Sustainable Development Of Energy Systems Research Articles

Modeling of Coupled Mechanical and Chemical Degradation of the Ionomer Membrane in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

The hydrogen fuel cell is a promising technology that supports the development of sustainable energy systems and zero emission vehicles. One of the key technical challenges for the use of fuel cells in the transportation sector is the high durability requirements 1–3. One of the key components that control the overall life time of a hydrogen fuel cell is the ionomer membrane that conducts the protons and allows the separation between the anode and the cathode. During fuel cell operation, the membrane is subjected to two categories of degradation: mechanical and chemical. These degradations lead to reduction in the performance, crossover of reactants between anode and cathode and ultimately total failure of the fuel cell. The mechanical degradation occurs when the membrane swells and shrinks under the variation of the local hydration level. This leads to fatigue of the ionomer structure and ultimately irreversible damage. However, under pure mechanical degradation the damage takes a very long time to occur 4,5. Sadeghi et al. 5 observed failure of the membrane after 20,000 of accelerated mechanical stress testing. This translates into a longer lifetime in comparison to what is observed in field operation 6. The chemical degradation on the other hand is caused by the presence of harmful chemicals such as OH radicals that attack the side chains and the main chains of the ionomer 7,8. Such attacks weaken the structural integrity of the membrane and make it prone to severe mechanical damage. Hence understanding the effect of combining both categories of membrane degradation is the key to accurate prediction of the time to failure of the fuel cell. In this work we propose a novel model that represents accurately the structural properties of the membrane and couples the chemical and the mechanical degradations to estimate when the ultimate failure is initiated. The model is based on a network of agglomerated fibrils corresponding to the basic building block of the membrane structure 9–11. The mechanical and chemical properties are defined for each fibril and probability functions are used to evaluate the likelihood of a fibril to break under certain operating conditions. The description of the fundamentals behind the approach will be presented. Two set of simulations will be presented and discussed. The first one corresponding to standard testing scenarios that were used to validate the model. The second set of results will highlight the impact of coupling both degradation mechanisms on the estimation of the failure initiation time. The main strengths of the model and the future development will be discussed as well. T. Sinigaglia, F. Lewiski, M. E. Santos Martins, and J. C. Mairesse Siluk, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 42, 24597–24611 (2017).T. Jahnke et al., J. Power Sources, 304, 207–233 (2016).P. Ahmadi and E. Kjeang, Int. J. Energy Res., 714–727 (2016).X. Huang et al., J. Polym. Sci. Part B Polym. Phys., 44, 2346–2357 (2006).A. Sadeghi Alavijeh et al., J. Electrochem. Soc., 162, F1461–F1469 (2015).N. Macauley et al., J. Power Sources, 336, 240–250 (2016).K. H. Wong and E. Kjeang, J. Electrochem. Soc., 161, F823–F832 (2014).K. H. Wong and E. Kjeang, ChemSusChem, 8, 1072–1082 (2015).P.-É. A. Melchy and M. H. Eikerling, J. Phys. Condens. Matter, 27, 325103–6 (2015).J. A. Elliott et al., Soft Matter, 7, 6820 (2011).L. Rubatat, G. Gebel, and O. Diat, Macromolecules, 37, 7772–7783 (2004).

Update of the INPRO Methodology in the Area of Waste Management

Judgment on the sustainable development of energy systems, including nuclear, should be based on the results of thorough, comprehensive, and unbiased assessment. To minimize the influence of human factors on assessment results, a systematic methodological approach for the evaluation of the sustainability of nuclear energy systems has been developed in the IAEA INPRO section based on the experience acquired in different countries. The methodology comprises several areas of a nuclear energy system (NES) assessment including the area of waste management. In this area it defines three major issues relevant to sustainability and the nine corresponding criteria to be used as assessment tools. Assessment of sustainability in the area of waste management is a part of the holistic system assessment to be performed to make reasonable judgments on sustainability.

How to measure national energy sustainability performance: An Icelandic case-study

The development of sustainable energy systems is now firmly on the international agenda. Nations and their governments must strive to implement energy policies that facilitate sustainable development for society. Although Iceland is highly ranked by currently available energy indices, controversy has surrounded the development of previously undeveloped areas for power development and Iceland now finds itself at a crossroads regarding future energy developments. Well-designed indices for measuring the sustainability of energy systems can help policy-makers make the best choices for their national circumstances. However, often indicators and indices suffer from limitations and it may not be advisable to implement indicators designed for global comparisons at local, regional or even national scales. Nonetheless, indices such as those developed by the World Economic Council (WEC), World Economic Forum (WEF) for ranking countries and indicator sets such as the International Atomic Energy Agency's Energy (IAEA) Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development (EISD) may still be useful guides to decision-makers when designing their own national measurement tools provided the indicators fulfil certain criteria. Through interviews with key energy practitioners and decision-makers in energy development in Iceland and an extensive literature review, we identify the challenges faced in sustainable energy development in Iceland. We assess the suitability of indices proposed by organisations like the WEC, WEF and IAEA for reliably measuring the sustainability of energy development in individual countries like Iceland. We find that the indices and indicators evaluated suffer from commonly cited limitations including lack of methodological transparency, misalignment with sustainable development principles, inappropriate metrics, lack of clear targets, failure to capture socio-ecological impacts at different scales and failure to meet the interest of the target audience. Hence, they do not facilitate effective measurement of progress towards sustainable energy development for individual nations. Important issues relating to energy affordability and equity, environmental sustainability, efficiency, energy security and renewables are neglected by the indicators in all cases, although it should be said that the IAEA indicators are more comprehensive in their coverage of energy efficiency, renewables and environmental sustainability. In each case the indicators are at best only partially relevant to the Icelandic case, due to the country's unique energy mix, environment, economic structure and size and standard of living. By identifying their limitations and by examining them in light of criteria for good indicators as recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), we contribute to the discussion on the value and validity of indicators, indices and frameworks. Knowing the potential pitfalls, we are in a better position to design a more effective measurement tool. We conclude that a more comprehensive, multi-level, context-specific measurement tool would be needed for measuring national energy sustainability in Iceland and would require methods that allow broad public participation.

Model of sustainable development of energy system, case of Hamedan

Sustainable economic growth and improvement of the social welfare depend upon the sufficient supply of energy resources, while the utilization of energy resources is one of the main factors of environmental degradation. This research is involved with development of a sustainable energy system model and a new method for sustainability assessment. This model represents the flow of energy from primary resources through processing, conversion, and end-use technologies in an optimization framework where the useful energy demand in various social and economic sectors is met. The impact of energy supply and consumption chain on the environment at each level of energy system is also embedded in the model structure. A multi-criteria analysis of changes is then applied and sustainable development indices of the whole system are concluded. Finally, effects of the energy subsidy policy and high economic growth rate on sustainability of the energy system in three scenarios are analyzed. Results demonstrate that energy subsidy decelerates the improvement rate of the total sustainability index. Also, when a high economic growth is accompanied with the energy subsidy this index reduces considerably. Results show that how penetration of renewable energy potentials changes the sustainability situation of energy systems.

The use of energy system models for analysing the transition to low-carbon cities – The case of Oslo

More than half of the world's population are living in cities today, and by 2050 almost 75% of the population will live in urban areas. Thus, meeting the energy demand in urban areas in a sustainable way is an important challenge for the future. Oslo wants to show how cities can take leadership in the green change and contribute with innovative ideas and solutions for development of sustainable energy systems. A technology-rich optimisation model has been developed in order to analyse how various energy and climate measures can transform Oslo into a low-carbon city. Consequently, the main focus of this work has been to find optimal ways of reducing the CO2 emissions, and secondly, the energy consumption.

Resilience Thinking as an Interdisciplinary Guiding Principle for Energy System Transitions

Resource usage and environmental consequences of most current energy systems exceed planetary boundaries. The transition to sustainable energy systems is accompanied by a multitude of research methods, as energy systems are complex structures of technical, economical, social and ecological interactions. The description of different discipline’s perspectives in this paper show that a more mutual understanding between disciplines of their respective focus is necessary as they partly create internally competitive views arising from differing emphasis of connected matters. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for interdisciplinary proceeding in a complex energy system transition process. Resilience thinking is chosen as a core concept for a more holistic view on sustainable energy system development. It is shown that it is already widely used in different disciplines connected to energy system research and is especially suitable due to its wide application across disciplines. The seven principles of resilience thinking (maintain redundancy and diversity, manage connectivity, manage slow variables and feedback, foster complex adaptive systems thinking, encourage learning, broaden participation, and promote polycentric governance systems) are chosen as the basis for a procedure that can be utilized to increase the interdisciplinary perspectives of energy system transitions. For energy transition processes based on scenario development, backcasting and pathway definition, resilience thinking principles are used to assess the resilience of the target energy system, the pathway resilience and the design of the scenario process with respect to the probability of a resilient outcome. The described procedure consisting of questions and parameters can be applied as a first attempt for a resilience assessment of energy transition processes. The perspective of resilience in sustainable energy systems strengthens the importance of diversity, redundancy and flexibility, which reduces the current dominant focus on efficiency of the overall system.

Renewable energy deployment to combat energy crisis in Pakistan

The huge deficiency of electricity due to heavy reliance on imported fuels has become a significant impediment to socio-economic development in Pakistan. This scenario creates an increase in local fuel prices and limits potentials in the establishment of new industrial zones. The current gap between the demand and production of electricity in Pakistan is approximately 5000–8000 MW with a constant increase of 6–8 % per annum. Hence, more sustainable and renewable energy sources are required to overcome the existing problem. Pakistan is endowed with potential renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, hydro, and biomass. These resources have the capacity to be major contributors to future energy production matrix, climate change reduction efforts, and the sustainable energy development of the country. This article reviews the availability of alternative energy resources in Pakistan and associated potentials for full-scale development of sustainable energy systems. It also discusses exploitation strategies to increase the distribution of indigenous energy resources.

How can the Gradual Development of More Sustainable Energy Systems Be Integrated in Urban Planning in China?

Great efforts have been made in China to reduce coal consumption over the last decade. However, the energy transition to more sustainable energy systems will be gradual and take a longer time than expected. This paper discusses how sustainable development of energy systems on the local level can be gradually achieved. A challenge will be to develop smaller scale projects on the local level where participatory planning processes with cross sectoral planning can be implemented. Another challenge is to bring transdisciplinary academic research closer to the practice.

What Characterizes a System Builder? The Role of Local Energy Companies in Energy System Transformation

This article focuses on the development of sustainable energy systems in the Swedish local context and, specifically, on the actors that have proved to be crucial for such transitions: municipally owned energy companies. With the theoretical lens inspired by LTS‘s (large technical systems), the concept of the system builder was analyzed for the purpose of further understanding what characterizes the system builder—a frequently used but seldom problematized concept. This paper originates from earlier studies based on interviews and official documents. In this article, the municipal energy company and its role throughout the processes is used to illustrate how system builders act and can influence the development of energy systems. Three examples are used to illustrate how system building has been enabled through controlling the objectives and visions of the local energy planning, through enrolling the city council, and finally through recognizing the opportunity to expand the market through the coordination of systems. In this case, the system builder was characterized by the ability to act as a collective, as one unit, despite the multitude of individuals representing the organization, by the use of skills and knowledge in different policy processes, and by the ability to recognize opportunities in combining different sociotechnical systems. The need for system builders to act on expanding as well as stagnating systems is also shown.

Use of Bio-methane for Auto Motive Application: Primary Energy Balance and Well to Wheel Analysis

To promote the development of sustainable energy systems, the biomass represents an interesting renewable source, due to its wide availability (often as waste to be disposed) and the versatility of the technologies and processes which can be employed in its exploitation. In this work, has been examined the use of the bio-methane, i.e. the gas resulting from digestion processes of wet biomass, further treated (by the so called “up-grading” process) to obtain a methane content useful to feed the combustion engines and representing a short-term solution to the dependence on fossil fuels. The study is focused on different scenarios taking into account several parameters affecting the overall efficiency of the process of production and use. The analysis takes into account the possible biomass supply chains, the different types of biomass exploitable as primary source and different technologies for conversion. The different stages from the production, through the up-grading, up to the availability at the tank have been evaluated. The latest Italian regulation in the distribution field is also taken into account. By a Well-To-Wheel analysis an estimation of the primary energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction is performed, in comparison to the use of methane from fossil source.

Sustainable Energy System Development in Local Communities

This paper analyses an approach to energy saving measures and discusses main obstacles to developing renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Lithuanian communities. Research results indicate lack of information on renewable energy, and on measures to increase it. A new management system is developed, which makes it possible to manage energy streams in communities by a decision making mechanism, which operates by an algorithm. When energy is managed, all obstacles increasing the energy consumption in communities are removed, ensuring greater energy efficiency and development of renewable sources with a view to implementing the EU targets. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.70.4.8597

An Overview of Hydrogen Production from Renewable Energy Source for Remote Area Application

Hydrogen production through solar energy technology plays a very important role in the development of sustainable energy systems. Traditionally, a wide variety of methods are available for hydrogen production from conventional sources such as natural gas, coal and oil. Their application, however, contributes to emission of ozone depleting gases such as CO2. This paper reviews the recent developments of hydrogen production methods related to solar-hydrogen production for remote area application. The methods discussed are thermochemical, photoelectrochemical and electrochemical where water is the basic raw material. From this review, the low overall efficiency of photoelectrochemical and thermochemical processes make them non-attractive for remote areas application. This paper concludes that the most suitable method for hydrogen production for remote area application is electrochemical process where electrolyzer represents the most important process to obtain hydrogen without any emission of air pollutants or greenhouse gases. This paper will be useful for manufacturers, academicians and researchers who are involved and interested in solar hydrogen system.

Improving investment sustainability for PPP power projects in emerging economies

Purpose– Many electricity projects in Asian emerging economies involve private finance using Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) yet problems remain in terms of project initiation, commercial structuring, and financial arrangements. The motivation to pursue previous PPP power projects has been unduly influenced by the ability to attract finance rather than an independent assessment of value for money (VfM) of the project. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of VfM framework for improving investment sustainability of PPP power projects in Asian emerging economies.Design/methodology/approach– The drivers for achieving VfM in projects involving both public and private participants have been determined by a critical review of international practices and the development of sustainable energy systems using grounded theory. These drivers have been used to cross-analyse six Asian PPP power projects.Findings– The evaluation of the case study projects identifies the key determining linkages between the project structure, financial and commercial arrangements, and technical solutions with the ultimate project outcomes. It has been established that project outcomes can be improved through the inclusion of VfM considerations, energy security, and environmental sustainability. On the basis of this investigation, a conceptual governmental decision framework for future investment in PPP power projects is proposed.Originality/value– Advocating a VfM framework for assessment of PPP power project proposals in Asian emerging economies is a new approach and offers enhanced benefits both to the public and private sector.

Sustainability assessment of energy systems: integrating environmental, economic and social aspects

Abstract Sustainable development of energy systems requires consideration of all three sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic and social. Current work presents a new decision-support framework for facilitating this. Taking a life cycle approach, the framework integrates the three sustainability dimensions to enable assessments at both technology and systems levels. The framework comprises scenario analysis, life cycle assessment, life cycle costing, social sustainability assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis, which are used to assess and identify the most sustainable energy options. The application of the framework is illustrated on the example of future electricity supply in Mexico. Eleven scenarios up to 2050 have been developed considering different technologies, electricity mixes and climate change targets. The results show that, based on the 17 sustainability criteria used in this work, the business-as-usual scenario, mostly based on fossil fuels, is unsustainable regardless of the preferences for different sustainability criteria. This is mainly due to the high costs and environmental impacts associated with fossil fuels. Overall, the most sustainable scenarios are those with higher penetration of renewables (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and biomass) and nuclear power. These electricity pathways would enable meeting the national greenhouse gas emission targets by 2050 in a more sustainable way than envisaged by the current policy. However, some trade-offs among the sustainability criteria are needed, particularly with respect to the social impacts. These trade-offs can be explored easily within the decision-support framework to reveal how different stakeholder preferences affect the outcomes of sustainability assessment, thus contributing to more informed decision and policy making.

Design of a Mobile Photovoltaic Module System for Demonstration and Experimentation

Recently, throughout the world, there is a special emphasis on the development of a photovoltaic industry. In fact, the solar photovoltaic (PV) is now, after hydro and wind power, the third most important renewable energy source in terms of globally installed capacity. The growth rate of the PV industry during 2011 increased by almost 70 percent, an outstanding level among all renewable technologies.Especially in Mexico, there is great potential for this kind of systems. In July 2007 the CRE (Energy regulation commission) published the grid connection contract. This contract opens the possibility of installing small solar PV systems connected to the grid (up to 10 kWp for residential applications and 30 kWp for industrial applications). This allowed for an important growth of the photovoltaic industry.Due to that important development of the PV industry, there is a need for engineers trained to design, install, and evaluate this kind of systems. The Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMEX) offers a new engineering program related to the development of sustainable energy systems. This kind of engineering program requires special equipment for experimentation and practice. Part of this equipment is very expensive and is designed just for certain applications.Specialists at UAEMEX detected the need of a system to evaluate and demonstrate the application of PV modules, but they also found that most of the systems in the market are too small and are not capable of evaluating different arrangements.This paper sets forth the design of a mobile system to evaluate PV modules and arrangements. This system is useful, not only for demonstration practices, but also for experimentation with different materials and types of PV cells.The design allows the completion of 2 or 4 PV modules with different positions and inclination. Also, it is prepared to simulate some interferences and shadows on the modules in order to evaluate their effect. The prototype is equipment with a data acquisition system that will be used to obtain the PV module curves. Also, it will be used to evaluate the atmospheric and shadow effects on these modules. This prototype will be used to complement the learning of solar-PV systems, but also to meet the needs of basic science, math, and engineering teaching objectives in an integrated and hands-on way.A basic description of the design of the system proposed is set forth in this paper with a comparative analysis of the systems in the market. Finally, there is a summary of practices that may be performed with the equipment proposed.

Recent Patents on Genetic Modification of Plants and Microbes for Biomass Conversion to Biofuels

Development of sustainable energy systems based on renewable biomass feedstocks is now a global effort. Lignocellulosic biomass contains polymers of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, bound together in a complex structure. Liquid biofuels, such as ethanol, can be made from biomass via fermentation of sugars derived from the cellulose and hemicellulose within lignocellulosic materials, but pre-treatment of the biomass to release sugars for microbial conversion is a significant barrier to commercial success of lignocellulosic biofuel production. Strategies to reduce the energy and cost inputs required for biomass pre-treatment include genetic modification of plant materials to reduce lignin content. Significant efforts are also underway to create recombinant microorganisms capable of converting sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomass to a variety of biofuels. An alternative strategy to reduce the costs of cellulosic biofuel production is the use of cellulolytic microorganisms capable of direct microbial conversion of ligno-cellulosic biomass to fuels. This paper reviews recent patents on genetic modification of plants and microbes for biomass conversion to biofuels.

Bioenergy, sustainability, and the second law

Bioenergy, sustainability, and the second law

Socio-Economic Development and Primary Energy Sources Substitution Towards Decarbonization

Scanning the last 250 years, we can observe five great technological transformations that happened in the socio-eco-nomic development. On the other hand, there is a relationship between the socio-economic development and the substi-tution process of primary energy sources. Since the industrial revolution, there has been a smooth but growing substitu-tion among primary energy sources. First the switch from wood to coal, then this last one by oil and natural gas. These are non-solid fossils, which leads to a decrease of the carbonic intensity. These substitutions implied some important technological transformations. Bearing in mind a sustainable development of energy systems and using technological forecasting tolls, this study points out to the leadership of the alternative energies among the primary energy sources until 2050 - 2070. In this sense, even with the predictable overall increase of energy consumption, this study also shows that through the substitution dynamic it is possible not only to reduce the carbonic intensity, but also to reduce the car-bonic emission in absolute terms from 2040 - 2060 on.

An analytical method for the measurement of energy system sustainability in urban areas

Assessing the sustainability of urban energy systems and forecasting their development are important topics that have been the focus of recent research. In this paper, an approach for the measurement the sustainability of an urban energy system is introduced. The approach is based on prediction of the future energy needs within the consuming sectors of a city by specification of energy system development scenarios and validation of the scenarios by a multi-criteria decision method. Prediction of energy needs for the area of the city using the simulation model, model for analysis of the energy demands (MAED) is done. Finish the last level of aggregation, using the method of multi-criteria analysis, is getting the General Index of Sustainability (GIS), which shows a measure of the validity or viability, or quality of the investigated scenarios. In this way, the mathematical and graphical made a synthesis of all the indicators that are relevant to sustainable development. The accuracy in determining the mean of the GIS is checked by calculating the standard deviation. Also, a measure of reliability of the preference when watching a few consecutive scenarios was performed. The defined scenarios take into account the utilization of different energy sources, the exploitation of existing energy plants and infrastructure, and the building of new plants. The sustainability criteria are described by a unique set of economic, social and ecological indicators. The new approach was used to forecast the development of sustainable energy system in Belgrade, Serbia.

Sustainability of Micro-Hydrosystems — A Case Study

Energy development and management has been a crucial subject due to recent concerns of energy shortages and increasing oil prices. Energy is not only the major driver of economic development but also a major precursor for global environmental problems due to emission of pollutants including greenhouse gases. The development of sustainable energy systems that do not have net negative impacts into ecology, economy and society has been given due considerations recently. In order to determine whether a particular energy system is sustainable, a set of criteria can be used to evaluate them. In this study, a decentralized community based micro hydro system in Nepal has been evaluated for its sustainability by using environmental, economic and social criteria. From the sustainability analysis, it is found that decentralized community based micro hydro systems are sustainable in the long-term. This model can also be applied to evaluate sustainability of any other energy systems of similar settings.