Key Energy Technologies Research Articles

Analysis of the Suitability of the Use of Hydrocarbon Deposits for CO2 and Hydrogen Storage in the Northern Moravia Region

Geological storage of CO2 is the final link in the technological chain CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), one of the possible technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions arising from the burning of fossil fuels. CCS is one of the key energy technologies of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan of the European Union (SET-plan). In the Czech Republic, activities in the field of CCS have focused on research and development projects, including the mapping of geological structures suitable for potential CO2 storage and the transposition of relevant European legislation – see Act No. 85/2012 Coll., on the Storage of Carbon Dioxide into Natural Rock Structures. One of the options for geological storage of CO2 is the use of mined or mined hydrocarbon deposits. However, these structures could also be operated as underground CO2 reservoirs, enabling its reuse. Yet some of them could also be used for hydrogen storage if these locations are appropriately incorporated into the construction of a new hydrogen infrastructure. The report presents part of the research results related to hydrocarbon deposits in the North Moravia region. Keywords: Carbon Capture Storage (CCS); CO2 geosequestration; Hydrogen storage; Oil and gas deposits.

PHOTOVOLTAIC/THERMAL (PV/T) SYSTEM DIRECT CONTACT TYPE: A REVIEW

Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal systems have emerged as a key energy technology as a result of the photovoltaic thermal PV/capacity T's to simultaneously produce electrical and thermal energy. Over the last couple of decades, much attention has been paid to photovoltaic–thermal systems due to their benefits over solar thermal and photovoltaic applications. This paper will concentrate on direct contact systems in order to demonstrate the various electrical and thermal features of photovoltaic–thermal systems. The main objective of researchers and manufacturers is to improve photovoltaic/thermal collector efficiency by employing state-of-the-art materials and design concepts and appropriately integrating them into solar modules and thermal absorbers. Additionally, it is important to lower the cost of these systems and increase their market competitiveness. As well as, PV/T systems are critical for supplying electricity in a clean and ecologically beneficial manner.

MOF-Derived Ultrathin Cobalt Molybdenum Phosphide Nanosheets for Efficient Electrochemical Overall Water Splitting.

The development of high-performance and cost-effective earth-abundant transition metal-based electrocatalysts is of major interest for several key energy technologies, including water splitting. Herein, we report the synthesis of ultrathin CoMoP nanosheets through a simple ion etching and phosphorization method. The obtained catalyst exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity and stability towards oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER), with overpotentials down to 273 and 89 mV at 10 mA cm−2, respectively. The produced CoMoP nanosheets are also characterized by very small Tafel slopes, 54.9 and 69.7 mV dec−1 for OER and HER, respectively. When used as both cathode and anode electrocatalyst in the overall water splitting reaction, CoMoP-based cells require just 1.56 V to reach 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline media. This outstanding performance is attributed to the proper composition, weak crystallinity and two-dimensional nanosheet structure of the electrocatalyst.

Towards a climate-neutral energy system in the Netherlands

This paper presents two different scenarios for the energy system of the Netherlands that achieve the Dutch government's national target of near net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050. Using the system optimisation model OPERA, the authors have analysed the technology, sector and cost implications of the assumptions underlying these scenarios. While the roles of a number of key energy technology and emission mitigation options are strongly dependent on the scenario and cost assumptions, the analysis yields several common elements that appear in both scenarios and that consistently appear under differing cost assumptions. For example, one of the main options for the decarbonisation of the Dutch energy system is electrification of energy use in end-use sectors and for the production of renewable hydrogen with electrolysers. As a result the level of electricity generation in 2050 will be three to four times higher than present generation levels. Ultimately, renewable energy – particularly from wind turbines and solar panels – is projected to account for the vast majority of electricity generation, around 99% in 2050. Imbalances between supply and demand resulting from this variable renewable electricity production can be managed via flexibility options, including demand response and energy storage. Hydrogen also becomes an important energy carrier, notably for transportation and in industry. If import prices are lower than costs of domestic production from natural gas with CCS or through electrolysis from renewable electricity (2.4–2.7 €/kgH2), the use of hydrogen increases, especially in the built environment.

Reverse Manufacturing Enables Perovskite Photovoltaics to Reach the Carbon Footprint Limit of a Glass Substrate

Summary Although it still contributes to less than 2% of the worldwide electricity generation, photovoltaics (PVs) is on the way to becoming a key energy technology for a global future renewable energy infrastructure. We present projections of worldwide CO2 emissions of the future PV industry, finding that these emissions will likely surpass those caused by the global shipping or aviation sector. As an alternative, we propose a fully printed PV reverse manufacturing concept that minimizes the carbon footprint to the ultimate lower limit of the glass substrate fabrication. This so called “in situ” approach is based on a perovskite absorber that is highly durable and encapsulated with glass solder between float glass substrates, reducing the CO2-footprint of conventional PV modules by 1/20th. Yielding a certified stabilized efficiency of 9.3%, this record efficiency for glass-solder-encapsulated perovskite PV paves the way for future solar cells with the lowest carbon footprints.

Constraints and Opportunities for Co2-Neutral Photovoltaics: In-Situ Perovskite Solar Cell Manufacturing Enables Reaching the Ultimate Carbon Footprint Limit of the Glass Substrate

Photovoltaics (PV) is on the way to become a global key energy technology. As PV is replacing fossil fuel based technology, it contributes to reduce the global CO2-emissions. However, it should be kept in mind that the fabrication of PV modules is connected with CO2 emission. To fulfil the Paris climate goals, the global PV industry needs to grow in such a way that it will have a significant share in global carbon emissions. Research-driven approaches to reduce the carbon footprint of PV have strong impact on this development. We identify the glass substrate and encapsulation as the ultimate lower boundary for carbon footprint for long-term stable grid connected PV technologies. By the in-situ concept for perovskite solar cells we introduce a holistic design approach guided by this lower limit for photovoltaic modules with a low carbon footprint of only 5% of current silicon PV. The feasibility of this idea is demonstrated by the fabrication of an efficient pre-encapsulated perovskite in-situ cell. The device shows record efficiencies of certified, stabilized 9.3 %. This is the highest reported efficiency of such solar cells with lowest carbon footprint.

Nanoporous Carbon-Coated Bimetallic Phosphides for Efficient Electrochemical Water Splitting

Developing highly efficient and low-cost electrocatalyst for water splitting to produce H2 and O2 as a sustainable energy fuel to replace noble metal catalyst is vital and urgent for the large-scale deployment of key energy technologies. Here, in combination of composition, structure, and catalytic mechanism analysis, the porous Co0.7Fe0.3P@C catalyst was synthesized by a facile phosphidation process of Co0.7Fe0.3@C which is derived from the corresponding Co–Fe coordination polymer precursors. The Co0.7Fe0.3P@C catalyst shows enhanced electrochemical activity toward oxygen evolution reaction and water splitting due to the incorporation of Fe element and the porous structure, comparable to the commercial noble metal catalyst. Furthermore, the coated carbon can not only promote electronic transmission but also protect the active Co0.7Fe0.3P nanoparticles, resulting in good activity and stability. These fascinating findings in this work would promote the designation and preparation of promising bimetallic ox...

On-Line Maximum Power Point Tracking for Photovoltaic System Grid Connected Through DC-DC Boost Converter and Three Phase Inverter

Photovoltaic solar electricity and solar thermal has the highest potential of all the renewable energies, since solar energy is a practically unlimited resource and available everywhere. These days photovoltaic energy has the potential to play an important role in the transition towards a sustainable energy supply system, to cover a significant share of the electricity needs, and is expected to be one of the key energy technologies of this century. This paper presents a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system with the functionality of on-line Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The integration topology is based on two-stage power conditioning modules, boost converter and three phase voltage source inverter. Therefore, the proposed MPPT algorithm is implemented to the boost converter to enable PV arrays to operate at maximum power point during variable climate and irradiation conditions. Fuzzy logic algorithm (MPPT) technique control is applied for on-line adapting the boost converter duty cycle. The Boost output is feeding the two level PWM inverter DC link. Adoringly, the Inverter modulation depth is tuned to have constant AC voltage and frequency for grid integration requirements. In addition, the three-phase output in phase with the voltage to optimize the PV power utilization .The results show that proposed on-line fuzzy algorithm performance has a fast response, stable and reliable to have MPP for the PV system during the different irradiation.

Future costs of key low-carbon energy technologies: Harmonization and aggregation of energy technology expert elicitation data

In this paper we standardize, compare, and aggregate results from thirteen surveys of technology experts, performed over a period of five years using a range of different methodologies, but all aiming at eliciting expert judgment on the future cost of five key energy technologies and how future costs might be influenced by public R&D investments. To enable researchers and policy makers to use the wealth of collective knowledge obtained through these expert elicitations we develop and present a set of assumptions to harmonize them. We also aggregate expert estimates within each study and across studies to facilitate the comparison. The analysis showed that, as expected, technology costs are expected to go down by 2030 with increasing levels of R&D investments, but that there is not a high level of agreement between individual experts or between studies regarding the technology areas that would benefit the most from R&D investments. This indicates that further study of prospective cost data may be useful to further inform R&D investments. We also found that the contributions of additional studies to the variance of costs in one technology area differed by technology area, suggesting that (barring new information about the downsides of particular forms of elicitations) there may be value in not only including a diverse and relatively large group of experts, but also in using different methods to collect estimates.

The iterative contribution and relevance of modelling to UK energy policy

This paper discusses the iterative provision of modelling insights on long-term decarbonisation scenarios for UK energy policy makers. A multi-year model construction process of the UK MARKAL-Macro-hybrid energy-economic model, and four subsequent major policy analyses illustrates the scope of this interaction. The initial set of modelling runs focused on the technical feasibility of long-term 60% carbon dioxide (CO 2) reduction scenarios, the role of key technologies, and the underlying uncertainties. Furthermore subsequent modelling studies were aimed to generate insights on more stringent targets, and on issues and uncertainties that may make targets harder to achieve. Hence, this paper analyses the large number of long-term UK CO 2 reduction scenarios through a clustering approach on target stringency and barriers to implementation. Robust findings and key uncertainties are highlighted, including the critical role of the power sector, trade-offs between resources, sectors, key energy technologies and behavioural responses, and the increasing level and spread of CO 2 marginal prices and GDP impacts. The relevance and use of modelling insights to the UK energy policy process is shown in the continuation of the energy modelling–policy interface. This constitutes both ongoing model development, and nuanced scenario analysis designed to further explore key uncertainties in evolving policy issues.

Technology foresight for a vision of energy sector development in Poland till 2030. Delphi survey as an element of technology foresighting

The security of energy supply at national level is one of the most fundamental missions of every government. This task becomes especially vital in view of the current situation on global energy markets. The planning of technological development in the energy and fuel sectors is a relevant element of energy security strategies. This in turn leads to a more rational and efficient energy use in the future. Technology foresight, which emerged as a proven instrument of technology policy during the 1950s, becomes nowadays one of the essential tools for the creation of the future technological development worldwide. A project entitled: “The Scenarios of Technological Development of Fuel and Energy Sector for National Energy Security” was the first foresight project in the field of energy technologies and at the same time the first technology foresight activity in Poland. This project was being carried out in the period of 2006–2007 by a consortium of research and development institutes on the request of the Polish Ministry of Economy. The aim of the project was to indicate energy and fuel sector development directions in the time horizon up to 2030 and identify key energy technologies of strategic importance. As a result of the foresight activity, technology development scenarios in the energy and fuel sector in Poland as well as corresponding roadmaps for their implementation were formulated. The project results should be helpful in drafting national energy policies and they will indicate priority pathways of research and development (R&D) activities in the next years.The energy foresight project was based mainly on a Delphi method that is nowadays widely applied as a valuable foresight tool. This future-oriented intuitive method was engaged for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of probable developments in the future and for their time scale evaluation as well. In this article, the results of the conducted two-round Delphi survey were presented.

Technological Progress towards Sustainable Development

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to present an analysis of a comprehensive set of global energy scenarios that has been undertaken to identify key energy technologies for achieving sustainable development. Secondly, to describe tools that could aid policy makers using insights in the dynamics of technological progress to promote the development of promising technologies throughresearch and development (R&D) and procurement. As an operational working definition of sustainable development we use the following four criteria: (1) Economic growth sustains throughout the whole time horizon; (2) socio-economic inequity among world regions is reduced significantly during this century; (3) reserves-to-production (R/P) ratios of exhaustible primary energy carriers do not decrease substantially from today's values; and (4) short- to medium-term environmental impacts (e.g., acidification) are reduced towards meeting critical loads and carbon emissions at the end of the century are below today's levels. Applying these criteria in an analysis of a representative set of global economy-energy-environment scenarios shows that in sustainable-development scenarios, hydrogen fuel cells and solar photovoltaic cells emerge as key technologies in the long run. Natural gas technologies, in particular fuel cells and combined-cycle power plants, could provide for an efficient medium-term transition to these key technologies. The question then becomes which policies can promote the development of these technologies. We think that an important tool to tackle this question is provided by an improved concept of technological learning. According to that concept, technological progress, expressed as specific technology cost, is a regular function of not only cumulative installed capacity but also of R&D expenditures. This tool can assist in determining how much money should be spent for which energy technology on procurement (capacity expansion) and how much money for R&D. The results of first model runs aiming at eventually formulating policy guidance are presented.

European Union post-Kyoto scenarios: benefits from accelerated technology progress

This paper addresses the issue of the potential benefits from technological change in post Kyoto CO2 emission reduction scenarios for the EU energy system. The first section provides an assessment, based on the PRIMES model results, of the changes that will occur in a post Kyoto context for the EU energy system. The second section considers the contribution and the benefits of accelerating the progress of key energy technologies (six alternative technology clusters formulated and examined) in the post Kyoto context. Finally, the paper concludes with the comparison of the alternative scenarios and the corresponding benefits from technology change. The result obtained clearly indicate that any acceleration in improving low-carbon generation technologies and demand side technologies can lead to significant reductions of the compliance costs for the emission reduction scenarios.