Energy conversion technologies benefiting from local policy actions: The role of distributed generation

Abstract

Distributed generation can play an important role in the complex portfolio of environmental and climate friendly technologies. Both renewable sources-fueled and fossil-fueled power plants show potentials to increase the overall efficiency of energy systems therefore to mitigate their impact: policy makers have learnt of their importance and now, at local level, the situation seems the opposite of just few years ago. An increasingly number of new renewable biomass power plant permits are filled out and submitted to local authorities, leaving them with the new dilemma whether or not to grant all of them. Few are the (local) energy plans that are so dynamic to manage this new rush, whereas incentives need to be tuned up accordingly. Optimization techniques is not a new concept, although different new models have been proposed and used over the last 30 years. Top down versus bottom up models have been analyzed to characterize the studied context, according to the final scopes. Improvements have been added while making (i) the models bigger and (ii) more complicated to catch more details and to understand the interconnections amongst energy systems and infrastructures, technologies, resources, environmental factors and the effect of certain (energy) policy actions. In this paper an application of the Standard Markal model of an European area of half a million people is illustrated. The aim is to provide few clear indexes when coming to underpin which local actions are the most performing to achieve energy and environmental local targets with respect to conversion technologies. A careful description on how the electricity demand is assessed is also reported. The role of green tags is investigated. Constrains and environmental targets, to partially achieve the 20-20-20 European commitment, are also discussed to explain the proposed scenarios results.