André Pina

The European Union proposed the introduction of taxes on emitted CO2 as an effective policy measure for the reduction of CO2 emissions in its electricity sector. Applying the TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) modeling tool, this paper examines the cost effectiveness of different evolutions of CO2 taxes under the Emissions Trading System in Europe by 2050 in order to analyze the possible roles and limits of different mitigation technologies within the Portuguese electricity supply… Exibir mais

The European Union proposed the introduction of taxes on emitted CO2 as an effective policy measure for the reduction of CO2 emissions in its electricity sector. Applying the TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) modeling tool, this paper examines the cost effectiveness of different evolutions of CO2 taxes under the Emissions Trading System in Europe by 2050 in order to analyze the possible roles and limits of different mitigation technologies within the Portuguese electricity supply system. The results were analyzed based on the final year CO2 emissions of the electricity system when compared to 1990 levels. The results show that when CO2 prices stay below 50 €/tonne by 2050 there is no reduction in emitted CO2 emissions when compared to the levels of 1990. For CO2 prices reaching between 50 and 100 €/tonne there is a clear reduction in CO2 with the increase in the price, from 7% with 50 €/tonne to 79% with 100 €/tonne. For prices above 100 €/tonne the increased taxation has only a slight impact on the reduction of CO2 emissions, as even with a 300 €/tonne price the CO2 reductions achieved are only of 87%. Exibir menos

The goal of this research is to analyse the cost-effective opportunities in continental Portugal to achieve full decarbonisation of the electricity generation sector by 2050. Since interconnection with neighbouring Spain may be one of the key drivers to achieve a cost-effective low carbon pathway, combined with new generating technologies, we evaluate its importance by modelling the Portuguese system either as an isolated or as part of an integrated Iberian system.
To design the low carbon… Exibir mais

The goal of this research is to analyse the cost-effective opportunities in continental Portugal to achieve full decarbonisation of the electricity generation sector by 2050. Since interconnection with neighbouring Spain may be one of the key drivers to achieve a cost-effective low carbon pathway, combined with new generating technologies, we evaluate its importance by modelling the Portuguese system either as an isolated or as part of an integrated Iberian system.
To design the low carbon roadmap for 2050 in Portugal, TIMES – The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM (MARKet ALlocation-Energy Flow Optimisation Model) System was used. It is an optimization partial equilibrium bottom-up model generator that finds the minimal cost solution for an energy system over a certain time period. Our approach accounts for the short term dynamics of supply and demand to enable a better match and optimize resources complementarities.
The results show that modelling Portugal as an isolated system can lead to underinvestment and underuse of the country's endowment of renewable energy sources in the longer term, which reduces the efficiency of investment. The modelling of Portugal as an interconnected energy system can therefore have a significant impact on the design of a sustainable electricity system and lead to improved investment efficiency with lower costs risk. Exibir menos

The increase of fossil fuel demand raises concerns on availability of resources for future energy demand and on potential environmental impacts. Electric vehicles (EVs) appear as one alternative to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. This research work analyzes the benefits of the introduction of EVs in a small energy system, the Flores island, Azores, in terms of primary energy and CO2 emissions. Four scenarios were designed considering different penetration rates of EVs… Exibir mais

The increase of fossil fuel demand raises concerns on availability of resources for future energy demand and on potential environmental impacts. Electric vehicles (EVs) appear as one alternative to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources. This research work analyzes the benefits of the introduction of EVs in a small energy system, the Flores island, Azores, in terms of primary energy and CO2 emissions. Four scenarios were designed considering different penetration rates of EVs (Low and High) and different time of recharging strategies (Fixed and Flexible). The high shares of RES in the electricity production system (60–62%) did not guarantee a significant use of RES for the recharging of EVs (10–40%), as the additional electricity required had to be produced mainly from the diesel generators. The flexible recharging strategies allowed doubling the share of RES in the recharging of the EVs when compared to fixed recharging, and consequently double the impact on the reduction of primary energy consumption and fossil fuels imports. While the reduction of primary energy ranged between 0.2% and 1.1%, for CO2 emissions there was a decrease between 0.3 and 1.7%, proving that EVs can help improve the sustainability of energy systems. Exibir menos

Nearly one and a half billion people in the world do not have access to electricity, and even when energy resources are available, millions of people are unable to pay for them. As so, the access to modern affordable and renewable-based energy services in developing countries is essential to achieve a sustainable development by reducing poverty and improving the living conditions (health, security, etc.). In this paper, we analyze how rural electrification efforts can benefit from the… Exibir mais

Nearly one and a half billion people in the world do not have access to electricity, and even when energy resources are available, millions of people are unable to pay for them. As so, the access to modern affordable and renewable-based energy services in developing countries is essential to achieve a sustainable development by reducing poverty and improving the living conditions (health, security, etc.). In this paper, we analyze how rural electrification efforts can benefit from the implementation of microgrid systems. Following a systematic methodology, we estimate a demand that can evolve through time and design a system that copes with the demand increase. Then, we test the operation of such a facility using a pilot installation, the polygeneration energy container (PEC), an experimental setup that mimics the deployment of a hybrid microgrid system. The development of the experiment has allowed us to test design issues and solve operation and maintenance challenges associated with autonomous electricity production systems. The results demonstrated that it is possible to design systems that are robust and flexible to operate under different conditions. Exibir menos

The design of transition pathways for sustainable electricity systems with high penetrations of renewable energy sources requires the use of energy modeling tools that are able to account for two key aspects: the evolution of fossil fuels and technology prices, and the natural dynamics of renewable resources. However, the modeling methodologies most currently used focus on only one of these two aspects, which hinders their suitability for performing long-term analysis with high penetrations of… Exibir mais

The design of transition pathways for sustainable electricity systems with high penetrations of renewable energy sources requires the use of energy modeling tools that are able to account for two key aspects: the evolution of fossil fuels and technology prices, and the natural dynamics of renewable resources. However, the modeling methodologies most currently used focus on only one of these two aspects, which hinders their suitability for performing long-term analysis with high penetrations of renewable energy sources.
This paper presents a modeling framework that is able to optimize the investment in new renewable generation capacity on the long-term while taking into account the hourly dynamics of electricity supply and demand. The framework combines two of the most used energy planning tools, each able to account for one of the aspects of the modeling of energy systems.
The framework was applied to continental Portugal for the time period of 2005–2050, in order to identify optimal investment plans in new renewable and fossil generation capacity with the goal of achieving significant CO2 emissions reduction, under different scenarios. The results show that the inclusion of dynamics in the modeling methodology can help avoid overinvestment and reduce the excess of electricity from renewable energy sources that cannot be used by the system. These results can have a significant impact on the design of a sustainable electricity system and may lead to a diversification of the energy sources used. Exibir menos

Throughout the world, but mostly in developing countries, there are presently regions where electricity supply is insufficient or non-existing. Innumerous authors affirm that this lack of access to electricity is a key factor in perpetuating poverty around the world and compromises the socio-economic progress of those places. Thus, improving energy access is a priority since 1.3 billion people around the world still lack access to electricity, 84% of them living in rural areas.

However… Exibir mais

Throughout the world, but mostly in developing countries, there are presently regions where electricity supply is insufficient or non-existing. Innumerous authors affirm that this lack of access to electricity is a key factor in perpetuating poverty around the world and compromises the socio-economic progress of those places. Thus, improving energy access is a priority since 1.3 billion people around the world still lack access to electricity, 84% of them living in rural areas.

However, the energy demand in developing countries is completely different from what is observed in the regions like Europe or North America. According to the International Energy Agency, the households in many non-OECD countries still rely heavily on traditional, non-marketed energy sources, including wood and waste, for heating and cooking. Therefore, designing energy systems for developing countries presents a great challenge: designing from scratch a system that is both environmentally and economically viable and that enables social and economic development for the populations.

This work focuses on the development of a system design methodology that optimizes the final solution taking into account a demand growth pathway that reflects the economic development associated with the introduction of electricity.

Keywords
Rural electrification; Energy poverty; Sustainable development; Energy indicators; MDGs Exibir menos

The 2011 EU Energy Efficiency Plan also refers to the importance of academic training of specialized human resources in the technical area of energy efficient building solutions as a way to foster energy efficiency. It is considered as a unique opportunity for universities to invest in energy efficiency curricula, namely in areas of building’s energetic rehabilitation (architecture, civil and mechanical engineering). Universities, as places of innovation and creativity, have therefore a special… Exibir mais

The 2011 EU Energy Efficiency Plan also refers to the importance of academic training of specialized human resources in the technical area of energy efficient building solutions as a way to foster energy efficiency. It is considered as a unique opportunity for universities to invest in energy efficiency curricula, namely in areas of building’s energetic rehabilitation (architecture, civil and mechanical engineering). Universities, as places of innovation and creativity, have therefore a special role along with technical schools and industry, in the task of creating “green practitioners” that will allow a paradigm shift since they are the ideal laboratory, as the knowledge on energy efficiency is available, and can be experimented by students, teachers, researchers and staff. Exibir menos

The Green Campus Challenge has been able to show that there is a real interest both from industry and academia to look at the energy efficiency in public buildings. It also showed that the topic may and should be addressed using a multi-disciplinary approach to develop innovative practices to energy management in university campuses.

High fuel costs, increasing energy security and concerns with reducing emissions have pushed governments to invest in the use of renewable energies for electricity generation. However, the intermittence of most renewable resources when renewable energy provides a significant share of the energy mix can create problems to electricity grids, which can be minimized by energy storage systems that are usually not available or expensive. An alternative solution consists on the use of demand side… Exibir mais

High fuel costs, increasing energy security and concerns with reducing emissions have pushed governments to invest in the use of renewable energies for electricity generation. However, the intermittence of most renewable resources when renewable energy provides a significant share of the energy mix can create problems to electricity grids, which can be minimized by energy storage systems that are usually not available or expensive. An alternative solution consists on the use of demand side management strategies, which can have the double effect of reducing electricity consumption and allowing greater efficiency and flexibility in the grid management, namely by enabling a better match between supply and demand.
This work analyzes the impact of demand side management strategies in the evolution of the electricity mix of Flores Island in the Azores archipelago which is characterized by high shares of renewable energy and therefore the introduction of more renewable energy sources makes it an interesting case study for testing innovative solutions.
The electricity generation system is modeled in TIMES, a software which optimizes the investment and operation of wind and hydro plants until 2020 based on scenarios for demand growth, deployment of demand response technologies in the domestic sector and promotion of behavioral changes to eliminate standby power. The results show that demand side management strategies can lead to a significant delay in the investment on new generation capacity from renewable resources and improve the operation of the existing installed capacity. Exibir menos

This work analyzes different modeling methodologies for balancing the electricity supply sources and the electricity demand in systems with high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and run-of-river hydro. This work also explores the reasons and the circumstances where common balance approaches used by mid- and long-term energy models show significant differences in dispatched renewable sources, overestimating the renewable share in the electricity mix and… Exibir mais

This work analyzes different modeling methodologies for balancing the electricity supply sources and the electricity demand in systems with high penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and run-of-river hydro. This work also explores the reasons and the circumstances where common balance approaches used by mid- and long-term energy models show significant differences in dispatched renewable sources, overestimating the renewable share in the electricity mix and underestimating the amount of CO2 emitted by the electric system, when compared to balance methods with high time resolution. These reasons and circumstances are illustrated for the Flores island (Azores) case study which has already achieved a share of 50% of renewable energies in electricity production in 2009. Exibir menos

Energy policies are often related to the global effort in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through increased use of renewable energies in electricity production. The impact of these policies is usually calculated by energy planning tools. However, the modeling methodologies most currently used are not adequate to simulate long-term scenarios while considering the hourly dynamics of supply and demand.
This paper presents an extension of the TIMES energy planning tool for investment decisions… Exibir mais

Energy policies are often related to the global effort in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through increased use of renewable energies in electricity production. The impact of these policies is usually calculated by energy planning tools. However, the modeling methodologies most currently used are not adequate to simulate long-term scenarios while considering the hourly dynamics of supply and demand.
This paper presents an extension of the TIMES energy planning tool for investment decisions in electricity production that considers seasonal, daily and hourly supply and demand dynamics. The inclusion of these dynamics enables the model to produce more accurate results in what concerns the impact of introducing energy efficiency policies and the increased use of renewable energies.
The model was validated in São Miguel (Azores, Portugal) for the years 2006–2009, where a comparison with real data showed that the model can simulate the supply and demand dynamics. Further, the long-term analysis shows that the inclusion of these dynamics contributes to a better assessment of the renewable energy potential, suggests the postponement of investments in new generation capacity, and demonstrates that using fine time resolution modeling is very valuable for the design of effective policy measures under high renewable penetration energy systems. Exibir menos

Increasing energy costs, energy consumption and emissions profiles prompted the promotion of different transportation alternatives. This research work addresses the comparison of trip dynamics, energy consumption, CO2 and NOx Well-to-Wheel impacts of 5 transportation alternatives (conventional and electric bicycles, conventional and electric vehicles and an urban bus) in Lisbon, Portugal. On-road monitoring of a specific route in Lisbon revealed that bikers using electric bicycles increased… Exibir mais

Increasing energy costs, energy consumption and emissions profiles prompted the promotion of different transportation alternatives. This research work addresses the comparison of trip dynamics, energy consumption, CO2 and NOx Well-to-Wheel impacts of 5 transportation alternatives (conventional and electric bicycles, conventional and electric vehicles and an urban bus) in Lisbon, Portugal. On-road monitoring of a specific route in Lisbon revealed that bikers using electric bicycles increased their average speed between 8% and 26% compared to their use of the conventional bicycle, especially in the route sections with positive slopes (up to 49% increases). Electric bicycles result in a Tank-to-Wheel energy consumption of 0.028 MJ/km, allowing an average autonomy of 46 km between recharging. When comparing the 5 transportation alternatives, the electric bicycles presented a higher travel time of 13.5%, 1.9% and 7.8% over the bus, low powered electric vehicle, and standard electric vehicle/conventional technologies, respectively. Regarding the Well-to-Wheel energy consumption analysis, the results indicated that, when compared to the other transportation solutions, the electric bicycle only uses 11%, 3%, 1%, 2% and 4% of the energy required when using the low powered electric vehicle, standard electric vehicle, conventional gasoline and diesel technologies and bus, respectively. Furthermore, the analysis of Well-to-Wheel emissions reveals that the electric bicycle has 13% and 4% lower CO2 emissions and 12% and 4% lower NOx emissions when compared to the low powered and standard electric vehicles, respectively. This research work allows sustaining that bicycles can be considered interesting solutions for urban trips, with comparable trip times to other transportation modes, as well as zero local emissions and reduced Well-to-Wheel pollutant impacts, contributing significantly for the improvement of the overall urban air quality. Exibir menos