Pre-feasibility study of stand-alone hybrid energy systems for applications in eco-houses

In light of rising cost of fossil fuels and fears of its depletion, coupled with the increase in energy demand and the rise in pollution levels, governments worldwide have had to look at alternative energy resources. Combining renewable energy generation like solar power with superior storage and conversion technology such as hydrogen storage, fuel cells and batteries offers a potential solution for a stand-alone power system. The aim of this paper was to assess the techno-economic feasibility of using a hybrid energy system with hydrogen fuel cell for application in an eco-house that will be built in Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Actual load data for a typical Omani house of a similar size as the eco-house was considered as the stand-alone load with an average energy consumption of 40 kW/day and 5 kW peak power demand. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewable software was used as a sizing and optimisation tool for the system. It was found that the total annual electrical energy production is 42,255 kW and the cost of energy for this hybrid system is 0.582 $/kW. During daylight time, when the solar radiation is high, the photovoltaics (PV) panels supplied most of the load requirements. Moreover, during the evening time the fuel cell mainly serves the house with the help of the batteries. The proposed system is capable of providing the required energy to the eco-house during the whole year using only the solar irradiance as the primary source.     

Feasibility analysis of renewable hybrid energy supply options for Masirah Island

In this paper, the assessment and modelling of alternative renewable energy systems for Masirah Island is considered. The hybrid system that is simulated comprises various combinations of wind turbines and/or photovoltaic (PV) supplemented with diesel generators and short-term battery storage. It was found from the analysis that the PV–wind–diesel hybrid system, with battery unit, has the lowest cost values as compared to solar-only or wind–diesel hybrid systems. Furthermore, the study illustrates that for a given hybrid system the presence of battery storage will reduce diesel consumption. The decrease in carbon emission, the percentage of fuel savings, the cost of energy production and the effect of wind and PV penetration are also addressed in this paper. The PV–wind–diesel hybrid option is techno-economically viable for the electrification of the Masirah Island.     

Efficient energy management strategies for hybrid electric vehicles using shuffled frog-leaping algorithm

This paper proposes two novel approaches for the problem of energy management in hybrid electric vehicles. Shuffled frog-leaping algorithm (SFLA) is a recently proposed population-based optimization algorithm. This paper first formulates energy management as an optimization problem and optimizes the problem using SFLA. Then the paper makes use of SFLA as a training algorithm to train artificial neural network (ANN) and this SFLA-trained ANN is used for energy management. Interestingly, the proposed approaches of this paper are found to be robust and more efficient than contemporary approaches.     

Renewable energy potential in India and future agenda of research

ABSTRACT

Demand of electrical energy is exponentially increasing causing environmental problems due to extensive use of fossil fuels. Hence, research has been promoted in renewable energy technologies to mitigate environmental pollution. Indian subcontinent is rich in renewable energy sources (RES). This paper describes potential of RES and region-wise installed capacity in India. Estimated potential of RES is 57 GW which is targeted to be 175 GW by 2022. A logical framework for our future research work has been presented. This includes performance optimisation of solar pumping system and reliability assessments of the designed system using reliability indices.

Abbreviation: RES: Renewable energy resources; SHP: small hydro plants; GOI: Government of India; MNRE: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; LHP: large hydropower; BCM: billion cubic metres; PEC: per-capita energy consumption; JNNSM: Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission; DNI: direct normal irradiance; SPV: solar photovoltaic; UMPP: ultra mega green solar power project; GIS: geographic information systems; WMS: wind monitoring stations; MPWL: Madhya Pradesh windfarms Ltd.; MIB: mat river basin; SWAT: Soil and Water Assessment Tool; ROR: run of river; SMS: short message service; CDM: clean development mechanism; NIOT: national institute of ocean technology; LOLP: loss of load probability; CSO: Central Statistics Office; CEA: Central Electricity Authority; TERI: The Energy and Resources Institute; WPI: Wind Power India; IEA: International Energy Agency; EAI: Energy Alternatives India; BKP: Biomass Knowledge Portal; IRENA: International Renewable Energy Agency; GAIN: Global Agricultural Information Network; NITI: National Institution for Transforming India; NIWE: National Institute of Wind Energy; UP: Uttar Pradesh; J&K: Jammu and Kashmir; HP: Himachal Pradesh; NR: northern region; MP: Madhya Pradesh; WR: western region; TN: Tamil Nadu; AP: Andhra Pradesh; SR: southern region; ER: eastern region; NER: north eastern region; A&N: Andaman & Nicobar     

Intelligent power supply management of an autonomous hybrid energy generator

ABSTRACT

This work deals with the optimization of an hybrid energy system used to supply an isolated site. The proposed system combines a wind turbine, a photovoltaic panel, a diesel generator and a battery bank to electrify atypical home. An energy cost-effectiveness approach is adopted in accordance with meteorological data, time profile of energy consumption, and the cost of different alternative systems. A variety of performances is obtained through simulations within the Homer Pro environment. The selection of an optimal combination is based on the maximum integration of renewable energy in the suggested system with a minimum of gas emission. According to the obtained results, the overall cost of the selected installation is about 72,900 €, with 0.415€ the unit cost of a kWh electric energy provided with a contribution of renewable energy of around 86%. Simulations show a technical and financial benefits of the different configurations obtained to supply the target site. To control the proposed hybrid energy system, a supervision algorithm is developed and implemented on TMS320F28027 DSP platform. The proposed energy system aims to take advantages of renewable energy sources and shift to conventional sources only when necessary in order to ensure source autonomy and service continuity.     

Japan’s experience of energy saving and business model for low-carbon economy

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the questions concerning stimulation of the innovation and the diffusion of energy saving or low-carbon.To do so,this paper explains using two cases of Japan-energy saving innovation after the Oil Shock and the eco points system.For the case after the oil shock,we explain the energy saving trend after the Oil Shock and the factors statistically.Then we put forward the business model for the low-carbon economy.Furthermore,we analyze the case of the eco points system from 2009-2011 in Japan and explain the significance of the business model for diffusion of the low-carbon products.     

基于技术扩散的全社会能源效率空间条件收敛分析

我国各地区能源效率存在明显的差距,如何缩小地区能源效率差距成为了能源经济领域的热点问题.本文依据2000-2010年中国30省面板数据,运用空间误差条件β收敛模型分析了技术扩散对全社会能源效率收敛的影响,研究结果表明:①2000-2010年间,全社会能源效率呈现2000-2002、2002-2005和2005-2010的三阶段特征,经历上升、下降、再上升的变化过程,其中,2005-2010年提升速度最快,其经验值得借鉴;②全社会能源效率的绝对β收敛呈现由收敛至发散的三阶段变化过程;③全社会能源效率存在显著的空间滞后现象,其增长率的空间相依性不显著,但空间因素对全社会能源效率β收敛的正面影响有加强的趋势;④技术扩散从总体上使全社会能源效率的收敛速度提高1.8倍以上,且影响程度逐渐增强;⑤外商直接投资有助于提升全社会能源效率及其收敛速度;⑥不同时段的技术扩散对全社会能源效率的影响不同,且技术引进和国内技术市场技术流入对收敛的作用不显著.因此,引进外资是缩小地区间全社会能源效率差距的重要措施.     

An International Comparative Analysis on China’s Economic Growth and the Convergence in Energy Intensity Gap and Its Economic Mechanism

Abstract

In this paper, the authors have empirically analyzed the convergence in per capita GDP gap and the convergence in the variation of energy intensity with respect to the change of per capita GDP between China and eight developed countries. Then, the authors run a regression on the impact of decisive factors of economic growth on energy intensity and its change, so as to find out the economic mechanism of energy intensity gap changing with respect to the variation of economic growth. This study concludes that: First, there is a convergence in per capita GDP gap between China and the eight developed countries. With the convergence in per capita GDP gap, the energy intensity gap between China and eight different countries also converge, and the convergence rate of the latter is faster than that of the former, i.e. if the per capita GDP gap between China and the eight developed countries decreases by 1%, the energy intensity gap between them will correspondingly decrease by 1.552%. Second, the energy intensity decreases with the improvement of industrial structure, the rising of energy prices, the advances of technology, and the expansion of investment in fixed assets, and it slightly increases with the increase of FDI. Third, the energy intensity gap between China and eight developed countries narrows with the lessening of the difference in fixed assets investment, energy prices, and technological progress between China and eight developed countries, yet increases with the narrowing of the difference in FDI, and has no significant correlation with the difference in industrial structure. Fourth, the narrowing of difference in per capita GDP between China and the eight developed countries can result in the lessening of energy intensity gap, whose economic mechanism is that the decisive factors, such as difference in investment, technology, and the competition mechanism of prices, which can determine the difference in economic growth, can significantly affect the energy intensity gap.     

The win-win pathway of economic growth and CO2 emission reduction: a case study for China

ABSTRACT

Continuously reducing the CO₂ intensity of GDP is the core strategy for developing countries to realize the dual targets of economic growth and CO₂ emissions reduction. The measures are twofold: one is to strengthen energy saving and decrease energy intensity of GDP and the other is to promote energy structural decarbonization and reduce CO₂ intensity of energy consumption. In order to control global temperature rise no more than 2°C, the decrease in CO₂ intensity of GDP needs surpass 4% before 2030, but it could be merely about 2% based on the current trend. Therefore, all countries ought to speed up the low-carbon transition in energy and economy. As for China, keeping a continuous decline in CO₂ intensity of GDP of 4%–5% will ensure the realization of the NDC objectives, and also promotes the early peaking of CO₂ emissions before 2030. China will play a positive leading role in realizing a win-win low-carbon development coordinating sustainable development and climate change mitigation.     

氢燃料电池汽车动力系统生命周期评价及关键参数对比

发展氢燃料电池汽车被认为是解决能源安全和环境污染问题的理想解决方案之一,为量化探究氢燃料电池汽车动力系统的化石能源消耗和排放情况,运用GaBi软件建模,以新能源汽车相关技术路线为参考,构建我国氢燃料电池汽车动力系统的数据清单并对其全生命周期化石能源消耗和全球变暖潜值情况进行定量评价计算和预测分析,对不同类型的双极板、不同能量控制策略和不同制氢方式对环境的影响分别进行了对比研究,并对关键数据进行了不确定分析.结果表明,预计到2030年我国每台氢燃料电池汽车动力系统生命周期的化石能源消耗量（ADP_f）、全球变暖潜值（GWP,以CO₂ eq计）和酸化潜值（AP,以SO₂ eq计）分别为1.35×10⁵ MJ、9108 kg和15.79 kg.动力系统生产制造阶段的化石能源消耗和全球变暖潜值均高于使用阶段,主要原因是燃料电池堆栈和储氢罐的制造过程.金属双极板、石墨复合双极板和石墨双极板的制造工艺中石墨复合双极板的综合环境效益最好.能量控制策略的优化会使得氢能消耗降低,当氢能消耗降低22.8%时,动力系统的生命周期化石能源消耗和全球变暖潜值分别降低10.4%和8.3%.相比于甲烷蒸气重整制氢,基于混合电网电解水制氢的动力系统生命周期全球变暖潜值高出53.7%[KG-*6],而基于水电电解水制氢降低39.6%.降低动力系统生命周期化石能源消耗和全球变暖潜值的措施包括优化能量控制策略降低氢能消耗、规模化发展可再生能源发电电解水制氢产业和聚焦突破燃料电池堆栈关键技术实现性能提升.