Benefits Of Energy Use Research Articles

Method multi-criteria decision-making method for site selection analysis and evaluation of urban integrated energy stations based on geographic information system

As an important carrier of multi-energy coupling of regional integrated energy system, the integrated energy station integrates a variety of energy coupling devices, which can fulfill interconnection and complementarity of energy between regions and enhance the economic and environmental benefits of energy use. In the planning of integrated energy stations, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of regional resource endowments and load energy consumption. In this paper geographic information system (GIS) is introduced into the site selection planning of integrated energy stations, and a location decision model is built based on GIS & improved TOPSIS. In order to verify this for the feasibility of the model, Tianjin, China is selected as a representative case for empirical research. First, according to Chinese national standards and local planning requirements, GIS is adopted to initially screen the distribution and area of exclusion areas and viable areas for construction in the study area. Secondly, a comprehensive evaluation index system is established for nature, economy and society, in which the AHP method is used for calculate the weight of each index to obtain the final optimal alternative with the integration of the GIS geographic layer overlay function. Finally, the improved TOPSIS model is used to rank the alternatives and obtain the ranking results. Sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis is conducted on the ranking results, indicating a higher priority of selecting sites A1, A4, A5 and A11. Analysis result effectively verifies that the improved TOPSIS method can improve the accuracy of the site selection decision for integrated energy stations. This paper can provide support for the site selection and layout of integrated energy stations, effectively improve the decision-making level and work efficiency of decision-makers, and enrich the application space of GIS methods in the energy field.

Renewable energy selection for net-zero energy communities: Life cycle based decision making under uncertainty

Developing net-zero energy communities powered by renewable energy (RE) resources has become a popular concept. To make the best choices for community-level net-zero energy systems, it is necessary to identify the best energy technologies at local level. Evaluation of RE technologies has to be extended from technical and economic aspects to include environmental and social wellbeing. It is possible to identify the true costs and benefits of energy use by taking a cradle-to-grave life cycle perspective. In this study, a RE screening and multi-stage energy selection framework was developed. A fuzzy multi-criteria decision making approach was used in ranking the technologies to incorporate the conflicting requirements, stakeholder priorities, and uncertainties. Different scenarios were investigated to reflect different decision maker priorities. Under a pro-environment scenario, small hydro, onshore wind, and biomass combustion technologies perform best. Under a pro-economic decision scenario, biomass combustion, small hydro, and landfill gas have the best rankings. Triple bottom line sustainability was combined with technical feasibility through a ruled-based approach to avoid the theoretical pitfalls inherent in energy-related decision making. This assessment is geared towards providing decision makers with flexible tools, and is expected to aid in the pre-project planning stage of RE projects.

An economic analysis of the carbon benefits of sawmill residues' use in South Korea

Abstract In this study, a methodological basis is used to analyze the carbon economic effects of sawmill residue use. The usage of sawmill residues, which is classified in two main categories: energy source and base material for products, leads to different economic effects and benefits. When analyzing the economic effects of using wood as an energy source, the benefits stem from reduced carbon emissions and related costs. When sawmill residues are used as a base material, the primary usage relates to construction materials and household goods. The economic effects are analyzed and calculated in terms of the amount and interest rates of carbon retained in the base material. This study predicts the total economic effects of the carbon sinks stored within the system boundaries of construction materials and household goods until 99.9% of the stored carbon sinks are released. The results demonstrate that the economic benefits of sawmill residues are substantial, but differ based on the type of use. The economic benefits of using sawmill residues as a base material increase with time and match the benefits of using the residues as an energy source—when used for construction purpose, the economic benefits reach that of using wood as an energy source in 13 years and for household goods purpose in 16 years. More specifically, the dollar value per ton of sawmill residues is USD 9.85 when used as an energy source, USD 15.94 as a construction material (for 33 years), and USD 10.95 as a base material (for 30 years) for household goods. The economic benefits of the base material use eventually surpass the economic benefits of energy use. The findings illustrate that base material usage of sawmill residues leads to more economic benefits from a long-term perspective; the specific numbers may differ by country, but our methodology provides an appropriate guideline for other countries and situations.

基于能源利用的湖北省碳足迹分析<br>Analysis of Carbon Footprint Based on Energy Utilization in Hubei Province

本文对基于能源利用的湖北省碳足迹进行了定性与定量相结合的分析，得出以下结论：1) 湖北省的碳排放量呈逐年增加的态势。煤炭的碳排放量所占的比重最大，石油所占比重次之，天然气的碳排放量是三种主要的化石能源中所占比例最小的，而生物质能利用中所产生的碳排放比重呈波动下降趋势。2) 湖北省能源利用的总碳足迹呈现波动上升的趋势，2010年达到0.243 hm2/人，比1990年增加0.149 hm2/人。碳足迹密度增长速度很快，到2010年已达566.20 t/km2，是1990年的将近3倍。3) 单位能源利用碳足迹所创造的经济价值不断增加的同时，能源利用碳足迹强度即单位GDP的能耗也在不断下降，能源利用的效益不断提高。4) 碳足迹生态压力计算结果表明，经济的快速发展对自然生态系统造成的压力在不断增大。5) 湖北省各地区间的碳足迹差异很明显，2005年至2010年各个地区的碳足迹均在增大，随着湖北省经济的快速发展，各大区域的碳足迹还将进一步增大。在各个地区中无论是碳排放量还是碳足迹都是武汉市最大。 This paper analyzes carbon footprint based on energy utilization in Hubei Province adopting both qualitative and quantitative methods, and draws the following conclusions: 1) The carbon emissions showed a tendency to increase year by year in Hubei Province. The carbon emissions of coal occupied the largest proportion, followed by oil, with natural gas bringing up the rear in the three main fossil fuels, while the proportion of carbon emissions generated by biomass energy utilization presented a fluctuating downward trend. 2) The carbon footprint of Hubei’s total energy use appeared a rising trend in fluctuation, accounting for 0.243 hm2/cap in 2010, with 0.149 hm2/cap more than that of 1990. The carbon footprint density was growing rapidly, which had reached 566.20 t/km2 in 2010, almost three times of the amount in 1990. 3) While the economic value created by carbon footprint per unit energy utilization had been growing unceasingly, intensity of carbon footprint on energy use, namely energy consumption per unit GDP, had been declining constantly. That is, the benefits of energy use had been further improving continuously. 4) The calculated results of Ecological Pressure Intensity of Carbon Footprint (EPICF) indicated that the pressure on natural ecosystem caused by fast-growing economy was increasing. 5) There were significant differences between carbon footprint of various re-gions in Hubei Province, each of which was increasing in 2005-2010, and carbon footprint of major areas will be further enhanced with the rapid development of economy in Hubei. It is larger than any other district of Hubei province that whether carbon emissions or carbon footprint in Wuhan city.

Environmental performance evaluation of Beijing's energy use planning

In line with rapid economic development, urban energy consumption is increasing rapidly, resulting in environmental problems. After considering several methods to evaluate the environmental performance of energy use, including: energy ecological footprint, input–output analysis, emergy–exergy analysis, and multi-criteria decision-making, an environmental performance evaluation model is proposed, which combines the analytical hierarchy process, fuzzy extent analysis, and membership degree analysis. In the model, 18 sub-indicators of environmental performance from energy use planning are classified into four categories: structure of energy use and industry, technology and efficiency of energy use, environmental impacts caused by energy use, and the socio-economic benefits of energy use. Membership degree analysis is applied to each indicator. Three energy use scenarios which are, respectively, environment-friendly, technology-led, and economic policy-led are evaluated. The results show that the technology-led energy use planning is best. The sustainable energy use policies are proposed from three aspects, including optimizing the energy use and industrial structure, encouraging development of energy-saving and air pollution control technologies, and enhancing legislation on energy use management. The policies are helpful to optimize the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental protection in Beijing.