Deployment Of Energy Technologies Research Articles

Computationally efficient analytical O&M model for strategic decision-making in offshore renewable energy systems

To boost the deployment of all offshore renewable energy technologies, it is fundamental to adopt convenient long-term strategic operation and maintenance (O&M) decisions. Due to the lack of experience and reliable information, performing extensive sensitivity analysis is a key factor for supporting strategic O&M decision-making. By evaluating various scenarios, sensitivity analyses provide valuable insights to identify critical factors and enhance decision confidence. To that end, the development of computationally efficient O&M models, where accessibility, availability, energy, and economic aspects are adequately articulated is crucial. Simulation-based O&M models, i.e. based on Monte Carlo methods, have been widely used to incorporate those fours aspects. However, the computational burden of simulation-based O&M models is prohibitive, limiting the feasibility of conducting extensive sensitivity analyses. In view of this, this study presents a computationally efficient analytical O&M model based on Markov Chains. This analytical O&M model is compared with two case studies presented in the literature, where simulation-based O&M models are employed, studying a floating offshore wind and a wave energy farm. Results demonstrate that the analytical O&M model achieves the same level of fidelity as simulation-based models (within 10% deviation), while reducing the computational burden by at least five orders of magnitude.

Long-Term Forecasting Framework for Renewable Energy Technologies’ Installed Capacity and Costs for 2050

Published forecasts underestimate renewable energy capacity growth and potential cost reductions, creating uncertainty around investment decisions and slowing progress. Scenario-based projections diverge widely, driven by variations in modelling techniques and underlying assumptions, with policy-based models typically being overly conservative. With historical generation capacity and cost data readily available, this research demonstrates that data-driven approaches can be leveraged to improve long-term capacity and cost forecasts of solar, wind, and battery storage technologies. Unlike exponential growth models prevailing over shorter time scales, logistic curves requiring asymptotic limits, or machine learning algorithms dependent on extensive datasets, this analysis demonstrates that temporal quadratic regressions are a better starting point to represent capacity growth trends over two to three decades. When coupled with published learning rates, trend-based capacity forecasts provided tighter and lower capital and levelized cost of energy outlooks than most reviewed scenarios, with photovoltaics global average levelized cost of energy reducing from 0.057/kWh to below USD 0.03/kWh by 2030 and below USD 0.02/kWh by 2040. Greater transparency on manufacturing ecosystems is proposed so that more advanced analytical techniques can be utilized. This analysis indicates that without direct interventions to accelerate the growth in wind power generation, global renewable energy technology deployment will fall short of the generation capacities required to meet climate change objectives.

Global value chains and energy-related sustainable practices. Evidence from Enterprise Survey data

Participation in global value chains (GVCs) can affect the deployment of clean energy technologies and influence firm-level energy management. However, the sign of this influence is debated, especially for less developed economies, since GVCs can favor the absorption of more advanced technologies and the adoption of greener energy practices, but on the other hand they can help export polluting productions from countries with strict environmental regulations to weakly regulated developing countries. Drawing on Enterprise Surveys conducted in 2018–2020 on a large cross-section of firms operating in different industries and countries, and applying regression analyses and propensity score matching, this is the first firm-level study aiming to shed light on the relationship between firm participation in GVCs and the adoption of energy-related sustainable practices. In addition, the analysis allows for a heterogeneous impact of GVCs, conditional on firms' characteristics and external conditions, such as institutional quality. Overall, we find that participation in GVCs is positively associated with firm propensity to adopt green energy practices. For smaller and younger firms, operating in poorer institutional contexts, and/or less endowed in terms of human capital or financial resources, being engaged in GVCs has milder effects on the adoption of greener practices. By contrast, manufacturing companies located in high-income countries are those showing the strongest impact of GVCs on energy management.

Rooftop solar, electric vehicle, and heat pump adoption in rural areas in the United States

The deployment of residential rooftop solar, electric vehicles (EVs), and heat pumps is critical to meet climate goals. We evaluate historical community- and household-level technology adoption patterns in rural areas, and explore associations with housing, socioeconomic, demographic, political, spatial, and energy equity characteristics. We reveal several emergent patterns and disparities in rural technology adoption. We find that higher educational attainment and democratic voting rates are significant predictors of adoption across all residential technologies. Specifically, EV adoption shows the highest association with democratic voting rates. We also find that rooftop solar adoption is most significantly inversely associated with energy burden, while there is a high degree of spatial dependence in heat pump adoption. Rooftop solar and EV adoption are particularly correlated at household, community, and state levels. Findings suggest that designing policies and programs that promote information diffusion, target low-income renters, and are tailored to the geographic and political context may together increase technology adoption rates and ensure more equitable diffusion. By identifying the factors that influence technology adoption in rural areas, we aim to inform the development of policies and programs that can facilitate the widespread deployment of clean energy technologies and contribute to the achievement of climate goals.

Life Cycle Assessment of Closed-Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower in the United States.

The United States has begun unprecedented efforts to decarbonize all sectors of the economy by 2050, requiring rapid deployment of variable renewable energy technologies and grid-scale energy storage. Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is an established technology capable of providing grid-scale energy storage and grid resilience. There is limited information about the life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions associated with state-of-the-industry PSH technologies. The objective of this study is to perform a full life cycle assessment of new closed-loop PSH in the United States and assess the global warming potential (GWP) attributed to 1 kWh of stored electricity delivered to the nearest grid substation connection point. For this study, we use publicly available data from PSH facilities that are in the preliminary permitting phase. The modeling boundary is from facility construction to decommissioning. Our results estimate that the GWP of closed-loop PSH in the United States ranges from 58 to 530 g CO2e kWh-1, with the stored electricity grid mix having the largest impact, followed by concrete used in facility construction. Additionally, PSH site characteristics can have a substantive impact on GWP, with brownfield sites resulting in a 20% lower GWP compared to greenfield sites. Our results suggest that closed-loop PSH offers climate benefits over other energy storage technologies.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction in the electricity sector: Implications of increasing renewable energy penetration in Ghana's electricity generation mix

The development and deployment of renewable energy technologies into the national electricity generation mix have high potential in the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the sector, which contributes to about 40% of GHG emissions globally. Ghana through the Nationally Determined Contributions has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 15% unconditionally, especially in the electricity sector which is one of the major contributors of GHG in the country. The study explores how the impact of increasing renewable energy penetration in the electricity generation mix will have on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction from the sector. Four electricity supply scenarios were developed in the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) using existing renewable energy targets identified in Ghana's Renewable Energy Master Plan. These, including, the Business as Usual (BAU), 10%, 20% and 30% renewable energy penetration scenarios were modelled to assess GHG emissions reduction up till 2030 by replacing the thermal generation sources in the electricity generation mix with equivalent amounts of renewable energy sources. Electricity demand projections for the various consumption sectors including residential, non-residential, special load as well as street lighting were made from 2016 to 2030 based on historical data. The model projected the demand for electricity to rise from 10,129.0 GWh in 2016 to 24,151.4 GWh in 2030. The cumulative demand of 237,570.5 GWh was met in all four scenarios with a total installed generation capacity of 3,794.6 MW. GHG emissions for the BAU scenario rose cumulatively to 52,545.2 thousand MtCO2eq in 2030 but reduced to 46,178.3 thousand MtCO2eq, 41,603.2 thousand MtCO2eq and 38,332.6 thousand MtCO2eq in the 10%, 20%, and 30% renewable energy penetration scenarios respectively. The result indicates that renewable energy deployment could lead to the attainment of GHG emission reduction substantially leading to minimising effects on climate change.

Renewable energy policy and deployment of renewable energy technologies: The role of resource curse.

Due to the increasing emission of greenhouse gases and global warming, the development of renewable energy has become very important. The availability of fossil fuels and the low cost of their extraction compared to renewable energy projects reduce the motivation of countries, especially countries that have abundant natural resources, to develop this technology. Renewable energy deployment has become crucial in response to rising greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Policies supporting renewable energy play a significant role in this. This study examines the effect of such policies on the deployment of renewable energy technologies, considering the role of natural resources. Two groups of countries were analysed: 20 oil developed countries and 20 oil developing countries. Given the availability of data and the achievement of balanced panels to evaluate short-term and long-term relationships between variables, in current research Data from 2010 to 2020 was used, and various panel data estimators such as Feasible Generalized Least Squares and Generalized Method of Moments were employed. The Quantile estimator was also used to assess the accuracy of the results. The findings suggest that renewable energy policies consistently lead to increased deployment of renewable energy technologies, regardless of a country's group. Of course, this positive effect is different according to the level of development in countries. Due to the higher efficiency of renewable energy policy, developed oil countries have more capacity to support renewable energy projects than oil developing countries. The abundance of natural resources in oil developed countries did not negatively impact renewable energy capacity, but in oil developing countries, the "resource curse" hindered the development of installed renewable energy.

Public perceptions of wave energy development on the west coast of North America: Risks, benefits, and coastal attachment

While solar and wind energy continue to grow as significant sources of renewable energy, a global energy transition away from fossil fuels will require an expanding portfolio of generating resources. Marine renewable energy has the potential to contribute greatly in the coming decades, as the more predictable nature of wave energy can support the resiliency of the power grid and complement solar and inland wind generation. Yet, the broad deployment of marine energy technologies like wave energy will depend on public support, making it critical to identify the relevant factors associated with public attitudes and risk/benefit perceptions. This paper draws on social representations theory to specifically examine perceptions of wave energy on the west coast of North America, a site chosen because of the high suitability for wave energy generation and the fact that one of only three wave energy test sites in the world is under development off the coast of Oregon. Using an online survey in June 2020, we recruited a sample of 2000 respondents from California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We found a majority of respondents held positive attitudes to wave energy, but respondents also had low familiarity – with a quarter of respondents lacking sufficient information to form an opinion. We used logistic regression to identify factors correlated with wave energy attitudes, finding that respondents who were more supportive of wind and solar energy, more optimistic about new technology, and reported more familiarity with wave energy were significantly more likely to have a positive impression of wave energy. Respondents with higher levels of place attachment to coastal areas were more split, as they perceived higher benefits of wave energy – but also higher risks. Our results indicate broad appeal of wave energy on the west coast, but we caution policymakers and developers to not take initial siting processes for granted. As experience has shown for offshore wind, broad appeal does not guarantee a smooth siting process in a local context. The role of place attachment to coastal areas must be taken seriously or risk alienating local communities.

Variable renewable energy deployment in low-emission scenarios: The role of technology cost and value

While rapid deployment of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies, namely wind and solar PV, is often projected in 2C pathways generated by integrated assessment models, there is a wide range in projected VRE deployment by mid-century. Such differences could be the result of differences in assumptions about future technology costs and/or differences in model approaches for capturing other aspects of technology competitiveness. Here we introduce a consistent competitiveness metric, profitability-adjusted levelized cost of electricity (or PLCOE), to an integrated assessment model (EPPA) to evaluate the representation of technology competition, including VRE, in low-emission scenarios. We show that representing the value of technology (alongside cost) may significantly impact VRE deployment relative to scenarios without such an adjustment. In addition, we show that varying VRE costs by about 35% in 2050 results in differences in VRE deployment that span much of the range in outcomes (over the same period) observed in likely 2C scenarios assessed by the IPCC, suggesting that both cost and value are key drivers of VRE deployment in such scenarios. Given the central role that VRE technologies play in the electricity mix across most scenarios, we also find that alternative cost assumptions for VRE technologies can lead to changes in electricity prices, the associated demand for electricity, and total final and primary energy consumption. However, the demand for fuels other than electricity is relatively insensitive to VRE assumptions in the 2C scenarios considered here.

Evaluation of Rail Decarbonization Alternatives: Framework and Application

The Northwestern University Freight Rail Infrastructure & Energy Network Decarbonization (NUFRIEND) framework is a comprehensive industry-oriented tool for simulating the deployment of new energy technologies including biofuels, e-fuels, battery-electric, and hydrogen locomotives. By classifying fuel types into two categories based on deployment requirements, the associated optimal charging/fueling facility location and sizing problem are solved with a five-step framework. Life-cycle analysis (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) are used to estimate carbon reduction, capital investments, cost of carbon reduction, and operational impacts, enabling sensitivity analysis with operational and technological parameters. The framework is illustrated on lower-carbon drop-in fuels as well as battery-electric technology deployments for the US Eastern and Western Class I railroad networks. Drop-in fuel deployments are modeled as admixtures with diesel in existing locomotives, while battery-electric deployments are shown for varying technology penetration levels and locomotive ranges. When mixed in a 50% ratio with diesel, results show biodiesel’s capacity to reduce emissions at 36% with a cost of $ 0.13 per kilogram of CO2 reduced, while e-fuels offer a potential reduction of 50% of emissions at a cost of $ 0.22 per kilogram of CO2 reduced. Battery-electric results for 50% deployment over all ton-miles highlight the value of future innovations in battery energy densities as scenarios assuming 800-mi range locomotives show an estimated emissions reduction of 46% with a cost of $ 0.06 per kilogram of CO2 reduced, compared with 16% emissions reduction at a cost of $ 0.11 per kilogram of CO2 reduced for 400-mi range locomotives. The NUFRIEND framework provides a systematic method for comparing different alternative energy technologies and identifying potential challenges and benefits in their future deployments.

Low-carbon transformation of ethylene production system through deployment of carbon capture, utilization, storage and renewable energy technologies

Ethylene industry contributes significantly to the world economy, but the conventional steam cracking based production process generates huge amount of CO2 emissions due to massive use of fossil fuels for power and heat supply. Deploying technologies of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and renewable energy is urgently necessary to steer the emission-intensive ethylene industry towards carbon neutrality. To attain this goal, this paper proposes a low-carbon ethylene production system with the joint deployment of CCUS, wind turbine, solar heat collector, electric boiler and thermal energy storage technologies. Energy, economic and CO2 generation/reduction performance models of each equipment are developed first. Based on which, a mixed-integer liner programming framework is constructed to find the optimal capacity configuration and coordinated operation scheme of the multiple devices, laying a foundation for the reliable, economical and low-carbon operation of the integrated system. Case studies on a practical ethylene production system demonstrate that the proposed low-carbon retrofit leads to 57.50% CO2 reduction at the expense of 15.92% total annual cost increase. Discussions are then carried out to investigate the effects of different decarbonization routes, the impact of carbon emission trading price, the approach to promote the deployment of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, and the advantage of taking carbon capture as flexible load, through which, broader insights are provided for the low-carbon transformation of the ethylene industry.

Transforming Türkiye's power system: An assessment of economic, social, and external impacts of an energy transition by 2030

Türkiye has the long-term goal of transforming its power system to one that is cleaner, more secure and more affordable. According to this paper's scenario analyses, low-cost renewables can supply 55% of Türkiye's total electricity demand. Coupled with the electrification of end-use sectors, energy efficiency can reduce total power demand by 10% compared to a business as usual scenario by 2030. The paper assesses the social, economic, and environmental impacts of this transformation by soft linking a power system model with an applied computable general equilibrium model, using an updated input and output dataset, and employing a novel analysis of job creation and fossil fuel externalities. The power system transformation significantly improves social welfare with net socioeconomic benefits estimated at 1% of GDP by 2030. Positive impacts include a reduction in human health and climate change externalities by a third, which are further enhanced by wage income growth that is driven by higher skilled and better paid jobs. A carbon tax emerges as a critical instrument to realize these benefits whilst reducing the power sector's emissions to 2030. The assessment should be expanded with more ambitious clean energy technology deployment for the entire energy system to operationalize Türkiye's Paris-aligned 2053 net-zero emission target and just transition policies.

Cost of Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion to Fabricate a Molten Salt-to-Supercritial Carbon Dioxide Heat Exchanger for Concentrating Solar Power.

Advances in manufacturing technologies and materials are crucial to the commercial deployment of energy technologies. We present the case of concentrating solar power (CSP) with molten salt (MS) thermal storage, where low-cost, high-efficiency heat exchangers (HXs) are needed to achieve cost competitiveness. The materials required to tolerate the extreme operating conditions in CSP systems make it difficult or infeasible to produce them using conventional manufacturing processes. Although it is technically possible to produce HXs with adequate performance using additive manufacturing, specifically laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), here we assess whether doing so is cost-effective. We describe a process-based cost model (PBCM) to estimate the cost of fabricating a MS-to-supercritical carbon dioxide HX using LPBF. The PBCM is designed to identify modifications to designs, process choices, and manufacturing innovations that have the greatest effect on manufacturing cost. Our PBCM identified HX design and LPBF process modifications that reduced projected HX cost from $750 per kilo-Watt thermal (kW-th) ($8/cm3) to $350/kW-th ($6/cm3) using currently available LPBF technology, and down to $220/kW-th ($4/cm3) with improvements in LPBF technology that are likely to be achieved in the near term. The PBCM also informed a redesign of the HX design that reduced projected costs to $140-160/kW-th ($3/cm3).

Perception spillover from fracking onto public perceptions of novel energy technologies

Public opposition to new energy technology can harm the chances of successful deployment. Less is known about knock-on effects on the wider energy system, including whether such opposition impacts public perceptions of other technologies. Here we present a mixed-methods study into ‘perception spillover’, examining whether the controversy over fracking for oil and gas affects public attitudes to two novel low-carbon energy technologies: deep ‘enhanced’ geothermal systems and ‘green’ hydrogen. We argue that perception spillover is multi-faceted, and we conceptualize and test spontaneous, prompted and primed forms, examining how and why particular types occur. Using a nationally representative UK survey and two focus groups, we show that perception spillover from fracking could lead to widespread negative perceptions of deep geothermal energy, influencing the conditions that deep geothermal would be expected to meet. Conversely, a minority of participants expressed more positive perceptions of green hydrogen because they deemed it dissimilar to fracking. Public support or opposition plays an important role in the deployment of new energy technologies. This study explores how attitudes towards fracking in the United Kingdom can influence perceptions of geothermal systems and hydrogen, testing spontaneous, prompted and primed forms of the spillover effect.

Peace Engineering in Practice: China’s Energy Diplomacy Strategy and Its Global Implications

As the world’s largest energy importer, consumer and with the second-largest economy, China is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Massive energy imports make China a major stakeholder in the world energy trade, with significant implications and repercussions on the global economy. The desire to be energy independent and the environmental impact of fossil fuels is prompting China to diversify its energy supply, adapt its domestic energy infrastructure, and deploy renewable energy technologies on an unprecedented scale. Intending to position itself internationally, China has developed an energy diplomacy strategy while formulating international relations policies. In particular, the government emphasizes sustainable development through the large-scale deployment of renewable energy technologies, which will help build Western China while simultaneously reducing pollution across the country, elevating China to a position of global leadership in the energy sector. Intellectual property and technological capabilities developed in China can be exported worldwide, including in the regions where the population has limited or no access to energy. In addition, this strategy will have worldwide implications as it will directly or indirectly help achieve several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including clean energy, education, eradicating poverty, climate action and sustainable cities and communities. On this basis, we anticipate that China’s energy policies may have long-lasting prospects for global peace, thus constituting an interesting and relevant case study for the emerging concept of “peace engineering.”

The Turn to Safeguard Measures in the Solar Trade War

The growing energy security and climate change concerns have created a huge demand and global market for renewable energy technologies such as solar panels. The race to capture a share of this lucrative global market and other political economy considerations have inspired a trade war. Much of this war has been fought with and against green industrial policy measures such as subsidies tied to local content requirements (LCRs) and trade remedy instruments such as antidumping and countervailing duties. Safeguard measures are the latest additions to the armoury of trade defence measures in this burgeoning trade war. This article examines the dynamics behind and the implications of the turn to renewable energy safeguards for the global effort to accelerate the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies in light of the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) Panel report on US – Safeguard Measure on PV Products. The article makes three interrelated arguments. First, the WTO jurisprudence on renewable energy support measures and rapidly evolving global value chains in renewable energy technologies helped spur the turn to safeguard measures (SGMs). Second, the seal of approval from the Panel will drive interest in the use of renewable energy safeguards. Third, the increased and unfettered use of safeguard measures is detrimental to the transition towards sustainable energy sources. Safeguards, Solar Panels: Renewable Energy, Trade War, DS562, Trade and Environment

Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Promoting Renewable Energy

As the effects of climate change become more severe, environmental sustainability has become an urgent problem in public administration. The purpose of this research is to examine the approaches taken by governmental agencies to lessen their carbon footprints and boost renewable energy sources. The methodology incorporates a survey of relevant literature, an examination of relevant policies and laws, and a comparison of various national approaches. The findings demonstrate that carbon pricing and emissions trading systems are useful instruments for encouraging reductions in emissions, though their applicability may be constrained in some settings. Investment and deployment of renewable energy technologies can be prompted by goals for increased use of such sources, as well as by financial incentives and regulatory support. Investment in distributed renewable energy systems is encouraged by feed-in tariffs and net metering, but these policies may have unintended effects. There is a great deal of diversity in the policies and strategies employed by various nations, but there are also many similarities and shared experiences that can be used to create more effective policies. The research highlights the importance of public management in developing and implementing policies and strategies to combat climate change. The results are instructive for academics, policymakers, and practitioners in their pursuit of better methods of lowering carbon emissions and advancing sustainable energy.

Decarbonising Australia's National Electricity Market and the role of firm, low-carbon technologies

Many of the world's electricity systems are decarbonising, driven in most cases by the deployment of variable renewable energy technologies. This paper studies such systems using generation expansion planning in the form of a linear program to determine and understand least-cost pathways to deep decarbonisation of existing wholesale electricity markets over a 30-year horizon. This work extends previous generation expansion modelling with several, additional options that now enable the substitution of woody biomass for coal and biomethane for natural gas, the retrofit of carbon capture and storage to existing and new build fossil plant, and different constraints on variable renewable energy that differentiate between renewable resource adequacy, system security and economic performance. The most recent, independent, and authoritative technical and financial input data are also used. In all decarbonisation pathways studied, emission reductions are primarily driven by the replacement of the existing coal fleet with utility-scale solar photovoltaic and wind generation. Nonetheless, systematic application of these additional options gives rise to a wide range of different technologies for ‘firming’ renewable-rich, decarbonised systems, with batteries, pumped hydroelectric energy storage, fossil plant with co-fired biomass and biomethane, carbon capture and storage and nuclear small modular reactors all playing significant roles in different cases. This range of observed pathways is thought to have several implications for system planning, with variable renewable energy tending to be economically competitive up to an imposed technical limit, but with that limit being uncertain and therefore requiring continuous re-evaluation as our understanding evolves. The results of an extensive range of sensitivity studies also suggest that deep decarbonisation is achievable without large increases in costs for consumers, that we should embrace the optionality and competition between different technologies, and that stakeholders have significant choice about non-cost related impacts and preferences, which are manifold.

The role of financial inclusion in adoption of solar photovoltaic systems: A case of Uganda

Globally, renewable energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) contribute significantly to sustainable development. However, adoption of solar PV is limited in many developing countries. Governments have rolled out policy strategies like financial inclusion to stimulate deployment of modern energy technologies. Notwithstanding, little is known about financial inclusion and household solar PV adoption. Using two waves of Uganda National Household Survey data covering 28,913 households, this paper examines the effect of financial inclusion on adoption of solar PV. The study employed logit model and pooled ordinary least squares for estimation. Taking endogeneity into account, we find that financial inclusion has a strong positive effect on solar PV adoption. The estimates show that unit increase in financial inclusion increases the likelihood of residential solar PV adoption by 3.6% (p < 0.01). This finding is consistent across all robustness checks. The findings further suggest that use of mobile money is more important for solar PV adoption. The study identified household income and education as possible pathways through which financial inclusion influences solar PV adoption. Thus, policy makers and renewable energy practitioners should continue prioritizing financial inclusion particularly use of mobile money and financial remittances so as stimulate adoption of solar PV.

Bridging Social and Technical Sciences: Introduction of the Societal Embeddedness Level

The successful and fast development and deployment of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction technologies is a continuing and structural challenge. The deployment of these technologies is slowed down and sometimes even stalled due to societal challenges like public resistance, lack of appropriate policy and regulations, unsolid business cases and uncertainty concerning the impact on the environment. In this paper we elaborate on societal aspects that influence technology development and deployment and introduce the societal embeddedness level (SEL) framework. Building upon the technology readiness level (TRL), the SEL framework enables the assessment of the current level of societal embeddedness of energy technologies in order to identify the societal aspects which need to be taken into account to accelerate deployment of energy technologies. The SEL framework takes into account four societal dimensions (impact on the environment, stakeholder involvement, policy and regulations, and market and financial resources) and four stages of technology development (exploration, development, demonstration and deployment) that are linked to the TRL. The SEL framework has been elaborated for CCS technologies and is being applied to the monitoring of geological CO2 storage by the ACT II project DigiMon (Digital Monitoring of CO2 storage projects). DigiMon is an ACT second call project, funded by the national funding agencies in the period September 2019–August 2022.