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Renewable Electricity

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2016) | Viewed by 28909

Special Issue Editor

European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Renewables and Energy Efficiency Unit, Via E. Fermi 2749, TP 450, I-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy
Interests: renewable energies; energy policy; material science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global electricity demand is expected to increase by 80% in the IEA 2DS and 110% in the 4DS over the next three decades, driven by the electrification of the energy system where a shift of the end use applications towards electricity pushes electricity to become the prime energy carrier. The fact that almost 40% of global primary energy is currently used to generate electricity, despite the fact that electricity covers on average only 17% of all global final energy needs, shows the urgency to decarbonize the supply and the importance renewable electricity has to play for the achievement of the climate change goals and future human wellbeing. It is obvious that the business as usual approach will not deliver the necessary acceleration of the renewable electricity implementation. New technology developments as well as creative and novel business models and policy designs are needed to achieve this.

Amongst others, this special issue will seek answers to the following questions:

•       What new technology developments can help to achieve the goals?

•       What kind of research is needed?

•       How do these technology developments change the business environment for the current power industry?

•       What are realistic and innovative business models to make fully utilize the sustainable and cost competitive advantage of renewable electricity?

•       What political and regulatory changes are needed to accelerate the sustainable and economic use of renewable electricity?


Dr. Arnulf Jäger-Waldau
Guest Editor

Keywords

  • renewable energy sources
  • solid bioenergy
  • biogas
  • geothermal power
  • hydropower
  • solar photovoltaic electricity
  • solar thermal electricity
  • wind power
  • local resources
  • mini-grids
  • grid integration
  • economics
  • social acceptance
  • manufacturing
  • installations
  • value chain
  • business models

Published Papers (3 papers)

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11855 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Hydrocarbon Trade Options for the Maghreb Region and Europe—Renewable Energy Based Synthetic Fuels for a Net Zero Emissions World
by Mahdi Fasihi, Dmitrii Bogdanov and Christian Breyer
Sustainability 2017, 9(2), 306; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su9020306 - 19 Feb 2017
Cited by 78 | Viewed by 11116
Abstract
Concerns about climate change and increasing emission costs are drivers for new sources of fuels for Europe. Sustainable hydrocarbons can be produced synthetically by power-to-gas (PtG) and power-to-liquids (PtL) facilities, for sectors with low direct electrification such as aviation, heavy transportation and chemical [...] Read more.
Concerns about climate change and increasing emission costs are drivers for new sources of fuels for Europe. Sustainable hydrocarbons can be produced synthetically by power-to-gas (PtG) and power-to-liquids (PtL) facilities, for sectors with low direct electrification such as aviation, heavy transportation and chemical industry. Hybrid PV–Wind power plants can harvest high solar and wind potentials of the Maghreb region to power these systems. This paper calculates the cost of these fuels for Europe, and presents a respective business case for the Maghreb region. Calculations are hourly resolved to find the least cost combination of technologies in a 0.45° × 0.45° spatial resolution. Results show that, for 7% weighted average cost of capital (WACC), renewable energy based synthetic natural gas (RE-SNG) and RE-diesel can be produced in 2030 for a minimum cost of 76 €/MWhHHV (0.78 €/m3SNG) and 88 €/MWhHHV (0.85 €/L), respectively. While in 2040, these production costs can drop to 66 €/MWhHHV (0.68 €/m3SNG) and 83 €/MWhHHV (0.80 €/L), respectively. Considering access to a WACC of 5% in a de-risking project, oxygen sales and CO2 emissions costs, RE-diesel can reach fuel-parity at crude oil prices of 101 and 83 USD/bbl in 2030 and 2040, respectively. Thus, RE-synthetic fuels could be produced to answer fuel demand and remove environmental concerns in Europe at an affordable cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Electricity)
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2200 KiB  
Article
Exergetic Aspects of Hydrogen Energy Systems—The Case Study of a Fuel Cell Bus
by Evanthia A. Nanaki and Christopher J. Koroneos
Sustainability 2017, 9(2), 276; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su9020276 - 15 Feb 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6565
Abstract
Electrifying transportation is a promising approach to alleviate climate change issues arising from increased emissions. This study examines a system for the production of hydrogen using renewable energy sources as well as its use in buses. The electricity requirements for the production of [...] Read more.
Electrifying transportation is a promising approach to alleviate climate change issues arising from increased emissions. This study examines a system for the production of hydrogen using renewable energy sources as well as its use in buses. The electricity requirements for the production of hydrogen through the electrolysis of water, are covered by renewable energy sources. Fuel cells are being used to utilize hydrogen to power the bus. Exergy analysis for the system is carried out. Based on a steady-state model of the processes, exergy efficiencies are calculated for all subsystems. The subsystems with the highest proportion of irreversibility are identified and compared. It is shown that PV panel has exergetic efficiency of 12.74%, wind turbine of 45%, electrolysis of 67%, and fuel cells of 40%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Electricity)
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4742 KiB  
Article
Can Australia Power the Energy-Hungry Asia with Renewable Energy?
by Ashish Gulagi, Dmitrii Bogdanov, Mahdi Fasihi and Christian Breyer
Sustainability 2017, 9(2), 233; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su9020233 - 08 Feb 2017
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 10752
Abstract
The Paris Agreement points out that countries need to shift away from the existing fossil-fuel-based energy system to limit the average temperature rise to 1.5 or 2 °C. A cost-optimal 100% renewable energy based system is simulated for East Asia for the year [...] Read more.
The Paris Agreement points out that countries need to shift away from the existing fossil-fuel-based energy system to limit the average temperature rise to 1.5 or 2 °C. A cost-optimal 100% renewable energy based system is simulated for East Asia for the year 2030, covering demand by power, desalination, and industrial gas sectors on an hourly basis for an entire year. East Asia was divided into 20 sub-regions and four different scenarios were set up based on the level of high voltage grid connection, and additional demand sectors: power, desalination, industrial gas, and a renewable-energy-based synthetic natural gas (RE-SNG) trading between regions. The integrated RE-SNG scenario gives the lowest cost of electricity (€52/MWh) and the lowest total annual cost of the system. Results contradict the notion that long-distance power lines could be beneficial to utilize the abundant solar and wind resources in Australia for East Asia. However, Australia could become a liquefaction hub for exporting RE-SNG to Asia and a 100% renewable energy system could be a reality in East Asia with the cost assumptions used. This may also be more cost-competitive than nuclear and fossil fuel carbon capture and storage alternatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Electricity)
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