Optimum demand side response of smart grid with renewable energy source and electrical vehicles

The paper presents a demand side response scheme,which assists electricity consumers to proactively control own demands in such a way to deliberately avert congestion periods on the electrical network. The scheme allows shifting loads from peak to low demand periods in an attempt to flattening the national electricity requirement. The scheme can be concurrently used to accommodate the utilization of renewable energy sources,that might be available at user’s premises. In addition the scheme allows a full-capacity utilization of the available electrical infrastructure by organizing a wide-use of electric vehicles. The scheme is applicable in the Eastern and Southern States of Australia managed by the Australian Energy Market Operator. The results indicate the potential of the scheme to achieve energy savings and release capacity to accommodate renewable energy and electrical vehicle technologies.

Renewable energy snapshot and prospect in Bangladesh

This paper addresses the snap of renewable energy and the need for effective progress strategies linked with sustainable energy development along with prospect of renewable energy in Bangladesh. Our country is gifted with vast renewable energy resources such as biomass and solar. Approximately 73% of total energy demand of the country is supplied by local biomass based fuels. Bangladesh is endowed with abundant supplies of solar energy. Annually about 1.9 MWh energy is received per square meter of horizontal area in Bangladesh. Besides, hydro and wind as well as geothermal power can be considered as potential renewable energy resources. Karnafuli Hydro Station is the merely hydro energy power generation plant of the country that generates 230 MW. The annual wind speed at a height of 25m at some coastal locations is above 5 m/s and much higher in the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods.

Examining the potential for design and renewable energy to contribute to zero energy housing in Queensland

This was a comparative study of the possibility of a net zero energy house in Queensland, Australia. It examines the actual energy use and thermal comfort conditions of an occupied Brisbane home and compares performance with the 10 star scale rating scheme for Australian residential buildings. An adaptive comfort psychometric chart was developed for this analysis. The house's capacity for the use of the natural ventilation was studied by CFD modelling. This study showed that the house succeeded in achieving the definition of net zero energy on an annual and monthly basis for lighting, cooking and space heating / cooling and for 70% of days for lighting, hot water and cooking services.

Australian consumer attitudes and decision making on renewable energy technology and its impact on the transformation of the energy sector

This paper critically examines research on consumer attitudes and behavior towards solar photovoltaic (PV) and renewable energy technology in Australia. The uptake of renewable energy technology by residential consumers in Australia in the past decade has transformed the electricity supply and demand paradigm. Thus, this paper reviews Australian research on consumer behavior, understanding and choices in order to identify gaps in knowledge. As the role of the consumer transforms there is a critical need to understand the ways consumers may respond to future energy policies to mitigate unforeseen negative social and economic consequence of programs designed to achieve positive environmental outcomes.

Optimal electricity distribution framework for public space: Assessing renewable energy proposals for Freshkills Park, New York City

Integrating renewable energy into public space is becoming more common as a climate change solution. However, this approach is often guided by the environmental pillar of sustainability, with less focus on the economic and social pillars. The purpose of this paper is to examine this issue in the speculative renewable energy propositions for Freshkills Park in New York City submitted for the 2012 Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) competition. This paper first proposes an optimal electricity distribution (OED) framework in and around public spaces based on relevant ecology and energy theory (Odum’s fourth and fifth law of thermodynamics). This framework addresses social engagement related to public interaction, and economic engagement related to the estimated quantity of electricity produced, in conjunction with environmental engagement related to the embodied energy required to construct the renewable energy infrastructure. Next, the study uses the OED framework to analyse the top twenty-five projects submitted for the LAGI 2012 competition. The findings reveal an electricity distribution imbalance and suggest a lack of in-depth understanding about sustainable electricity distribution within public space design. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.

Renewable energy distribution in public spaces: Analyzing the case of Ballast Point Park in Sydney, using a triple bottom line approach

As cities are rapidly developing new interventions against climate change, embedding renewable energy in public spaces is an important strategy. However, most interventions primarily include environmental sustainability while neglecting the social and economic interrelationships of electricity production. Although there is a growing interest in sustainability within environmental design and landscape architecture, public spaces are still awaiting viable energy-conscious design and assessment interventions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this issue in a renowned public space—Ballast Point Park in Sydney—using a triple bottom line (TBL) case study approach. The emerging factors and relationships of each component of TBL, within the context of public open space, are identified and discussed. With specific focus on renewable energy distribution in and around Ballast Point Park, the paper concludes with a general design framework, which conceptualizes an optimal distribution of onsite electricity produced from renewable sources embedded in public open spaces.

Financially optimized scheduling of electric energy storage in presence of renewable energy resources

The increasing integration of Renewable Energy Resources (RER) and the role of Electric Energy Storage (EES) in distribution systems has created interest in using energy management strategies. EES has become a suitable resource to manage energy consumption and generation in smart grid. Optimize scheduling of EES can also maximize retailer’s profit by introducing energy time-shift opportunities. This paper proposes a new strategy for scheduling EES in order to reduce the impact of electricity market price and load uncertainty on retailers’ profit. The proposed strategy optimizes the cost of purchasing energy with the objective of minimizing surplus energy cost in hedging contract. A case study is provided to demonstrate the impact of the proposed strategy on retailers’ financial benefit.

Ecological infrastructure vs. techno-fix: A design framework for renewable energy infrastructure in public spaces

Renewable energy is commonly considered a technological addition to urban environments. By contrast, this PhD used a holistic approach to develop a design framework for integrating local electricity production into the ecological function and cultural use of public space. The framework addresses social engagement related to public interaction, and economic engagement related to the estimated quantity of electricity produced, in conjunction with environmental engagement related to the embodied energy required to construct the renewable energy infrastructure. The outcomes will contribute to social and environmental change by engaging society, enriching the local economy and increasing social networks.

Biomass based energy system for a South Indian village

The biomass resources, existing utilization levels and the efficiency of its use have been analyzed for a South Indian village. A biomass based energy efficient strategy has been devised to meet all the energy needs of the village, including substitution of fuels such as electricity and kerosene used in specific activities. Results indicate that the potential as well as the technologies exist for such substitutions. The proposed strategy will lead to an increase in the efficiency of energy use, reduce human drudgery and make villages more self reliant.

The law and policy for electricity generated by renewable energy: Greening the power in three Middle Eastern jurisdictions

This thesis examines the law and policy concerning renewable energy electricity generation in Palestine, Jordan, and Abu Dhabi. The thesis gives greater attention to the promotion of solar power owing to the abundance and viability. It appears that energy security profoundly underpins the utilisation of renewable electricity, and the motivation of climate change mitigation also pays a role in the promotion of renewable energy in these jurisdictions. However, current policies and regulations are not fully able to promote the renewables in the power sector. The thesis submits that reforms of law and policy are necessary to enhance the achievement of environmental and energy goals.

Renewable energy and energy conservation technologies

Energy systems should be consistent with environmental, economic and social sustainability in order to ensure regional sustainable development. This enhances both current and future potential to meet the human needs and aspirations. Sustainable development, a process of change, in which, the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments , the orientation of technological development and institutional change are in harmony. National energy programme should prioritize the development of renewable energy sources, which offer the potentially huge sources of primary energy. The path for sustainability in the next millennium is the low energy path through wise use of energy. Energy conservation and energy efficiency measures would certainly result in meeting the energy demand with as little as half the primary supply at current levels. This requires profound structural changes in socio-economic and institutional arrangements. Environmentally sound, technically and economically viable energy pathways will sustain human progress in the long term future giving a fair and equitable share of the underprivileged and poor of the developing countries. Renewable energy is considered by some as the only hope for the survival of planet yet by others it is viewed as a marginal resource with limited resource. All too often, however, the facts behind the role that renewable energy can, and will, play in the regional energy scene are disguised or ignored as rival camps distort the evidence to suit their own objectives. It was in the light of this confusion that the Energy Research Group at Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science undertook investigation in Kolar and Uttara Kannada Districts in Karnataka State, India to identify the potential contribution of several types of renewable energy sources: Solar, Wind, Hydro, Bioenergy, etc.

Renewable Energy via Photocatalysis

The generation of renewable energy through photocatalysis is an attractive option to utilize the abundantly available solar radiation for a sustainable future. Photocatalysis refers to charge-carrier, i.e. electron and hole, mediated reactions occurring on a semiconductor surface in presence of ultraviolet or visible light radiation. Photocatalysis is a well established advanced oxidation technique for the decontamination of toxic organic pollutants to CO2 and H2O. However, the generation of energy in the form of hydrogen, hydrocarbon fuels and electricity via photocatalysis is an upcoming field with great many technical challenges towards practical implementation. This review will describe the fundamental reaction mechanism of (i) photocatalytic water splitting, (ii) photocatalytic H-2 generation in presence of different sacrificial agents, (iii) H-2 and electricity generation in a photofuel cell, (iv) photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to hydrocarbons and useful chemicals, and (v) photocatalytic water-gas shift reaction. A historic and recent perspective of the above conversion techniques, especially with regard to the development of TiO2-based and non-TiO2 materials is provided. The activity of different materials for the above reactions based on quantifiers like reaction rate, quantum yield and incident-photon-to-current efficiency is compared, and key design considerations of the ``best'' photocatalyst or photoelectrode is outlined. An overall assessment of the research area indicates that the presently achieved quantum efficiencies for the above reactions are rather moderate in the visible region, and the goal is to develop a catalyst that absorbs visible radiation, provides good charge-carrier separation, and exhibits high stability for long periods of usage.

Object oriented simulation of hybrid renewable energy systems focused on supervisor control

EFTA 2009

Looking for safe harbor in a crowded sea: Coastal space use conflict and marine renewable energy development

Technological advances in the marine renewable energy industry and increased clarity about the leasing and licensing process are fostering development proposals in both state and federal waters. The ocean is becoming more industrialized and competition among all marine space users is developing (Buck et al. 2004). More spatial competition can lead to conflict between ocean users themselves, and to tensions that spill over to include other stakeholders and the general public (McGrath 2004). Such conflict can wind up in litigation, which is costly and takes agency time and financial resources away from other priorities. As proposals for marine renewable energy developments are evaluated, too often decision-makers lack the tools and information to properly account for the cumulative effects and the tradeoffs associated with alternative human uses of the ocean. This paper highlights the nature of marine space conflicts associated with marine renewable energy literature highlights key issues for the growth of the marine renewable energy sector in the United States. (PDF contains 4 pages)