An Integrated Approach for Analysis of Higher Penetration of Variable Renewable Energy: Coupling of the Long-Term Energy Planning Tools and Power Transmission Network Models

Many studies and scientific papers have been published that consider the integration of renewable sources in energy systems, using the least-cost optimization models as a long-term generation expansion planning tool. Supplementary to these analyses, this paper focuses on the transmission network capacity for acceptance of variable renewable energy. The hypothesis is that the simplified electric power transmissions system in the long-term planning modelling tools does not reflect properly the capacity for integration of the variable renewable energy. An integrated approach is applied with aim to incorporate the grid expansion needs and costs (using direct current load flow analysis), necessary for increased renewable electricity penetration. The already developed MARKAL-Macedonia model will be used as a case study. After several iterations and feedback loops between the MARKAL-Macedonia and the network model, the expected outcome is to achieve a new cost-effective solution for deployment of variable energy on a larger scale

Final report on Assessment of the candidate Projects of Energy Community Interest (PECI) and Projects for Mutual Interest (PMI)

A REKK és a DNV GL konzorciuma a 2013-as első PECI lista kiválasztásában nyújtott tanácsadó munkája után 2016-ban is támogatást nyújtott a második PECI lista kiválasztáshoz. A konzorcium kialakított egy projekt értékelési módszertant, majd az elfogadott módszertan alapján értékelte a benyújtott infrastruktúra projekteket. Az értékelés egy előzetes vizsgálatból és egy modellezési és indikátor számítási szakaszból állt. Az előzetes értékelés során megvizsgáltuk, hogy a benyújtott projektek megfelelnek-e a 347/2013 EU rendelet Energy Community által adoptált változatában szereplő általános és specifikus kritériumoknak, illetve a benyújtott projektadatokat verifikáltuk. Az előzetes kritériumoknak megfelelt 31 projektet (12 villamos energia hálózati és 17 gázhálózati és 1 olaj infrastruktúra) értékeltük. A villamosenergia és gázhálózati infrastruktúra projektek esetében a módszertan két lépésen alapult. Első lépésben a modellezésen alapuló költség haszon vizsgálatát végeztük el a projekteknek és kiszámítottuk a társadalmi nettó jelenértékét. Ez az indikátor szerepelt az elemzésben a legnagyobb súllyal (60%). Második lépésben a nem monetizálható hasznok esetében további indikátorok (a rendszerbiztonság, a projektek előrehaladottsága, a piaci versenyhez elősegítése, stb.) kerültek kialakításra, az indikátorok 1-5 skálán pontokat kaptak és a súlyokkal beszorozva megkaptuk minden egyes projekt összpontszámát. Az ily módon sorrendbe állítható projektlista és a részletes érzékenységvizsgálatok eredménye alapján hozta meg a tagállamok képviselőiből álló csoport a döntését az előzetes PECI/PMI listáról

Energy Scenarios for South Eastern Europe: A close look into the Western Balkans

"The Energy Scenarios for South East Europe" thematic seminar took place on the 15th of December 2015 in Vienna, Austria. The workshop was organized by Institute of Energy and Transport of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC-IET), hosted by the Energy Community Secretariat (ECS) and sponsored by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG-NEAR) in the framework of the Travel Accommodation and Conference facility for Western Balkans and Turkey, a programme of dissemination activities organised by the Commission in the EU or the beneficiary country in connection with the enlargement process and the pre-accession strategy. The aim of the workshop was to bring together representatives from think tanks, scientific institutes, the academia and the private sector with government officials, the national statistical agencies and the local TSO representatives from the Western Balkan region to exchange views on potential energy technology deployment scenarios that could facilitate a low carbon development pathway for the enlargement countries, but also exchange on the methodologies utilized and identify challenges as well as potential pitfalls in this process. The workshop included three sessions of specific thematic focus. The first session provided the "regional picture" with forecasts on the development of the energy and power systems in the western Balkans. The second session discussed case studies on low carbon development trajectories for specific countries in the region; and the third session explored the role of particular technologies in this context. This report comprises of long abstracts from the workshop presentations and closes with a chapter on conclusions and recommendations that resulted from the discussion sessions

Integrated approach to the assessment of CO2e-mitigation measures for the road passenger transport sector in Bahrain

The transport sector is one of the fastest-growing energy-consuming sectors in the world and it contributes greatly to emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). In Bahrain, CO2e emissions from the transport sector grew by an average of 8% annually between 1994 and 2006. The aim of this research was to develop an integrated approach to assess the measures adopted to reduce CO2e emissions by the transport sector within the context of climate change mitigation. This approach used the multi-criteria analysis methodology of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to embed conventional assessment methods and a participatory approach. Three extensions to the original AHP methodology were developed: multi-AHP models, scenario packaging, and the examination of the plausibility of the results. The AHP results showed that certain fuel economy standards achieved the highest scores against five qualitative and quantitative criteria. Using socially and politically acceptable options, an integrated approach to CO2e mitigation could achieve a reduction in emissions of around 22% by 2030 (compared with 2010), at a cost of USD 112 per metric tonne of avoided CO2e emissions. Results from surveys of policymakers, experts, and the general public indicated that the outcomes of scenario packaging were plausible. The contributions of this research are two-fold. First, for the first time in Bahrain, the preferences of the general public have been considered and integrated with both the preferences of policymakers and experts and the results obtained from conventional assessment methods. Second, a structured approach for the integration of different assessment methods, transferable to other contexts, was developed and examined. Furthermore, multi-AHP models were introduced that can reflect the preferences of different concerned groups. Applications of this approach include assessment of the implementation of mitigation measures that could affect a number of concerned groups, decision making in energy-consuming sectors, and development of mitigation policy packages

Optimal usage of biomass for energy purposes toward sustainable development - a case of Macedonia

One of the main goals for sustainable development of a country is providing sustainable energy resources, which means satisfying the current needs for energy without compromising the future generations. Moreover, sustainable energy resources primarily involve greater inclusion of renewable energy sources. The biomass is the most widely used renewable energy source, mainly because of its relatively low price and its availability. However, in order for the biomass to stay a renewable energy source, it must be used rationally and with a plan, which primarily requires a detailed analysis of the current situation and resources. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to calculate the optimal utilization of biomass in energy purposes, taking into account the sustainable development of a country. As an example, in this paper Macedonia is considered. A detailed analysis of the data sources related to biomass is made and several different indicators that describe the current situation in Macedonia are presented. Furthermore, several scenarios are defined in this paper in order to calculate the optimal share of biomass in the overall energy mix in Macedonia for the next 20 years, using the MARKAL model

Optimization of heat saving in buildings using unsteady heat transfer model

Reducing the energy consumption growth rate is increasingly becoming one of the main challenges for ensuring sustainable development, particularly in the buildings as the largest end-use sector in many countries. Along this line, the aim of this paper is to analyse the possibilities for energy savings in the construction of new buildings and reconstruction of the existing ones developing a tool that, in terms of the available heating technologies and insulation, provides answer to the problem of optimal cost effective energy consumption. The tool is composed of an unsteady heat transfer model which is incorporated into a cost-effective energy saving optimization. The unsteady heat transfer model uses annual hourly meteorological data, chosen as typical for the last ten-year period, as well as thermo physical features of the layers of the building walls. The model is tested for the typical conditions in the city of Skopje, Macedonia. The results show that the most cost effective heating technology for the given conditions is the wood fired stove, followed by the inverter air-conditioner. The centralized district heating and the pellet fired stoves are the next options. The least cost effective option is the panel that uses electricity. In this paper, the optimal insulation thickness is presented for each type of heating technology