Gigawatt Hours Research Articles

Management tool to assess, benchmark and support energy efficiency actions in more than 800 WWTP

Águas de Portugal (AdP) group was responsible, during 2014, for the treatment of 547 million cubic meters of wastewater, operating more than 1,000 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Portugal. Electrical energy (EE) consumption was evaluated in 219 gigawatt hours, representing the largest part of OPEX in these plants. Improving energy efficiency is an ongoing challenge for AdP, being a major challenge for such huge number of facilities as well as for the large number of different technologies applied. However, this scenario has allowed, during the last five years, a systematic analysis and benchmarking of the operational information, and has outputted an important management tool regarding EE consumption, based on real data from more than 800 WWTP. This tool is used to leverage consumptions and identify efficiency opportunities, and represents an operational asset, not only for future EE consumptions prediction, but also as a driver for energy efficiency plans and to the design of new WWTPs.

Energy Management System Implementation in Latvian Municipalities: From Theory to Practice

This research analyses opportunities and procedures how an energy management system can be implemented in municipalities. The goal of this research is to develop guidelines for energy management system (EnMS) implementation in municipalities according to standard EN ISO 50001:2011 “Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use (ISO 50001:2011” [1]. The work is based both on theoretical sources of information and on practical research. The most relevant data of municipalities were considered. Objectives of this work are literature analysis, assessment of the current situation in municipality energy consumption, develop the procedure for implementing EnMS in municipalities, develop guidelines for EnMS implementation and develop policy instrument to stimulate implementation of EnMS in city and regional municipalities in Latvia. This topic is topical at the moment as the goal of Latvia is to increase the renewable energy share of gross final energy consumption to 40% in year 2020, to reach 0.668 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) of energy savings in year 2020 compared to forecasts of year 2007 and limit the country‘s total greenhouse gas emissions in year 2020 so that they do not exceed 12.19 Mtoe [2].Research showed that implementation of EnMS is an appropriate solution to ensure energy savings. Its implementation pays off already after the first year even in a small municipality with a population of around 6 000. In order to successfully implement EnMS in a municipality, it is necessary to receive support from political parties, involve staff from different departments, the administrative process must be minimized, as well as regular meetings and an information campaign are necessary.A credible indicator was obtained with close correlation by which it is possible to identify potential energy savings from EnMS implementation to municipalities that do not have developed sustainable energy action plans and that do not know their energy consumption. An EnMS implementation procedure was developed based on the data and structure of the municipality of the city of Daugavpils. The management, employee and other involved person responsibilities, as well as an EnMS implementation working group were established, and potential savings from EnMS implementation, work/data/cost flow and energy management funding scheme were estimated. This procedure can also be applied to other municipalities.Based upon the analyzed information and data, guidelines for EnMS in municipalities to facilitate implementation of the system were developed and offered the most appropriate policy instrument in the current situation to encourage municipalities to implement EnMS. This political instrument that is included in the draft law “Energy Efficiency Law” obliges 9 largest cities to implement and certify EnMS according to ISO 50001 standard by 1 July 2016, but the regional municipalities whose territories development level index on 31 December 2015 is greater than 0.5 and population is more than 10 000 on their municipality implement EnMS according to ISO 50001 standard by 1 July 2017. This obligation will give 5.92% or 586 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the cumulative mandatory national energy savings target in the period from 2014 – 2020 and it will also encourage other municipalities to implement EnMS.

Addressing Climate Change Without Legislation - Volume 1: DOI

Addressing Climate Change Without Legislation - Volume 1: DOI

Team Power Smart Sparks Increase in Low-Priority, Repetitive Behaviors

BC Hydro provides electricity to 1.7 million residential customers throughout British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada. Despite consumer indifference toward energy conservation, its Team Power Smart behavior-change program actively engaged 91,539 households and reduced electricity consumption by 25.6 gigawatt hours over its first 4½ years. The program connects with participants through things they care about, builds engagement incrementally, and helps overcome common barriers. It is designed to increase participants’ engagement levels on three dimensions: enjoyment (“I like this”), affiliation (“This is who I am”), and resonance (“This is right for me”). A similar approach could be used with a wide range of low-priority, ongoing behaviors.

Material and Energy Flows and Environmental Impacts of the Internet in Switzerland

SummaryThe Internet leads to material and energy consumption as well as various environmental impacts on both the regional and global scale. Yet, assessments of the Internet's energy consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions are still rare, and assessments of material flows and further environmental impacts are virtually non‐existent. This article investigates material flows, the direct energy consumption during the use phase, as well as environmental impacts linked to the service, “Internet in Switzerland.” In our model, the service, Internet in Switzerland, is divided into various Internet participant categories. All devices used to access or provide Internet services are merged in a limited number of equipment families and, as such, included in an inventory of the existing infrastructure (stock). Based on this inventory, a material flow analysis (MFA) is performed, which includes the current stock as well as flows resulting from growth and disposal. The direct energy consumption for the operation of the infrastructure is quantified. Environmental impacts are calculated with a life cycle assessment approach, using the ecoinvent database and the software, SimaPro, applying four different methods. The MFA results in a 2009 stock of 98,100 tonnes. Approximately 4,130 gigawatt hours per year, or 7% of the total Swiss electricity consumption, were used in 2009 to operate the Swiss infrastructure. The environmental impacts caused during the production and use phases vary significantly depending on the assessment method chosen. The disposal phase had mainly positive impacts as a result of material recovery.

Power from the wind in South Africa

Three blades — each the length of a tennis court — revolve atop a wind energy tower reaching 50 metres into the sky, equal in height to a 17-storey building. There are four such turbines whirling in the hot, dry and windy landscape near the town of Darling in South Africa’s Western Cape, generating 7 gigawatt hours per year of green energy. This first commercial wind farm in South Africa, reflecting the collaborative efforts of international donors, government agencies and the private sector, shows that wind energy is feasible

TREES; SRI LANKA'S MOST SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF ENERGY & RAW MATERIALS

This paper commences with a broad analysis of the range of industrial uses for trees in the Sri Lankan context; only a few of which have been exploited. The sources of energy-use in Sri Lanka are then analyzed between imported and local energy sources, revealing that some 78% of the total energy used in the country is from biomass; fuel-wood for the hearth and fuel-wood for industry.Land areas in Sri Lanka are then analyzed. The following estimates of land area are given: natural forest 28% ; forest plantations 01% ; industrial plantations (tea, rubber, coconut, etc.) about 15% ; scrub lands 10% ; "chena" about 15%.The paper goes on to describe how even the 600,000 hectares of scrub land could usefully be converted to energy forests to generate electrical power (known internationally as Dendro-thermal-power) and would be capable of producing 4,000 GWh (Giga-Watt-hours) of energy annually on a continuous basis equal to the country's present production from hydropower. Costs, compared other energy sources, are also given. A scheme for the employment of 200,000 rural families in the growing of fuel-wood on the 600,000 hectares of scrub land is then explored. Expansion of the program is then envisaged to include the 1 million hectares of chena lands into profitable and sustained production of fuel-wood, providing further well paid employment for more than 300,000 more families in the rural areas. A 6,400 hectares (8 km by 8 km) fuel-wood plantation, as required to continuously feed a typical 10 MW power-station, is illustrated for size (as an example, in the proximity of Puttalam). This would be about the same power output as the Inginiyagala power station under the Senanayake Samudra. Likewise the land area (676 hectares) for supplying fuel wood for a smaller 1 MW power station is illustrated.The project, in toto, is so comprehensive it would match the Mahaweli program in magnitude and have the potential for ridding the country of dependence upon foreign sources for a very major part of it's energy needs while also providing employment - in the rural areas where they live - for hundreds of thousands of our rural population. But with a difference. It will cost much MUCH less, and for that reason may not be all that attractive to the international lending agencies!

Assessment of Onshore Wind Energy Resource and Wind-Generated Electricity Potential in Jiangsu, China

Abstract The onshore wind energy resource potential in Juangsu province was evaluat ed by annual wind power density and hours of effective wind speed, based on meteorological data from 1979 to 2008. Vestas V80-2.0MW (Megawatt) turbine was chosen as the reference wind turbine and wind-generated power potential was assessed from seasonal wind speed at 80m heights. Further, the Geographic Information System (GIS) software was used to exclude those unsuitable areas for installing wind turbines. Results show that Jiangsu has abundant wind energy resource, which is gradually increasing from the coast to the inland. The annual power production from the wind reaches 146 336 gigawatt-hours (GWh) or so in Jiangsu province, with Yancheng and Nantong along coast being two of the richest.

Analysis of energy-efficiency opportunities for the cement industry in Shandong Province, China: A case study of 16 cement plants

In this study, 16 cement plants with New Suspension Preheater and pre-calciner (NSP) kiln were surveyed. Plant energy use was compared to both domestic (Chinese) and international best practice using the Benchmarking and Energy Saving Tool for Cement (BEST-Cement). This benchmarking exercise indicated an average technical potential primary energy savings of 12% would be possible if the surveyed plants operated at domestic best practice levels in terms of energy use per ton of cement produced. Average technical potential primary energy savings of 23% would be realized if the plants operated at international best practice levels. Then, using the bottom-up Electricity Conservation Supply Curve (ECSC) model, the cost-effective electricity efficiency potential for the 16 studied cement plants in 2008 is estimated to be 373 gigawatt-hours (GWh), and total technical electricity-saving potential is 915 GWh, which accounts for 16 and 40% of total electricity use in the studied plants in 2008, respectively. The Fuel Conservation Supply Curve (FCSC) model shows the total technical fuel efficiency potential equal to 7949 terajoules (TJ), accounting for 8% of total fuel used in the studied cement plants in 2008. All the fuel efficiency potential is shown to be cost effective.

Technical and cost assessment of energy efficiency improvement and greenhouse gas emission reduction potentials in Thai cement industry

The cement industry is one of the most energy-consuming industries in Thailand, with high associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The cement sector accounted for about 20.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2005. The fuel intensity of the Thai cement industry was about 3.11 gigajoules (GJ)/tonne cement; the electricity intensity was about 94.3 kWh/tonne cement, and the total primary energy intensity was about 4.09 GJ/tonne cement in 2005 with the clinker to cement ratio of around 82%. In this study, the potential application of 47 energy-efficiency measures is assessed for the Thai cement industry. Using a bottom-up electricity conservation supply curve model, the cost-effective electricity efficiency improvement potential for the Thai cement industry is estimated to be about 265 gigawatt hours (GWh), which accounts for 8% of total electricity use in the cement industry in 2005. Total technical electricity-saving potential is 1,697 GWh, which accounts for 51% of total electricity use in the cement industry in 2005. The CO2 emission reduction potential associated with the cost-effective electricity savings is 159 kilotonne (kt) CO2, while the total technical potential for CO2 emission reductions is 902 ktonne CO2. The fuel conservation supply curve model shows a cost-effective fuel-efficiency improvement potential of 17,214 terajoules (TJ) and a total technical fuel efficiency improvement potential equal to 21,202 TJ, accounting for 16% and 19% of the total fuel use in the cement industry in 2005, respectively. CO2 emission reduction potentials associated with cost-effective and technical fuel-saving measures are 2,229 ktonne and 2,603 ktonne, respectively. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for discount rate, electricity and fuel prices, and exchange rate that showed the significant influence of these parameters on the results. Hence, the results of the study should be interpreted with caution.

The use of conservation supply curves in energy policy and economic analysis: The case study of Thai cement industry

The cement industry is one of the largest energy-consuming industries in Thailand with high carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. Using a bottom-up electricity Conservation Supply Curve (CSC) model, the cost effective and the total technical electricity-efficiency potential for the Thai cement industry in 2008 is estimated to be about 265 and 1697 gigawatt-hours (GWh) which account for 8% and 51% of the total electricity used in the cement industry in 2005, respectively. The fuel CSC model shows the cost-effective fuel-efficiency potential to be 17,214 terajoules (TJ) and the total technical fuel-efficiency potential equal to 21,202 TJ, accounting for 16% and 19% of the total fuel used in cement industry in 2005, respectively. The economic analysis in this paper shows how the information from the CSCs can be used to calculate the present value (PV) of net cost savings over a period of time taking into account the energy price escalation rate. The results from the policy scenario analysis show that the most effective and efficient policy scenario is the introduction of an energy-related CO 2 tax for the cement industry under a voluntary agreement program. This scenario results in 16.9% primary energy-efficiency improvement over a 5-year implementation period.

One-watt TV label implementation in Malaysia

Many countries, from the US to Australia, are now interested in implementing stand-by power energy label for household appliances, in stages, until the 1-W (watt) target is achieved. TV sets consuming 1-W power are widely available in the developed nations. In a developing country like Malaysia, however, the penetration of 1-W stand-by power TV is very low and unless a mandatory label programme is introduced, the degree of penetration is not likely to rise. This paper attempts to calculate the emission pollutants reduction and the energy savings by implementing the 1-W stand-by power label for TV sets in Malaysia. It is estimated that this effort will enable CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions reduction of 1477.7 kT (kilo tonnes), NOx (oxides of nitrogen) reduction of 4673.0 tonnes, and CO (carbon monoxide) reduction of 763.7 tonnes in the country during the energy label period of 20 years. Additionally, Malaysia will benefit from energy savings of approximately, 2794.9 GWh (gigawatt hours).

Electricity from Wood Waste: Integrating Energy and Environmental Analysis in British Columbia

While some of the wood waste produced by the forest industry in British Columbia is used to cogenerate process steam and electricity in pulp and paper mills, substantial excess quantities of this material are burned with no attempt to capture energy released during incineration. If 50% of the current wood waste surplus were instead used to produce electricity from condensing turbines, approximately 4280 gigawatt hours per year of electricity could be obtained. If the electricity were exported to the United States and thereby prevented the construction of a fossil fuel burning thermal electricity plant in the US, the results would include direct economic benefits to British Columbia as well as global environmental benefits.