European Renewable Energy Research Articles

Towards a better understanding of the variables that influence renewable energy sources in eastern Poland

Abstract Both the authorities and the public in Poland have turned their attention towards alternative energy production based on renewable energy sources (RES). However, according to the Polish Energy Policy 2030, the public energy sector is facing numerous challenges. The goal of this paper is, therefore, to identify the relationships between 15 spatial-economic variables and the number of RES, and to determine the strength of the correlation between each variable and the number of RES using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test. The study involved five voivodeships that make up the macro-region of Eastern Poland and form the eastern border of the European Union and the Schengen Area. The analysis involved two sample groups that included rural districts (n = 87), and urban districts (n = 14), respectively. In urban districts, there is a positive correlation for economic variables; whereas in rural districts, the positive correlation was found mostly for spatial variables. The surface area of agricultural land influences three types of RES, while the surface area of land under flowing water, the surface area of wasteland, and the total budget revenue demonstrate an influence on two types of RES in rural districts. All these variables also influence the total number of RES. The impact on RES is less meaningful in urban districts. Only two types of RES in urban districts and as many as four types of RES in rural districts are responsive to spatial-economic variables. Among them, the number of biogas power plants and the number of photovoltaic power stations are most strongly influenced in rural and urban districts, respectively. The results are important from the point of view of local and regional authorities and the European Renewable Energy Directive.

Do European renewable energy mutual funds foster the transition to a low-carbon economy?

Economic growth and development around the world are leading to increasing worldwide demand for energy, whose production still mainly comes from fossil fuels generating large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming and climate change. To mitigate climate change, the European Union implemented an energy policy strategy that encourages firms to implement sustainable energy systems. This could generate investment opportunities in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects around the world for European mutual funds. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to analyze the financial performance of energy and renewable energy mutual funds using conditional and unconditional models. To this end, we have a sample of 4496 mutual funds commercialized in Europe in the period 2007–2018. Our results indicate that renewable energy mutual funds perform similarly to the market using conditional models. However, they underperform their conventional peers using a specialized market benchmark, reaching similar performance to black energy funds. While the total expense ratio negatively affects renewable energy financial performance, other fund characteristics, such as size or Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) certification, do not affect it.

The role of mutual funds in the sustainable energy sector

AbstractThe integration of renewable energy criteria in mutual fund investment decisions could channel private resources into the funding of environmentally related projects implemented by firms contributing to sustainable development. This paper examines the performance of European renewable energy funds that invest globally by comparing their risk‐adjusted returns with those achieved by black energy and conventional mutual funds. It uses Carhart's model on a sample of 81 renewable energy funds, 125 black energy funds, and 4,337 conventional mutual funds. The results indicate that 32.1% of renewable mutual funds—most of which adopt energy producers, renewable energy technology, and energy efficiency‐focused criteria—perform significantly better than the S&P Clean Energy market benchmark, this percentage being affected by the different states of the economy. However, none of them are able to beat the fossil fuel energy (S&P Global 1200 Energy Index) or conventional market benchmarks (S&P Global 1200 Index). Furthermore, 37.04% of renewable energy funds significantly underperform the S&P Global 1200 benchmark. Therefore, the investment in renewable energy funds has a financial cost for investors in relation to conventional fund investors.

Quantifying the impact of cascading use: A comparative integrated assessment of the European pine chemicals industry

In recent years, following the amendment to the European renewable energy directive (RED), there is an increasing interest to exploit Crude Tall Oil (CTO) for energetic purposes. This study conducted an integrated assessment to quantify the environmental, economic and social impact of these two competing material and energetic routes that consume CTO as a feedstock. The integrated assessment follows a cradle-to-grave approach to compare the impact on climate change from the production of bio-chemicals to that generated from the production of renewable diesel from CTO. In addition, the economic and social impact assessment estimates the total economic added value as well as the total number of direct, indirect and induced jobs generated by the two respective routes utilising CTO. The environmental assessment showed that the application of CTO for bio-chemicals has 23% lower greenhouse gas emissions than its application for renewable diesel. The economic assessment showed that the European pine chemicals industry generated at least 4 times higher added value than that generated from renewable diesel. Finally, when analysing the social impact, the utilisation of 650,000 of CTO to produce bio-chemicals generated around 9100 jobs. On the other hand, the renewable diesel production route was estimated to generate only 400 jobs. Therefore, the integrated assessment concludes that, diverting and utilising CTO to produce biofuels does not present a sustainable case when compared to its established use in the production of bio-chemicals.

The role of seasonal thermal energy storage in increasing renewable heating shares: A techno-economic analysis for a typical residential district

European renewable energy developments have so far focussed on electricity generation, with relatively modest progress in renewable heating. Partly this is due to the temporal mismatch between solar irradiation availability and residential heating demand profiles. Seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) has been proven in several pilot projects and is market ready, albeit not currently economical. This paper sets out to assess the potential contribution of STES to increasing the renewable heating fraction in residential buildings. An existing mixed integer linear program (MILP) is extended to consider STES and applied to optimize the energy supply system for a typical residential district with efficient new-build apartment buildings, in the context of five contrasting scenarios. Achieving 100% renewable heat supply requires significant capacities of seasonal storages and is associated with substantially (14%) higher cost than in the reference scenario. To achieve a 60% renewable heat supply fraction under today's framework conditions, the cost increase compared to the reference scenario is only marginal (1%). The results in three future scenarios reflecting possible conditions in 2030 demonstrate that even higher levels of renewable heat supply could soon become economical. Overall the recommendation is to aim for renewable heat supply levels of around 60–80% combined with demand side measures such as improved insulation. Further work should focus on more systematically exploring the relationship between the grid renewable electricity fraction, available solar collector area and the optimal renewable heat integration strategy.

Performance of markets for European renewable energy certificates

To address the problem of information asymmetry in renewable electricity markets, European governments have introduced certification schemes. While certification appears to be an increasingly important trade mechanism for renewable electricity, it is unclear to what extent certificate markets are functioning properly. In addition, countries have chosen very different designs for their certification schemes. In order to assess the performance of markets for Guarantee of Origin certificates in twenty European countries, we construct four market performance indicators and analyse their development over 2001–2016: the churn rate, price volatility, the certification rate and the expiration rate. We also investigate the relationship between market performance and two design features of certification schemes: the public/private nature of the certifier and the presence of an international standard. We find that, despite increasing shares of renewable electricity are being certified, certificate markets suffer from poor liquidity and very volatile prices. In addition, we conclude that adopting an international standard fosters the development of certificate systems.

Kingdom of the Sun: a critical, multiscalar analysis of Morocco’s solar energy strategy

Over the last decade, Moroccan administrations have developed a daring energy strategy, anchored by a large increase in renewables and supported by international finance institutions. In this paper, we use a multiscalar and multidisciplinary approach to examine a core element of this energy strategy—the Moroccan Solar Plan. When analyzed for its connections to the Euro-African Desertec Project, the Solar Plan illustrates the transnational governance implications of regional energy projects, simultaneously supporting European renewable energy goals and Moroccan geopolitical aims. However, we argue that an exclusive focus on energy transition at larger geographic scales can obscure the local governance implications of large-scale renewable projects. We explore such implications by reviewing how local populations were integrated into the project’s design and implementation. Thus, we employ a hybrid STS/critical geography approach to explore the parallel processes of land acquisition and technological decision-making for a solar power plant in southeastern Morocco; and to illustrate how Morocco’s regional aspirations were intertwined with the territorialization goals associated with the government’s political centralism. We argue that the ways in which the Moroccan government constructed the land’s marginality and made technological decisions for the plant illustrate how renewable energy discourses can extend existing relations of power into new domains of governance.

Life cycle assessment of ethanol production from miscanthus: A comparison of production pathways at two European sites

AbstractLignocellulosic ethanol represents a renewable alternative to petrol. Miscanthus, a perennial plant that grows on marginal land, is characterized by efficient use of resources and is considered a promising source of lignocellulosic biomass. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to determine the environmental impacts of ethanol production from miscanthus grown on marginal land in Great Britain (Aberystwyth) and an average‐yield site in Germany (Stuttgart; functional unit: 1 GJ). As the conversion process has substantial influence on the overall environmental performance, the comparison examined three pretreatment options for miscanthus. Overall, results indicate lower impacts for the production in Stuttgart in comparison with the corresponding pathways in Aberystwyth across the analysed categories. Disparities between the sites were mainly attributed to differences in biomass yield. When comparing the conversion options, liquid hot water treatment resulted in the lowest impacts, followed by dilute sulphuric acid. Dilute sodium hydroxide pretreatment represented the least favourable option. Site‐dependent variation in biomass composition and degradability did not have substantial influence on the environmental performance of the analysed pathways. Additionally, implications of replacing petrol with miscanthus ethanol were examined. Ethanol derived from miscanthus resulted in lower impacts with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, fossil resource depletion, natural land transformation and ozone depletion. However, for other categories, including toxicity, eutrophication and agricultural land occupation, net scores were substantially higher than for the fossil reference. Nevertheless, the results indicate that miscanthus ethanol produced via dilute acid and liquid hot water treatment at the site in Stuttgart has the potential to comply with the requirements of the European Renewable energy directive for greenhouse gas emission reduction. For ethanol production at the marginal site, carbon sequestration needs to be considered in order to meet the requirements for greenhouse gas mitigation.

Maintaining the Leading

Wind power is now the largest source of renewable energy in Europe, and the second largest overall so the value of Leading Edge Protection has never been greater

Co-design and ex ante assessment of cropping system prototypes including energy crops in Eastern France

Producing biofuels from crops is controversial due to environmental issues and to food security threats linked with the dedication of land to energy crops rather than to food production. The 2009 European Renewable Energy Directive defined the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as an essential requirement for biofuels. Whatever their specific lifespans, energy crops have short- and long-term effects on the following crops, thus requiring assessment at cropping system level, which is rarely done in the literature.This study aimed at designing and assessing cropping system prototypes (CSP) that include energy crops and food/feed crops in Bourgogne (France), before being implemented in the field (i.e. ex ante). CSP were first designed, using a prototyping approach involving scientists and farm advisors, and then ex ante assessed, using indicators covering the environment, energy, economic and food issues. They were compared with two cropping systems based on food/feed crops. Lastly, we analyzed the sensitivity of the CSP profitability to several scenarios of crop yields and prices (i.e. grain and forage prices for food and feed crops respectively).CSP including Miscanthus x giganteus performed better in terms of GHG emissions, energy costs, nitrate losses and pesticide use than CSP that include only annual crops requiring more inputs, but achieved lower profitability and food production capacity. The cropping systems including only food/feed crops frequently achieved higher economic outcomes and food production capacity. Lastly, CSP combining pluriannual or annual energy crops and annual food/feed crops showed satisfactory trade-offs among environmental impacts and food production capacity.

The role of wind energy production in addressing the European renewable energy targets: The case of Spain

Abstract Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Union (EU) defines a target of production from renewable energy (RE) for all the EU-28 countries to be achieved by the end of 2020. Spain accepted a target of at least 20% of gross final consumption of energy (GFCoE) from renewable energy sources (RES), which is not expected to be reached. This is because, on the one hand no new RE plants have been commissioned in Spain since 2012 and, on the other, the RE auctions launched by the government in the last two years are not sufficient to cover the lack of installed capacity to reach this goal. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of wind energy (WE) in the production of RE to meet the 2020 target in Spain. This research presents a model to assess the combination of the repowering of current wind farms (WFs) with the commissioning of new ones, and with the use of other RES like hydro, solar and solid biofuels, proposing optimal ways to develop WE in Spain until 2020. Results show the most suitable combinations of repowered and new WFs according to the different scenarios expected. The findings of this study reveal that, in the most conservative forecast, a minimum repowering level of 46% in combination with new WE installed capacity would be required to reach the target. Finally, a sensitivity analysis provides an assessment of the scenarios including the evolution of other RES, giving the resultant energy mix in accordance with the repowering level.

Life cycle assessment of Jatropha curcas biodiesel production: a case study in Mexico

The potential of liquid biofuels (like bioethanol and biodiesel) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector has generated a great deal of interest in the last few years, with particular attention being given to Jatropha methyl ester (JME). Jatropha curcas (Jc)—a species native to Mexico—shows some promise as a source of oil for biodiesel. A few studies on biodiesel production from Jc have been conducted in Mexico, but just one study involved a life cycle assessment (LCA) of JME. At the international level, most studies dealing with Jc focus on the biodiesel industrial process, while in this paper we also look in detail at the agricultural production phase. This case study provides preliminary results on GHG emissions and energy balances of JME production in Mexico, applying the LCA methodology recommended by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED). Four production systems (JME 1–4) were studied, resulting in GHG mitigation of between 41 and 53% with regards to diesel if no direct land-use change (dLUC) change occurs. However, when accounting for GHG emissions arising from direct land-use change (dLUC), total emissions increase from 40 to 508 kg CO2e/GJ. The differences between dLUC on tropical dry forest and dLUC on grassland are of lesser importance than those between systems with and without dLUC. Using JME from plantations on lands, previously not cultivated, leads to GHG emissions three or six times higher than using fossil diesel. These results are an approximation to the environmental and energetic impacts of JME production in Mexico. Further studies should be performed before implementing more plantations to produce biofuel from J. curcas.

Life cycle assessment of a biomass CHP plant in UK: The Heathrow energy centre case

Bioenergy has an important role to play in helping the UK meet its carbon target in 2050 and the European Renewable Energy Directive objectives for 2030. There are however uncertainties associated with the use of bioenergy, and whether or how much it contributes to green-house gas emission reductions. In order to help identifying environmental benefits and burdens associated with biomass use for energy production, an attributional life cycle assessment has been carried out of a biomass-fired CHP plant: the Heathrow Airport energy centre. This facility burns woodchips sourced from nearby forests providing 2 MWe of electricity and 8 MWth of thermal energy which delivers heat and cooling to Heathrow Terminal 2 and low temperature hot water to Terminal 5. A hot spot analysis is conducted to identify the process steps with the largest environmental impact, starting from the harvesting of the forest residue to the disposal of the boiler ash. A scenario analysis is performed to compare the impacts of the biomass plant against fossil alternatives and to identify which renewable energy sources, between biomass and MSW, should be prioritised for development and investment. The results show a reduction in GHG emissions from using biomass, with further benefits if the bottom ash is collected and re-used as a soil conditioner for land-farming or forestry. The paper also discusses the treatment of biogenic carbon in the assessment.

Trade-offs between integration and isolation in Switzerland's energy policy

In response to the Fukushima nuclear accident, Switzerland has targeted to phase out nuclear power by 2050. Two diametrically opposite pathways to accomplish Switzerland's nuclear phase-out are quantitatively investigated for the year 2035 using a novel high-resolution power systems simulation framework. The first pathway, “Island in Europe”, installs new natural gas power plants to ensure a self-sufficient Swiss energy system. The second pathway, “Battery of Europe”, increases Switzerland's engagement with central Europe with new pumped hydro storages and increased cross-border electricity trade of European renewable energy. The results show that the “Battery of Europe” scenario enables a threefold increase in financial surplus of cross-border electricity trade compared to the “Island in Europe” scenario. This surplus translates to 15–23% lower domestic Swiss electricity prices, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the Swiss marketplace; however, Switzerland is then exposed to more technical and political engagement with its neighbours. Additionally, successful implementation of the “Battery of Europe” scenario requires reinforcing 5% of the Swiss transmission grid, which necessitates more streamlined legal processes for new transmission infrastructure. Along a different political dimension, electricity price reductions of up to 22% are possible if the targeted increase of efficiency in Switzerland's energy policy is accomplished.

Editorial Note

Editorial Note

Efficiency in knowledge transmission in R&D project networks: European renewable energy sector

This study analyses the efficiency in knowledge transmission of organizations and local regions participating in European R&D projects in 2000–2013 within renewable energy (RE) sectors (wind, solar, sea, geothermal, and biomass) using social network analysis (SNA). A review of the collaborative R&D consortium networks as technological transfer structures and public policy support issues was carried out. Then, not only is the traditional SNA centrality perspective of actors employed to identify key players who bridge less connected areas, but also the structural hole approach is applied based on the relative position, role, and potential redundancy of collaborations from the overall network perspective. It reveals that networks of organizations and local regions are neither completely random nor homogenous in terms of cohesion and efficiency. Additionally, the existence of areas between core and peripheral nodes (structural holes) is confirmed. Higher education and research centers, which show a greater influential position and higher experience, take advantage of them. Research concludes that the efficiency in terms of knowledge transmission is not always positively correlated with high centrality values. The most emergent RE sectors still appear less efficient according to the rankings produced integrating both approaches. This paper makes a novel academic contribution to RE policy makers since a new application of centrality and efficiency perspectives is applied. As a result, policy makers should consider it in detail when designing public RE projects with the aim of building an efficient European Research Area.

Nitrous oxide emissions from winter oilseed rape cultivation

Abstract Winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., WOSR) is the major oil crop cultivated in Europe. Rapeseed oil is predominantly used for production of biodiesel. The framework of the European Renewable Energy Directive requires that use of biofuels achieves GHG savings of at least 50% compared to use of fossil fuel starting in 2018. However, N2O field emissions are estimated using emission factors that are not specific for the crop and associated with strong uncertainty. N2O field emissions are controlled by N fertilization and dominate the GHG balance of WOSR cropping due to the high global warming potential of N2O. Thus, field experiments were conducted to increase the data basis and subsequently derive a new WOSR-specific emission factor. N2O emissions and crop yields were monitored for three years over a range of N fertilization intensities at five study sites representative of German WOSR production. N2O fluxes exhibited the typical high spatial and temporal variability in dependence on soil texture, weather and nitrogen availability. The annual N2O emissions ranged between 0.24 kg and 5.48 kg N2O-N ha−1 a−1. N fertilization increased N2O emissions, particularly with the highest N treatment (240 kg N ha−1). Oil yield increased up to a fertilizer amount of 120 kg N ha−1, higher N-doses increased grain yield but decreased oil concentrations in the seeds. Consequently oil yield remained constant at higher N fertilization. Since, yield-related emission also increased exponentially with N surpluses, there is potential for reduction of the N fertilizer rate, which offers perspectives for the mitigation of GHG emissions. Our measurements double the published data basis of annual N2O flux measurements in WOSR. Based on this extended dataset we modeled the relationship between N2O emissions and fertilizer N input using an exponential model. The corresponding new N2O emission factor was 0.6% of applied fertilizer N for a common N fertilizer amount under best management practice in WOSR production (200 kg N ha−1 a−1). This factor is substantially lower than the linear IPCC Tier 1 factor (EF1) of 1.0% and other models that have been proposed.

The Roles of Networks in Institutionalizing New Hybrid Organizational Forms: Insights from the European Renewable Energy Cooperative Network:

Hybrid organizational forms combine values and practices from different institutional domains, rendering them difficult to fit neatly into the structures of extant organizational forms. Since the work required to institutionalize a new hybrid organizational form may be beyond the resources and capabilities of individual organizations acting alone, we shift the focus to inter-organizational collective action. Using empirical data from a study of a European network of renewable energy cooperatives, we find that, in order to institutionalize the new hybrid organizational form, the network can contribute to overcome the legitimacy challenges inherent in organizational hybridity. In particular, the network builds field-level receptivity to institutional pluralism, collectively codifies the hybrid organizational form, and consolidates legitimation towards plural field-level audiences. In order to perform these institutionalization roles, the network itself becomes increasingly formalized and mobilizes mediating...

The Roles of Networks in Institutionalizing New Hybrid Organizational Forms: Insights from the European Renewable Energy Cooperative Network

Hybrid organizational forms combine values and practices from different institutional domains, rendering them difficult to fit neatly into the structures of extant organizational forms. Since the work required to institutionalize a new hybrid organizational form may be beyond the resources and capabilities of individual organizations acting alone, we shift the focus to inter-organizational collective action. Using empirical data from a study of a European network of renewable energy cooperatives, we find that, in order to institutionalize the new hybrid organizational form, the network can contribute to overcome the legitimacy challenges inherent in organizational hybridity. In particular, the network builds field-level receptivity to institutional pluralism, collectively codifies the hybrid organizational form, and consolidates legitimation towards plural field-level audiences. In order to perform these institutionalization roles, the network itself becomes increasingly formalized and mobilizes mediating functions involving different types of resources, legitimacy and target audiences. The research advances knowledge of hybrid organizational forms and their collective institutionalization through inter-organizational networks.

Legal and economic aspects of Ukrainian enterprises activity at the European renewable energy market

The article deals with a current trend of the global energy market, which is characterized by rising tension in relations between the performers of the energy market regulation mechanisms, and it leads to the emergence of alternative energy sources. The article is called to identify the causes of renewable energy markets nascence, to make comparative description of Ukrainian and European Renewable Energy Markets attractiveness, and to characterize the state policy change in a renewable energy market. Different interpretation of nature and classification of the field of renewable energy in foreign and Ukrainian approaches shows the problem of legal criteria of renewable energy markets regulation. It is proved the existence of double barrier penetration of the European market for renewable energy for Ukrainian companies, which includes compliance with the accepted EU Directives and compliance with the Rules of each member individually. The presence of clearly defined standards and certificates of quality for the European market allows producers to show the competitiveness of Ukrainian products in the international market and stimulate Ukrainian manufacturers. The presence of clearly formulated laws, stable and balanced political and legal environment of the EU allows Ukrainian producers of renewable energy to develop such a strategy that considers the time factor, as the primary parameter of competitiveness in international business. The market of solid biofuels in EU is under formation, its development timeframe and uncertainty of environmental risks becoming is especially important for Ukrainian producers.