An austerity-driven energy reform

In July 2013, the government approved a major overhaul of the Spanish electricity sector to correct existing imbalances that have led to an exponential increase of regulated electricity costs and a huge tariff deficit. The reform addresses the problem of financial sustainability of the sector, severely affected by weak demand and overcapacity. Previous regulation introduced in 2012 and early 2013, also aimed at restoring financial stability of the sector, failed to correct the tariff shortfall and new regulatory measures were needed to reduce the 4.5 billion euros forecasted deficit for 2013. The frequent change of the rules of the game in the sector has created regulatory uncertainty, more so as it is not clear that the present reform will be sufficient to eliminate the deficit. Moreover, the government has left the door open to new regulation that would deal with the price formation system. In general, short run financial criteria have prevailed, while efficiency principles and a long run perspective have little weight in the reform.

Cost effectiveness of a combination of instruments for global warming: a quantitative approach for Spain

Climate change is an important environmental problem and one whose economic implications are many and varied. This paper starts with the presumption that mitigation of greenhouse gases is a necessary policy that has to be designed in a cost effective way. It is well known that market instruments are the best option for cost effectiveness. But the discussion regarding which of the various market instruments should be used, how they may interact and what combinations of policies should be implemented is still open and very lively. In this paper we propose a combination of instruments: the marketable emission permits already in place in Europe for major economic sectors and a CO(2) tax for economic sectors not included in the emissions permit scheme. The study uses an applied general equilibrium model for the Spanish economy to compute the results obtained with the new mix of instruments proposed. As the combination of the market for emission permits and the CO(2) tax admits different possibilities that depend on how the mitigation is distributed among the economic sectors, we concentrate on four possibilities: cost-effective, equalitarian, proportional to emissions, and proportional to output distributions. Other alternatives to the CO(2) tax are also analysed (tax on energy, on oil and on electricity). Our findings suggest that careful, well designed policies are needed as any deviation imposes significant additional costs that increase more than proportionally to the level of emissions reduction targeted by the EU.

Towards complex system design and management in the engineering domain – the smart grid challenge

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in “Emergence: Complexity and Organization”, 15 (2), pp. 14-22 (2013), copyright Taylor & Francis.

Agent based modeling of energy networks

Attempts to model any present or future power grid face a huge challenge because a power grid is a complex system, with feedback and multi-agent behaviors, integrated by generation, distribution, storage and consumption systems, using various control and automation computing systems to manage electricity flows. Our approach to modeling is to build upon an established model of the low voltage electricity network which is tested and proven, by extending it to a generalized energy model. But, in order to address the crucial issues of energy efficiency, additional processes like energy conversion and storage, and further energy carriers, such as gas, heat, etc., besides the traditional electrical one, must be considered. Therefore a more powerful model, provided with enhanced nodes or conversion points, able to deal with multidimensional flows, is being required. This article addresses the issue of modeling a local multi-carrier energy network. This problem can be considered as an extension of modeling a low voltage distribution network located at some urban or rural geographic area. But instead of using an external power flow analysis package to do the power flow calculations, as used in electric networks, in this work we integrate a multiagent algorithm to perform the task, in a concurrent way to the other simulation tasks, and not only for the electric fluid but also for a number of additional energy carriers. As the model is mainly focused in system operation, generation and load models are not developed.

Evaluation of two alternative carbon capture and storage technologies

4 p.

Alternative trajectories for decarbonizing urban transportation

4 p.

Effects of Climate Change on the European Nuclear Power Sector

4 p.

Optimal Abandonment of Coal-Fired Stations in the EU

36 p.

Impacts of Climate Change on European Critical Infrastructures: The Case of the Power Sector

23 p.

Valuation of wind energy projects: A real options approach

27 p.

Evaluation of Two Alternative Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies: A Stochastic Model

30 p.

Time and tide wait for no man: pioneers and laggards in the deployment of CCS

19 p.

Decarbonising urban transportation

18 p.

Optimización técnico-económica del sistema de refrigeración de una planta termosolar de colectores cilindroparabólicos.

[ES]Este proyecto comprende la realización de un estudio de optimización mediante análisis técnico-económico del sistema de refrigeración de una planta termosolar de colectores cilindroparabólicos. Se incluye una exposición descriptiva de la planta y el sistema de agua de circulación y condensado. El estudio técnico-económico se apoya en la realización de los balances térmicos variando los parámetros dimensionantes relativos a dicho sistema mediante el software Thermoflex, partiendo del valor de estos que proporciona la potencia nominal de la planta. Se calcula la producción eléctrica diferencial e inversión diferencial de cada alternativa de dimensionamiento del sistema, calculándose la rentabilidad económica para cada caso. Se refleja también el cambio legislativo sucedido en cuanto al precio de venta de la electricidad y como afecta éste en la rentabilidad de cada caso. De esta forma se seleccionará la solución óptima y se extraerán las conclusiones.

Análisis exergético de una planta de microcogeneración mediante maci de 5 kw eléctricos para la producción de ACS en un edificio de viviendas

[ES]El presente trabajo consiste en el análisis exergético de una planta experimental con microcogeneración diseñada para satisfacer la demanda de agua caliente sanitaria de un bloque de viviendas. El ACS la generan una caldera con producción de energía térmica variable y una unidad de microcogneración que produce 5 kW eléctricos y 12 kW térmicos. El análisis exergético que se realiza en el trabajo permite determinar la eficiencia del uso que se hace del combustible, y compararla con la de una planta convencional.