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Renewable energy production is one of the most important policy instruments to fight climate change. However, despite global benefits, renewable energy production entails some local challenges, such as requiring more space per unit production capacity. In this paper, we study the external effects of large-scale conventional and renewable electric power generation facilities on local house prices. We combine information of all coal, gas, and biomass plants, as well as all wind turbines in the Netherlands, with 1.5 million housing transactions over a period of 30 years. Using a difference-in-difference as well as a repeated sales model, we study the effects of facility openings and closings. Our results show negative external price effects for gas plants and wind turbines, but positive effects for biomass plants, conditionally upon ex-ante lower priced locations. The external effects of power generating facilities on local housing markets are important to consider, especially with the current focus of public policies on the expansion of renewable energy generation. Our paper is one of the first to present a large-scale study, using detailed information, and comparing several different energy sources in one framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the biggest causes of worldwide environmental pollution is conventional fossil fuel-based electricity generation. The need for cleaner and more sustainable energy sources to produce power is growing as a result of the quick depletion of fossil fuel supplies and their negative effects on the environment. Solar PV cells employ solar energy, an endless and unrestricted renewable energy source, to generate electricity directly. The optimum output, energy conversion efficiency, productivity, and lifetime of the solar PV cell are all significantly impacted by environmental factors as well as cell operation and maintenance, which have an impact on the cost-effectiveness of power generation. This article presents an analysis of recent research on the impact of operational and environmental factors on the performance of solar PV cells. It has been discovered that temperature and humidity, combined with dust allocation and soiling effect, have a significant impact on the performance of PV modules. In addition, particularly in the lonely places, the wind itself carries a lot of dust and sand particles. The situation gets worse when dust builds up in humid circumstances and produces tenacious, sticky mud on the PV cell, which lowers power output by up to 60–70%. This paper covers cutting-edge methods for reducing these elements' effects, along with their proportional benefits and difficulties. This paper also explains about the parameters which involved in the solar power production and their influence on the efficiency analysis. The efficiency and energy conversion capacity of the semi conducting materials for power production is also discussed. It is also discussed about the general benefits of the solar PV power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large part of the electricity generation is from imported fossil fuels, which makes Turkey heavily dependent on fossil fuels. For this reason, Turkey aims to increase the ratio of renewable energy resources in the total installed power. Among renewable resources, Turkey's wind energy potential is very high. Although the onshore wind power installed capacity has increased significantly in the last ten years in Turkey, offshore wind energy deployment has not gained satisfactory attention even though the country is surrounded by seas on three of its sides. Therefore, the installation of Turkey's first offshore wind farm, which will be established by the Turkish government was accelerated by opening a tender in 2018. Three potential candidate regions were identified, two located in the Aegean Sea and one in the Black Sea. This paper performs a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of offshore wind farm projects in identified three regions. It was calculated that the total offshore wind power capacity at the specified sites is 3,329.4 MW. In addition, offshore regions were compared in the scope of the methods used in the economic analysis. In this context, the best results an obtained in the Saros OWF region. This study aims to contribute scientifically to the region's offshore wind energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the fact that most renewable energies such as solar and wind energy have become more competitive in the global energy market, thanks to the great development in conversion technologies, it believes that renewable energy can play a crucial role in global environmental issues. However, in Palestine, the situation is different from anywhere else; renewable energy is not only an economic option, but an absolute necessity to get out of the energy crisis that Palestinian cities suffer from long years ago and continue nowadays. The cornerstone of the present research is focusing on the availability of renewable energy resources in Jenin Governorate (JG)—West Bank (WB)—Palestine. Two-year time-series of hourly solar, wind, biomass, and 1-year hourly electrical load data are used in the analysis in this paper. The energy potentials were estimated using System Advisor Model software (SAM), and the optimum combination and sizing of the hybrid renewable energy system were determined using Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER). The proposed Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) consists of an 80 MW PV solar field, 66 MW wind farm, and 50 MW biomass system with an initial investment of $323 M. The proposed HRES generates 389 GWh/yr and is enough to meet 100% of the electrical demand of JG (372 GWh/yr) with excess in electricity generation of about 4.57% and the unmeet electric load is about 109.6 MWh/yr which is equivalent to less than 2 h off in a year. The estimated Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) was found as 0.313 $/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper proposes a methodology based on the implementation and assessment of autoregressive (AR) solar radiation models for generating synthetic series and providing guidance on bidding strategies for power purchase agreements. The work considered conventional and periodic AR models with different lag orders, assessing the models against real solar radiation measurements. The synthetic series generation process developed 1000 1-year monthly solar radiation scenarios that were later employed for simulating electric energy production and power purchase agreement models. This application allowed one to evaluate the risk associated with the energy supply security, supporting bidding strategies in energy auctions. A real study case is also illustrated in detail, referring to a spot in the Brazilian best irradiance area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a comparative review of the externalities of electricity production. First of all, the environmental impact is considered. A discussion of the influence of various electricity production processes on human health follows. The studies are conducted in the context of historical development. Current trends, as well as a historical background that resulted in the changes that can be observed today, are presented. The considerations are supported by a few case studies. Analysis of perspectives for the development of electricity generation methods, in particular the indication of clean energy sources and the perspectives of their exploitation, is the main aim of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper performs a concept on a new exploration of electricity generation by harvesting the kinetic energy from landing aircraft. Firstly, this paper analyzes and tabulates the current status of renewable energy sources and the conventional power generations in Malaysia's electric supply until 2017. It has been reviewed based on the demand, availability, and power production of the sources. At the same time, the locations and providers for several energy supplies have been identified with the evidence of its rated power being generated. Next, this paper also highlights the plan for achieving a low-carbon country based on the plans which have been in place between 1970 until 2017 in order to create a zero-carbon generation by 2030 for Malaysia's energy sector. Toward the end of this paper, the authors suggest a new method on decarbonization technologies for clean energy in order to reach zero-carbon generation earlier than 2030. It is by introducing a new topology of electrical power generation system using waste energy, which is kinetic energy based on landing aircraft, for the possibility of power generation for a new Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The share of wind-based electricity generation is gradually increasing in the world energy market. Wind energy can reduce dependency on fossil fuels, as the result being attributed to a decrease in global warming. This paper discusses and reviews the basic principle parameters that affect the performance of wind turbines. An overview presents the introduction and the background of energy consumption, following the order of the elaboration of wind turbines, including mathematical models, categories of wind turbines were critically discussed. Moreover, it also focuses on materials that are commonly considered for wind turbine manufacturing, and the process used to recycle them. The scale of recycling methods for fiberglass and thermoplastic is presented in the respective section. Various parameters that reduce the function of wind turbines are explained in depth. This review also discusses various environmental impacts of wind turbines. Future research studies are suggested in the conclusion section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to statistical reports, thermal power plants have long played a critical role in supplying electricity using fossil fuels. However, due to the high investment and operation costs of these power plants and their destructive effects on the environment, renewable energy sources (RESs) in power networks have been considered an effective alternative to traditional power plants. Optimal scheduling of microgrid in smart grids has a significant impact on reducing energy consumption, environmental pollutants and end-user's energy prices. In this paper, the influence of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) charging on microgrids' optimal operation is evaluated. To assess the behaviour of PHEVs, three various charging patterns consisting of uncontrolled, controlled and smart charging methods are considered. Uncertainties due to forecast error in the PHEVs, loads, prices and renewable source output power are also considered in microgrid modelling energy management. To deal with the optimisation scheduling of microgrid considering uncertainty, a modified harmony search (MHS) algorithm is used. The suggested scheme is validated using simulations and without the PHEV charging effects compared with the conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Philippines is making a significant stride to become energy independent by developing more sustainable sources of energy. However, investment in renewable energy is challenged by competitive oil prices, very high investment cost for renewable energy, and high local electricity prices. This paper evaluates the attractiveness of investing in renewable energy sources over continue using oil for electricity generation. Methods: This paper uses the real options approach to analyze how the timing of investment in renewable energy depends on volatility of diesel price, electricity price, and externality for using oil. Results: The result presents a positive net present value for renewable energy investment. Under uncertainty in oil prices, dynamic optimization describes how waiting or delaying investment in renewables incurs loses. Decreasing the local electricity price and incorporating negative externality favor investment in renewable energy over continuing the use of oil for electricity generation. Conclusions: Real options approach highlights the flexibility in the timing of making investment decisions. At the current energy regime in the Philippines, substituting renewable energy is a better option than continue importing oil for electricity generation. Policies should aim at supporting investment in more sustainable sources of energy by imposing externality for using oil or decreasing the price of electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a scheme for hedging and managing production costs of a risky generation portfolio, initially assumed to be dispatchable, to which intermittent electricity generation from non-dispatchable renewable sources like wind is further added. The proposed hedging mechanism is based on fixing the total production level in advance, then compensating any unpredictable non-dispatchable production with a matching reduction of the dispatchable fossil fuel production. This means making no recourse to short term techniques like financial hedging or storage, in a way fully internal to the portfolio itself. Optimization is obtained in the frame of the stochastic LCOE theory, in which fuel costs and CO 2 prices are included as uncertainty sources besides intermittency, and in which long term production cost risk, proxied either by LCOE standard deviation and LCOE CVaR Deviation, is minimized. Closed form solutions for optimal hedging strategies under both risk measures are provided. Main economic consequences are discussed. For example, this scheme can be seen as a method for optimally including intermittent renewable sources in an otherwise dispatchable generation portfolio under a long term capacity expansion perspective. Moreover, within this hedging scheme, (1) production cost risk is reduced and optimized as a consequence of the substitution of the dispatchable fossil fuel generation with non-dispatchable CO 2 free generation, and (2) generation costs can be reduced if the intermittent generation can be partially predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes some of the ways in which increased use of renewable energy can reduce vulnerability of nations and communities to hydro-meteorological disasters (i.e. enhance their resilience). It uses examples mainly from the small island countries of the Pacific, as the issues raised are particularly pertinent there. In particular, distributed electricity generation reduces vulnerability of supply to severe weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To date, very few studies have attempted to quantify the environmental impacts of a wave energy converter, and almost all of these focus solely on the potential climate change impacts and embodied energy. This paper presents a full life cycle assessment (LCA) of the first-generation Pelamis wave energy converter, aiming to contribute to the body of published studies and examine any potential trade-offs or co-benefits across a broad range of environmental impacts.Methods: The process-based attributional LCA was carried out on the full cradle-to-grave life cycle of the Pelamis P1 wave energy converter, including the device, its moorings and sub-sea connecting cable up to the point of connection with the grid. The case study was for a typical wave farm located off the north-west coast of Scotland. Foreground data was mostly sourced from the manufacturer. Background inventory data was mostly sourced from the ecoinvent database (v3.3), and the ReCiPe and CED impact assessment methods were applied.Results and discussion: The Pelamis was found to have significantly lower environmental impacts than conventional fossil generation in 6 impact categories, but performed worse than most other types of generation in 8 of the remaining 13 categories studied. The greatest impacts were from steel manufacture and sea vessel operations. The device performs quite well in the two most frequently assessed impacts for renewable energy converters: climate change and cumulative energy demand. The carbon payback period is estimated to be around 24 months (depending on the emissions intensity of the displaced generation mix), and the energy return on investment is 7.5. The contrast between this and the poor performance in other impact categories demonstrates the limitations of focussing only on carbon and energy.Conclusions: The Pelamis was found to generally have relatively high environmental impacts across many impact categories when compared to other types of power generation; however, these are mostly attributable to the current reliance on fossil fuels in the global economy and the early development stage of the technology. Opportunities to reduce this also lie in reducing requirements for steel in the device structure, and decreasing the requirements for sea vessel operations during installation, maintenance and decommissioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, there has been a rich debate about the environmental degradation that results from exposure to solid urban waste. Growing public concern with environmental issues has led to the implementation of various strategic plans for waste management in several developed countries, especially in the European Union. In this paper, the relationships were assessed between economic growth, renewable energy extraction and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the waste sector. The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis was analysed for the member states of the European Union, in the presence of electricity generation, landfill and GHG emissions for the period 1995 to 2012. The results revealed that there is no inverted-U-shaped relationship between income and GHG emissions in European Union countries. The renewable fuel extracted from waste contributes to a reduction in GHG, and although the electricity produced also increases emissions somewhat, they would be far greater if the waste-based generation of renewable energy did not take place. The waste sector needs to strengthen its political, economic, institutional and social communication instruments to meet its aims for mitigating the levels of pollutants generated by European economies. To achieve the objectives of the Horizon 2020 programme, currently in force in the countries of the European Union, it will be necessary to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the current situation and projected planning of the electricity generation sector for Iskandar Malaysia by implementing a model to optimise the cost, utilise the usage of available renewable energy sources, and achieve carbon dioxide reduction targets. This Mixed Integer Linear Programming model was developed with the main objective of minimising the total cost of electricity generation, taking into consideration energy demand, reserve margin, electricity generation, peak and base generation, resource availability, and CO emission. Data for the year 2013 were forecasted until 2025 to illustrate the analysis for this study, and are represented via four scenarios. This optimal model is capable of balancing types of fuel and switching coal plants to natural gas power plants. It also enhances the use of renewable energy (RE) to meet CO emission targets. The model is further integrated with several other considerations related to energy systems, such as suitability of power plants as peak or base plants, RE resource availability, intermittency of solar power, losses during transmission, fuel selection for biomass, decision to retrofit existing coal power plant to NG power plant, and construction lead time of power plants. The results for this study determined that the optimal scenario is Scenario 3 (CS3). This research proves that Iskandar Malaysia can reduce CO emission by 2025 via utilisation of RE. This model is generic and can be applied to any case study, which would be useful for assisting government policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, low-income sub-Saharan African countries urgently need to electrify. Biogas production from anaerobic digestion could make a contribution to a solution to improved electricity generation and access in these regions. This study evaluates its feasibility using Malawi as a case study. The aim is to provide households with a continuous supply of gas for cooking and electricity. The study examines different sizes of fixed dome reactors (3, 6, 12 m3) and assumes individual household ownership of 2, 4, and 6 cows. Several feedstocks and conditions are considered, such as cow dung alone, co-generation of cow dung with human faeces, cow dung with grass, and cow dung with maize residue. The economic benefits of selling biogas and fertilisers are calculated, and the cost of construction for different sizes of reactors is determined. Results show that co-generation of cow dung and grass silage in the reactor of 12 m3 with six cows has a positive net present value (NPV) of $8962, while for a small farm with a 6 m3 reactor capacity, co-digestion of cow dung with maize residue is preferable. The feasibility of the technology depends heavily on current national economic conditions, such as inflation, electricity prices, and construction material costs. A sensitivity analysis estimated that a 25% increase in the cost of electricity could increase the net present value (NPV) from − $3345 to $1526 for the generation of biogas from cow dung alone. Overall, this technology could have a significant impact on the lives of low-income households in sub-Saharan Africa by improving their access to electricity and providing a source of income through the sale of biogas and digestate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In northern Europe, wind energy has become a dominate renewable energy source, due to natural conditions and national support schemes. However, the uncertainty about wind generation affects existing network infrastructure and power production planning of generators, which cannot be fully diminished by wind forecasts. In this paper we develop a stochastic electricity market model to analyze the impact of uncertain wind generation on the different electricity markets as well as network congestion management. Stochastic programming techniques are used to incorporate uncertain wind generation. The technical characteristics of transporting electrical energy as well as power plants are explicitly taken into account. The consecutive clearing of the electricity markets is incorporated by a rolling planning procedure reflecting the market regime of European markets. The model is applied to the German electricity system covering one week. Two different approaches of considering uncertain wind generation are analyzed and compared to a deterministic approach. The results reveal that the flexibility of generation dispatch is increased either by using more flexible generation technologies or by operating rather inflexible technologies under part-load conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to contrast the impact of 'clean' and 'dirty' electricity production on economic growth for South Africa and determine whether a faster transition from fossil fuels to renewables is beneficial for growth. To this end, we use wavelet coherence analysis to examine the time–frequency relationship between electricity and economic growth for aggregated and disaggregated measures of clean and dirty sources over the period 1985–2021 At an aggregated level, the low frequency (long-run) correlations are eventually substituted with high frequency (short-run) co-movements. At disaggregated level, the results are mixed, with dirty energy components (coal, oil, gas) having a weakening effect on economic growth over time whilst clean energy sources (solar and wind, biomass, hydro) show the greatest potential for growth over both low and high frequency relationships. Moreover, the various structural breaks identified in the frequency bands for different electricity sources allow us to evaluate the impact of energy policies and load shedding on the electricity-growth relationship and offer further insights to which clean sources of electricity production have more potential to be growth enhancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity gradient solar ponds act as an integrated thermal solar energy collector and storage system. The temperature difference between the upper convective zone and the lower convective zone of a salinity gradient solar pond can be in the range of 40-60°C. The temperature at the bottom of the pond can reach up to 90°C. Low-grade heat (<100°C) from solar ponds is currently converted into electricity by organic Rankine cycle engines. Thermoelectric generators can operate at very low temperature differences and can be a good candidate to replace organic Rankine cycle engines for power generation from salinity gradient solar ponds. The temperature difference in a solar pond can be used to power thermoelectric generators for electricity production. This paper presents an experimental investigation of a thermoelectric generators heat exchanger system designed to be powered by the hot water from the lower convective zone of a solar pond, and cold water from the upper convective zone of a solar pond. The results obtained have indicated significant prospects of such a system to generate power from low-grade heat for remote area power supply systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with standalone small power generation employing three self-excited induction generators under varying speeds feeding an isolated load. The proposed system utilizes three-level cascaded H-bridge inverter for the three generators. The control scheme has the capability of regulating the output voltage for balanced operation of a three-phase isolated load under variable speed. The proposed control can be implemented using DSPACE 1104, and the experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller for an isolated generating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New open-source electric-grid planning models have the potential to improve power system planning and bring a wider range of stakeholders into the planning process for next-generation, high-renewable power systems. However, it has not yet been established whether open-source models perform similarly to the more established commercial models for power system analysis. This reduces their credibility and attractiveness to stakeholders, postponing the benefits they could offer. In this paper, we report the first model intercomparison between an open-source power system model and an established commercial production cost model.Results: We compare the open-source Switch 2.0 to GE Energy Consulting's Multi-Area Production Simulation (MAPS) for production-cost modeling, considering hourly operation under 17 scenarios of renewable energy adoption in Hawaii. We find that after configuring Switch with similar inputs to MAPS, the two models agree closely on hourly and annual production from all power sources. Comparing production gave a coefficient of determination of 0.996 across all energy sources and scenarios, indicating that the two models agree on 99.6% of the variation. For individual energy sources, the coefficient of determination was 69-100.Conclusions: Although some disagreement remains between the two models, this work indicates that Switch is a viable choice for renewable integration modeling, at least for the small power systems considered here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sustainable development requires access to affordable, reliable, and efficient energy to lift billions of people out of poverty and improve their standard of living. The development of new and renewable forms of energy that emit less CO2 may not materialize quickly enough or at a price point that allows people to attain the standard of living they desire and deserve. As a result, a parallel path to sustainability must be developed that uses both renewable and clean carbon-based methods. Hybrid microgrids are promoted to solve various electrical and energy-related issues that incorporate renewable energy sources such as photovoltaics, wind, diesel generation, or a combination of these sources. Utilizing microgrids in electric power generation has several benefits including clean energy, increased grid stability, and reduced congestion. Despite these advantages, microgrids are not frequently deployed because of economic concerns. To address these financial concerns, it is necessary to explore the ideal configuration of microgrids based on the quantity, quality, and availability of sustainable energy sources used to install the microgrid and the optimal design of microgrid components. These considerations are reflected in net present value and levelized energy cost. Methods: HOMER was used to simulate numerous system configurations and select the most feasible solution according to the net present value, levelizied cost of energy and hydrogen, operating cost, and renewable fraction. HOMER performed a repeated algorithm process to determine the most feasible system configuration and parameters with the least economic costs and highest benefits to achieve a practically feasible system configuration. Results: This article aimed to construct a cost-effective microgrid system for Saudi Arabia's Yanbu city using five configurations using excess energy to generate hydrogen. The obtained results indicate that the optimal configuration for the specified area is a hybrid photovoltaic/wind/battery/generator/fuel cell/hydrogen electrolyzer microgrid with a net present value and levelized energy cost of $10.6 billion and $0.15/kWh. Conclusion: With solar photovoltaic and wind generation costs declining, building electrolyzers in locations with excellent renewable resource conditions, such as Saudi Arabia, could become a low-cost hydrogen supply option, even when accounting for the transmission and distribution costs of transporting hydrogen from renewable resource locations to end-users. The optimum configuration can generate up to 32,132 tons of hydrogen per year (tH2/year), and 380,824 tons per year of CO2 emissions can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Turkey is not the biggest GHG polluter, its emissions have increased by 110.4% since 1990. Currently, its CO2 emissions alone have crossed 400 Mt. Within the scope of 2 °C targets (2D scenario), the country can easily surpass this target test by increasing its renewable energy sources as a primary energy source mix, by developing its Enhanced Geothermal Sources (EGS) locked up in the radiogenic granites of western Anatolia. The radiogenic heat generated by these granites, spread over an area of 4221 sq. km, varies from 5.3 to 16.34 µW/m3. Based on the electricity generation capacity of granites from Soultz-sous-Forets and Cooper Basin EGS sites, the combined electricity generation capacity of Kestanbol and Kozak granite plutons is about 830 billion kWh. For the period extending from 2019 to 2023, Turkey is aiming at reducing the usage of gas for electricity generation from 29.9 to 20.7%, increasing the share of renewable energy sources from 32.5 to 38.8%, increasing the electricity production from local energy sources from 150 to 219 TWh and increasing the electricity usage per-capita from 3.7 to 4.3 MWh. These energy targets can be achieved by major contributions from hydrothermal and EGS energy sources. This review demonstrates that besides electricity and heat, EGS energy can be utilized, together with other renewable energy sources, such as hydrothermal, wind, and concentrated solar for providing fresh water through the desalination process. These energy sources would provide food, energy, and water security to the country for several decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate decision-making is very crucial for policy-makers in energy fields. Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approaches can be considered as useful techniques for various purposes related to the energy systems such as technology or site selection. In the present work, studies on the applications of these techniques for site selection of various power plants are reviewed. In addition to the power plants utilization of single technology, hybrid energy systems for electricity generation are included in this review study. On the basis of the reviewed works, it is concluded that a wide variety of the criteria can be considered for power plant site selection. Some of the criteria, such as economic ones, are applicable in all types of power plants while some other criteria, such as solar irradiance for solar systems, are applicable for specific technology. It is found that economic criteria play a key role in site selection; moreover, depending on the applied technology some other criteria can be influential. Finally, a table is proposed that summarizes the results of the reviewed studies in order to provide a comprehensive work for the future works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of forest biomass residues to generate electricity can contribute to the sustainability of the energy matrix, circularity in forest production chains and resource conservation. The challenge for biomass power plants is to generate as much energy as possible considering the resources available. This article aims to analyze the eco-efficiency of an electrical energy cogeneration unit from the burning of forest biomass residues, considering the historical evolution of indicators in the period between 2010 and 2019. The results indicate that the plant became more eco-efficient in the period evaluated, producing more energy in relation to the use of biomass (from 0.30 MWh t−1 in 2010 to 0.48 MWh t−1 in 2019), associated with a 55.5% reduction in ash generation for each ton of biomass used. Eco-efficiency also increased when considering the consumption of diesel oil, electricity and water. The main factor responsible for the advance of eco-efficiency indicators was the improvement in the quality of biomass consumed by the plant. An adequate understanding of the efficiency of electricity generation from forest biomass residues is important for reducing costs and environmental impacts, especially in the context of the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work compares the feasibility of using a non-renewable system, a standalone renewable system, and a hybrid renewable system to power up a remote community in Malaysian Borneo. The analysis shows that both the photovoltaic (PV) and hydrokinetic systems can be used to generate renewable electricity, either as a standalone or a hybrid system. Specifically, using a non-renewable system (50 kW standalone diesel system) based on a conventionally high diesel price ($ 1.482/L) resulted in a high net present cost (NPC) of $ 1.788 million. In contrast, a standalone renewable system, i.e., a 280 kW standalone PV system, resulted in a lower NPC ($ 1.615 million) than the standalone diesel system, and it can cater for highly fluctuated solar output with 100% renewables generation. Alternatively, the use of a hybrid PV/hydrokinetic system with a 100 kW PV, 60 kW hydrokinetic turbines, and an 85 kW converter was both economically and technically feasible (with $ 1.714 million NPC), with low water speed. Meanwhile, the use of a hybrid PV/diesel system with 60 kW PV, a 50 kW converter, 120 batteries, and a backup diesel generator could effectively reduce the dependence of electricity generation on diesel supply and resulted in the lowest NPC ($ 1.129 million) among all the analyzed system types. Significantly, the current work demonstrates that the use of PV and hydrokinetic renewable sources of energy in Malaysian Borneo is feasible and deserves more attention to electrify remote communities in Malaysian Borneo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to compare the cost efficiencies of nuclear power and renewable energy generation in reducing CO2 emissions. To achieve this objective, we estimate the relationship between CO2 emissions and both nuclear power and renewable energy generation in 16 major nuclear power–generating countries, and compare the costs of both energy generation methods in reducing CO2 emissions by the same amount. The results show that, to reduce CO2 emissions by 1%, nuclear power and renewable energy generation should be increased by 2.907% and 4.902%, respectively. This implies that if the current amount of electricity generation is one megawatt-hour, the cost of mitigating CO2 emissions by 1% is $3.044 for nuclear power generation and $7.097 for renewable energy generation. That is, the total generation costs are approximately $1.70 billion for the nuclear power and $3.97 billion for renewable energy to mitigate 1% of CO2 emissions at the average amount of electricity generation of 0.56 billion MWh in 2014 in the sample countries. Hence, we can conclude that nuclear power generation is more cost-efficient than is renewable energy generation in mitigating CO2 emissions, even with the external costs of accidents and health impact risks associated with nuclear power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased demand for renewable energy has led to growth in the use of land for electricity generation and associated infrastructure. Land-based wind farms are amongst the commonest generators of renewable energy. To date, most research on the effects of wind farms on wildlife have focussed on birds and bats, with very little work on terrestrial taxa. We hypothesised that widely reported negative effects of wind farms on predatory birds might benefit potential prey species. We focussed on reptiles due to concerns over worldwide declines in this group. We compared avian attack rates on clay model snakes at a site in Caithness UK within a wind farm relative to a control site of the same topography and habitat class, 1 km away, using life-sized clay models of adder Vipera berus, a widespread but declining Palaearctic species. Attack rates at the control site were comparable with similar studies elsewhere in Europe. However, we found that attack rates were lower within wind farm arrays, although several species of bird known to prey on reptiles were observed both within the wind farm and the control site. Therefore, given the high rate of loss to avian predators experienced in reptile reintroduction and reinforcement projects, wind farm sites may offer safe-havens, representing a neglected opportunity in reptile conservation. Grazing by sheep severely offset this benefit, presumably through removal of plant cover which was apparent in those areas of the wind farm where sheep were allowed access; grazing must thus be managed carefully for these benefits to be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity has a significant role in the sustainable development of societies. Traditional methods of generating electricity face several challenges. The ever-increasing demand for electricity generation on the one hand, and the lack of adequate resources for fossil fuels on the other, has led to the use of renewable energy. Biomass is a renewable energy supply that can be used in electricity generation for a sustainable environment. This study aims to introduce a multi-criteria decision-making framework which integrates a geographical information system with a fuzzy analytic network process together with weighted linear combination to optimize the location of a biomass power plant in Guilan Province, Iran. For this purpose, the environmental and socioeconomic factors were identified, and the main contributing criteria were selected. The results showed that about 27.73 and 41.06% of the region has high or moderate suitability, respectively, for constructing a biomass power plant. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the robustness of the outcomes of decision making by changing the weighting of the criteria. Results indicated that the ranking of alternative locations is independent of the weights chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scenario analysis was conducted for a wind power plant in the Cappadocia region, which was selected due to its importance as a historical region and high wind potential. This study determined that the construction of wind power plant can be suitable for the Cappadocia region by using the escalation method of inflation. This study aims to determine the feasible investment cost for wind power plant construction with a suitable economic method. This case study predicted that a 3 MW wind energy plant would be constructed, and an energy production of 7884000 kWh/y can be economical for the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Total investment cost of the wind power plant was estimated to be $ 13540800, and unit electricity cost was approximately 0.14689 $/kWh. The construction of the wind energy plant was evaluated by escalation method for three successive years (2014, 2015 and 2016). Results show that a wind energy plant is economical for the Cappadocia region (Turkey) due to its high-energy wind potential (Wind data acquisition station of Derinkuyu, Cappadocia region). The Government of Turkey, which supports the entrepreneur, imposes no taxes for wind power plant (1 MW). The unit of electrical energy cost for the Cappadocia region was compared with benchmarks from case studies. The effectiveness of wind energy potential is apparently high for the Cappadocia region. The cost of electrical energy for the Cappadocia region was more efficient than the other case studies that referred the significance of an economic analysis of the wind power plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the selection of electricity generation technologies for a decentralised electricity generation system based on local renewable sources for a rural area of a developing country (six municipalities in Western Honduras). In this work, rather than designing a high-reliable electricity generation system with high-quality power, our objective is to provide the basic configuration of an energy mix for a rural area for which energy data are not of high resolution. The selection of technologies is accomplished through a non-linear integer programming model that minimises the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE). The model uses as inputs information related to the energy resources, the conversion technologies, the Honduran economic framework, the electricity demand of the study area, and the energy storage cost. The evaluated energy resources are solar, wind, and local biomass, while the electricity generation technologies considered include solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, biomass direct combustion with a steam turbine, and biomass gasification with a gas engine. Three different case studies were proposed as functions of power capacity: off-grid, mini-grid, and grid-connected. For each case study, the model outputs are the electricity supply share for each technology, the LCOE, and the number of power plants with the respective power capacity required to satisfy the electricity demand of the study area. This work can serve as a reference for preliminary feasibility studies of electrification projects based on renewable energy sources for other rural areas in Honduras or in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of energy storage technology in hybrid power systems (HPS) is vital due to the unique advantages and capabilities offered by different storage technologies. For an optimal operation, the efficient and economical storage system for an HPS should be selected. This work introduces a new systematic generic framework to determine the most cost-effective storage technology for an HPS. A Power Pinch Analysis tool called the AC/DC modified storage cascade table has been developed to optimise the HPS by considering various storage technologies. The economics of the various types of storage modes was analysed, taking into account the associated energy losses, among others. The method was applied to two case studies with different power trends to evaluate the effect of storage efficiencies and storage form on the performance of HPS. A superconducting magnetic storage system of 26.12 kWh capacity, that gives an investment payback period of 3.6 years, is the most cost-effective storage technology for the small-scale household system in Case Study 1. For the large-scale industrial application presented in Case Study 2, the Lead-Acid battery with a capacity of 15.38 MWh gives the lowest payback period (1.43 years). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]