Study on the state of play of energy efficiency of heat and electricity production technologies

This report provides an overview of the current state of the art of the technologies used in EU for power and heat generation as well as combined heat and power generation (cogeneration or CHP). The technologies are categorised per fuel but also in terms of technology selection. The fuels considered are the ones reported in the Strategic European Energy Review report on Energy Sources, Production Costs and Performance of Technologies for Power Generation, Heating and Transport (SEC(2008) 2872).JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluatio

High concentration photovoltaic systems applying III-V cells

High concentration systems make use of the direct solar beam and therefore are suitable for application in regions with high annual direct irradiation values. III-V PV cells with a nominal efficiency of up to 39% are readily available in today's market, with further efficiency improvements expected in the years ahead. The relatively high cost of III-V cells limits their terrestrial use to applications under high concentration, usually above 400 suns. In this way the relatively high cell cost is compensated through the low amount for cells needed per kW nominal system output. This paper presents a state of the art of high concentration photovoltaics using III-V cells. This PV field accounts already for more than 20 developed systems, which are commercially available or shortly before market introduction.High concentration PV III-V cell Fresnel lens Micro-Dish

Development and assessment of a solar home system to cover cooking and lighting needs in developing regions as a better alternative for existing practices

An estimated 1.2 billion people around the world don't have access to electricity, while many more suffer from supply that is of poor quality. Domestic energy poverty is most severe in the rural areas of South Asia, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Basic energy needs, such as cooking and lighting, are covered using traditional biomass and fossil fuels. These are consumed inefficiently in fire stoves and flame lamps. This situation hampers economic growth and social development and implies severe stress on resources and the environment. Photovoltaics could play a major role in overcoming domestic energy poverty, especially as most of the affected regions are within the Earth's Sunbelt. This paper provides such a solution in the form of a solar home system with lithium-ion battery in combination with an energy efficient multicooker and LED lamps to cover the needs for cooking and lighting for one family. A solar home system layout is provided and assessed in terms of its cost and benefits in contrast with the existing practices for cooking and lighting in developing regions. Thereby, evolutionary aspects are taken into account to capture the incremental cost advantage of the solar home system technology over time, and with that support the idea of projecting large-scale implementation in developing regions

Wind energy (30%) in the Spanish power mix--technically feasible and economically reasonable

The installed wind power capacity in Spain has grown strongly in recent years. In 2007, wind parks supplied already 10% of the 260 TWh generated electricity. Along that year the installed wind capacity grew by 33.2%, from 11.63 GW in January to 15.5 GW in December. Wind is nowadays the primer renewable power source in Spain, while the public perception of renewables in general is very positive. The issue of the integration of wind power as a fluctuating source into the power grid is gaining priority. The study we present in this paper has the objective to show that a relatively high share of wind power in Spain can be assimilated by the grid despite the fluctuating character of this energy and despite the fluctuating demand, and without affecting negatively the economy of the power supply systems and of wind farms.Spain Wind power Renewables' power mix

The unlocked potential of solar home systems; an effective way to overcome domestic energy poverty in developing regions

Energy poverty in developing regions is a major global concern, with the rural areas of South Asia, South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected. The major residential energy consumption in these regions is for cooking and lighting, which is basically covered with traditional biomass and fossil fuels. This situation acts as a development barrier, while implying stress on resources and the environment. Solar home systems (SHS) can play an important role in overcoming this problem. Recent technological advances and cost reductions in lithium-ion batteries favour their use in such application. Domestic electric devices with outstanding energy efficiency are becoming the standard around the globe. This paper focuses on exploiting these innovations to provide a solution for domestic energy poverty in developing regions. The layout of a SHS that integrates a lithium-ion battery-pack and is complemented with LED lamps and an energy efficient multicooker is presented. The paper assesses the SHS in contrast with existing practices under domestic energy poverty, with consideration of the learning curve. It is concluded that the cost of energy of the SHS is slightly cheaper than the business as usual case on the short term, and notably cheaper on the longer run. Furthermore, a financing scheme is proposed to overcome implementation barriers. Government support is considered, and quantified based on the SHS carbon abatement and saved fossil fuel subsidies. A substantial share of the initial investment can be covered under such scheme. This case study allows to draw general conclusions on the potential of SHS as a solution for domestic energy poverty in developing regions, on the financing gaps that hamper implementation and eventually on the required actions to overcome these

2013 Technology Map of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) - Technology Descriptions

The Technology Map is one of the principal regular deliverables of SETIS. It is prepared by JRC scientists in collaboration with colleagues from other services of the European Commission and with experts from industry, national authorities and academia, to provide: • a concise and authoritative assessment of the state of the art of a wide portfolio of low-carbon energy technologies; • their current and estimated future market penetration and the barriers to their large-scale deployment; • the ongoing and planned R&D and demonstration efforts to overcome technological barriers; and, • reference values for their operational and economic performance, which can be used for the modelling and analytical work performed in support of implementation of the SET-Plan. This fourth edition of the Technology Map, i.e. the 2013 update, addresses 22 different technologies, covering the whole spectrum of the energy system, including both supply and demand technologies, namely: Wind Power Generation, Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Generation, Concentrated Solar Power Generation, Hydropower, Geothermal Energy, Marine Energy, Cogeneration or Combined Heat and Power, Carbon Capture and Storage in Power Generation, Advanced Fossil Fuel Power Generation, Nuclear Fission Power Generation, Nuclear Fusion Power Generation, Smart Grids, Bioenergy - Power and Heat Generation, Biofuels for the Transport Sector, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, Electricity Storage in the Power Sector, Energy Efficiency and CO2 Emission Reduction in Industry (The Cement Industry, The Iron and Steel Industry, The Pulp and Paper Industry), Heating and Cooling, Heat Pumps, and Energy Performance of Buildings.JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluatio