Current Electricity Production Research Articles

GRU 기반의 농장 내 전력량 관리 및 이상탐지 자동화 시스템 설계

Power efficiency management in smart farms is important due to its link to climate change. As climate change negatively impacts agriculture, future agriculture is expected to utilize smart farms to minimize climate impacts, but smart farms' power consumption may exacerbate the climate crisis due to the current electricity production system. Therefore, it is essential to efficiently manage and optimize the power usage of smart farms. In this study, we propose a system that monitors the power usage of smart farm equipment in real time and predicts the power usage one hour later using GRU. CT sensors are installed to collect power usage data, which are analyzed to detect and prevent abnormal patterns, and combined with IoT technology to efficiently manage and monitor the overall power usage. This helps to optimize power usage, improve energy efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. The system is expected to improve not only the energy management of smart farms, but also the overall efficiency of energy use.

A Review and Discussion of the Grid-Code Requirements for Renewable Energy Sources in Spain

During the last years, the rate of renewable energy sources in the current electricity production mix has been increasing more and more. In parallel, a significant development of regulations have been proposed by most developed countries, where the integration of these alternatives resources has been mainly focused on wind and PV power plants. Under this scenario, this paper discusses the current and upcoming Spanish grid code requirements concerning renewable energy resources. Specifically, the operating procedures P.O.12.2 and P.O.12.3 are described in detail. These procedures involve non-interrupted generation submitted to disturbances, extending characteristics such as low voltage ride through or reactive and active power capabilities. Additionally, the last draft proposed by the Spanish transmission system operator is included as well, comparing the current specifications facing other European requirements for renewable energy sources.

Site selection for floating photovoltaic system on dam reservoirs using sine trigonometric decision making model

Floating photovoltaic is a great alternative to traditional solar energy because it can increase current electricity production while working compatible with hydropower plants and the power infrastructure. The aim of this study is to present a site selection suitability analysis using fuzzy sine trigonometric based Ordinal Priority Approach and Distance from Average Solution method. Ten site selection criteria related to the technical, economic and social aspects were identified and a questionnaire was conducted among the field experts of solar energy. Then, a consensus analysis was carried out using consistent questionnaire results to reach a definitive decision of experts. This analysis gives the relative weights of each site selection criterion. After that, 8 dam reservoirs, which are utilized for energy production were selected in different locations in Turkey to deploy floating photovoltaics. The solar energy experts filled out another questionnaire to evaluate each selected site for each site selection criterion. Then a new consensus analysis is performed for selected sites. According to the result of the study, although the weights of selected sites seem close to each other, BayramhacılıDam, located in Aydın, Western Turkey, is found as the most feasible site among other alternatives to establish a floating photovoltaic.

Power Variability of Wind and Solar Production Portfolio in the Republic of Croatia

In this work, we analysed multi-annual data set of wind and solar production portfolio with different power frequency approaches and averaging methods in order to characterize power production variability at different temporal scales. All of the methods have their advantages depending on their scale and purpose, but also some shortcomings that limit their use. For the purposes of this work, we selected the method of explicit derivation as the most appropriate for the fast power change frequency analysis and characterization. 
 The variability of power production from wind and solar power plants in Croatia is strongly present on an hourly, daily and seasonal level, while on an annual level the variability is much less pronounced. Since current electricity production and consumption must remain in balance to maintain the stability of the power network, this variability of production can pose significant challenges for the inclusion of large amounts of wind and solar energy in the power system of the Republic of Croatia.
 A particular challenge for the power system in terms of production variability is the fast change in power. Fast power change affects the quality of production forecasting and consequently causes higher imbalance costs. The impact on the management and balancing of the power system is particularly challenging.

An integrative and prospective approach to regional material flow analysis: Modeling the decarbonization of the North Rhine‐Westphalian steel industry

AbstractNorth‐Rhine Westphalia is the center of the German and European steel production. Its steel industry is heavily based on the primary production route and emits up to 30 Mt CO2 annually. One possible and increasingly prominent alternative to reduce these emissions is the hydrogen‐based direct reduction. While this technology allows for a near climate‐neutral production of primary steel, it poses substantial impacts on regional energy and material flows. Hence, the aim of this paper is to quantify the alterations in energy and material flows over time via integrating top‐down energy and material flow models with bottom‐up process models. The resulting values of emissions, energy, and material flows are then used to develop prospective scenarios that depict the requirements and consequences of potential pathways toward a climate‐neutral steel production by 2045. The outcomes show that decarbonizing the North Rhine‐Westphalian steel industry leads to an additional demand for renewable energies of up to 52.5 TWh per year, which represents 10% of the current electricity production in Germany. As securing the green electricity demand is a large challenge, the study also analyzes the impact of a partial recourse to natural gas as a reducing agent in combination with other measures like carbon capture and utilization/storage. The results show that such a recourse would reduce the electricity demand to 36.8 TWh. Hence, the paper illustrates relevant implications of the different scenarios, which can be used by policymakers to develop more realistic and resilient strategies for reaching carbon neutrality.

Projecting Future Energy Production from Operating Wind Farms in North America. Part II: Statistical Downscaling

Abstract Capacity factors (CFs) derived from daily expected power at 22 operating wind farms in different regions of North America are used as predictands to train statistical downscaling algorithms using output from ERA5. The statistical downscaling models are then used to make CF projections for a suite of CMIP6 Earth System Models (ESMs). Downscaling is performed using a hybrid statistical approach that employs synoptic types derived using k-means clustering applied to sea level pressure fields with variance corrections applied as a function of the pressure gradient intensity. ESMs exhibit marked variability in terms of the skill with which the frequency of synoptic types and pressure gradients are reproduced relative to ERA5, and that differential skill is used to infer differential credibility in the associated CF projections. Projections of median annual mean CF [P50(CF)] in each 20-yr period from 1980 to 2099 show evidence of declines at most wind farms except in parts of the southern Great Plains, although the magnitude of the changes is strongly dependent on the ESM. For example, P50(CF) in 2080–99 deviate from those in 1980–99 by from −3.1 to +0.2 percentage points in the Northeast. The largest-magnitude declines in P50(CF) ranging from −3.9 to −2 percentage points are projected for the southern West Coast. CF trends exhibit marked seasonality and are strongly linked to changes in the relative intensity of future synoptic patterns, with much less impact from shifts in the occurrence of synoptic types over time. Internal climate modes continue to play a significant role in inducing interannual variability in wind power production, even under high radiative forcing scenarios. Significance Statement We describe how future climate changes may affect wind resources and wind power generation. Near-term changes in projected wind power electricity generation potential at operating wind farms over North America are small, but by the end of the current century electricity production is projected to decrease in many areas but may increase in parts of the southern Great Plains. The amount of change in projected wind power production is a strong function of the Earth system model that is downscaled and also depends on the continued presence of internally forced climate variability. An additional dependence on the amount of greenhouse gas–induced global warming indicates the transition of the energy sector to low-carbon sources may assist in maintaining the abundant U.S. wind resource.

Carbon Capture Performance Assessment Applied to Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Under Part-Load Operation

Abstract The growing share of renewable energies in our electricity production, together with the still lacking storage capacity, strongly reinforces the need for more flexible electricity production units. In this context, combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) have a role to play, both in the current and future electricity production system due to their high efficiency, high load flexibility, and low CO2 emissions compared to other conventional thermal power plants. Nevertheless, bearing in mind our current challenges concerning climate change, the CO2 emissions of these CCGTs need to be reduced drastically. The amine-based absorption carbon capture (CC) process is currently the most mature and applicable CC technology. This process is known to require a considerable amount of thermal energy, degrading plant performance. However, to back-up renewable production, CCGTs will operate most of the time under part-load conditions. The impact of these part-load operations on the CC is still relatively unknown. Within this framework, this study aims to assess the performance of the CC process applied to a typical CCGT under part-load operation using specific simulation models. The CC plant model has been successfully validated against experimental data from a pilot-scale capture facility. Then, the CC plant has been scaled-up to the CCGT scale and the process has been optimized for each operating condition. The simulation results show that the specific reboiler duty increases for part-load operation, while the specific cooling requirements decrease. Moreover, the analysis of the yearly CCGT operation highlights a relative increase in CC energy penalty of 21% for an annual CCGT load factor of 0.5, impacting significantly plant performance. The next step will involve reducing this energy penalty.

The water consumption reductions from home solar installation in the United States

Installation of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar is expected to change the electricity landscape in the U.S. through reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating global warming, as well as eliminating environmental impacts from fossil fuels utilization. Given the high-water intensity of fossil fuels, nuclear, and hydropower, the transition to solar and wind energy has important implications for also reducing the water footprint of energy production. This study evaluates the reductions in the water footprint from the electricity sector at the statewide and household scales in the contiguous U.S., as well as the expected virtual water footprint of individual homes upon switching to rooftop PV solar. Through integration of the water consumption intensity of the different energy sources that contribute to the current grid electricity, the annual residential electricity consumption, and the number of households, we have established a baseline for the variations of current statewide and household water consumption in the contiguous 48 states. The average nationwide water consumption of the residential sector from the current grid electricity is estimated as 9.84 × 109 m3, while the household grid water consumption varies from 8 to 225 m3 y−1 (a nationwide average of 66 m3y−1). We estimate the household water consumption upon installing roof solar PV (3–60 m3 y−1, a nationwide average of 4.7 m3 y−1) and the expected annual reduction in water consumption (210 %–1600 %) at the household level across the U.S. The current electricity production from rooftop solar PV in the U.S. is currently about 1.5 % of the total residential electricity consumption, which infers an overall annual saving of 374 × 106 m3 based on the average national grid water consumption in the U.S. The transition to rooftop PV solar infers not only reductions in greenhouse gas emissions coupled with a major reduction in the overall water footprint, but also a transfer of the water footprint and associated environmental implications to countries overseas where most PV panels are manufactured.

Accurate Demand Forecasting: A Flexible and Balanced Electric Power Production Big Data Virtualization Based on Photovoltaic Power Plant

This paper has tried to execute accurate demand forecasting by utilizing big data visualization and proposes a flexible and balanced electric power production big data virtualization based on a photovoltaic power plant. First of all, this paper has tried to align electricity demand and supply as much as possible using big data. Second, by using big data to predict the supply of new renewable energy, an attempt was made to incorporate new and renewable energy into the current power supply system and to recommend an efficient energy distribution method. The first presented problem that had to be solved was the improvement in the accuracy of the existing electricity demand for forecasting models. This was explained through the relationship between the power demand and the number of specific words in the paper that use crawling by utilizing big data. The next problem arose because the current electricity production and supply system stores the amount of new renewable energy by changing the form of energy that is produced through ESS or that is pumped through water power generation without taking the amount of new renewable energy that is generated from sources such as thermal power, nuclear power, and hydropower into consideration. This occurs due to the difficulty of predicting power production using new renewable energy and the absence of a prediction system, which is a problem due to the inefficiency of changing energy types. Therefore, using game theory, the theoretical foundation of a power demand forecasting model based on big data-based renewable energy production forecasting was prepared.

Historical values of water and carbon intensity of global electricity production

Abstract The global production of electricity is reliant upon the availability of water resources for the cooling of thermoelectric power plants and in the production of hydroelectricity. Additionally, much of the current global electricity production requires the combustion of fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases and create a carbon footprint of electricity production. In this study, we investigate the historical values of global electricity production through country and regional accounting and comparison of carbon and water footprints from 1990–2018. Here we show water footprints of electricity production rising 1.6% year over year from 143 km3 1990 to 220 km3 in 2018. Additionally, the carbon footprint of electricity production increased 2.2% each year with nearly 14 × 1012 kg CO2e emitted in 2018. Our analysis highlights regional comparisons of carbon emissions versus water intensity for a sustainable electricity transition across the globe, recommending the need to account for both resources in policy and technological decisions.

Performance Analysis of a Hypothetical 1-Hectare PV Plant in the Benguela Region. The First Year of Operation.

The presents study evaluates the performance of a hypothetical 1-hectare solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in the Baía Azul Beach, in Benguela, Angola. The first year performance of the plant composed by 2,784 DuoMax 365 PV modules from Trina Solar Company was evaluated by means of the VelaSolaris Polysum software package. The total surface area of the PV modules was of 5,456.64 m2. The annual alternate current electricity production was of 1,511.70 MWh allowing a total of 710.47 tCO2 of CO2 emissions reduction and a performance ratio of 72.8 %. The annual average energy and exergy efficiencies of the PV system were respectively of of 14.3 % and 14.7 %.

Performance analysis of a hypothetical 1-hectare PV plant in the Benguela region. The first year of operation.

The presents study evaluates the performance of a hypothetical 1-hectare solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in the Baía Azul Beach, in Benguela, Angola. The first year performance of the plant composed by 2,784 DuoMax 365 PV modules from Trina Solar Company was evaluated by means of the VelaSolaris Polysum software package. The total surface area of the PV modules was of 5,456.64 m2. The annual alternate current electricity production was of 1,511.70 MWh allowing a total of 710.47 tCO2 of CO2 emissions reduction and a performance ratio of 72.8 %. The annual average energy and exergy efficiencies of the PV system were respectively of of 14.3 % and 14.7 %.

Implications of renewable resource dynamics for energy system planning: The case of geothermal and hydropower in Kenya

Kenya's current electricity production is mainly relying on hydro and geothermal resources. Both of these resources are subject to complex dynamics that affect their sustainable utilization. Neither the current power expansion plan for Kenya, nor the existing electricity supply models address such effects. The research question in this paper is: What are the implications of hydro and geothermal resource dynamics for short- and long-term (sustainable) electricity system planning in Kenya? To answer this question a bottom-up system dynamics model representing the most prevalent technologies of Kenya's future electricity system, including the dynamics of geothermal and hydro resource utilization, is developed. The stock-flow system dynamics modelling allows to capture the resources characteristics and the link to electricity production. Due to the stock-like nature of geothermal resource, excessive utilization can lead to production capacity losses. In the case of hydro resources, climate change can reduce their availability significantly. A total of eight scenarios varying in demand size and consideration of resource dynamics are simulated and compared. The results indicate that when geothermal and hydro resource dynamics are considered, higher installed capacity will be required in the long-term to compensate production losses, which in turn leads to a higher electricity generation cost.

Hydrogen and power generation via integrated bio-oil sorption-enhanced steam reforming and solid oxide fuel cell systems: Economic feasibility analysis

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising technology for generating electricity and heat with high efficiency and environmental friendliness. The use of a bio-oil as a renewable and low-cost feedstock for an external reforming SOFC system can reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. From a technical perspective, high-purity hydrogen (H2) for SOFCs can be produced from the sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SESR). In this study, an economic analysis of a bio-oil SESR and SOFC integrated system (160 kW alternating current electricity production) is performed to evaluate the feasibility of the designed process. An economic comparison of the systems with different configurations, i.e., SESR-SOFC integrated systems with and without anode gas recirculation and a conventional reforming-based SOFC system (CON-SOFC), is presented in terms of their net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). According to the results, the SESR-SOFC system with anode gas recirculation is more favorable than the CON-SOFC system and SESR-SOFC system without recirculation. Nevertheless, it remains economically infeasible because its NPC in the 20th year is approximately 6.13% higher than that of the combined heat and power (CHP) system (a base case). However, it can attain economic equivalence with the CHP system when a carbon tax of at least $15 tCO2−1 is considered or when the SOFC capital cost, interest rate, and bio-oil cost are separately reduced by 14%, 21%, and 37%, respectively. In addition, an increase in feed-in tariff has the highest impact on the NPC reduction of the renewable bio-oil SESR-SOFC integrated system with recirculation.

Smart users for smart technologies: Investigating the intention to adopt smart energy consumption behaviors

Smart grid technologies have the potential to overcome several environmental, social, and technical problems associated with the current electricity production and consumption modes. However, the adoption of smart grids requires a change in users’ behavior. This study investigates the individual-level motivational factors that affect the intention to adopt “smart consumption and production behaviors”. Understanding these factors is important for implementing effective behavioral change initiatives that would facilitate the diffusion of smart grids. Ajzen's theory of planned behavior is applied to explain the formation of such an adoption intention. With a questionnaire survey distributed to a random sample of consumers, an elicitation study is conducted to obtain salient modal beliefs. Data collected from the main survey are analyzed using structural equation modeling. Consistent with the theory, the results of the structural equation analysis reveals that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control positively affect the adoption intention. Specifically, the study finds that the variable with the highest estimated loading factor perceived behavioral control, and the most important belief linked with attitude is energy savings. Further investigation indicates that the added exogenous variable, resistance to change, has a negative influence on intention. Results confirm the explanatory power of the theoretical model and provide valuable knowledge for individuals and institutions interested in facilitating the diffusion of smart grids via the implementation of behavioral change initiatives.

The monthly dynamics of blue water footprints and electricity generation of four types of hydropower plants in Ecuador

Water evaporates from reservoirs of hydropower plants (HPPs), often in significant volumes. Reservoir evaporation is a dynamic phenomenon depending on climate, varying size of open water surfaces (OWS), and electricity production. Due to a lack of data and methods to estimate the OWS's size variation, previous studies assessed HPPs water footprints (WFs) considering static OWSs acknowledging the uncertainty of this omission. This study estimates WFs of HPPs, considering dynamic OWSs for four plant types in Ecuador, Flooded lakes, and Flooded rivers, with dam heights lower or higher than their Gross Static Head (GSH). It quantifies OWSs size variation using a Digital Elevation Model and GSH data, assessing OWS evaporation, effects on electricity production and WFs. There are large differences among the evaporation of HPPs when OWS size variations are considered. HPP operation, geographical features, and climate determine temporal differences. Flooded lake HPPs have relatively large WFs. Flooded River HPPs, with dam heights below their GSH, have the smallest WFs, but water storage capacity is limited. Static area approaches underestimated annual WFs by 10% (Flooded Lake HPPs) to 80% (Flooded River HPPs). Earlier studies showed effects of HPPs on water from a water management perspective, suggesting that less water-intensive HPP technologies are favorable, or that other water-efficient electricity-generating technologies, like solar or wind, should replace HPPs. This study also included the electricity perspective, indicating that energy management and water storage are important factors for WFs. The most water-effective technology cannot fulfill current electricity production due to a lack of storage options. The system dynamics analysis indicates that aiming for small WFs is not always the best option from an energy and water perspective.

Impacts of an Increased Substitution of Fossil Energy Carriers with Electricity-Based Technologies on the Swiss Electricity System

Electrifying the energy system with heat pumps and battery electric vehicles (BEV) is a strategy of Switzerland and many other countries to reduce CO2 emissions. A large electrification, however, poses several new challenges for the electricity system, particularly in combination with a simultaneous substitution of nuclear power plants (NPP) by volatile renewables such as photovoltaics (PV). In this study, these challenges in terms of additional electricity demands, deficits and surpluses as well as effective CO2 mitigation are assessed in a dynamic and data-driven approach. To this end, electricity demand and production profiles are synthesized based on measured data and specifications and assumptions of the key technologies at a high temporal resolution. The additional electricity demand of heat pumps is estimated from hourly measured heat demand profiles of a Swiss district heating provider, while for BEV different recharging patterns are combined. For electricity production, NPP are deducted from the current electricity production profile, while PV is added at an hourly resolution. In order to estimate CO2 emissions, life-cycle analysis (LCA) CO2 intensities of the different technologies are used. It is shown that with a BEV and heat pump penetration of 20% and 75%, respectively, there is an almost 25% (13.7 TWh/year) increase of the electricity demand and—just as challenging—an additional maximum power requirement of 5.9 GWh/h (hourly-averaged power). Without additional storage options, large amounts of electricity must be imported in winter and at night, while in summer at noon there is a large surplus from PV. Due to their high CO2 intensities—at least for the next decades—electricity imports and PV may—depending on the reference scenario (with or without NPP) and assumptions on other key parameters—even offset the overall CO2 savings of a highly electrified Swiss energy system.

Evaluation of the economics of desalination by integrating greenhouse gas emission costs: An empirical application for Chile

Abstract Desalinated water is an alternative and feasible water source that can help solve water scarcity problems. However, most desalination plants are operated using fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To face the problem of climate change, many countries are developing policies that promote renewable energy for electricity production. These policies might impact desalination costs. This paper proposes a methodology to evaluate the economics of desalination by integrating investment costs, operational and maintenance costs, and GHG emissions costs. This method will enable us to determine the impact of renewable energy polices on desalination costs. The empirical application was developed for Chile, a country with a promising future in renewable energy, and revealed that the full costs of desalinated water decrease by approximately 22% when the current electricity production mix is changed to predominantly renewable energy production. Moreover, this application illustrated the relevance of adopting a carbon tax to motivate the switch to renewable energy. This study demonstrates that the adoption of renewable energy policies involves a notable synergy with water issues.

Comparative life cycle assessment of current and future electricity generation systems in the Czech Republic and Poland

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to perform a comparative life cycle assessment of current and future electricity generation systems in the Czech Republic and Poland. The paper also outlines the main sources of environmental impact for the different impact categories for the electricity generation technologies analyzed. The analyses covered the years 2000–2050, and were conducted within the framework of the international programme Interreg V-A Czech Republic-Poland, Microprojects Fund 2014–2020 in the Euroregion Silesia.MethodsEnvironmental assessment was done using the life cycle assessment (LCA) and ReCiPe Midpoint and Endpoint methods, which allowed the presentation of different categories of environmental impact and damage. The LCA was based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, using SimaPro 8.2.3 software with the Ecoinvent 3.2 database. The analyses cover both the current electricity production structures in the Czech Republic and Poland, and the projected energy production.Results and discussionThe LCA analyses performed for the energy systems under consideration in the Czech Republic and Poland enabled a comparative analysis of current and forecast energy systems in these countries, as well as identification of the main sources of environmental impact. Comparative analysis of the LCA results showed that current and future electricity generation systems in Poland caused higher environmental impact there, than in the Czech Republic.ConclusionsThe assessment of the life cycle of electricity sources showed that the main determinant of the negative impact on the environment of energy systems in both Poland and the Czech Republic was the consumption of solid fuels, and in particular, the consumption of lignite. It is important to highlight that this is the first attempt of a comparative LCA of electricity production in the Czech Republic and Poland. This is also the first approach that contains analyses of the life cycle assessment of both present and future energy systems. The economic assessment and eco-efficiency of current and future electricity generation systems in European Union countries will be addressed in future research.

Economic Analysis and Environmental Impacts of a Hybrid PV System in Arid Climate Considering Different Types of Solar Trackers

This paper presents a study aimed at evaluating and comparing the performance of six different tracking systems for photovoltaic (PV) with diesel-battery hybrid system in arid climate of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study considered various technical and economic factors including system net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and PV power generation using energy analysis and microgrid design software “HOMER”. It also presents an overview of the current electricity production and demand in the Kingdom. The weather data used in this study have been collected from the new solar atlas launched by King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE). The selected solar resource monitoring station for this study is located near to Riyadh city and has an annual average daily total irradiation of 6300 W/m2/day. The study shows that, for stand-alone PV system in the vicinity of Riyadh city, tracking system is economically better than fixed angle system. Among the considered tracking systems, VCA system is the most preferable as it has low NPC and LCOE values with a high return on investment (ROI) as well as low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to a high renewable energy penetration.