A Smart Energy System is defined by the following key principals: It is a 100% renewable energy system It consumes a sustainable level of bioenergy It utilises the synergies in the energy system to maximise efficiency and reduce costs It is affordable. In other words, it does not significantly increase the cost of energy compared to a fossil fuel based energy system (sometimes it can reduce the cost and maximum increases of up to 10-15% are expected) We have just updated the description and literature relating to the Smart Energy System in the Sustainable Energy Planning Research Group. Check it out here: http://www.energyplan.eu/smartenergysystems/. This includes video I created describing the key principals in a Smart Energy System:...
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California And Denmark Are Leading The World In Renewable Energy Solutions Workshop Dates: July 21-August 15, 2014 Apply Now or Find Out More Eligibility Graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Must be enrolled in a university at time of application. Must have completed an introductory renewable course (similar to EE80J at UC Santa Cruz; see website). The challenges posed by global climate changes, scarce natural resources, and the volatility of the international energy market require targeted action towards finding technologically, economically and socially viable solutions based on renewable energy (RE) sources. The US-Denmark Summer Workshop on Renewable Energy is a unique educational initiative developed by leading universities in Denmark and California. The four-week workshop starts with one week of online preparation and continues with three weeks of lectures, seminars and field trips in California. Participants will learn about the economics, politics, science, and technology behind RE implementation from leading experts, while exploring communities and relevant energy sites where such technology is in place or currently being implemented. The interdisciplinary approach and holistic perspective allows students with various academic backgrounds to interact and develop concrete final project ideas, while targeting today’s energy problems from different...
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This summary presents the main results of applying the tools and methodologies developed in the CEESA project to the design and implementation of 100% renewable energy systems in Denmark before 2050. It is found that the transition from the present energy system dominated by fossil fuels to a system dominated by renewable energy sources requires significant changes in existing policies on both supply and demand sides. This is a change from polluting energy systems dependent on depleting inputs to energy systems that depend on non-depleting inputs and which are relatively abundant, non-polluting and intermittent. In order to succeed, such change requires the system based on renewables to be supported by strong and efficient energy conservation. In Denmark, wind power and biomass are expected to be the two dominant resources in the short and medium term perspectives. In order to ease the pressure on wind and biomass resources, energy conservation becomes essential and so does the inclusion of contributions from additional sources such as solar and geothermal energy. The change requires infrastructure where intermittent renewable energy sources can be managed in such a way that energy is available at the right time and in the right amount for the consumers. A main challenge for the transition planning is to obtain an efficient co-ordination between investments in the electricity, transportation, and heat sectors. The policy instruments include new systems of taxes, subsidies, tariffs, and other economic conditions in order to obtain an optimal effect. One main problem is to assure an energy-efficient use of low-temperature sources from CHP, waste incineration, industrial surplus heat and geothermal energy. In this relation, a new generation of low-temperature district heating infrastructure becomes essential. Another part of the main problems in a future energy system dominated by intermittent renewable sources (e.g. wind and solar energy) is the stability of the electric grid and the security of supply to electricity consumers. In this connection, biomass in different forms plays a central role as a storage element. However, biomass is also required in the transport sector and for high-temperature industrial process heat (transformed to a liquid fuel or to biogas) while the amount of Danish biomass, taking into account other uses of the land area, is rather limited....
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Heat Roadmap Europe is the first study on the EU27 scale which combines geographical mapping of energy demand and supply in unprecedented detail with detailed energy system modelling. Heat Roadmap Europe identifies the potential for using local resources across Europe, and subsequently applies this in the EU27 energy system. The final report will be launched at the 36th Euro Heat and Power Congress in Vienna on the 27th March 2013, and results are recommendations for a redesign of the European heat supply. In 2009 the European Council made the objective for the EU to decarbonise its energy system to at least 80% below the 1990 level by 2050, without affecting general economic growth. A number of measures and technologies could contribute to these goals. A scenario which achieves these goals is the Energy Efficiency scenario in the Energy Roadmap 2050 report by the European Commission. The Heat Roadmap Europe scenario proposed here achieves these same CO2 reduction, but at a lower cost. Lowering the energy consumption in buildings is essential. However here we combine heat savings in the buildings with higher energy efficiency by expanding district heating in the future heat supply in the EU27. Local conditions are considered using geographical information systems (GIS) and combined with hour-by-hour energy system analyses for the EU27, which enables us to find a robust strategy to increase competitiveness, integrate more renewables and reduce the risks in the energy supply. By analysing heat savings and energy efficiency, by investigating local conditions, and by making energy system analyses we are able to identify a balance between heat savings and key infrastructural changes in the energy supply. The findings in the Heat Roadmap Europe can be summarised into three key messages. Increasing Competitiveness in Europe First of all we are able to Increase the economic competitiveness of the EU27. In Heat Roadmap Europe we have compared our results both to the current energy supply as well as to the implementation of the European Commission’s Energy Efficiency scenario (EU-EE). By refining the EU-EE scenario, we are able to decarbonise to the same level while saving B€100/year, corresponding to 15% lower costs for the total heating and cooling supply for buildings. We achieve this by proposing...
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