Associate Professor, Aalborg University

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Electric Roads

Electric Roads

on Jul 27, 2016

I published a journal article outlining the economic viability of electric roads in 2017 in the journal of Energy Strategy Reviews.     To date, I have also published two reports about electric reports: Version 1: RoadRail 2012 Report Version 2: eRoad 2016 Report Version 1 from 2012 was published before any major developments in conductive electric roads, so the cost and performance of electric roads are based on technologies which have similar characteristics such as electric trams and transmission lines. In version 2, a more in depth analysis was carried out since new data became available about electric roads. A brief overview of the concept is provided in the video below, followed by a summary of version 2 and the key messages from the study.   Affordability of Electric Roads (4 mins)   Brief Overview of the Concept and Study (14 mins)   Summary: Version 2, eRoads This study compares electric roads with oil (petrol and diesel) and battery electric vehicles, using Denmark as a case study. Electric roads can reduce the cost of electric vehicles by supplying them with electricity directly from the road rather than via a battery for long-distance journeys. In this paper, an electric road scenario is compared to both an oil and battery electric vehicle scenario using the 2010 Danish energy system, but for two sets of costs: one set based on historical costs from the year 2010 and one based on projected costs for the year 2050. The results indicate that electric roads are more expensive than oil today, but they will be cheaper than oil in 2050. Furthermore, electric roads are cheaper than Battery Electric Vehicles in all of the scenarios considered here, which indicates that the upfront investment required to build the electric roads is less than the additional battery capacity required for electric vehicles if they are not installed. The electric road and battery electric vehicle scenarios are more efficient and produce less carbon dioxide emissions than their corresponding oil scenarios for two key reasons: 1) the vehicles are more efficient and 2) electric vehicles enable more renewable electricity to be integrated onto the electricity grid. This is particularly evident in 2050, since the price of fossil fuels increases...

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Smart Energy Europe

Smart Energy Europe

on Mar 17, 2016

In this study, I quantified the impact of one potential transition for Europe from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy, based on the Smart Energy System approach. This project was carried out in collaboration with the European Commission. Below is a short video about the study along with some links to the various publication formats: Final Report Journal Paper (In Press, Uncorrected Proof) Conference Paper   Smart Energy Europe: Video Summary (5...

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on Aug 8, 2014

I have just published a new article describing and comparing various different transport fuels which are suitable for a 100% renewable energy system. You can read the journal paper or watch the video below to find out more. For those that do not have access to ScienceDirect, the paper is freely available here until the 28th of September...

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on Aug 7, 2014

Current studies concluding that onshore wind power is the cheapest (or one of the cheapest): My own calculations: Limerick-Clare Energy Plan (see Figure 1, page vii) Portugal’s Electricity Utility EDP Danish Energy Agency [Report in Danish] Fraunhofer ISE IRENA (Page 15. The cheaper natural gas is based on gas prices for the...

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Green Plan Ireland

Green Plan Ireland

on May 19, 2014

(DOWNLOAD PAPER) Green Plan Ireland is based on a peer-reviewed scientific paper I published in the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management, which outlines how Ireland can transition to a 100% renewable energy system without increasing the costs of energy, but while creating 100,000 additional jobs at the same time. The key steps required in a 100% renewable energy system are: Expanding electricity production from onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar panels Converting the heat supply in Irish cities from gas boilers to district heating Converting the individual boilers in the rural areas from coal and oil to electric heat pumps Converting our cars from petrol and diesel to electricity Producing liquid and gaseous fuels from a combination of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which are known as synthetic fuels Here you can download: A Brief Summary The Green Plan Ireland Paper (in pdf format) Original Journal Paper An energy flow diagram for the the 100% renewable energy scenario proposed (see links below) The Computer Models used in the Study Podcast on 100% Renewable Energy   Presentation of Green Plan Ireland In this video, I present the Green Plan Ireland study, which outlines how Ireland can transition from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy by the year 2050. The event was kindly hosted by the IIEA in March 2016.   Energy Flow Diagram (Download in Pdf or PNG format) The energy flow diagram provided here represents the flow of energy in the 100% renewable energy scenario proposed in Green Plan Ireland. As emphasised in the study, this should be viewed as one potential 100% renewable energy scenario for Ireland and not as an ‘optimum’ scenario. An energy flow diagram is available for a more optimised 100% renewable energy scenario from the CEESA project, which focused on Denmark (see Figure 3.13 on page 57 of the main report). CEESA was a five-year research project involving more than 20 researchers across 7 different university departments or research institutions in Denmark, so the analysis is much more detailed than in Green Plan Ireland. Therefore, this energy flow diagram is over simplified compared to reality so that it is easier to understand, both in its design and its presentation. A detailed eneryg flow diagram is provided for the synthetic/electrofuels explicitly...

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Wind Power and Pylons: Adding Facts to an Emotional Debate

Wind Power and Pylons: Adding Facts to an Emotional Debate

on May 1, 2014

The debate around wind power and pylons seems to have taken on a life of its own in Ireland in recent months. There also seems to be a lot of references to wind power and Denmark in the debate, which is very interesting to hear considering my experiences in both countries (I completed my PhD in Ireland on energy planning and I moved to Denmark in 2011 to take up my current job as an Assistant Professor in Energy Planning). Therefore, I would like to add some context to the ‘wind=pylons’ debate in Ireland, based on my experiences with both the Irish and Danish energy systems.   So what are pylons really for? The reason we are discussing pylons in Ireland is to expand the capacity of the electricity grid. This is necessary for a number of short- and long-term reasons. In brief, a few examples I can think of are 1) electricity demand, 2) aging infrastructure 3) wind turbines, 4) new electricity demands for heating and 5) electric cars. Hence, with or without wind turbines, we will need to decide how we would like to expand our electricity grid.   Are there any alternatives to pylons? Yes, the alternative to pylons are underground cables.   How much will the alternative cost? Underground cables cost more to construct than overhead pylons, with this report suggesting that it is 3 times more expensive (see page 61). There is a justified argument that these additional construction costs can be counteracted by the reduced visual impact of the cables. For example, the cables can reduce property prices and tourism to an area. However, these are difficult costs to quantify and I am not aware any study that has done so.   Is it possible to develop wind power without pylons? Yes. Wind power is not directly connected to overhead pylons. Denmark has the world’s largest percentage of wind power and the plan in Denmark is to underground its electricity grid using cables. Denmark is planning to underground 75% of its electricity grid in the future, see page 16 of this report and look under the headings “track” in table 5.1.1., while the other aim in Denmark is to have 50% wind power...

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