Electricity, Epidemiological research, Fossil fuels, Indoor air pollution, Power resources, Tuberculosis, World health, Respiratory disease risk factors, Mortality -- Risk factors, Cardiovascular diseases risk factors, Confidence intervals, Cooking, Causes of death, Developing countries, Health status indicators, Heart failure, Interviewing, Longitudinal method, Obstructive lung diseases, Lung tumors, Metropolitan areas, Myocardial infarction, Pneumonia, Questionnaires, Regression analysis, Research funding, Rural conditions, Stroke, Proportional hazards models, Data analysis software, Statistical models, Inhalation injuries, and Descriptive statistics

BACKGROUND: Household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuel use for cooking affects 2.5 billion individuals globally and may contribute substantially to disease burden. However, few prospective studies have assessed the impact of HAP on mortality and cardiorespiratory disease. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to evaluate associations between HAP and mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and respiratory disease in the prospective urban and rural epidemiology (PURE) study. METHODS: We studied 91,350 adults 35-70 y of age from 467 urban and rural communities in 11 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). After a median follow-up period of 9.1 y, we recorded 6,595 deaths, 5,472 incident cases of CVD (CVD death or nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure), and 2,436 incident cases of respiratory disease (respiratory death or nonfatal chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, or lung cancer). We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for individual, household, and community-level characteristics to compare events for individuals living in households that used solid fuels for cooking to those using electricity or gas. RESULTS: We found that 41.8% of participants lived in households using solid fuels as their primary cooking fuel. Compared with electricity or gas, solid fuel use was associated with fully adjusted hazard ratios of 1.12 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.21) for all-cause mortality, 1.08 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.17) for fatal or nonfatal CVD, 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.30) for fatal or nonfatal respiratory disease, and 1.12 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.19) for mortality from any cause or the first incidence of a nonfatal cardiorespiratory outcome. Associations persisted in extensive sensitivity analyses, but small differences were observed across study regions and across individual and household characteristics. DISCUSSION: Use of solid fuels for cooking is a risk factor for mortality and cardiorespiratory disease. Continued efforts to replace solid fuels with cleaner alternatives are needed to reduce premature mortality and morbidity in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy, Microirrigation, Electricity, Coal gas, Solar system, and Olive

The main objective of this study is to present techno-economic-environmental feasibility of solar drip irrigation systems for olive cultivation. The water pump has 0.70 m3/h ilow rate and the total head of 20 m was used to drip irrigation. The hydraulic energy requirement was calculated as 0.2618 kWh to pump 4.812 m3 water per day to the total height of 20 m. The electrical power and surface area of the photovoltaic (PV) array were calculated as 0.104 kWp and 1.793 m2, respectively. The efficiency of the PV array was determined as 18.97% on monthly average during the irrigation period. Comparing of electric sale price for agricultural irrigation into day periods, the cost of electric generated PV system was found to be 60.2% higher. During the 20 year economic life of solar powered drip irrigation system for 7 months irrigation period, a total of 27693.74 kWh of electricity would be generated. If this amount electricity was generated using coal or natural gas, 22154.99 kgCO2 and 9692.81 kgCO2 would be released, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity, Pollution, Kuznets curve, Determinants (Mathematics), Energy transitions, Rural population, and Housekeeping

According to the IPCC report, energy remains the major contributor to global anthropogenic greenhouse emissions, due to its role in economic development. Hence, developing a conceptual tool that examines the determinants of environmental pollution for India is valuable given its population, current, and forecast energy demands. Using a national-level time series data from 1990 to 2017, Prais–Winsten and Cochrane–Orcutt regression models were used to examine the nexus between pollution and economic development in the transition from dirty to clean energy. The study confirmed the existence of a U-shaped relationship at a turning point of US$ 1802. Thus, India's industrialised economy is energy and carbon-intensive which promotes environmental pollution. At the household level, the use of multiple fuels, especially dirty fuels, are likely to remain a key part of the sociocultural energy tradition among rural communities that will impact low carbon and cleaner energy transition. We argue that decoupling energy from economic growth can encourage clean energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric power production, Fossil fuels, Electricity, Electric power, Renewable natural resources, and Geospatial data

We previously presented a model for deep penetration of renewables in the electricity sector of the southern half of the United States (Khoie and Yee in Clean Technol Environ Policy 17(4):957–971, 2015). In this paper, we present a strategy for the northern half of the United States to utilize its available renewable resources to gradually decrease its reliance on fossil fuels in electricity generation and develop energy portfolios with increasing share of renewables. Using the electricity generation data from the US EIA (Electricity, electric power monthly, 2019d. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/), and the renewable resource maps produced by NREL (Geospatial data science, 2018a. http://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html; Geospatial data science, 2018b. http://www.nrel.gov/gis/wind.html), we develop strategies for the states in the northern half of the USA. We group these states into seven regions: West Coast, Mountain States, Middle West States, Lake States, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and New England states. For each region, we determine when and if the electricity generation from renewables will meet the region's electricity need while accounting for a 1% annual increase in electricity demand. The renewable resources included in our models are solar (rural, urban, and rooftop photovoltaic), wind (onshore), hydro, biomass, and geothermal which vary greatly from region to region. We also include nuclear, coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Our results show that the West Coast, Mountain, and Middle West regions have the potential to become 100% renewable in the years 2041, 2039, and 2038, respectively. Additionally, our results show that the four regions of Lake, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and New England states may not be able to produce 100% of their electricity demand from their renewable resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building-integrated photovoltaic systems, Electric power production, Energy consumption, Electricity, Tropical climate, Office buildings, Skin, and Maximum power point trackers

Building upon the knowledge accumulated from a comprehensive research program on double skin façades (DSFs), this study explores two design enhancements for buildings in tropical climates. Thermal and energetic benefits of the inclusion of mechanical ventilation within the DSF cavity and electricity generation from the PV systems have been determined across a wide spectrum of Brazilian climates. Using computational simulations, DSF models with two fan configurations, placed solely at the top of the DSF and distributed along the height of the cavity, are evaluated. Annual distribution of thermal comfort acceptance and impact on energy demands from HVAC systems and contribution from the PV systems is analyzed. Results demonstrated wide variations of energy performance in relation to the climatic conditions. The 'Cool' climate zone presented most significant benefits from the proposed design enhancements resulting in electricity surplus. On the other hand, electricity generated from PV in the moderate climate zone can only cover about 30% of the HVAC energy consumption, whereas energy savings in the 'hot' zone are the lowest with only 15% of electricity contributed from the PV systems. The results of this paper contribute to the early stage of design when considering the adoption of DSF in tropical climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water currents, Energy consumption, Global warming, Electricity, and Condensers (Vapors & gases)

Global warming and fossil fuel exhaustion are deteriorating even further, of which energy saving and carbon emission reducing are the most critical. In a building, about 40% to 48% of the total electricity used is consumed by air conditioning systems. A novel water-misting cooling condenser based on supersonic vibrators with dual-fuzzy control was developed. The simulation studies and experimental tests based on a 12,500 Kcal/h air-cooled chiller platform were completed. The results from above studies and tests consistently shown that the proposed condenser is an excellent solution to pull up the energy efficiency for the cooling system. In addition, the inherent drawbacks of current chillers such as water noises, taking-up space, and unnecessary energy consumption caused by improper controls between compressor and condenser can be improved by this proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water power, Electric power consumption, Electricity, and Heat pumps

As Europe moves towards renewable energy, hydropower stands out as a renewable technology that can provide supply side flexibility through dispatchable electricity production. Several studies have investigated the flexibility hydropower can provide with a particular focus on the Nordic hydropower resources. Of all European countries, Norway has the largest hydropower resources and storage capacity. However, Norway also has a highly electrified heating sector, which means high electricity demand during winter when reservoirs are low. This paper uses EnergyPLAN to analyse how a shift from individual electric heating to district heating affects the flexibility the Norwegian energy system can provide to Europe. The analysis develops a 2015 reference scenario and two scenarios that introduce district heating based on biomass and heat pumps, respectively. Results show that district heating can decrease the maximum load on dammed hydropower facilities, thus freeing up capacity for potential export. Furthermore, the dammed hydropower facilities are able to balance the electricity demands in all hours of the year. However, the shift to district heating also increases forced export to drain reservoirs as domestic electricity demand is reduced. Also, the amount of import the system is able to handle is decreased under the modelled conditions. • A shift from electric heating to district heating frees up generation capacity. • A decrease in electricity demand leads to excess electricity production. • The amount of import the energy system can handle decreases with district heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear energy, Electricity, Nuclear power plants, Electric power production, and Coal gas

The European Union has set out to reduce the carbon intensity of its electricity generation substantially, as defined in the European Roadmap 2050. This paper analyses the impact of foresight towards decarbonization targets on the investment decisions in the European electricity sector using a specific model developed by the authors called dynELMOD. Incorporating the climate targets makes the investment into any additional fossil capacity uneconomic from 2025 onwards, resulting in a coal and natural gas phase-out in the 2040s. Limited foresight thus results in stranded investments of fossil capacities in the 2020s. Using a CO 2 budgetary approach, on the other hand, leads to an even sharper emission reduction in the early periods before 2030, reducing overall costs. We also find that renewables carry the major burden of decarbonization; nuclear power (3rd or 4th generation) is unable to compete with other fuels and will, therefore, be phased out over time. • Pathways for the European electricity sector on the road to decarbonization are analyzed. • Limiting the foresight on future decarbonization targets results in stranded investments of fossil gas-capacities in the 2030s. • A rapid decarbonization of the European electricity system does not lead to an adoption of nuclear power plants. • The future system relies on further expansion of renewables and storage capacities. • A CO 2 budgetary approach leads to an even sharper emission reduction in the early periods before 2030, reducing overall costs by 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources, Natural gas, Electricity, Mixed integer linear programming, Network hubs, and Column generation (Algorithms)

High penetration of renewable energy sources will cause crucial challenges for future energy systems. This study presents a three-level model for adaptive robust expansion co-planning of electricity and natural gas infrastructures in multienergy-hub networks, which is robust against uncertainties of maximum production of wind generation and gas-fired power plants as well as estimated load levels. The proposed min-max-min model is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming problem. The first level minimises the investment cost of electricity and natural gas infrastructures, the worst possible case is determined through the second level, and the third level minimises the overall operation cost under that condition. To solve this model, the final minimisation problem is replaced by its Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions and a two-level problem is determined. Finally, by using the column and constraint generation algorithm the original problem is decomposed to master and subproblems and the optimal solution is derived iteratively. The proposed robust expansion co-planning model is tested on modified Garver's 6-hub, modified IEEE RTS 24-hub, and modified IEEE 118-hub test systems and numerical results show its effectiveness to cope with uncertainties with regard to control conservativeness of the plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric power distribution, Electricity, Loan loss reserves, Programming languages, Grid energy storage, Bank customers, and Banking industry

Installing 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022 is challenging as Indian distribution companies (DISCOMs) avoiding buying renewable electricity (RE) due to financial distress and generation overcapacity and large customers do not buy RE due to the intermittency. Thus, the provision of banking services by DISCOMs to open-access consumers (OACs) buying renewable electricity (RE) from independent generators can be alternative way to promote RE in India. However, banking services affect the merit order dispatch (MOD) schedule of DISCOMs and result in merit order effect (MOE). Based on the existing concept of MOE, the banking fee was calculated as the differences in cost of dispatch between in banking and without banking scenarios for DISCOMs of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh for providing banking to a hypothetical customer willing to buy solar electricity under open access. On the basis of real-time historical data obtained from grid operators, the findings showed that the banking fee would be 0.9–1.6¢/kWh, about 20–30% of solar electricity rate under open access. Banking service can be an interim policy measure to increase penetration of renewable electricity until grid-level storage becomes affordable. The simulations were done in Python programming language. • Intermittency is a barrier to purchase of solar electricity under open access. • Electricity banking reduces intermittency, but results in merit order effect (MOE). • Python script was written to simulate MOE without banking and with banking. • Banking costs between 0.9 and 1.6¢/kWh, 20–30% solar tariff under open access. • Electricity banking can be interim policy measure until storage becomes affordable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation, Electricity, Electric power production, and Solar technology

Decarbonizing electricity generation through deployment of renewable technologies such as wind and solar is a key component of many climate change mitigation efforts. With increasing penetrations, the need to manage variability in renewable generation becomes critical. However, renewable variability is often poorly represented in energy planning studies which focus on energy and capacity adequacy. In this study, we used a hybrid capacity expansion and dispatch model with explicit inclusion of ramping and regulation services to examine balancing requirements in a decarbonizing electricity system. We find that ramping and regulation services needed for management of variable renewables alter the optimal mix of generation and transmission capacity relative to simpler planning models. In particular, we find enhanced value in expanding transmission capacity to access flexibility. • Representing short-term constraints in long-term energy models changes the outcome. • Flexibility is a key constraint in systems with high penetrations of renewables. • Interregional transmission can help provide system flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic power generation, Diffusion, Electric power consumption, Electricity, and Cities & towns

Spatially-explicit bottom-up energy models with detailed renewable energy representation are increasingly developed. In order to inform such models, we investigate spatial diffusion patterns of solar PV projects in 2′222 Swiss municipalities. Using a dataset of feed-in tariff and one-time subsidy recipients in 2016, we show that PV diffusion was spatially uneven throughout Switzerland in terms of four indicators: the number of PV projects per municipality, per 1′000 inhabitants, per unit of municipal electricity demand, and per unit of municipal land area. Urban-rural divide and exploitable solar PV potential are the key, but not the only predictors of the spatial heterogeneity in PV diffusion. The structure of the municipal economy, socio-demographic characteristics, regional spillover effects, and additional differences in local contexts, such as local policies, matter as well. Spatial diffusion patterns to some extent structurally differ across sub-national regions too, indicating that such empirical investigations are valuable in order to understand what can be generalized. We conclude with recommendations for developing and validating spatially-resolved energy models so that they capture realistic patterns of solar PV diffusion: gather, maintain and analyze spatial data on PV projects and develop robust modelling functions that do not only rely on PV potential. Image 1 • Diffusion of solar PV has been spatially uneven in 2′222 Swiss municipalities. • Urban-rural divide and exploitable PV potential are the key predictors of spatial PV diffusion. • Structure of the municipal economy, socio-demographic factors, and regional spillover effects matter too. • Spatial patterns are not identical for all sub-national regions, emphasizing context dependency. • Spatially-explicit energy models should be adapted and validated against real-world renewable data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources, Electric power, Power resources, Electricity, Fossil fuels, and Clean energy

Despite a substantial potential of renewable energy sources, the current energy supply system in Iran relies almost entirely on fossil fuel resources. It has imposed significant financial burden on the country and has led to considerable GHG emissions. Moreover, the country is confronting several challenges for harnessing alternative clean energy sources and promoting rational energy policies over the recent decades. To probe the root cause of these problems, this paper first provides an overview on the previous energy planning attempts in Iran. It shows that adequate commitment to a long-term energy planning could have meaningfully prevented these serious challenges. However, the previous studies have had some limitations in terms of employing appropriate planning tools, comprehensive evaluations, and scenarios definition and ranking. This paper thus proposes a power planning framework to assess the sustainability of future electricity scenarios for the period 2015–2050. MESSAGE, a systems engineering optimization model, is employed to evaluate the potential impacts of transitioning to a low-carbon electricity supply system. Using a combined AHP-TOPSIS method, the scenarios are then ranked based on 18 different techno-economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. The results indicate that scenario Cl_32, in which the share of non-hydro clean energy for electricity generation reaches 32%, is ranked best. • Iran's energy planning studies are reviewed. • A suitable link between energy planning and policy making is necessary for Iran. • A framework for sustainable development of the power sector is proposed. • MCDM is used to assess the sustainability of different scenarios. • The share of non-hydro clean energy technologies should increase up to 32% by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy development, Electric power conservation, Electricity, Economics, Individual investors, Private sector, and Investments

Sub-Saharan Africa is generally one of the most electricity deprived regions in the world. Since the 1990s, the World Bank and other relevant and respected multilateral organisations have consistently advocated that the required finance to develop sub-Saharan Africa's essential electricity capacity should be sourced from the private sector. However, despite this ongoing advocacy, the private sector has been unenthusiastic to answer this call. Much of the literature attributes this reticence to a lack of 'good governance': principally negative behaviours such as corruption. Instead, in this paper we argue that this is too simplistic an explanation, as private investment has still been able to thrive in other locations where such negative behaviours have existed. To support this argument, we utilise an interdisciplinary approach to review three separate academic governance perspectives, to deliver a more comprehensive view. These are: 1) Financial Investment Governance , the private sector investor's perspective, which focuses on the rules and institutions (or lack of) that directly influence the financial investment environment; 2) Political Governance, the political economy perspective, which relates to the negative, indirect investment consequences resulting from the way that governments govern; and 3) Technological Governance, a 'systems' perspective, which encompasses how the standard structure and organisation of the wider electricity delivery system in each country, negatively impacts such investment. In discussion and conclusion, we find that if the development policy perspective for delivering electricity access to the region is to be successfully constructed around private investment, as the multilateral development community advocates, it will need to accommodate 15 distinct issues that can be identified from this comprehensive review of governance. • Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most electricity deprived regions in the world. • The private sector has been unenthusiastic and reluctant to channel investment towards electricity infrastructure. • This study utilises three different academic approaches to explain why. • These are: 1) Financial Investment Governance , 2) Political Governance, and 3) Technological Governance. • A synthesis identifies 15 distinct governance issues that need overcome to better govern energy poverty and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity, Social acceptance, Sharing economy, Economies of scale, Data protection, Energy transitions, and Machine-to-machine communications

This paper aims to anticipate social acceptance issues related to the deployment of the smart electricity grid by identifying underlying value conflicts. The smart electricity grid is a key enabler of the energy transition. Its successful deployment is however jeopardized by social acceptance issues, such as concerns related to privacy and fairness. Social acceptance issues may be explained by value conflicts, i.e. the impossibility for a technological or regulatory design to simultaneously satisfy multiple societal expectations. Due to unsatisfied expectations concerning values, social discontent may arise. This paper identifies five groups of value conflicts in the smart electricity grid: consumer values versus competitiveness, IT enabled systems versus data protection, fair spatial distributions of energy systems versus system performance, market performance versus local trading, and individual access versus economies of scale. This is important for policy-makers and industry to increase the chances that the technology gains acceptance. As resolving value conflicts requires resources, this paper suggests three factors to prioritize their resolution: severity of resulting acceptance issues, resolvability of conflicts, and the level of resources required. The analysis shows that particularly the socio-economic disparities caused by the deployment of the smart electricity grid are alarming. Affordable policies are currently limited, but the impact in terms of social acceptance may be large. • This paper reviews conflicting values in the smart electricity grid. • Scientific articles of interest are captured using topic models and semantic fields. • Five groups of value conflicts caused by the smart electricity grid are identified. • Acceptance issues may persist when conflicts are not resolved. • Resolvability, severity of acceptances issues, and resources required are suggested to prioritize value conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power resources, Electricity, Solar energy, Market value, Solar wind, and Wind forecasting

Renewable energy is expected to become the main electricity source in the world in the coming decades, with solar and wind power taking a big share of the energy supply. Although there has been a remarkable advance on renewable energy technologies, their integration is still difficult for regulators, market designers and system operators due to the high variability and limited predictability of solar and wind resources. Measures can be adopted to ease their integration, among them geographical diversification. There is plenty of literature about the diversification of solar and wind resources and there is a common conclusion: greater dispersion smooths out power production. However, literature on the effects of spatial diversification on the power system, electricity prices and renewable energy market value is much scarcer. This paper studies the effects of spatial diversification and questions whether integration policies are incentivizing the placement of renewable generators where they provide the highest value to the electricity system in Chile. Using real data and a simplified dispatch model the analysis presented shows evidence of the effects of diversification on wind and solar market value in Chile. Results suggest that spatial diversification has a strong positive effect on the market value of renewable energy, especially in scenarios with active transmission and hydro-storage constraints. Wind market value may vary up to US$10/MW h depending on the level of diversification and the spatial and temporal constraints of the system and, given current storage capacity of hydro reservoirs, the solar market value may increase US$5/MW h due to diversification if transmission capacity is enough. Even though these results must be observed with caution, because they depend on the assumptions made, there is an important effect of renewable spatial diversification that should be observed by regulators. • Effects of spatial diversification on the power system and its prices. • Strategies to mitigate the value drop of variable renewable energies. • Spatial diversification has a positive effect on market value of renewable power. • Storage is important resource to alleviate market value drops of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric power conservation, Electricity, Communities, Government control, and Local government

Community choice aggregation (CCA) is an emerging model of energy procurement that allows local governmental entities to procure electricity on behalf of retail electricity customers. Through CCA, local governments can control local electricity portfolios while investor-owned utilities remain responsible for transmission and distribution. In this article, we use a combination of publicly-available data, data obtained directly from CCAs, and stakeholder interviews to explore the rise of CCAs, the current and potential future impacts of CCAs on demand for renewable energy, and the factors that will determine future CCA expansion. We estimate that CCAs procured about 42 million megawatt-hours of electricity on behalf of about 5 million customers in the United States in 2017. We estimate that CCAs already procure about 8.9 million megawatt-hours more renewable energy than required by state mandates, and that CCAs could procure as much as 28.9 million megawatt-hours of voluntary renewable energy if the CCA model is permitted in more states. The ongoing expansion of CCAs could significantly affect electricity markets, electricity portfolios, and the future role of utilities. We explore various challenges associated with the further expansion of CCAs. • Community choice aggregation (CCA) allows local governments to buy electricity on behalf of retail customers. • In 2017, CCAs procured about 42 million megawatt-hours of electricity. • CCAs procured about 8.9 million megawatt-hours of renewable energy above policy-mandated levels. • CCAs could change grid electricity portfolios and the responsibilities of utilities. • The rise of CCAs entails policy challenges for grid planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]