Dequantization via quantum channels

For a unital completely positive map $\Phi$ ("quantum channel") governing the time propagation of a quantum system, the Stinespring representation gives an enlarged system evolving unitarily. We argue that the Stinespring representations of each power $\Phi^m$ of the single map together encode the structure of the original quantum channel and provides an interaction-dependent model for the bath. The same bath model gives a "classical limit" at infinite time $m\to\infty$ in the form of a noncommutative "manifold" determined by the channel. In this way a simplified analysis of the system can be performed by making the large-$m$ approximation. These constructions are based on a noncommutative generalization of Berezin quantization. The latter is shown to involve very fundamental aspects of quantum-information theory, which are thereby put in a completely new light

Revisiting the Merit-Order Effect of Renewable Energy Sources

An on-going debate in the energy economics and power market community has raised the question if energy-only power markets are increasingly failing due to growing feed-in shares from subsidized renewable energy sources (RES). The short answer to this is: No, they are not failing. Energy-based power markets are, however, facing several market distortions, namely from the gap between the electricity volume traded at day-ahead markets versus the overall electricity consumption as well as the (wrong) regulatory assumption that variable RES generation, i.e., wind and photovoltaic (PV), truly have zero marginal operation costs. In this paper we show that both effects over-amplify the well-known merit-order effect of RES power feed-in beyond a level that is explainable by underlying physical realities, i.e., thermal power plants being willing to accept negative electricity prices to be able to stay online due to considerations of wear & tear and start-stop constraints. We analyze the impacts of wind and PV power feed-in on the day-ahead market for a region that is already today experiencing significant feed-in tariff (FIT)-subsidized RES power feed-in, the EPEX German-Austrian market zone ($\approx\,$20% FIT share). Our analysis shows that, if the necessary regulatory adaptations are taken, i.e., increasing the day-ahead market's share of overall load demand and using the true marginal costs of RES units in the merit-order, energy-based power markets can remain functional despite high RES power feed-in.Comment: Working Paper (9 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables) - Some revisions since last version (10 February 2014). (Under 2nd review for IEEE Transactions on Power Systems