Abstract
In Canada, the majority of urban energy demand services the transportation or building sectors, primarily with non-renewable energy sources including gasoline and natural gas. As a result, these two sectors account for 70% of urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objective of this paper is to explore the potential for co-benefits when simultaneously electrifying transportation and building demand sectors while expanding variable renewable energy (VRE) production. The investigation uses a novel integrated framework of the transportation, building, and electricity sectors to represent the operational implications of demand side flexibility on both the demand and supply side of the energy system. This original approach allows for very fine temporal and spatial resolution within models, while still performing a multi-sector analysis. First, the activity-based transportation model produces passenger travel demand profiles, allowing for investigation of potential electricity demand and demand response from electric vehicles with high spatial and temporal resolution. Second, the archetype-based building model predicts electricity demand of the residential building sector, allowing for investigation into demand-side management strategies such as load-shifting, building retrofits, and changes in appliance technology. Third, the electricity system production cost dispatch model is used to model the operations of Regina's electricity grid and has a spatial resolution capable of assessing individual and connected positive energy districts as well as VRE integration. Through linking of these three models, the effects of consumer flexibility in transportation and building energy demand are explored, especially in the context of introducing much needed flexibility for large-scale VRE integration. A utility-controlled demand response (DR) strategy is explored as means for Regina to reach their renewable target, along with battery storage. Various pathways to Regina's target are considered, based on the various proposed scopes of the target. The results show that Regina can meet their renewable target with large-scale rooftop solar and wind capacity. DR strategies are marginally effective in aiding toward the renewable target, but, when implemented in conjunction with battery storage, is able to get Regina to within 1% of their renewable target.
Highlights
In Canada, end-use energy demand in the transportation and building sectors relies heavily on carbon-intensive sources
Uncertainty can be explored by changing variables such as the electrification level, variable renewable energy (VRE) capacity, storage, and demand response (DR)
Scenarios are evaluated on two key criteria: levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2020; Lazard, 2020) and ability to meet Regina’s renewable target (Figure 8)
Summary
In Canada, end-use energy demand in the transportation and building sectors relies heavily on carbon-intensive sources. These sectors, which are collectively responsible for ∼40% of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mainly use motor gasoline and natural gas for fuel and heating (Natural Resources Canada, 2019). Some cities in North America have recognized this and committed to becoming renewable cities (Zuehlke, 2017; Eaton and Enoch, 2020). In 2018, the City Council of Regina, Saskatchewan made this decision as well, committing to using 100% renewable energy by 2050 (Tink and Folk, 2019). Though the decision was unanimous, City Council lacked clarity on the scope of the commitment, as well as an official plan for how to achieve it. Three novel definitions of scope have been suggested by Bardutz and Dolter (2020):
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
