developers and the local utility. Most attention is paid to the district's annual net load and generation without considering their instantaneous imbalance or the connecting network's state. This presents an opportunity to learn lessons from the design of distribution feeders for districts characterized by low loads and high penetrations of DERs that can be applied to the distribution grid at large. The aim of this overview is to summarize current practices in sustainable district planning as well as advances in modeling and design tools for incorporating the power distribution system into the district planning process. Recent developments in the modeling and optimization of district power systems, including their coordination with multi‐energy systems and the impact of high penetration levels of renewable energy, are introduced. Sustainable districts in England and Japan are reviewed as case studies to illustrate the extent to which distribution system planning has been considered in practice. Finally, newly developed building‐to‐grid modeling tools that can facilitate coordinated district and power system design with utility involvement are introduced, along with suggestions for future research directions. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Efficiency 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Characteristics of the first financing round of PennSEF, the PennSEF Streetlight Program. The electricity sector is undergoing rapid and dramatic change. The momentum of sustainable energy technologies and business model innovation is giving rise to a “polycentric” framework of policy innovation and action organized by institutions that support customer choice and give customers the means to become electricity generators and service providers in their own right. These local experiments will have to deliver transformative change, flexibly address the electricity sector's legacy of political and administrative complexity, achieve scale and financial sustainability, and enable greater and wider stakeholder participation and choice. This article reviews the evidence to date of the importance of these experiments and examines three innovators—municipal utilities, community choice aggregators, and the sustainable energy utility—to gauge the capacity of pioneers to address climate‐driven and other challenges in the electricity market. This article is categorized under: Energy Efficiency 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Infrastructure 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Efficiency 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: India's energy policy evolution India's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions in 2015 toward the Two‐Degree Celsius climate change goal has endorsed 15% of renewable integration in the primary energy mix by 2020. The energy space is strategy to meet the target without affecting its immediate sustainable development goals. This study documents this strategic effort by tracking the historical trajectory of energy policy planning since its independence in 1947. An objective ontological approach was adopted in reviewing the evolution of energy policy into five distinct phases. Phase I (1947–1970), focused on supply adequacy with the overall thrust on infrastructure development as the pillar of Indian economy. In Phase II (the 1970s) the focus shifted in addressing the energy access crisis. Phase III (the 1980s) was based on increment, diversification, and streamlining on supplies for energy security purposes. Phase IV (the 1990s) is the period of modernization of the overall Indian electricity system. Phase V (the 2000s) is the present phase of market transformation and climate change mitigation energy policies. A co‐assessment of India's policy to the international climate negotiations showed that India remained responsive to international climate goals. It became reactive in the planning for sustainable energy policy after its ratification of Kyoto Protocol in 2001. Since then, India has been instrumental in administering strict emission reduction norms and efficiency measures. This review concludes that the country needs to upgrade its inefficient transmission and distribution networks, which was broadly neglected. The subsidy allocations in domestic energy resources should be well‐adjusted without compromising on its social costs. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Infrastructure 〉 Climate and Environment Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Climate and Environment

Description: The real attained CO2 emission reduction in the inspected energy efficiency projects is on average 25% lower than the expected reduction. The reasons are mostly behavioral. A significant amount of financing has been available for improvements in energy efficiency in buildings in recent years. However, careful evaluation of the real impacts of the programs is still inadequate. The paper provides an insight into the relationship between the expected outcomes and the actual results of an energy efficiency program. It does so on a case example of one of the most significant energy efficiency and renewable energy sources programs in Central Europe, the Green Savings Programme. In total, 206 measures were inspected in 124 projects of the program. The analysis of the inspections showed that there is a significant difference between the expected, verified CO2 emission reduction and ex post, real attained reduction (25% on average). The reasons are partly methodical, but most can be attributed to the behavioral factors of occupants in the respective buildings. The results therefore clearly show the need to tackle the relationship between the calculated (expected) energy savings (and related CO2 emission reduction) and the real savings which are highly influenced by building users. Ex post evaluations should be done, among other things, to provide a more accurate picture regarding the member states’ energy efficiency improvement obligations. Furthermore, such evaluation also provides an essential input for further optimisation of the future energy efficiency support programs. This article is categorized under: Energy Efficiency 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: A schematic representation of biomass components, their pyrolysis products, various important aspects of kinetic studies and product characterization. Fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is considered to be a promising thermochemical route for the production of drop‐in fuels and valuable chemicals. During the past decades, a comprehensive understanding of feedstock structure, fast pyrolysis kinetics, product distribution, and transport effects that govern the process has allowed to design better pyrolysis reactors and/or catalysts. A variety of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks, like corn stover, pinewood, poplar, and model compounds like glucose, xylan, monolignols have been utilized to study the thermal decomposition at or close to fast pyrolysis conditions. Significant progress has been made in understanding the kinetics by developing unique setups such as drop‐tube, PHASR, and micropyrolyzer reactors in combination with the use of advanced analytical techniques such as comprehensive gas and liquid chromatography (GC, LC) with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (TOF‐MS). This has led to initial intrinsic kinetic models for biomass and its main components, namely cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, validated using experimental setups where the effects of heat and mass transfer on the performance of the process, expressed using Biot and pyrolysis numbers, are adequately negligible. Yet, not all aspects of fast pyrolysis kinetics of biomass components are equally well understood. The use of time‐resolved or multiplexed experimental techniques can further improve our understanding of reaction intermediates and their corresponding kinetic mechanisms. The novel experimental data combined with first principles based multiscale models can reshape biomass pyrolysis models and transform biomass fast pyrolysis to a more selective and energy efficient process. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Climate and Environment Energy Research & Innovation 〉 Science and Materials Bioenergy 〉 Science and Materials

Description: Distribution of publications using energy models. This study analyzes 34 tools through 442 publications on energy systems modeling, aiming to identify the most relevant trends in research and the research gaps in energy planning. For detecting these gaps, the publications analyzed were categorized based on pre‐defined criteria regarding geographical coverage, sectoral coverage, time horizon, analytical approach and energy source. The categories were designed to be a broad classification with the appropriate level of information required to differentiate between models. The results show that there is a lack of studies concerned with better understanding the energy systems in Africa and South America. Environmentally‐oriented publications account for 50.4% of all the publications studied. Modelers have thus shown a greater interest in studying issues related to climate change mitigation than in other areas of the energy chain. This article is categorized under: Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Concentrating Solar Power 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) offer an unprecedented opportunity to provide irrigation access for agricultural transformation across developing countries. The study discusses 14 key determinants of economic, social, and environmental sustainability of SIPs, along with measures to ensure their sustainable deployment. Irrigation access is deemed critical to sustainable agricultural growth, which underpins the global food and livelihood security. Solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) have emerged as a promising technology to expand irrigation access and are being deployed rapidly across several developing countries. Even as the interest in SIPs is rising, the understanding about their sustainable deployment and use remains limited. Based on a detailed literature review and semi‐structured interviews of key stakeholders, we identify and discuss 14 determinants of economically viability, socially acceptability, and environmental sustainability of SIPs, under any given context. These include crop water requirement, depth of water source, solar irradiance, scale of farming, utilization factor, cost of alternatives, system quality, after‐sales service, water use efficiency, and technology awareness, among others. Drawing from the best practices and experiences in South Asia and Sub‐Saharan Africa, we also put forward key recommendations on ways to incorporate sustainability concerns in the policies and programs for SIPs deployment. The study emphasizes that policies and programs for SIPs should focus on building awareness and trust, providing need sensitive support, priortizing areas for SIPs deployment, and ensuring long‐term sustainability. This article is categorized under: Energy and Development 〉 Science and Materials Energy and Development 〉 Economics and Policy Energy and Development 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Cross‐voltage level competitive procurement of planning‐relevant reactive power resources. Transition toward high shares of power production from wind and photovoltaics (PV) brings about a substantial increase in controllable reactive power (Q). The capability to provide Q independent of active power production (24/7) is available at comparably low or even zero investment cost. Yet, this capability is not required by network connection codes and only rarely utilized, even if available. In a first step, we take an overall economic perspective and review the economic competition of 24/7 Q provision from variable renewable power plants (VRPP) with alternative Q resources. Technical restrictions to be respected are discussed, as well as the reliability requirements related to investment‐planning relevant Q provision. Competitiveness is significantly influenced by Q utilization rate and connecting voltage level. For practical implementation of 24/7 Q procurement from VRPP, its value needs to be assessed. We review possible approaches from overall economic perspective. We conclude that in operational decisions, VRPP Q should be valued at marginal cost, whereas in Q investment planning decisions, full cost should be considered. We derive the pros and cons of making 24/7 Q provision a mandatory part of network connection codes. For system operators (SOs) to integrate available capacity, regulatory acknowledgment of related revenue impact should be considered. We present possible solutions. Summarizing, the contribution presents the status quo in research on cross‐voltage level, investment‐relevant Q provision by VRPP. Using the presented methodology for value assessment, areas for further research are systematically pointed out. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy Photovoltaics 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Higher demand‐side electrification increases stress on the transmission grid and causes more curtailment of variable renewable electricity production. The substitution of fossil fueled final energy consumption through electrical appliances and processes (electrification), in combination with an increased share of emission free electricity production, poses a promising deep decarbonization strategy. To reveal the effect of high demand‐side electrification rates on the transmission grid and electricity supply‐side a case‐study analysis for the German market is performed. A reference scenario with low demand‐side electrification and low grid congestion is compared to high demand‐side electrification scenarios with two different shares of renewable electricity production of total electrical load: “Elec61” and “Elec75.” The analysis shows that an increase of the electrical load from ~500 TWh to ~760 TWh leads to heightened stress for the transmission grid and therefore more curtailment in both electrification scenarios. In Elec61, which exhibits the same share of renewable electricity production as the reference scenario, the integration of 19 TWh of flexible power‐to‐heat in district heating networks reduces the market driven curtailment of renewable feed‐in, highlighting the value of flexible electrical loads for the integration of variable renewable energy sources. Although a drastic increase of installed renewable electricity production capacity occurs in Elec61 (+109 GW) and Elec75 (+178 GW) compared to the reference scenario, fossil fueled power plants are still being dispatched frequently in times of high electrical load and low renewable energy feed. In the examined scenarios, deep decarbonization through electrification was not possible because the decrease of the CO2‐coefficient of power generation resulting from an increase in the installed capacity of variable renewable energy sources was insufficient. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy and Climate 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Meteorological and stochastic simulation tools help in designing and operating future power systems with high shares of wind and solar generation. The increasing share of variable renewable energy (VRE) generation poses challenges to power systems. Possible challenges include adequacy of reserves, planning and operation of power systems, and interconnection expansion studies in future power systems with very different generation patterns compared to today. To meet these challenges, there is a need to develop models and tools to analyze the variability and uncertainty in VRE generation. To address the varied needs, the tools should be versatile and applicable to different geographical and temporal scales. Time series simulation tools can be used to model both today and future scenarios with varying VRE installations. Correlations in Renewable Energy Sources (CorRES) is a simulation tool developed at Technical University of Denmark, Department of Wind Energy capable of simulating both wind and solar generation. It uses a unique combination of meteorological time series and stochastic simulations to provide consistent VRE generation and forecast error time series with temporal resolution in the minute scale. Such simulated VRE time series can be used in addressing the challenges posed by the increasing share of VRE generation. These capabilities will be demonstrated through three case studies: one about the use of large‐scale VRE generation simulations in energy system analysis, and two about the use of the simulations in power system operation, planning, and analysis. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Infrastructure 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Systems Economics 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Comparison of an individual wind system (left) and a combination of wind‐PV generators as well as individual supplies and microgrids (right) (adapted from Ferrer‐Martí, Pastor, Capó, & Velo, ). Demand points, wind turbine options, and PV panel options Nowadays, around 1.1 billion people in rural and remote areas of developing countries remain without electricity. Stand‐alone projects that combine the wind and photovoltaic generation technologies as well as microgrids and individual supplies for the distribution network are an adequate strategy to reach such isolated regions. However, the design of electrification projects is complex, having to define the best combination of generation and distribution technologies, under a challenging social context and tight technoeconomic resources. In order to ease decision‐making, several tools have been developed in the literature and are here reviewed, grouped into three main categories: optimization processes, aiming to minimize project costs subject to technical constraints, through exact or heuristic algorithms; multicriteria processes, using different methods to select the best among a set of predefined scenarios according to economic, technical, social, and environmental criteria; and systematized tools, that have been developed to provide user‐friendly interface for their larger dissemination in different regions and contexts. Hence, this paper aims to provide researchers and practitioners an analysis of the advantages and limitations of approaches used over the last decade when addressing the designing of wind and/or photovoltaic electrification projects for extremely poor and isolated areas in developing countries, as well as some areas for further research. This article is categorized under: Concentrating Solar Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Photovoltaics 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Infrastructure 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Performance of the Korea Green Energy Growth Initiative against 2030 targets. The idea of “green growth” has received international attention for more than a decade as a promising solution to a distinctly modern problem: a century of unparalleled increases in wealth based on equally unparalleled innovations in energy technology accompanied by global environmental threats such as climate change and persistent socioeconomic inequality. The green growth premise is that this problem can be solved without surrendering continued economic growth by a redirection of human effort to invent green energy technology, green energy markets, and green energy choice. Proponents have argued that green‐energy based economic growth represents a paradigm shift bringing forth sustainable and equitable relations between environment, economy, and society. The paper reviews a decade of green energy growth strategies and practices. The Korean Green Growth Initiative (KGGI) is investigated as a case study of green energy growth operationalization. Korea’s experiment was widely hailed by international bodies such as The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) for its bold attempt at paradigm shift, with the hope that, if it succeeded, countries currently on the periphery of modern development would be able to overcome conditions of poverty, environmental degradation, and political dependency. But our analysis of the Korean case questions the idea and ideology of green energy growth, demonstrating instead that KGGI was quickly coopted by the paradigm it was supposed to supplant. In this respect, one contradiction in the strategy and practice of green energy growth has been its promise to change the trajectory of modern development without requiring serious changes in modern values and ideology. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy and Development 〉 Climate and Environment Energy and Development 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: The concept of decentralized energy systems needs further improvement in both literature and practice including a common understanding (i.e., consistent terminology), applications, and technical configurations. The increasing share of decentralized intermittent renewable energy reinforces the necessity of balancing local production and consumption. Decentralized energy systems, powered by renewable energy technologies and incorporating storage and conversion technologies, are promising options to cope with this challenge. Many studies have evaluated their potential contributions, but an overview of the status‐quo in both academia and practice is missing. The extant literature lacks a comprehensive review of the scientific knowledge on decentralized energy systems, partially attributed to the lack of common terminology. Additionally, it remains unclear what kind of systems are already implemented today worldwide as they have not yet been thoroughly analyzed and described. However, pilot projects provide valuable insights into future applications and operational aspects. To fill these gaps, an extensive review of the current state of literature and practice is conducted. To do so, 64 publications and 56 projects were analyzed and an overview is provided using four criteria: terminology, scope/motivation, application, and technical configuration. These criteria facilitate the understanding of decentralized energy systems needed to spur their development and diffusion. Further advancements of research and practice are discussed. For example, technological learning hinges on a common terminology and on an identification of optimal technical configurations per application. There are both avenues for future research. This article is categorized under: Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Infrastructure 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy and Urban Design 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Energy Research & Innovation 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: The value of wind is positively affected when wind power plants are active at both the day‐ahead and real‐time markets. When the share of variable renewable energy, such as wind energy, in the energy system becomes large, the integration cost increases in accordance with the depletion of flexible ramping capabilities of the system. Therefore, integration of large shares of wind power into power system operations calls for market integration as well as for additional flexibility. Among the various available options, wind power plants themselves have the technical potential of offering flexibility. Using the Danish market conditions as a case study, we model and analyze four strategies for the participation of a wind power producer in day‐ahead and real‐time electricity markets, and compare how they affect the value of wind power production. Our findings suggest that wind power plants can have a more solid business case if they are active on both day‐ahead and real‐time power markets, which increases the economic value of wind energy as well as reduces the system integration costs. We also highlight that support schemes can affect the incentives for active participation on real‐time power markets. This type of insight is valuable for wind power's potential to expand its market share while keeping a high economic value in power markets, where the political trend is towards market based deployment of renewables and focus on low system integration costs. This article is categorized under: Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Wind Power 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Systems Economics 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: A mechanism for seismicity induced by fluid injection operations is pore pressure increase via a diffusional process (left). This leads to a reduction in the effective normal stress on preexisting faults; allowing frictional resistance to fault sliding to be overcome. This mechanism requires a high permeable pathway from the fluid injection point to the preexisting fault. Even in the circumstances when injection fluids may be hydraulically isolated from any preexisting faults, the fault may be activated through perturbations in the stress field brought about by changes in volume or mass loading transmitted to the fault poroelastically (right: hydraulic fracturing example). Shale gas could help address the insatiable global demand for energy. However, in addition to risks of environmental pollution, the risk of induced seismicity during the hydraulic fracturing process is often considered as the major showstopper in the public acceptability of shale gas as an alternative source of fossil fuel. Other types of subsurface energy development have also demonstrated similar induced seismicity risks. This article presents an interdisciplinary review of notable cases of suspected induced seismicity relating to subsurface energy operations, covering operations for hydraulic fracturing, wastewater injection, conventional gas extraction, enhanced geothermal systems and water impoundment. Possible causal mechanisms of induced seismicity are described and illustrated, then methods to mitigate induced seismicity, encompassing regulations, including so‐called traffic light systems, monitoring and assessment, and numerical modeling approaches for predicting the occurrence of induced seismicity are outlined. Issues relating to public perception of energy technologies in regards to induced seismicity potential are also discussed. This article is categorized under: Photovoltaics 〉 Climate and Environment Fossil Fuels 〉 Climate and Environment Energy Infrastructure 〉 Economics and Policy Energy and Development 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Volume 8, Issue 2, March/April 2019.

Description: Double S curve illustrating the market transformation effect. The promotion of energy efficiency has been at the forefront of the energy policy agenda. New technological inventions and increasing environmental concerns related to contemporary energy policy are the main drivers of the adoption of more energy‐efficient appliances in domestic sector. Additionally, the mandatory star labeling program and incentive design mechanisms are also raising awareness and motivation for their use, thus contributing to the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable energy policies generally pursue programs aiming for energy efficiency among domestic appliances. In India there are currently nine domestic electrical appliances/end‐uses certified with star labeling programs, in particular lighting sources, refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, televisions, computers, washing machines, ceiling fans, and water pumps. This study reviews main issues affecting selection of energy‐efficient technologies in India's domestic sector highlighting the main challenges impacting design of energy efficiency policies and programs in the country. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Efficiency 〉 Economics and Policy Energy and Development 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: While rapid urbanization and industrialization are strong drivers for a transition toward a resilient low‐carbon energy system, many legacy issues remain in the East and Southeast Asian energy industry. The barriers in energy transition can be removed by looking beyond the national border toward regional integration and interconnection. Abstract Energy transitions are designed to improve the resilience, sustainability, and productivity of a country's energy system, and are the key instruments to mitigating the warming climate. Countries and regions have unique circumstances when projecting energy transition pathways. Nonetheless, East Asian economies have shared opportunities and challenges. From the perspective of fuel mix, East Asia had some initial success in renewable energy development accompanied by energy efficiency improvements. Nuclear energy, although controversial, has been well developed and is continuing its advancement in East Asia. However, the dominance of coal in the energy mix has not been sufficiently addressed, mostly because of legacy issues. The region's renewable energy potential is also underdeveloped due to a mismatch between resources and energy demand. Since the region as whole is well endowed with renewable energy resources, the region's advancement in regional energy connectivity presents a valuable institutional asset to further decarbonize East Asian energy sector beyond individual nation's efforts. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy Energy and Development 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Forthcoming EU retail electricity market design. Abstract After a gradual process of reforms, retail electricity markets in Europe are well established. In parallel, the decarbonization agenda and rapid technological progress lead the way toward a renewable‐based and distributed electricity system, in which new business models emerge. Distributed resources, prosumers, and peer‐to‐peer trading are all part of the most likely future scenarios. The newly adopted Clean Energy Package, put forward by the European Commission in 2016, responded to the consensus that existing electricity markets needed to adapt and aimed at putting consumers at the center. But will the ongoing reforms live up to the challenges posed by the coming stages of the ongoing Green Transition? While most recent analyses focus on wholesale issues, the present review narrows this gap. We analyze the European Union (EU) retail electricity market design in isolation, but also in its interaction with the renewable energy policy. We compare the current and the forthcoming legislative framework to elucidate if the recently adopted reforms mitigate conflicts or facilitate complementarities arising from the implementation of the European energy policy framework. While the reforms remove fundamental barriers for consumer participation, several unresolved conflicts remain. Thus, looking forward, there is a significant implementation challenge. Among these are the overdue task of making competition effective, striking the right balance between the verticality and horizontality of the future retail market and confronting market reconfiguration. In this respect, the paper makes several policy recommendations aimed at EU Member States, which are also valid for any jurisdiction willing to advance a transition to renewables. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Systems Economics 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy

Description: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Volume 8, Issue 6, November/December 2019.

Description: The challenge of meeting diverse future energy demands from a range of energy vectors ‐ how should an energy modeller ‘usefully’ approach this problem? Abstract Energy system models which cover multiple vectors have become increasingly used to provide an evidence base for policy and commercial decisions in real‐world energy systems undergoing change. In particular, such models are often used to derive “optimal” pathways to decarbonization considering the planning or operation of systems with multiple technology options. This paper explores how the concept of “usefulness”—the applicability and relevance of modelling outcomes—may be used to establish criteria for modelling design and practice at the outset, and looks at the difficulties that may be faced in achieving this. The application should inform the choice of modelling framework and the manner in which tractability should be addressed and results meaningfully presented. A process of continuous engagement is proposed which guides modelling work towards “useful” outcomes, as well as mitigating the danger of results being more reflective of design choices than the properties of the real‐world systems being modeled. Because of the difficulties in maintaining and auditing complex datasets spanning expertise from multiple sectors, there is a clear role for independent data curators to facilitate rigor in model parameterization and to allow consistency between modelling efforts. Specialists from the different disciplines represented should be engaged to ensure that data have been interpreted and applied correctly. All modelling choices should be clearly documented along with advice on their possible implications in respect of use of the results. This article is categorized under: Energy Systems Analysis 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: This article highlights interesting areas of high potential in the future of forecasting for wind and solar energy, including different business models in renewable energy forecasting. Abstract Forecasting for wind and solar renewable energy is becoming more important as the amount of energy generated from these sources increases. Forecast skill is improving, but so too is the way forecasts are being used. In this paper, we present a brief overview of the state‐of‐the‐art of forecasting wind and solar energy. We describe approaches in statistical and physical modeling for time scales from minutes to days ahead, for both deterministic and probabilistic forecasting. Our focus changes then to consider the future of forecasting for renewable energy. We discuss recent advances which show potential for great improvement in forecast skill. Beyond the forecast itself, we consider new products which will be required to aid decision making subject to risk constraints. Future forecast products will need to include probabilistic information, but deliver it in a way tailored to the end user and their specific decision making problems. Businesses operating in this sector may see a change in business models as more people compete in this space, with different combinations of skills, data and modeling being required for different products. The transaction of data itself may change with the adoption of blockchain technology, which could allow providers and end users to interact in a trusted, yet decentralized way. Finally, we discuss new industry requirements and challenges for scenarios with high amounts of renewable energy. New forecasting products have the potential to model the impact of renewables on the power system, and aid dispatch tools in guaranteeing system security. This article is categorized under: Energy Infrastructure 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Wind Power 〉 Systems and Infrastructure Photovoltaics 〉 Systems and Infrastructure

Description: Performance of the Korea Photovoltaic (PV) Industry. Abstract The purpose of this article is to examine the Korean photovoltaic (PV) R&D strategy and its effectiveness in helping Korean manufacturer competitiveness. The article reviewed the Korean government's PV R&D funding from 2008 to 2017 and investigated the technology readiness levels of 298 R&D projects funded by the Korean government during the same period. It is found that the Korean government followed a two‐track approach of nurturing commercialization technology to cope with rapid growth and volatility in the current global market. The effects of government support for market‐ready and next‐generation technologies in order to position the country in today's competition and to prepare it for “first mover” opportunities in emerging markets are considered. During 2008–2017, Korean manufacturers maintained a 7% of market share. Module prices, which were more than USD 6 per watt in 2000, fell to less than USD 1 in 2017. From a technical point of view, silicon‐based modules have achieved world‐class status in their efficiency. Performance of the country's nonsilicon technologies reached nearly 90% of the world's best nonsilicon products in the early 2010s, but recently, next‐generation technology development is lagging. Despite Korean PV industry's achievements, it is unclear whether Korean government PV R&D strategy affected competitiveness. Since 2013, the Korean government has sharply cut PV R&D funding. Early growth may have been affected by government support, but recent growth may be driven by corporate strategies. A significantly higher level of R&D funding may be needed for Korea's next‐generation technologies to capture “first mover” status. This article is categorized under: Energy and Climate 〉 Economics and Policy Photovoltaics 〉 Economics and Policy Energy Policy and Planning 〉 Economics and Policy