Connecting the continents. Power system modelling and capacity building for detailed assessments of global power sector decarbonization pathways

Deep decarbonization of the global energy sector is essential for reaching increasingly ambitious climate change mitigation targets. The momentum on global climate action is gathering speed, hence the need for energy research to accurately inform development pathways and decision making processes for the global energy sector is both critical and urgent. Electricity end use is expected to gain a larger role due to the potential for emission reductions in the electricity sector combined with the ability of electricity to displace fossil fuel use in other sectors. While completely decarbonised power systems based on very high penetrations of wind and solar energy are desirable, the technical and economic feasibility of power systems mostly or fully based on renewables remains a matter of debate. Furthermore, from a continental or global perspective, the role of flexible assets such as large-scale transmission interconnections are poorly understood. This thesis develops, applies, and disseminates a number of key foundation blocks for robust assessments of global power system decarbonization pathways by means of open methods and datasets that can be used with a broad range of modelling tools. The author constructs and uses a detailed global power system model with high technical, temporal, and spatial modelling resolution to assess the technical feasibility of scenarios coming from long-term planning models. The methodological open source soft-link framework presented here is carefully designed to respond to known limitations of Integrated Assessment Models in a manner that allows for iterative model coupling to pinpoint and improve key areas of power system representation within Integrated Assessment Models. The thesis results provide insights that planning models struggle to generate, for example regarding curtailment of renewable electricity, occurrence of unserved energy and the operation of flexible assets at hourly modelling resolution. The research pays particular attention to the potential for intercontinental trade of electricity in context of a globally integrated power grid. The main contributions of this thesis are the development, application and dissemination of new methods, datasets and models that improve power system modelling and capacity building efforts at the global scale. The foundation blocks provided by this research are currently contributing to improved assessments of power system decarbonization pathways and are enriching the evidence base underpinning global climate- and energy policy decisions

System dynamics within typical days of a high variable 2030 European power system

The effect of variability in electricity generation on future high variable European power systems is a subject of extensive research within the current scientific literature. The common approach in these studies, regarding the assessment of the impact of the variability and related balancing assets, is by showing yearly aggregates (or longer) of results based on a variety of indicators. Although significant, these studies often lack in temporal details. This paper therefore focuses on the dynamics between load, generation, marginal cost and assets for balancing the generation variability, within a variety of typical days in a fully-integrated European power market. This is done by assessments of daily snapshots based on an hourly time resolution. The assessments underline the necessity of balancing assets, both during peaks as well as during lows in the output of variable generators. Interconnection capacity, electricity storage and demand response (DR) applications all contribute to renewables integration and to optimized utilization of cost-efficient generation capacity throughout the European power system. Important load flows from and towards load centers with high capacities of variable renewables are identified, as well as a significant role for transit countries with high interconnection capacities between these load centers. Despite the importance of electricity storage, it is shown that the traditional diurnal utilization of centralized electricity storage fleets becomes less viable with increasing penetration of variable renewables. A potential high CO2 price in the future European power market can become a determining factor in the system dynamics. Large price differentials in the merit order stimulate long distance flows as well as an increasing profitability for storage assets

Building and calibrating a country-level detailed global electricity model based on public data

Deep decarbonization of the global electricity sector is required to meet ambitious climate change targets. This underlines the need for improved models to facilitate an understanding of the global challenges ahead, particularly on the concept of large-scale interconnection of power systems. Developments in recent years regarding availability of open data as well as improvements in hardware and software has stimulated the use of more advanced and detailed electricity system models. In this paper we explain the process of developing a first-of-its-kind reference global electricity system model with over 30,000 individual power plants representing 164 countries spread out over 265 nodes. We describe the steps in the model development, assess the limitations and existing data gaps and we furthermore showcase the robustness of the model by benchmarking calibrated hourly simulation results with historical emission and generation data on a country level. The model can be used to evaluate the operation of today's power systems or can be applied for scenario studies assessing a range of global decarbonization pathways. Comprehensive global power system datasets are provided as part of the model input data, with all data being openly available under the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship allowing users to modify or recreate the model in other simulation environments. The software used for this study (PLEXOS) is freely available for academic use

Open Culture Data: otwarcie danych GLAM od podstaw

Open Culture Data started as a grassroot movement at the end of 2011, with the aim to open up data in the cultural sector and stimulate (creative) re-use. In this context, we organised a hackathon, which resulted in the creation of 13 Open Culture Data apps. After this successful first half year, a solid network of cultural heritage professionals, copyright and open data experts and developers was formed. In April 2012, an Open Culture Data masterclass started in which 17 institutions got practical, technical and legal advice on how to open data for re-use. Furthermore, we organised an app competition and three hackathons, in which developers were stimulated to re-use Open Cultural Datasets in new and innovative ways. These activities resulted in 27 more apps and 34 open datasets. In this paper we share lessons-learned that will inform heritage institutions with real-life quantitative and qualitative experiences, best practices and guidelines from their peers for opening up data and the ways in which this data is reused. Since the open culture data field is still relatively young, this is highly relevant information needed to stimulate others to join the open data movement. To this end, we are already taking steps to cross the borders and let Europe know about the initiative, on both a practical and a policy level.Open Culture Data (dane otwartej kultury) to ruch, który zaczął rozwijać się pod koniec 2011 r. od obywatelskiej inicjatywy, mającej na celu otwarcie danych w sektorze kultury oraz rozbudzenie zainteresowania (twórczego) ich ponownym wykorzystaniem. W tych okolicznościach, zorganizowaliśmy maraton dla programistów (hackathon), w wyniku którego powstało 13 aplikacji Open Culture Data. Po tym pomyślnym pierwszym półroczu uformowała się trwała społeczność osób zawodowo związanych ze sferą dziedzictwa kulturowego, praw autorskich oraz specjalistów od otwartych danych i programistów. W kwietniu 2012 r. rozpoczął się kurs mistrzowski Open Culture Data, podczas którego 17 instytucji zdobyło praktyczną, techniczną i prawniczą wiedzę, jak otwierać dane w celu ich ponownego wykorzystania. Ponadto, zorganizowaliśmy konkurs na aplikacje oraz trzy maratony programistyczne, podczas których poproszono programistów o ponowne użycie zbioru danych otwartej kultury (Open Culture Dataset) w sposób nowatorski i innowacyjny. W wyniku tych działań powstało 27 kolejnych aplikacji oraz 34 otwarte zbiory danych. W niniejszym artykule chcemy podzielić się z instytucjami dziedzictwa kulturowego wiedzą zdobytą podczas rzeczywistych jakościowych i ilościowych doświadczeń, dobrych praktyk oraz wytycznych z otwierania danych i sposobów na ich ponowne wykorzystanie przez siostrzane instytucje. Póki dziedzina otwartych danych kultury jest stosunkowo świeża, ma to bardzo istotne znaczenie dla wzbudzania w innych chęci przyłączenia się do ruchu otwartych danych. Dlatego też, czynimy pierwsze kroki, by przekroczyć granice i rozpowszechnić tę inicjatywę w Europie zarówno pod względem praktycznym, jak i strategicznym

A comprehensive review on the benefits and challenges of global power grids and intercontinental interconnectors

Globally interconnected power grids are proposed as a future concept to facilitate decarbonisation of the electricity system by enabling the harnessing and sharing of vast amounts of renewable energy. Areas with the highest potential for renewable energy are often far away from current load centres, which can be integrated through long-distance transmission interconnection. The concept builds on the proven benefits of transmission interconnection in mitigating the variability of renewable electricity sources such as wind and solar by import and export of electricity between neighbouring regions, as well as on other known benefits of power system integration. This paper reviews existing global and regional initiatives in context of a sustainable future and presents the associated benefits and challenges of globally interconnected power grids and intercontinental interconnectors. We find that while the challenges and opportunities are clearly qualified, actual quantification of costs, benefits and environmental implications of the global grid concept remains in its infancy, imposing a significant gap in the literature

Impact Playbook for Museums, Libraries, Archives and Galleries

No abstract available

Impact Playbook for Museums, Libraries, Archives and Galleries

No abstract available

Impact Playbook for Museums, Libraries, Archives and Galleries

No abstract available

Open Culture Data position paper

Open Culture Data started as a grassroots movement at the end of 2011, with the aim to open up data in the cultural sector and stimulate (creative) reuse. In this context, we organised a hackathon, which resulted in the creation of 13 Open Culture Data apps. After this successful first half year, a solid network of cultural heritage professionals, copyright and open data experts and developers was formed. In April 2012, an Open Culture Data masterclass started in which 17 institutions get practical, technical and legal advice on how to open their data for re-use. Furthermore, we organised an app competition and three hackathons, in which developers were stimulated to re-use Open Cultural Datasets in new and innovative ways. These activities resulted in 27 more apps and 34 open datasets. In this paper we share lessons-learned, that will inform heritage institutions with real-life quantitative and qualitative experiences, best practices and guidelines of their peers with opening up data and the ways in which this data is reused. Since the open culture data field is still relatively young, this is highly relevant information needed to stimulate other to join the open data movement. To this end, we are already taking steps to cross the borders and let Europe know about the initiative, on both a practical and a policy level