Cost Of Electricity Generation Research Articles

Modified free energy generation using permanent Neodymium Magnet based on Bedini with Maxwell and Lorenz gauge conditions

An efficient, reliable, and real-time electricity generator is proposed by keeping in view the constraints, related to the electricity generation cost, resource reservoirs, greenhouse gas emission, energy storage, and power demand for a pre-defined residential area. Paramount importance is given to the rotor's design; coupled with movable neodymium magnets to increase the harvester's life span and system's net revenue. For the amplification in the stator output, a cost-effective approach is adopted that is based on the parallel winding of the bifilar coil. Furthermore, the coefficient of performance factor for the Bedini's smart school girl circuit based electricity harvester is modified by aiding the concepts of radiant energy incorporated with the electromagnetic phenomenon. Moreover, the mathematical model is formulated by the Maxwell equations using the Lorenz gauge condition to capture free vacuum energy from the environment. For the investigation, analysis, and corroboration of the proposed design, results are reported after performing extensive numerical computations and a comprehensive comparison between the original and modified design is stated in detail.

Applying life cycle assessment to investigate the environmental impacts of a PV–CSP hybrid system

Photovoltaic and concentrated solar power (PV–CSP) hybrid systems have effectively solved the issues with the volatility and energy storage costs of PV electricity generation, and they have the potential to replace PV generation. However, the environmental impacts of PV–CSP have not been reported in the literature. In this research, a life cycle assessment method was adopted to investigate the potential environmental impacts of the PV–CSP hybrid system. The results showed that throughout the life cycle, the manufacturing stage had the largest adverse impact on the energy conservation and emission reduction targets of China's 13th Five-Year Plan (ECER-135), whereas the decommissioning stage significantly alleviated the environment burden through the recovery of main materials. Compared to standalone PV or CSP, the PV–CSP hybrid system exhibited significant comparative advantages, with carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions measuring 42 g CO2 and 45.92 g CO2 eq, respectively. During the manufacturing stage, PV modules, PV balance of system, solar field, and thermal energy storage system contributed significantly to the environmental impact. The sensitivities of different inventory materials in environmental indicators were different, and the same material had different sensitivities in different subsystems or stages.

Waste-to-Energy Generation: Complex World Project Analysis

Sustainable development and the circular economy mandate efficacious management of waste. The annually increasing volumes of municipal solid waste pose a formidable global challenge. Waste-to-energy conversion, utilizing thermochemical or biochemical technologies, presents a viable solution for mitigating waste disposal concerns. This study conducts a thorough analysis of extant projects to evaluate the economic viability and environmental benefits across various technologies. Employing a self-compiled, unique database, our examination spans enterprises operational from 1980 to 2022, including 37 of the most representative facilities across Europe, North America, and East and Southeast Asia. Economic efficiency is gauged through the levelized cost of electricity generated by these installations, while environmental impacts are assessed based on the statistics on prevented greenhouse gas emissions. The methodology encompasses correlation and techno–economic analyses and expert evaluation. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our findings challenge the ubiquity of scale effects among technologies and the presumed decline in electricity generation costs with newer technologies. However, they corroborate the enhanced environmental benefits of recent technological advancements. The insights derived from this research are poised to inform strategic municipal solid waste management planning in Russia and beyond, offering a foundation for the design of new facilities. The scientific novelty of this work lies in its holistic approach to analyzing the ecological and economic efficiencies of all extant technologies.

Residual Biomass Gasification for Small-Scale Decentralized Electricity Production: Business Models for Lower Societal Costs

Biomass gasification, a promising sustainable technology for decentralized electricity production, has the potential to displace fossil fuels while valorizing locally produced waste. Previous studies indicate that its technical and financial viabilities vary among projects, and few projects have been successfully developed, despite the sustainability benefits. This study identified and characterized the factors that influence the economic and environmental performances of such projects using a novel, hybrid method, with qualitative analysis using the Business Model Canvas and quantitative life-cycle costs (LCCs) considering the financial and external costs. The financial LCCs and external electricity generation costs were evaluated for business models in agro-industrial factories using proprietary residual biomasses and for those in isolated grids using local agricultural waste. The business models used for biomass gasification projects affect their LCCs and externalities more than factors such as their investment costs and energy efficiencies. The relationship between the business models, the financial performances of the projects, and their impacts on society are highlighted, showing that although projects using proprietary biomass waste have lower financial costs, off-grid projects generate more positive externalities, resulting in lower costs for society. These results indicate that policy support focused on appropriate business models may contribute to optimizing the use of financial incentives to foster investment in new sustainable technologies, contributing to the energy transition.

Jellyfish search algorithm for optimization operation of hybrid pumped storage-wind-thermal-solar photovoltaic systems

This study applies Jellyfish Search Algorithm and five other algorithms to minimize the electricity generation cost of two hybrid systems for one operating day. The first system comprises one pumped storage hydroelectric plant and two thermal power plants. The second system is expanded by integrating one wind and one solar photovoltaic power plant into the first system. For each system during one operating day, the pumped storage hydroelectric plant with only generation mode acts as a conventional hydroelectric plant in the first scenario. Still, it can run pumps to store water and produce electricity in the second scenario. As a result, JSA can reach smaller costs than all compared algorithms, from about 1 % to higher than 10 % for two scenarios in the two systems. The comparisons of generation cost indicate the second scenario with the pumped storage hydroelectric plant can reach a smaller cost than the first scenario with the conventional hydroelectric power plant by $53,359.7, corresponding to 7.4 % in the first system and $39,472.8, corresponding to 6.95 % in the second system. Therefore, the water storage function of the pumped storage hydroelectric plant is very effective in reducing the electricity generation costs for hybrid power systems.

Techno-Economic Analysis for Raja Ampat Off-Grid System

Indonesia, an expansive archipelagic nation with over 17,000 islands, encounters significant challenges in ensuring a sustainable and dependable electricity supply, particularly in its West Papua region. The reliance on diesel fuel for electricity generation in this area poses substantial environmental risks and incurs high costs. A comprehensive research study addressing the environmental and economic challenges associated with diesel dependence in West Papua proposed a shift towards sustainable and cost-effective solutions by advocating for adopting off-grid hybrid power systems. This study targeted Yensawai Village in the Raja Ampat Islands, employing a detailed techno-economic analysis through HOMER Pro to identify the most cost-effective system configurations. The findings indicated that the optimal setup consists of a 160 kW diesel generator, complemented by a 70.1 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system, a 30 kW inverter, and an 80 kWh battery storage unit. This configuration not only proved to be economically viable by reducing the levelized cost of electricity (CoE) by 15.7%—achieving a CoE of $0.236/kWh compared to the base scenario's $0.280/kWh—but also highlighted the potential for similar benefits across regional systems. By focusing on the economic advantages of hybrid energy configurations, this research contributes significantly to the broader discourse on sustainability and the urgent need to reduce diesel dependence, offering a practical approach to cutting electricity generation costs in remote island communities and advancing sustainability initiatives.

Assessing worldwide future potentials of renewable electricity generation: Installable capacity, full load hours and costs

Several studies calculate the potential of renewable energies throughout the world. However, these studies vary in the underlying assumptions and do not consider several technologies within a uniform methodology, which affects comparability. In this paper, we calculate the worldwide potentials of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), and wind onshore and offshore on a 6.5 by 6.5 km grid. The results consist of installable capacity, generated electricity, and specific cost of electricity generation. Our methodology combines high-resolution data for land uses, slope, and hourly weather data with a thorough analysis of different factors for wind power, like hub heights and rotor diameters, and solar power plants, like tilt angle, and temperature-related loss of efficiency. The results show that the summed-up potential capacity of ground-mounted PV surpasses the amount of CSP, wind onshore and offshore combined with 450 TW. Given the cost-potential curve, ground-mounted PV reaches 560,000 TWh at costs below 20 €/MWh, which is twice the projected worldwide primary energy supply of the World Energy Outlook 2022 for the year 2050 with 205,557 TWh. The calculated results can function as input factors for energy system models, which are an important tool to analyse the energy transition.

Europe’s independence from Russian natural gas — Effects of import restrictions on energy system development

With the Russian invasion on Ukraine in 2022 and the following disruption of Russian natural gas imports, Europe’s energy reliance on Russia has become more apparent than ever. To tackle the resulting challenges of a limited supply of fossil fuels from Russia and especially its effects on energy system development, short and long-term effects need to be investigated thoroughly. This paper aims to quantitatively analyze the impact of reduced natural gas availability from Russia on the European energy system, both in the coming years, as well as in the future. Using the Global Energy System Model (GENeSYS-MOD), three scenarios with varying amounts of Russian natural gas and further impacts of reduced fossil fuel imports from Russia are calculated. Results show that strong effects are mostly observed in the short to medium-term, but an overall earlier phase-out of fossil fuels can be achieved in the long-term. The reduction of natural gas imports is tackled by an increase in LNG imports and domestic natural gas production to overcome the supply gap. Strong reactions are seen in the levelized costs of electricity generation between 2022 and 2025, with higher costs in scenarios with restrictions on Russian natural gas imports, but with a negligible difference in the long-term. Most importantly, lower emissions in scenarios with reduced natural gas supply from Russia highlight the positive effect of an early reduction in fossil fuels and investment in renewable technologies, resulting in a near 100% emission-free energy system by 2045, 5 years before the Base scenario with unrestricted Russian gas imports. The results find that a limitation of Russian fossil imports does not pose a long-term threat to the European energy system or its required transition away from fossil fuels, but can rather accelerate its decarbonization and energy demand reductions.

External costs of electricity generation in 27 European countries from 2010-2030: Pathway toward sustainability or business as usual?

Electricity generation in Europe is undergoing a fundamental change. The aim is to increase sustainability by reducing emissions. Each country has a different electricity mix, and there is no established method for measuring environmental impacts of electricity production with a single monetary indicator, in a uniform manner, and with country-specific data. To address this gap, a model that measures the costs of 19 environmental externalities (usually, types of emissions) has been developed. Using country-specific technologies, electricity mixes, and external cost rates, the development of external costs of generating electricity in 27 European countries between 2010 and 2030 is assessed and analyzed. The simulation results show that the external costs vary heavily between 2.1 and 22.4 euro cents per kWh in this period. Despite the initiated transformation of the energy systems in many EU countries, external costs per kWh are decreasing in only eight of them. This fact underlines the need for a drastic change in national energy strategies. Overall, the results show that more far-reaching policy measures are needed in order to significantly reduce the external costs of the energy sector in Europe. The article raises the level of granularity of research on the external costs of electricity in Europe by combining extensive country-specific emission data and country-specific external cost rates.

Dynamic models for developing reference scenarios of energy system in the low-carbon transition

The proposed study is aimed at the development of dynamic input-output models in relation to energy development systems. The main task is to find optimal scenarios, defined as sequences of optimal balances between production and capital investment. These models are rooted in Leontief's conceptual concept of input-output, which emphasizes the timing of the introduction of new production systems. The article discusses the economic interpretation and mathematical conditions of intersectoral models, and examines their application to problems related to energy. The model uses the concept of balanced equilibrium growth, in which the ratio of consumption to net release is the same for all resources, and the reserve of at least one resource is fully utilized. The growth rate of the system is the most important parameter that determines the trajectory of balanced growth. Solving the system of inequalities yields balanced growth trajectories in which the dominant root and the associated vector of characteristics plays a key role. A balanced equilibrium growth rate has the properties of a minimax with the presence of a saddle point, which indicates its importance in achieving market equilibrium while preventing a reduction in inventories. The practical application of the model is described. The results of calculations of pessimistic, reference and optimistic scenarios of electricity production in the IPS of Ukraine are presented. Official statistical information and economic forecasts are used, and various restrictions are taken into account. The model aims to minimize the total cost of electricity generation while respecting environmental and operational constraints. The proposed model provides a comprehensive basis for understanding the dynamics of resource reserves, consumption and growth of electricity production of the IPS of Ukraine. It offers decision-makers a valuable tool to optimize electricity generation strategies, taking into account a range of scenarios and constraints, for the sustainable and cost-effective operation of the energy system. Keywords: Dynamic input-output models, optimal scenarios, balanced equilibrium growth, growth rate of the system.

Numerical algorithm for environmental/economic load dispatch with emissions constraints

This paper presents a numerical algorithm for environmental/economic load dispatch (EELD) with emissions constraints, which takes into account the emissions trading system’s effect on electricity generation cost and is implemented using a Python computer program. The developed program is applied to a power system of six (6) fossil-fueled electricity generating units with NOx, SO2 and CO2 constraints and proved to be significantly beneficial not only for the environment but also for the power company and the consumers. The proposed algorithm uses multi-objective optimization and incorporates both fuel and emissions allowances costs. The schedule of generating units is calculated and the testing of all possible weighting factor combinations with resolution of 0.01 is carried out showing that the proposed algorithm is fast, cost effective and environmentally friendly.

Which wind turbine types are needed in a cost‐optimal renewable energy system?

AbstractPrevious research has indicated that wind power plants can be designed to have less‐variable power generation, thereby mitigating the drop in economic value that typically occurs at high wind power penetration rates. This study investigates the competitiveness of adapted turbine design and the interplay with other flexibility measures, such as batteries and hydrogen storage, for managing variations. The analysis covers seven turbine designs for onshore and offshore wind generation, with different specific power ratings and hub heights. Various flexibility measures (batteries, hydrogen storage and transmission expansion) are included in the optimization of investment and dispatch of the electricity system of northern Europe. Three driving forces for turbine design selection are identified: (1) lowest cost of electricity generation; (2) annual wind production per land area and (3) improved generation profile of wind power. The results show that in regions with good wind resources and limited availability of variation management, it is cost‐efficient to reduce the variability of wind power production by adapting the turbine design. This remains the case when variation management is available in the form of batteries, hydrogen storage and transmission system expansion. Moreover, it is more cost‐effective to improve variability by changing the specific power rating rather than the turbine hub height.

Analysis of combined cycle plants integrating biomass and natural gas

Biomass plays a vital role in broadening the energy portfolio and reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels. Combining biomass with natural gas-powered combined cycle plants offers an opportunity to improve biomass conversion efficiency. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive technical and economic analysis, comparing two configurations of combined-cycle plants fueled by natural gas and lignocellulosic biomass. The first configuration implements traditional post-combustion methods to augment steam cycle output, while the second directs exhaust gases to a heat exchanger, pre-heating the compressor’s outgoing air. A significant focus was placed on assessing biomass conversion efficiency, specifically the marginal efficiency in electricity generation attributed to biomass input. This parameter was compared with the performance of standard conventional biomass-only plants. The research delved into the impact of varying biomass feed ratio on key performance indicators, including the cost of electricity generation, the overall and marginal biomass efficiency, and the share of electricity production due to biomass. The determination of the optimal plant configuration and the ideal biomass fraction was achieved through multivariable optimization techniques.

ECONOMIC EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF ENERGY STORAGE IN A PROSUMER PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATION

The purpose of the article is to evaluate the economic efficiency of electricity generation in a prosumer photovoltaic installation supported by energy storage billed in the net-billing model. The subject of the study was a comparative analysis for two variants, i.e. 1) reference (photovoltaic installation only) and 2) hybrid (supported by energy storage). The Levelized Costs of Electricity (LCOE), Net Present Value (NPV) and Dynamic Pay Back Time (DPBT) methods were used to evaluate it. The object of the study was a dairy farm, where a prosumer photovoltaic system with a capacity of 19.62 kWp was installed along with an energy storage of 10 kWh. The study shows that with the current billing system in place, the unit cost of electricity generation in the reference variant was more than 40% lower than the value calculated in this way for a photovoltaic system equipped with energy storage. The simulation carried out for dynamic tariffs, which will be in operation from July 01, 2024, showed that the use of energy storage can favorably affect the economic efficiency of photovoltaic installations, but it requires the installation of a smart energy balance management system.

Potential Electrical Power Generation and Installation Cost Analysis of a Biogas Plant Chicken Farm

Poultry waste is a promising renewable energy source for electricity generation. A poultry farm comprising 20000 chickens can generate a maximum of 2000 kg of waste daily, and this waste contains a substantial amount of stored energy. Typically, this waste is disposed of resulting it doesn't become a daily burden. The main objective of this research was to focus on the extraction of electrical energy from waste through the utilization of a biogas plant. For this study, a digester with a diameter of 8.24 m and a height of 3.30 m was designed for the biogas plant, which can produce up to 148 m3 of gas per day. Consequently, a total of 208.45 KWh of energy can be generated by employing a 13-kW generator. Regarding biogas plants, the estimated cost for installation amounted to approximately BDT 1145500. Furthermore, the payback period for this plant was calculated to be 2 years.

Designing synergies between hybrid renewable energy systems and ecosystems developed by different afforestation approaches

In this study, we explore the possibility of techno-ecological synergy (TES) based sustainable design of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) and their surrounding ecosystems to mitigate emissions. We consider an HRES system with a photovoltaic cell, wind turbine, fuel cell, electrolyzer, and diesel generator. The NO2 and CO2 emissions from HRES have been conventionally treated using a selective catalytic reactor and monoethanolamine (MEA), respectively. However, a forest ecosystem can naturally uptake NO2 and CO2. Therefore, we have considered the forest ecosystem as an additional unit operation in this study and its growth dynamics have been incorporated in the system design. Thus, we analyze two approaches to remediate emissions from the HRES: (1) technological approach — SCR and MEA, (2) TES approach — forest ecosystem in tandem with technology. Unlike previous TES design studies, we focus on cities in India and compare a traditional method for forest restoration and a faster Miyawaki method considering their growth dynamics. Furthermore, we consider the case of social forestry, which is relevant in developing countries. Here, the trees are pruned, which increases the pollution uptake rate. We find that the emission abatement technology cannot be removed from the system as it is needed for seasons wherein trees shed their leaves; therefore a periodic profile of technology utilization for emissions abatement is observed. We find the TES approach to be more economically feasible for pollution uptake than a purely technology based approach for the sustainable operation of HRES at Delhi and Chennai in India, respectively. Based on this, the annualized cost of electricity generation is found to be 15% less than the base case. Moreover, the study reveals that annualized cost of electricity generation associated with the Miyawaki method is 13% less than the traditional reforestation method for attaining TES designs.

Electricity Generation Cost Optimization Based on Lagrange Function and Local Search

This paper proposes a method based on the Lagrange optimization function and local search technique for minimizing the total cost of two power systems. The first system comprises ten multiple fuel thermal units (MFTUs) while the second system combines the first system with renewable energies, solar and wind power. The proposed method has advantages over its conventional method without a local search technique, called the conventional Lagrange function-based method (CLM), such as having the same parameters and exploiting other search spaces after getting convergence. The proposed method is more effective than CLM for the first system with the last case of load demand. In addition, the proposed method has better costs than previous algorithms, such as the Hierarchical numerical method (HNUM), Hopfield neural network, Adaptive Hopfield neural networks (AHNN) and modified Lagrange neural network (MLANN). Especially, the proposed method can find smaller costs than them, up to $6.78, corresponding to 1.4% for Case 1, and up to $2.43, corresponding to 0.4% for Case 4. Only the proposed method is tested on the second test system. The simulation results indicate that the method is very efficient for the problem with solar and wind energies and multiple fuel thermal units.

Maximizing the cost effectiveness of electric power generation through the integration of distributed generators: wind, hydro and solar power

BackgroundThe transition towards renewable energy sources has become an imperative step to mitigate climate change, reduce carbon emissions and improve energy security and economic prosperity in a sustainable manner. Maximizing the cost effectiveness of electric power generation is crucial to making renewable energy sources viable and attractive options for clean energy production. The strategic allocation of wind, hydro and solar power systems is essential to achieving this goal. This paper attempts to demonstrate how the cost effectiveness of electrical power system could be maximized through the integration of wind, solar and hydropower systems and comparison at different penetration levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% on cost effectiveness of electric power generation. The different generator technologies were designed based on their electrical output attributions.ResultsThe cost of electric generation for the integration of each generator at the various buses were calculated at different penetration level for fair comparison. The results indicate that the minimum money loss for the integration of solar power was $743.90 at bus 4 and at 50% penetration level, the minimum money loss for the integration of wind power was $999.00 at bus 4 and at 25% penetration level while the minimum amount loss for the integration of hydropower was $546.50 at bus 4 and at 75% penetration level.ConclusionsThe magnitude to which the integration of the different generator affects the cost effectiveness of power production hinges on the type of generator, the penetration level and the location of the generator in the grid.

Design and evaluation of an agrivoltaic system for a pear orchard

Agrivoltaic systems are mostly deployed on arable farm land. An interesting application of agrivoltaics for permanent farming such as pear orchards, is in replacing the protective function of hail nets by semi-transparent PV modules. In this study, a theoretical framework is used to design the optimal agrivoltaic lay-out regarding the levelized cost of electricity, electricity generation and incident irradiance. This incident irradiance is modelled using a 3D light simulation tool, capable of including the light distribution within the canopy walls. Given the practical constraints (orientation, planting distance, maximum wind load, protection function), present in an existing pear orchard, a double-inclined PV structure with a PV module transparency level of 40% was used. This system was constructed in Bierbeek, Belgium. Results of the first year of operation are presented and the models used are validated. It is concluded that this application is promising, with positive effects of the climatological conditions, robust energy generation and a minimum loss of 16% on pear yield. Nevertheless, at this moment, the system is financially unviable and a long-term analysis of the shading effect on crop yield and quality is needed before the large-scale deployment of this technology.

The production scheduling problem employing non-identical parallel machines with due dates considering carbon emissions and multiple types of energy sources

This paper addresses the production scheduling problem with non-identical parallel machines in a high-mix, low-volume production environment with due dates, considering carbon emissions savings and diverse types of energy sources for machine operation. To this end, we present a bi-objective mixed-integer programming model that minimizes both the total production-related cost and the total carbon emissions in the production process to determine the optimal production strategy. For each machine, we consider various types of energy sources with different electricity generation costs and different amounts of carbon emissions. The proposed model is validated with an application to a manufacturer in Ulsan, the industrial capital of the Republic of Korea. Our results showcase the potential use of non-identical parallel machines to minimize the total cost and carbon emissions in green manufacturing. Furthermore, the results identify the trade-off between different energy sources and the total cost under different carbon emissions limits. Generally, as the carbon emissions limit increases, our proposed model tends to replace natural gas with coal to minimize the total cost. Also, we perform sensitivity analyses with respect to the energy price of different types of energy sources combined with nuclear and renewable energy sources. We find that coal provides more stability than natural gas in terms of the total cost, particularly when there are fluctuations in the price for coal and natural gas. Additionally, we determine the optimal combination of energy sources for various carbon emissions limits, aiming to minimize the total cost while simultaneously satisfying all production-related and environmental constraints.