Kentsel enerji sistemlerinin ekonomik sosyal ve çevresel etkileri; izmir doğal gaz ağı örneği

Urban infrastructure systems are high-cost urban components that provide physical and socio-economic functioning in daily life and affect livability and modernization processes. Infrastructure systems, which directly affect the urbanization and are shaped by existing urban settlements, are investments of which efficiency is achieved in the long run and directly related to the planning process. Energy networks, being constituted of natural gas and electricity, are among urban infrastructure systems. Urban energy services need to be provided in an uninterrupted, efficient and standardized way. While energy contributes to economic growth, social justice should be considered, and its impact on the environment should be minimized. The investigation of the relationship between energy infrastructure and sustainability becomes important at this point, considering the social, economic and environmental impacts of energy, which play vital roles in the continuity of the urban dynamics.Inthis study, it is aimed to reveal the socio-spatial effects of the natural gas system, which is cleaner and more efficient compared to other fossil fuels, although not being a domestic and a renewable energy resource. Sustainability of natural gas has been discussed with regard to its economic, social and environmental impacts. (1) Its vieconomic advantages or disadvantages have been examined by calculating investment costs and the annual heating cost of natural gas. Then, these costs are compared to other fuel types. (2) In social terms, the tendency of the households being fuel poor is examined by using a 10% fuel poverty indicator that seek to the households who are spending more than 10% of their income to demonstrate whether energy is distributed equitably to residents in the city and whether household can afford this energy service. (3) Finally, how natural gas consumption affects the pollutant emissions is examined, particularly during the winter season. The variation of the temporal and spatial distributions of PM10emission was compared by using the Kriging method.--M.S. - Master of Scienc

Spatio-Temporal Modelling of the Change of Residential-Induced PM10 Pollution through Substitution of Coal with Natural Gas in Domestic Heating

Air pollution has been one of the most critical urban problems. Urban energy networks are among the major sources of air pollution, particularly in highly populated urban areas. Residential heating, which is the primary cause of particulate matter (PM) emissions, contributes to the problem through the use of low-quality fuels, such as coal. Natural gas, although a fossil fuel, is a modern, relatively clean, and more efficient alternative in residential energy use, which helps to reduce particulate matter emissions. Coal was widely used in residential heating in İzmir, Turkey, whereas natural gas is a relatively new alternative which started to be used domestically in 2006. Switching from coal and other highly polluting fossil fuels to natural gas in urban energy distribution network has contributed to the alleviation of air pollution in the city in the past decade. Spatiotemporal analyses of the PM10 concentrations, and their relation to the natural gas investments, have been conducted in geographical information systems (GIS). The spatial distribution of the change in PM10 levels has been modeled with ordinary kriging for the 2010–2011 and 2018–2019 winter seasons. Interpolated PM10 surfaces show that there is a significant decrease in the emissions throughout the city in the overall, while the highest levels of decrease are observed in the southern part of the city. Overlaying the interpolated PM10 surfaces and the natural gas pipeline investments enables the demonstration of the mutual relationship between the change in emission levels and the energy distribution network. Indeed, the spatial distribution of the pollution concentrations appears to be parallel to the natural gas investments. The pipeline investments were intensive during the 2010–2018 period in the southern districts when compared the rest of the city. The use of natural gas in residential heating contributed to the decrease in PM10 emissions