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Abstract: This paper investigates the integration of renewable electricity into the UK system in 2020. The purpose is to find the optimal wind generation that can be integrated based on total cost of supply. Using EnergyPLAN model and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) energy projections as inputs, this paper simulates the total cost of electricity supply with various levels of wind generation considering two systems: a reference and an alternative system. The results show that 80 TWh of wind electricity is most preferable in both systems, saving up to 0.9% of total cost when compared to a conventional system without wind electricity production. The alternative system, with decentralized generation and active demand management, brings relatively more cost saving, and higher wind utilisation, compared to the reference case. The sensitivity analysis with alternative fuel and capital costs again confirms the superiority of the alternative over the reference system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment of domestic heat pumps in the UK in comparison with gas boilers. The study considers air (ASHP), ground (GSHP) and water (WSHP) source heat pumps. The results show that heat pumps have higher environmental impacts than gas boilers due to the use of electricity. On average, the impacts for the ASHP are 82% higher than from the boiler and 73% for the GSHP and WSHP. The exception to this are the global warming, fossil resource depletion and summer smog impacts which are lower for the pumps than the boilers. For example, up to 36% of CO2 eq. can be saved with the WSHP and 6% with the ASHP in comparison with the boiler. Among the heat pumps considered, ASHP have the highest impacts due to lower efficiencies and higher material requirements for the system. The GSHP and WSHP have comparable impacts, with the latter being marginally better. The life cycle impacts of heat pumps may improve if the UK electricity mix is sufficiently decarbonised; however, they will still remain higher than for the gas boiler. Overall, their potential to contribute to the UK climate change targets is limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]