Diversification Of Energy Sources Research Articles

Frequency control and sensitivity analysis of an isolated microgrid incorporating fuel cell and diverse distributed energy sources

In this manuscript, an off-grid or isolated microgrid (IMG) model has been considered, which consists of renewable power generating sources (RPGS) like solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind and fuel cell (FC) along with diesel engine generator (DEG) and battery energy storage system (BESS). The paper emphasizes the analytical study of the impact of RPGS in the frequency control of IMG system. In an IMG integrating distributed energy sources (DES), proper frequency regulation is important because some RPGS do not take part in the frequency control technique and depend on weather conditions like solar insolation and wind speed. For frequency control of the IMG system, a linear quadratic regulator with an integral controller (LQR-I) has been used for its robust characteristics. For designing the LQR-I controller, the IMG system has been represented as a state-space model. The effectiveness of the proposed LQR-I controller has been validated through the dynamic response of the IMG system for a small load perturbation. Robustness of the controller has been verified by sensitivity analysis of the system for varying IMG system parameters such as KWTG, KPV, KS, KT, KAE, KFC, KDEG, KBESS, TFC, KP, TP as well as randomly varying load, varying wind speed and seasonal variation of solar insolation level.

Energy security of the European Union – opportunities and challenges

For many years, the future of energy has been one of the most important problems and challenges for both national and global policy making. It is related to the high responsibility of the energy sector for climate change on Earth, but also for caring about ensuring sufficient energy for the future generations. Thus, energy policy is an important pillar of maintaining, broadly understood as internal security of the country. The biggest challenge related to ensuring energy security of the European Union is the diversification of energy sources. Member States are trying to tackle this challenge in two ways. Firstly, through the development of renewable energy, and secondly, looking for new channels for the supply of non-renewable energy. The restructuring of the energy sector, which has taken place in recent years, in accordance with the guidelines of the European Union, aims to intensify the use of environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. Equally important is the construction of the Nord Stream 2 and Turk Steam gas pipelines, which has been ongoing for several years, which raises much controversy in the Member States. The article is an analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing the European Union related to ensuring stable energy supplies to European citizens.

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF “GREEN” ECONOMY IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The article focuses on defining the conceptual foundations of “green” economy in the context of sustainable development. The study analyzes is investigated the various interpretations of “green” economy, which are similar in content and do not contradict each other, but only reflect the point of view of various experts on the same problem. Different areas of the concept of “green” economics are considered, there were defined three components of it – economic, social, environmental. The relation between the conception of sustainable development and “green” economy is established. The dialectical method of cognition, the fundamental aspects of the concept of sustainable development have become the methodological basis of the study. In recent years, the “green” economy approaches have been widespread in developed countries. However, in Ukraine government and the entrepreneurs do not pay enough attention to the development of the “green” economy, and national companies consider it as a restriction for their interests rather than an opportunity for the development of their businesses. The economic potential of the “green” economy indicated the necessity to increase “green” investment, involvement which will allow Ukraine to reach a new level of development. Among the directions of the “green” economy in Ukraine highlighted the rational use of natural resources, environmental protection, the formation of a new environmental behavior of the population, diversification of energy sources, modernization of housing and communal services, production of organic products. Public authorities and local governments should develop a coordinated mechanism to stimulate domestic business to maximize the efficient use of natural resources in the production process. This should be done to stimulate the attraction of the necessary amount of investment resources within the framework of the implementation of the concept of a “green” economy. This can be manifested in the form of providing additional privileges for the purchase of innovative equipment that is not produced in the country, the attraction of foreign capital to the development of leading industrial enterprises.

Export Potential of Dnepropetrovsk Region: Development Priorities (on the Example of Asian Countries)

The article analyzes the tools of market diversification. The situation of development of export activity of Ukraine in the conditions of pandemic is investigated. The main threats to foreign economic activity have been identified. The necessity to create a mechanism for diversification of export potential of Dnipropetrovsk region in the conditions of economic and political crisis of Ukraine is substantiated. The article analyzes the problems and prospects of the development of the export potential of Dnipro- petrovsk region. One of the main trends in the export activity of the region is the increasing role of European countries as a trading partner, which was due, among other reasons, to the Association Agreement with the EU and the diversification of energy sources. A problematic aspect of export promotion is the lack of knowledge of WTO rules and conditions for entrepreneurs. The tendencies of export of the Dnipropetrovsk region during the pandemic and the possibility of mixed influence of Russia and cooperation with China have been investigated. There is no legislatively substantiated mechanism of interaction between the state and industry NGOs in Ukraine. Some efforts by the state to build a mechanism of power-business dialogue are not consistent. To promote these processes, structures were needed that could clearly state to the authorities their current requirements and defend the interests of their industries by all constitutionally possible means, that is, could position themselves and defend their interests in the state bodies of the executive power. The possibility of diversification of markets and intensification of promotion of goods to the markets of Asia is investigated.

Guest Editorial: Medpower 2018 Selected Papers

Guest Editorial: Medpower 2018 Selected Papers

Effective alleviation of rural poverty depends on the interplay between productivity, nutrients, water and soil quality

Most of the world's poorest people come from rural areas and depend on their local ecosystems for food production. Recent research has highlighted the importance of self-reinforcing dynamics between low soil quality and persistent poverty but little is known on how they affect poverty alleviation. We investigate how the intertwined dynamics of household assets, nutrients (especially phosphorus), water and soil quality influence food production and determine the conditions for escape from poverty for the rural poor. We have developed a suite of dynamic, multidimensional poverty trap models of households that combine economic aspects of growth with ecological dynamics of soil quality, water and nutrient flows to analyze the effectiveness of common poverty alleviation strategies such as intensification through agrochemical inputs, diversification of energy sources and conservation tillage. Our results show that (i) agrochemical inputs can reinforce poverty by degrading soil quality, (ii) diversification of household energy sources can create possibilities for effective application of other strategies, and (iii) sequencing of interventions can improve effectiveness of conservation tillage. Our model-based approach demonstrates the interdependence of economic and ecological dynamics which preclude blanket solution for poverty alleviation. Stylized models as developed here can be used for testing effectiveness of different strategies given biophysical and economic settings in the target region.

Energy saving is a major trend in shaping the EU energy package: lessons for Ukraine

Dziadykevych Yu.V., Sokhatska O.M., Liubezna I.V. ENERGY SAVING IS A MAJOR TREND IN SHAPING THE EU ENERGY PACKAGE: LESSONS FOR UKRAINE Purpose. The aim of the article is to research the aspects of foreign experience in the management of energy saving processes and energy efficiency of production activities. Methodology of research. The methodological basis of the study is the dialectical method of scientific knowledge. General and special methods are used in the course of the research, namely: abstract and logical (to outline the main factors that influence the management of energy-saving processes and energy efficiency of enterprises), deductive (to analyse the directions that contribute to energy-saving production activities) and generalization (when research of possibilities of introduction of innovations which are directed on development, creation of new types of technologies and new organizational forms of production). Findings. There are a number of barriers to effective energy use, such as financial, managerial, administrative, legal and market barriers. It is proved that energy saving should be a priority direction of the economic policy of the enterprise, while strategic directions of energy efficient policy of Ukraine should be: increase of volumes of own oil and gas production on the basis of new technologies; modernization of transport infrastructure; diversification of energy resources; reducing the share of energy-intensive industries and shaping the outlook for saving energy in society. It is substantiated that much attention should be paid to renewable energy, since this will demonopolize key segments of the energy market and ensure its transparency and predictability, thereby promoting the rational use of energy resources. External factors have been found to have a significant impact on energy conservation, in particular: regulatory framework, stability of the energy market, state incentive measures, material interest of producers in the implementation of energy-saving technologies and saving of energy resources. It is revealed that in the industrialized countries of the world there is an increase in the energy sector in the structure of the national economy, since the constant rise in prices for oil and natural gas leads to energy dependence on exporting countries and this problem is solved by energy conservation and the use of mixed energy supply. It is substantiated that the concept of efficient use of solar energy should take into account the peculiarities of the electricity complex of Ukraine in the context of integration into the EU energy space and accession to its energy packages. Originality. For the first time, it has been established that energy saving should be a priority direction of Ukraine's economic policy, which, unlike the existing one, allows to define strategic directions of energy efficient policy in Ukraine for increasing its own oil and gas production using modern types of technologies. The modernization of transport infrastructure and the diversification of energy sources have been further developed. The directions of reducing the share of energy-intensive industries and shaping the outlook for saving energy in Ukraine have been improved. Practical value. The introduction of high-energy and environmentally friendly energy sources into the production processes of enterprises in different sectors of the economy will increase their efficiency. Key words: energy saving; energy efficiency; energy resources; renewable energy sources; economic instruments; foreign experience.

Is the just transition socially accepted? Energy history, place, and support for coal and solar in Illinois, Texas, and Vermont

Given a myriad of challenges and technological advancement, the energy system has been constantly evolving and transforming, which requires compatible adjustments in energy policies. For regions with highly diverse energy sources, such as the United States, it's important to not only analyze public perceptions of various energy sources, but also examine relative levels of support for energy transition policies. We examine public perceptions of two energy sources, coal and solar energy, as well as the public's support for energy transition policies that assist the transition from coal to renewable energy, specifically solar. To better understand how place influences attitudes and policies of coal and solar, we sampled respondents from three areas with varying ties to coal and solar: Saline County, IL, Houston, TX, and Burlington, VT. Our results suggest that one’s place has an important effect in differentiating the public perceptions of renewable and nonrenewable energy and for support in an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While residents of places with historical attachment to coal mining have positive attitudes toward coal, our data show that they have even more positive attitudes toward sustainable energy sources. These attitudes hold for future development and government assistance. If federal or state governments seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (and consequently energy from coal, a major source of greenhouse gases), solar and other sustainable energy policies need to be targeted at places with historical ties to coal and other fossil fuels to ensure a procedurally just energy transition.

Development of Renewable Energy Sources in the Context of Threats Resulting from Low-Altitude Emissions in Rural Areas in Poland: A Review

The process of transformation of the Polish economy, traditionally based on coal, into an economy that uses low-carbon technologies, faces a problem associated with the diversification of energy sources, especially in rural areas. The scale of the use of conventional energy carriers in households located in rural areas in Poland has a very negative impact on the natural environment. The aim of the paper is to indicate possibilities of reducing low-altitude emissions (with emitters not exceeding 40 m in height) in rural areas in Poland, through the development of renewable energy sources. This paper provides an overview of the specific character of rural areas in Poland and the development challenges faced in these areas in the investigated scope. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency, it is necessary to dynamize pro-ecological activities in agriculture and in rural areas, including the development of agricultural biogas plants, wind and photovoltaic farms. The use of renewable energy sources can be an important factor in the development and sustainable growth of rural areas in Poland.

Voltage Quality and Power Factor Improvement in Smart Grids Using Controlled DG Units

The increased penetration of renewable energy sources in the electrical grid, due to the rapid increase of power demand and the need of diverse energy sources, has made distributed generation (DG) units an essential part of the modern electrical grid. The integration of many DG units in smart grids requires control and coordination between them, and the grid to maximize the benefits of the DG units. Smart grids and modern electronic devices require high standards of power quality, especially voltage quality. In this paper, a new methodology is presented to improve the voltage quality and power factor in smart grids. This method depends on using voltage variation and admittance values as inputs of a controller that controls the reactive power generation in all DG units. The results show that the controller is efficient in improving the voltage quality and power factor. Real data from an electrical network have been used in the simulation model in MATLAB Simulink to test the new approach.

Securing Asia's energy future with regional integration

A fundamental shift is taking place in the geography of global energy demand towards developing countries, especially to Asia. Rapid economic growth, changing demographics, and growing urbanization mean China, India, and the other developing Asian economies will continue to account for an ever-increasing share of global energy consumption, rising to 52% of electricity, 80% of coal, and 26% of world natural gas demand by 2040 (IEA, 2018). Given the limited resource endowments, Asia's energy future remains vulnerable to global sources of supplies and price volatility, with potential threats to ongoing economic development. Regional integration of energy markets through agglomeration effects, cost efficiencies as a result of economies of scale and scope, new investments, human capability enhancements, and diversity of energy sources will help to increase Asian energy security. Till day, Asian energy markets remain fragmented and the research identifies present challenges to regional integration in Asia. The paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach to understand the inherent challenges and barriers to energy integration using two different case studies and outlines policy agenda covering politics, economics, finance, technical, governance, and institutional reforms to secure Asia's energy future.

Micro-/Nanomachines Driven by Ultrasonic Power Sources.

Autonomous micro-/nanomachines that can convert diverse energy sources into effective locomotion under the constraint of low Reynolds numbers hold considerable promise for a variety of applications, such as cargo delivery, localized biosensing, nanosurgery, and detoxification. In this Minireview, we briefly overview recent advances in the development of micro-/nanomachines that are specifically powered by ultrasound, in particular new concept design, their working principles, and their fabrication and manipulation strategies. Finally, the exclusive biocompatibility and sustainability of ultrasound-powered micro-/nanomachines, as well as the critical challenges that face their in vivo application, are discussed to provide insight for the next phase of micro-/nanomachines with versatile functionalities and enhanced capabilities.

Renewable energy utilization to promote sustainability in GCC countries: policies, drivers, and barriers.

There is a growing focus on the role of renewable energy (RE) policies such as feed-in tariffs (FITs), renewable portfolio standards (RPSs), subsidies, incentives, and research and development in the global energy policy mix and in promoting environmental sustainability. Although most developed countries have well-formulated RE policies, in developing countries, such policies face many barriers. This study analyzes the policies, drivers, and barriers to RE deployment for fostering environmental sustainability in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. In the GCC region, the need for economic diversification to reduce dependency on single resource, diminishing hydrocarbon reserve, loss of oil export revenue, climate change mitigation pledges, and abundant solar energy resource are the key drivers for diversifying energy sources to include RE. However, the apparent lack of consolidated policy framework for wide-scale RE utilization calls for a well-articulated policy to advance RE development in each member state. Although FIT and RPS approaches could be effective for initial deployment of small-scale RE projects, a competitive tendering and auctioning mechanisms are more suitable for large-scale projects. Whereas, developing effective energy codes could successfully promote RE deployment, the increased share of RE in energy supply would have synergistic impacts on the region. The GHG emissions avoidance expected to be achieved by the GCC countries will vary between 5 and 247 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030. The fulfillment of inspirational RE targets for 2030 would contribute in fulfilling climate change mitigation pledges, environmental sustainability, economic growth, and generating new jobs.

Current Status and Future Developments in Nuclear-Power Industry of the World

It is well known that electrical-power generation plays the key role in advances in industry, agriculture, technology, and standard of living. Also, strong power industry with diverse energy sources is very important for a country's independence. In general, electrical energy can be mainly generated from: (1) nonrenewable energy sources (75.5% of the total electricity generation) such as coal (38.3%), natural gas (23.1%), oil (3.7%), and nuclear (10.4%); and (2) renewable energy sources (24.5%) such as hydro, biomass, wind, geothermal, solar, and marine power. Today, the main sources for electrical-energy generation are: (1) thermal power (61.4%)—primarily using coal and secondarily using natural gas; (2) “large” hydro-electric plants (16.6%); and (3) nuclear power (10.4%). The balance of the energy sources (11.6%) is from using oil, biomass, wind, geothermal, and solar, and has visible impact just in a few countries. This paper presents the current status of electricity generation in the world, various sources of industrial electricity generation and role of nuclear power with a comparison of nuclear-energy systems to other energy systems. A comparison of the latest data on electricity generation with those several years old shows that world usage of coal, gas, nuclear, and oil has decreased by 1–2%, but usage of renewables has increased by 1% for hydro and 2% for other renewable sources. Unfortunately, within last years, electricity generation with nuclear power has decreased from 14% before the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) severe accident in March 2011 to about 10%. Therefore, it is important to evaluate current status of nuclear-power industry and to make projections on near (5–10 yr) and far away (10–25 yr and beyond) future trends.

Study of Energy Types: Fossil, Nuclear and Renewable Energies and their Evaluation in Terms of Environmental Pollution and Economically

Unwise and increasing exploitation of various energy carriers, including oil, gas and coal, has made countries to focus on two major issues, namely running out fossil fuels, as well as environmental pollution. Hence, one of the main priorities of energy policy is to diversification of energy sources, as well as finding a safe, cheap and nonpolluting energy source (devoid of greenhouse gases). Therefore, nuclear energy is important. In this regard, the main purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of energy consumption on the quality of the environment and the introduction of the best economically efficient option for energy production. In this research, we conducted a literature search incorporating keywords of nuclear energy, nuclear fission, fossil fuel, greenhouse effect in Persian and English databases in a structured manner and retrieved the papers and articles dealt with benefits and disadvantages of nuclear energy as well as its environmental impacts and subsequently they analyzed in a descriptive manner. In this study, while studying nuclear energy, fossil fuels and renewable energy, we tried to introduce a suitable replacement of these energies to fossil fuels, taking into account the economic and environmental perspectives resulting from it. Among all types of energy sources, nuclear energy may have the least impact on the environment, including water, soil and air and is a source free from gases. In addition to all of these, this energy is considered as a safe economic option.

Research on the Application of Blockchain in the Energy Power Industry in China

Blockchain technology has worked over the years and is being successfully applied in finance industry. The characteristics of decentralization, openness, immutability and security provide a natural solution to the distributed autonomy management for diverse energy sources and the transaction between a wide range of participants in the energy power industry. This paper introduces the current development status and the research on the application of blockchain technology in this industry in China from the aspects of demand response, point-to-point transaction and distributed energy resource. Existed problems and suggestions are concluded for the future studies.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Upregulation of Ketogenesis in Cardiomyocytes Differentiated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Diverse metabolic pathways, such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle, pyruvate metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation, regulate the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to cells of specific lineages and organs. Here, the protein dynamics during cardiac differentiation of human iPSCs into cardiomyocytes (CMs) are characterized. The differentiation is induced by N-(6-methyl-2-benzothiazolyl)-2-[(3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-4-oxo-3-phenylthieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-2-yl)thio]-acetamide, a Wnt signaling inhibitor, and confirmed by the mRNA and protein expression of cTnT and MLC2A in CMs. For comparative proteomics, cells from three stages, namely, hiPSCs, cardiac progenitor cells, and CMs, are prepared using the three-plex tandem mass tag labeling approach. In total, 3970 proteins in triplicate analysis are identified. As the result, the upregulation of proteins associated with branched chain amino acid degradation and ketogenesis by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis are observed. The levels of 3-hydroxymethyl-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase, 3-hydroxymethyl-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2, and 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1, involved in ketone body metabolism, are determined using western blotting, and the level of acetoacetate, the final product of ketogenesis, is higher in CMs. Taken together, these observations indicate that proteins required for the production of diverse energy sources are naturally self-expressed during cardiomyogenic differentiation. Furthermore, acetoacetate concentration might act as a regulator of this differentiation.

Approaching hybridized GWO-SCA based type-II fuzzy controller in AGC of diverse energy source multi area power system

The present article addresses robust control of both frequency and tie line power of a two area six unit diverse energy source based non linear power network. In large interconnected network, deviation in frequency and tie line power occurs due to uncertainty in load variation. In order to keep both frequency and tie line power flow to their nominal values, Automatic Generation Control (AGC) is required. AGC aims proper balance between power generation and electrical demand. In AGC concern the present article proposes a robust type-II fuzzy PID controller to diminish all local error signals (change in frequency ‘Δf’ and change in tie line power flow ‘ΔPtie’) of each control area. Controller tries to keep network frequency and interline power flow within nominal values. To justify supremacy of proposed type-II fuzzy controller a comparative study with fuzzy type-I and conventional PID controllers has been carried out for this analysis. To obtain precious gain parameters of above implemented controllers, a novel hybridized Gray Wolf Optimization and Sine Cosine algorithm (hyGWO-SCA) has been proposed for the study. In fact of this to show supremacy of proposed hyGWO-SCA technique, its performances are compared with host GWO and SCA technique. To verify the robust nature of type-II fuzzy PID controller the work goes through different sensitive analysis. Overall critical assessment of this study concludes, proposed hyGWO-SCA tuned type-II fuzzy controller exhibits superior performance in regard of AGC analysis. Finally the work is extended to four area eight unit interconnected system.

Do Households Diversify Energy Sources or Switch to New Sources in Ethiopia? A Case Study in Wolkite Town

This study analyses weather households diversify their energy sources or switch to new sources. The study utilized cross-sectional data gathered from a randomly selected sample of 260 households in Wolkite town. The study employed linear approximation almost ideal demand system (LAAIDS).The model was constrained to comply with neoclassical theoretical restrictions on demand, and was estimated using Iterative Seemingly Unrelated Regression (ISUR).We found that households did not completely switch to new energy sources as suggested by the energy ladder hypothesis. Instead, they diversified their energy consumption through a process of fuel stacking (energy mix). We also found that the demand for energy was expenditure elastic, with the estimates of cross-price elasticity of the demand for energy sources attesting to the existence of energy substitution and complementarity in the study area. Furthermore, we document that prices of all energy sources (except kerosene), household total energy expenditure, sex (if male), age, years of education, family size, and residence type as main determinants of expenditure share of energy sources. Given the negative health and environmental consequences associated with massive consumption of fuel-wood and charcoal, the study suggests that making modern energy source easily accessible, incorporating environmental costs attributable to consumption of fuel-wood and charcoal in the energy planning process, and imposing environmental tax equivalent to the costs to help enhance transition (switch) to modern energy sources as solution to improve the situation. Keywords : Almost Ideal Demand System, Household energy demand, Energy complementarity, Energy mix, Energy switch, Ethiopia DOI : 10.7176/JETP/9-1-03

Energy Consumption of the Russian Road Transportation Sector: Prospects for Inter-Fuel Competition in Terms of Technological Innovation

The development of production and consumption technologies for the road transport has led to large scale introduction of alternative energy in this sector. These alternatives to the conventional petroleum fuels include biofuels, electricity, natural gas and synthetic fuels produced from coal and natural gas. However, it is very important to point out, that inter-fuel competition is determined not only by the development of technologies, but also by such parameters as availability, fuel cost, consumer preferences and government legislations, all of which vary greatly across the globe. In other words, the very same technologies can be capable of radically altering the fuel mix in some countries while having little to none impact in the others. The topic of the inter-fuel competition development in the transportation sector holds much importance for Russia, as the country’s fuels mix is almost totally dominated by the petroleum products. The diversification of energy sources for transport may positively influence energy security and domestic fuels market stability; reduce the strain on ecology, especially in major cities; all the while increasing Russian oil and petroleum products export potential.The article presents results of the research for prospects of the developments in Russian transport sector fuel mix. The research was carried out using the tools of economic and mathematical modeling under various scenario assumptions. The analysis has shown that natural gas and, to a lesser extent, electricity hold the best prospects as petroleum products substitutes in the long-term. Their cumulative share in the total energy consumption of the road transport sector has the potential of reaching as high as 26% by 2040. Yet, the extent of substitution largely depends on the government actions for infrastructure development and tax incentives for alternative vehicle owners.