Submit to Energies Review for Energies Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2019) | Viewed by 109707

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation book cover image

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. German Economic Research Institute (DIW Berlin), 10117 Berlin, Germany
2. Energy Economics and Sustainability, Hertie School of Governance, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Interests: renewable energies; energy policy; environmental policy; energy economics; energy modeling; climate policy; energiewende; energy transition

Prof. Dr. Christian Breyer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Energy Systems, LUT University, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland
Interests: 100% renewable energy systems; energy scenarios; solar economy; renewable energy technologies; energy storage; renewable energy business cases.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Pao-Yu Oei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

CoalExit Research Group, TU Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Interests: energy transition; energy modeling; climate policy; coal phase-out; just transition; energy policy; renewable energies; fossil-fuel phase-out; defossilization; decarbonization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy markets are already undergoing considerable transitions to accommodate new (renewable) energy forms, new (decentral) energy players, and new system requirements, e.g. flexibility and resilience. Traditional energy markets for fossil fuels are therefore under pressure, while not-yet-mature (renewable) energy markets are emerging. As a consequence, investments in large-scale and capital intensive (traditional) energy production projects are surrounded by high uncertainty, and are difficult to hedge by private entities. Traditional energy production companies are transforming into energy service suppliers and companies aggregating numerous potential market players are emerging, while regulation and system management are playing an increasing role. To address these increasing uncertainties and complexities, economic analysis, forecasting, modeling and investment assessment require fresh approaches and views. Novel research is thus required to simulate multiple actor interplays and idiosyncratic behavior. The required approaches cannot deal only with energy supply, but need to include active demand and cover systemic aspects. Energy market transitions challenge policy-making. Market coordination failure, the removal of barriers hindering restructuring and the combination of market signals with command-and-control policy measures are some of the new aims of policies.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect research papers that address the above issues using novel methods from any adequate perspective, including economic analysis, modeling of systems, behavioral forecasting, and policy assessment.

The issue will include, but is not be limited to:

Local control schemes and algorithms for distributed generation systems
Centralized and decentralized sustainable energy management strategies
Communication architectures, protocols and properties of practical applications
Topologies of distributed generation systems improving flexibility, efficiency and power quality
Practical issues in the control design and implementation of distributed generation systems
Energy transition studies for optimized pathway options aiming for high levels of sustainability

Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert
Prof. Dr. Christian Breyer
Dr. Pao-Yu Oei
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Transition to net zero GHG emission energy systems
Model-based assessment of global decarbonization and defossilisation pathways
Scenarios for 100% renewable energy systems
Integration of renewables into power systems
Managing multi-sectoral electrification

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (13 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

32 pages, 3802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Financial and Flexibility Incentives for Integrating Wind Energy in the Grid Via Agent-Based Modeling

by Amtul Samie Maqbool, Jens Baetens, Sara Lotfi, Lieven Vandevelde and Greet Van Eetvelde

Energies 2019, 12(22), 4314; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12224314 - 12 Nov 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3284

Abstract

This article provides an agent-based model of a hypothetical standalone electricity network to identify how the feed-in tariffs and the installed capacity of wind power, calculated in percentage of total system demand, affect the electricity consumption from renewables. It includes the mechanism of electricity pricing on the Day Ahead Market (DAM) and the Imbalance Market (IM). The extra production volumes of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources (RES-E) and the flexibility of electrical consumption of industries is provided as reserves on the IM. Five thousand simulations were run by using the agent-based model to gather data that were then fit in linear regression models. This helped to quantify the effect of feed-in tariffs and installed capacity of wind power on the consumption from renewable energy and market prices. The consumption from renewable sources, expressed as percentage of total system consumption, increased by 8.17% for every 10% increase in installed capacity of wind power. The sharpest increase in renewable energy consumption is observed when a feed-in tariff of 0.04 €/kWh is provided to the wind farm owners, resulting in an average increase of 9.1% and 5.1% in the consumption from renewable sources while the maximum installed capacity of wind power is 35% and 100%, respectively. The regression model for the annualized DAM prices showed an increase by 0.01 €cents/kWh in the DAM prices for every 10% increase in the installed wind power capacity. With every increase of 0.01 €/kWh in the value of feed-in tariffs, the mean DAM price is lowered as compared to the previous value of the feed-in tariff. DAM prices only decrease with increasing installed wind capacity when a feed-in tariff of 0.04 €/kWh is provided. This is observed because all wind power being traded on DAM at a very cheap price. Hence, no volume of electricity is being stored for availability on IM. The regression models for predicting IM prices show that, with every 10% increase in installed capacity of wind power, the annualized IM price decreases by 0.031 and 0.34 €cents/kWh, when installed capacity of wind power is between 0 and 25%, and between 25 and 100%, respectively. The models also showed that, until the maximum installed capacity of wind power is less than 25%, the IM prices increase when the value of feed-in tariff is 0.01 and 0.04 €/kWh, but decrease for a feed-in tariff of 0.02 and 0.03 €/kWh. When installed capacity of wind power is between 25 and 100%, increasing feed-in tariffs to the value of 0.03 €/kWh result in lowering the mean IM price. However, at 0.04 €/kWh, the mean IM price is higher, showing the effect of no storage reserves being available on IM and more expensive reserves being engaged on the IM. The study concludes that the effect of increasing installed capacity of wind power is more significant on increasing consumption of renewable energy and decreasing the DAM and IM prices than the effect of feed-in tariffs. However, the effect of increasing values of both factors on the profit of RES-E producers with storage facilities is not positive, pointing to the need for customized rules and incentives to encourage their market participation and investment in storage facilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

54 pages, 6648 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Global Transportation Demand Development with Impacts on the Energy Demand and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a Climate-Constrained World

by Siavash Khalili, Eetu Rantanen, Dmitrii Bogdanov and Christian Breyer

Energies 2019, 12(20), 3870; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12203870 - 12 Oct 2019

Cited by 158 | Viewed by 21716

Abstract

The pivotal target of the Paris Agreement is to keep temperature rise well below 2 °C above the pre-industrial level and pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 °C. To meet this target, all energy-consuming sectors, including the transport sector, need to be restructured. The transport sector accounted for 19% of the global final energy demand in 2015, of which the vast majority was supplied by fossil fuels (around 31,080 TWh). Fossil-fuel consumption leads to greenhouse gas emissions, which accounted for about 8260 MtCO_2eq from the transport sector in 2015. This paper examines the transportation demand that can be expected and how alternative transportation technologies along with new sustainable energy sources can impact the energy demand and emissions trend in the transport sector until 2050. Battery-electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles are the two most promising technologies for the future on roads. Electric ships and airplanes for shorter distances and hydrogen-based synthetic fuels for longer distances may appear around 2030 onwards to reduce the emissions from the marine and aviation transport modes. The rail mode will remain the least energy-demanding, compared to other transport modes. An ambitious scenario for achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is applied, also demonstrating the very high relevance of direct and indirect electrification of the transport sector. Fossil-fuel demand can be reduced to zero by 2050; however, the electricity demand is projected to rise from 125 TWh_el in 2015 to about 51,610 TWh_el in 2050, substantially driven by indirect electricity demand for the production of synthetic fuels. While the transportation demand roughly triples from 2015 to 2050, substantial efficiency gains enable an almost stable final energy demand for the transport sector, as a consequence of broad electrification. The overall well-to-wheel efficiency in the transport sector increases from 26% in 2015 to 39% in 2050, resulting in a respective reduction of overall losses from primary energy to mechanical energy in vehicles. Power-to-fuels needed mainly for marine and aviation transport is not a significant burden for overall transport sector efficiency. The primary energy base of the transport sector switches in the next decades from fossil resources to renewable electricity, driven by higher efficiency and sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 1300 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Transitioning Island Energy Systems—Local Conditions, Development Phases, and Renewable Energy Integration

by Hannah Mareike Marczinkowski, Poul Alberg Østergaard and Søren Roth Djørup

Energies 2019, 12(18), 3484; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12183484 - 10 Sep 2019

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5874

Abstract

Islands typically have sensitive energy systems depending on natural surroundings, but innovative technologies and the exploitation of renewable energy (RE) sources present opportunities like self-sufficiency, but also challenges, such as grid instability. Samsø, Orkney, and Madeira are in the transition to increase the RE share towards 100%—however, this is addressed in different ways depending on the local conditions and current development phases in the transition. Scenarios focusing on the short-term introduction of new technologies in the energy systems are presented, where the electricity sector is coupled with the other energy sectors. Here, both smart grid and sector-integrating solutions form an important part in the next 5–15 years. The scenarios are analyzed using the modeling tool EnergyPLAN, enabling a comparison of today’s reference scenarios with 2030 scenarios of higher RE share. By including three islands across Europe, different locations, development stages, and interconnection levels are analyzed. The analyses suggest that the various smart grid solutions play an important part in the transition; however, local conditions, sector integration, and balancing technologies even more so. Overall, the suggestions complement each other and pave the way to reach 100% RE integration for both islands and, potentially, other similar regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

24 pages, 4637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing Scenarios for the Integration of Renewable Energy Sources in the Mexican Energy System—An Application of the Global Energy System Model (GENeSYS-MOD)

by Luis Sarmiento, Thorsten Burandt, Konstantin Löffler and Pao-Yu Oei

Energies 2019, 12(17), 3270; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12173270 - 25 Aug 2019

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6990

Abstract

This paper uses numerical techno-economic modelling to analyse the effect of current national renewable targets and climate goals on the cost and structural composition of the Mexican energy system. For this, we construct a scenario base analysis to compare current policies with two alternative states of the world—one without climate policies and one attaining full decarbonization. Furthermore, an additional iterative routine allows us to estimate the cost-optimal share of renewable technologies in the energy sector and the effect that deviating from this share has on total discounted system costs, emissions and the structure of the energy mix. In general, model results exhibit three key insights—(1) A marked dependence of the energy system on photovoltaics and natural gas; (2) The 2050 cost-optimal share of renewables for the production of electricity, transportation and industrial heating is respectively 75%, 90% and 5%; and (3) As national renewable targets for the power sector are lower than the cost-optimal share of renewables, equivalent to the shares in an scenario without climate policies and completely disconnected from national climate goals, these should be modified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

32 pages, 3886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of a Delayed Expansion of Interconnector Capacities in a High RES-E European Electricity System

by David Ritter, Roland Meyer, Matthias Koch, Markus Haller, Dierk Bauknecht and Christoph Heinemann

Energies 2019, 12(16), 3098; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12163098 - 12 Aug 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3691

Abstract

In order to achieve a high renewable share in the electricity system, a significant expansion of cross-border exchange capacities is planned. Historically, the actual expansion of interconnector capacities has significantly lagged behind the planned expansion. This study examines the impact that such continued delays would have when compared to a strong interconnector expansion in an ambitious energy transition scenario. For this purpose, scenarios for the years 2030, 2040, and 2050 are examined using the electricity market model PowerFlex EU. The analysis reveals that both CO₂ emissions and variable costs of electricity generation increase if interconnector expansion is delayed. This effect is most significant in the scenario year 2050, where lower connectivity leads roughly to a doubling of both CO₂ emissions and variable costs of electricity generation. This increase results from a lower level of European electricity trading, a curtailment of electricity from a renewable energy source (RES-E), and a corresponding higher level of conventional electricity generation. Most notably, in Southern and Central Europe, less interconnection leads to higher use of natural gas power plants since less renewable electricity from Northern Europe can be integrated into the European grid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

33 pages, 8685 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Pathways for Germany’s Low-Carbon Energy Transformation Towards 2050

by Hans-Karl Bartholdsen, Anna Eidens, Konstantin Löffler, Frederik Seehaus, Felix Wejda, Thorsten Burandt, Pao-Yu Oei, Claudia Kemfert and Christian von Hirschhausen

Energies 2019, 12(15), 2988; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12152988 - 2 Aug 2019

Cited by 66 | Viewed by 20332

Abstract

Like many other countries, Germany has defined goals to reduce its CO₂-emissions following the Paris Agreement of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP). The first successes in decarbonizing the electricity sector were already achieved under the German Energiewende. However, further steps in this direction, also concerning the heat and transport sectors, have stalled. This paper describes three possible pathways for the transformation of the German energy system until 2050. The scenarios take into account current climate politics on a global, European, and German level and also include different demand projections, technological trends and resource prices. The model includes the sectors power, heat, and transportation and works on a Federal State level. For the analysis, the linear cost-optimizing Global Energy System Model (GENeSYS-MOD) is used to calculate the cost-efficient paths and technology mixes. We find that a reduction of CO₂ of more than 80% in the less ambitious scenario can be welfare enhancing compared to a scenario without any climate mitigating policies. Even higher decarbonization rates of 95% are feasible and needed to comply with international climate targets, yet related to high effort in transforming the subsector of process heat. The different pathways depicted in this paper render chances and risks of transforming the German energy system under various external influences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 558 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Sectoral Interactions as Carbon Dioxide Emissions Approach Zero in a Highly-Renewable European Energy System

by Tom Brown, Mirko Schäfer and Martin Greiner

Energies 2019, 12(6), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12061032 - 16 Mar 2019

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 7048

Abstract

Measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are often considered separately, in terms of electricity, heating, transport, and industry. This can lead to the measures being prioritised in the wrong sectors, and neglects interactions between the sectors. In addition, studies often focus on specific greenhouse gas reduction targets, despite the uncertainty regarding what targets are desirable and when. In this paper, these issues are examined for the period after 2030 in an existing openly-available, hourly-resolved, per-country, and highly-renewable model of the European energy system, PyPSA-Eur-Sec-30, that includes electricity, land transport, and space and water heating. A parameter sweep of different reduction targets for direct carbon dioxide emissions is performed, ranging from no target down to zero direct emissions. The composition of system investments, the interactions between the energy sectors, shadow prices, and the market values of the system components are analysed as the carbon dioxide limit changes. Electricity and land transport are defossilised first, while the reduction of emissions in space and water heating is delayed by the expense of new components and the difficulty of supplying heat during cold spells with low wind and solar power generation. For deep carbon dioxide reduction, power-to-gas changes the system dynamics by reducing curtailment and increasing the market values of wind and solar power. Using this model setup, cost projections for 2030, and optimal cross-border transmission, the costs of a zero-direct-emission system in these sectors are marginally cheaper than today’s system, even before the health and environmental benefits are taken into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Energy Storage Implementation on Dynamically Positioned Vessels

by Aleksandar Cuculić, Dubravko Vučetić, Rene Prenc and Jasmin Ćelić

Energies 2019, 12(3), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030444 - 30 Jan 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5166

Abstract

Blackout prevention on dynamically positioned vessels during closed bus bar operation, which allows more efficient and eco-friendly operation of main diesel generators, is the subject of numerous studies. Developed solutions rely mostly on the ability of propulsion frequency converters to limit the power flow from the grid to propulsion motors almost instantly, which reduces available torque until the power system is fully restored after failure. In this paper, a different approach is presented where large scale energy storage is used to take part of the load during the time interval from failure of one of the generators until the synchronization and loading of a stand-by generator. In order to analyze power system behavior during the worst case fault scenario and peak power situations, and to determine the required parameters of the energy storage system, a dynamic simulation model of a ship electrical power system is used. It is concluded that implementation of large scale energy storage can increase the stability and reliability of a vessel’s electrical power system without the need for the reduction of propulsion power during a fault. Based on parameters obtained from simulations, existing energy storage systems were evaluated, and the possibility of their implementation in the maritime transportation sector was considered. Finally, an evaluation model of energy storage implementation cost-effectiveness was presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 4311 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Capacity Expansion Pathways for a Wind and Solar Based Power Supply and the Impact of Advanced Technology—A Case Study for Germany

by Philip Tafarte, Marcus Eichhorn and Daniela Thrän

Energies 2019, 12(2), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12020324 - 21 Jan 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5720

Abstract

Wind and solar PV have become the lowest-cost renewable alternatives and are expected to dominate the power supply matrix in many countries worldwide. However, wind and solar are inherently variable renewable energy sources (vRES) and their characteristics pose new challenges for power systems and for the transition to a renewable energy-based power supply. Using new options for the integration of high shares of vRES is therefore crucial. In order to assess these options, we model the expansion pathways of wind power and solar photovoltaics (solar PV) capacities and their impact on the renewable share in a case study for Germany. Therefore, a numerical optimization approach is applied on temporally resolved generation and consumption time series data to identify the most efficient and fastest capacity expansion pathways. In addition to conventional layouts of wind and solar PV, our model includes advanced, system-friendly technology layouts in combination with electric energy storage from existing pumped hydro storage as promising integration options. The results provide policy makers with useful insights for technology-specific capacity expansion as we identified potentials to reduce costs and infrastructural requirements in the form of power grids and electric energy storage, and to accelerate the transition to a fully renewable power sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Resilient and Immune by Design Microgrids Using Solid State Transformers

by Mihai Sanduleac, João F. Martins, Irina Ciornei, Mihaela Albu, Lucian Toma, Vitor Fernão Pires, Lenos Hadjidemetriou and Rooktabir Sauba

Energies 2018, 11(12), 3377; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11123377 - 3 Dec 2018

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5063

Abstract

Solid State Transformers (SST) may become, in the near future, key technological enablers for decentralized energy supply systems. They have the potential to unleash new technologies and operation strategies of microgrids and prosumers to move faster towards a low carbon-based economy. This work proposes a paradigm change in the hierarchically and distributed operated power systems where SSTs are used to asynchronously connect the many small low voltage (LV) distribution networks, such as clusters of prosumers or LV microgrids, to the bulk power system. The need for asynchronously coupled microgrids requires a design that allows the LV system to operate independently from the bulk grid and to rely on its own control systems. The purpose of this new approach is to achieve immune and resilient by design configurations that allow maximizing the integration of Local Renewable Energy Resources (L-RES). The paper analyses from the stability point of view, through simplified numerical simulations, the way in which SST-interconnected microgrids can become immune to disturbances that occur in the bulk power system and how sudden changes in the microgrid can damp out at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC), thus achieving better reliability and predictability in both systems and enabling strong and healthy distributed energy storage systems (DESSs). Moreover, it is shown that in a fully inverter-based microgrid there is no need for mechanical or synthetic inertia to stabilize the microgrid during power unbalances. This happens because the electrostatic energy stored in the capacitors connected behind the SST inverter can be used for a brief time interval, until automation is activated to address the power unbalance for a longer term. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 4624 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Exploring Energy Pathways for the Low-Carbon Transformation in India—A Model-Based Analysis

by Linus Lawrenz, Bobby Xiong, Luise Lorenz, Alexandra Krumm, Hans Hosenfeld, Thorsten Burandt, Konstantin Löffler, Pao-Yu Oei and Christian Von Hirschhausen

Energies 2018, 11(11), 3001; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11113001 - 1 Nov 2018

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 10323

Abstract

With an increasing expected energy demand and current dominance of coal electrification, India plays a major role in global carbon policies and the future low-carbon transformation. This paper explores three energy pathways for India until 2050 by applying the linear, cost-minimizing, global energy system model (GENeSYS-MOD). The benchmark scenario “limited emissions only” (LEO) is based on ambitious targets set out by the Paris Agreement. A more conservative “business as usual” (BAU) scenario is sketched out along the lines of the New Policies scenario from the International Energy Agency (IEA). On the more ambitious side, we explore the potential implications of supplying the Indian economy entirely with renewable energies with the “100% renewable energy sources” (100% RES) scenario. Overall, our results suggest that a transformation process towards a low-carbon energy system in the power, heat, and transportation sectors until 2050 is technically feasible. Solar power is likely to establish itself as the key energy source by 2050 in all scenarios, given the model’s underlying emission limits and technical parameters. The paper concludes with an analysis of potential social, economic and political barriers to be overcome for the needed Indian low-carbon transformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 3348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building a Community of Users for Open Market Energy

by Joao C. Ferreira and Ana Lucia Martins

Energies 2018, 11(9), 2330; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11092330 - 4 Sep 2018

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 4863

Abstract

Energy markets are based on energy transactions with a central control entity, where the players are companies. In this research work, we propose an IoT (Internet of Things) system for the accounting of energy flows, as well as a blockchain approach to overcome the need for a central control entity. This allows for the creation of local energy markets to handle distributed energy transactions without needing central control. In parallel, the system aggregates users into communities with target goals and creates new markets for players. These two approaches (blockchain and IoT) are brought together using a gamification approach, allowing for the creation and maintenance of a community for electricity market participation based on pre-defined goals. This community approach increases the number of market players and creates the possibility of traditional end users earning money through small coordinated efforts. We apply this approach to the aggregation of batteries from electrical vehicles so that they become a player in the spinning reserve market. It is also possible to apply this approach to local demand flexibility, associated with the demand response (DR) concept. DR is aggregated to allow greater flexibility in the regulation market based on an OpenADR approach that allows the turning on and off of predefined equipment to handle local microgeneration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

19 pages, 3392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impacts of High V2G Participation in a 100% Renewable Åland Energy System

by Michael Child, Alexander Nordling and Christian Breyer

Energies 2018, 11(9), 2206; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11092206 - 23 Aug 2018

Cited by 61 | Viewed by 6388

Abstract

A 100% renewable energy (RE) scenario featuring high participation in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services was developed for the Åland islands for 2030 using the EnergyPLAN modelling tool. Hourly data was analysed to determine the roles of various energy storage solutions, notably V2G connections that extended into electric boat batteries. Two weeks of interest (max/min RE) generation were studied in detail to determine the roles of energy storage solutions. Participation in V2G connections facilitated high shares of variable RE on a daily and weekly basis. In a Sustainable Mobility scenario, high participation in V2G (2750 MWh_e) resulted in less gas storage (1200 MWh_th), electrolyser capacity (6.1 MW_e), methanation capacity (3.9 MWh_gas), and offshore wind power capacity (55 MW_e) than other scenarios that featured lower V2G participation. Consequently, total annualised costs were lower (225 M€/a). The influence of V2G connections on seasonal storage is an interesting result for a relatively cold, northern geographic area. A key point is that stored electricity need not only be considered as storage for future use by the grid, but V2G batteries can provide a buffer between generation of intermittent RE and its end-use. Direct consumption of intermittent RE further reduces the need for storage and generation capacities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

100% Renewable Energy Transition: Pathways and Implementation

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (13 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI