Challenges and prospects of renewable hydrogen-based strategies for full decarbonization of stationary power applications

The exponentially growing contribution of renewable energy sources in the electricity mix requires large systems for energy storage to tackle resources intermittency. In this context, the technologies for hydrogen production offer a clean and versatile alternative to boost renewables penetration and energy security. Hydrogen production as a strategy for the decarbonization of the energy sources mix has been investigated since the beginning of the 1990s. The stationary sector, i.e. all parts of the economy excluding the transportation sector, accounts for almost three-quarters of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions (mass of CO2-eq) in the world associated with power generation. While several publications focus on the hybridization of renewables with traditional energy storage systems or in different pathways of hydrogen use (mainly power-to-gas), this study provides an insightful analysis of the state of art and evolution of renewable hydrogen-based systems (RHS) to power the stationary sector. The analysis started with a thorough review of RHS deployments for power-to-power stationary applications, such as in power generation, industry, residence, commercial building, and critical infrastructure. Then, a detailed evaluation of relevant techno-economic parameters such as levelized cost of energy (LCOE), hydrogen roundtrip efficiency (HRE), loss of power supply probability (LPSP), self-sufficiency ratio (SSR), or renewable fraction (fRES) is provided. Subsequently, lab-scale plants and pilot projects together with current market trends and commercial uptake of RHS and fuel cell systems are examined. Finally, the future techno-economic barriers and challenges for short and medium-term deployment of RHS are identified and discussed.This research is being supported by the Project ENERGY PUSH SOE3/P3/E0865, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERPF) in the framework of the INTERREG SUDOE Programme and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (Project: RTI2018-093310-B-I00)

Matlab

This book is a collection of 19 excellent works presenting different applications of several MATLAB tools that can be used for educational, scientific and engineering purposes. Chapters include tips and tricks for programming and developing Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), power system analysis, control systems design, system modelling and simulations, parallel processing, optimization, signal and image processing, finite different solutions, geosciences and portfolio insurance. Thus, readers from a range of professional fields will benefit from its content

ZEMCH International Research 2020

Globally, record weather temperatures and changing climatic patterns, attributed partly to energy use and related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, indicate that the issue of global warming cannot be marginalized. In most countries buildings account for a significant share of the total final energy consumed and are responsible for associated CO2 emissions. In response to market needs and demands for social, economic, and environmental sustainability of housing in developed and developing countries, the Zero-Energy Mass Custom Home (ZEMCH), integrating lean design and sustainable construction concepts, was envisaged and discussed internationally. To deliver a marketable and reliable near-zero-energy/emission-conscious mass custom home, various key design, technological, production and marketing, and delivery and operational parameters need to be optimized harmoniously. This book compiles recent research articles of ZEMCH International Research 2020. A wide range of ZEMCH topics, including building envelope evaluations, occupant choice and experience, indoor environmental quality, automated control systems, mass customization, and integration of renewable energy, on both building and urban scales are covered. It aims to address current questions as well as present challenges and opportunities for continuous development of built environments for users with diverse socio-economic backgrounds and cultural differences in developed and developing countries

Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Both New and Rehabilitated

Buildings are one of the main causes of the emission of greenhouse gases in the world. Europe alone is responsible for more than 30% of emissions, or about 900 million tons of CO2 per year. Heating and air conditioning are the main cause of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. Most buildings currently in use were built with poor energy efficiency criteria or, depending on the country and the date of construction, none at all. Therefore, regardless of whether construction regulations are becoming stricter, the real challenge nowadays is the energy rehabilitation of existing buildings. It is currently a priority to reduce (or, ideally, eliminate) the waste of energy in buildings and, at the same time, supply the necessary energy through renewable sources. The first can be achieved by improving the architectural design, construction methods, and materials used, as well as the efficiency of the facilities and systems; the second can be achieved through the integration of renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) in buildings. In any case, regardless of whether the energy used is renewable or not, the efficiency must always be taken into account. The most profitable and clean energy is that which is not consumed

Design, simulation and analysis of a passive house and its renewable energy system for Newfoundland

A large amount of energy produced is directly consumed in the form of electricity. This need for energy is continuously growing and leading to new ways to make efficient use of it. When we talk about using energy efficiently, the idea of a passive house system kicks in, which essentially focuses on reducing energy use for space heating or cooling in a house. The main idea is to reduce the energy consumption of the house as well as reducing its impact on the environment when the occupants are using the house. The first phase of the research shows the dynamic modelling of an energy-efficient home that works on the principles and guidelines of a passive house using the EnergyPlus simulation engine. A renewable energy system has been developed for the passive house, which is located at Flat Rock, St John’s, NL Canada. The overall design has been simulated using MATLAB/Simulink environment packages. The dynamic simulation indicates that the system gives promising results. In the second phase, a detailed simulation of a renewable energy system using various software and efficient energy management techniques are presented. Finally, for experimental validation, an open-source IoT platform named Ubidots smart home automation is used as Human Machine Interface (HMI) server, an ESP32 Thing microcontroller board as a Master Logic Controller (MLC) where all sensors and output devices such as power meter, relays are connected for data acquisition and control