Sustainability assessment of a hybrid energy system

doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2008.03.040

Energy Policy

Volume 36, Issue 8, August 2008, Pages 2903-2910

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2008.03.040 Get rights and content

Abstract

A hybrid energy system in the form of the Object structure is the pattern for the structure of options in the evaluation of a hybrid system. The Object structure is defined as: Hybrid Energy System {[production (solar, wind, biomass, natural gas)] [utilization(electricity, heat, hydrogen)]}.

In the evaluation of hybrid energy systems only several options are selected to demonstrate the sustainability assessment method application in the promotion of the specific quality of the hybrid energy system.

In this analysis the following options are taken into a consideration:

1.
Solar photo-voltaic power plant (PV PP), wind turbine power plant (WTPP) biomass thermal power plant (ThSTPP) for electricity, heat and hydrogen production.
2.
Solar PV PP and wind power plant (WPP) for electricity and hydrogen production.
3.
Biomass thermal steam turbine power plant (BThSTPP) and WPP for heat and hydrogen production.
4.
Combined cycle gas turbine power plant for electricity and hydrogen production.
5.
Cogeneration of electricity and water by the hybrid system.

The sustainability assessment method is used for the evaluation of quality of the selected hybrid systems. In this evaluation the following indicators are used: economic indicator, environment indicator and social indicator.

Introduction

The promotion of sustainable development is a European affirmation in the international arena. Sustainability is an example of the European policy and the expression of a “European way”. However, the current situation, where sustainability is more an intention than a practice, there are risks for such European affirmation (Green Paper on a European Strategy for Sustainable, 2006).

The sustainability ranges from the policy making in the top to the engineering practices in the bottom. The policy, in a top-down approach, may be successful if served by the tools, methods and skills that may make it real in practice. The present approach intend to contribute the development of a bottom-up approach, skills, methods and tools able to make the implementation of the sustainability in European policy: by applying methods in demonstrative cases (Green Paper on Energy Efficiency, 2005), by providing tools that make it possible to treat sustainability indexes in macro-policy making, to evaluate sustainability in the development assessment, by disseminating best practices.

The proposed approach will provide research groups throughout Europe and to a number of young professionals the practical development and implementation of skills, methods and tools to assess sustainability in a given but critical sector—Energy.

Section snippets

Scientific, technological and societal context

The single most important aspect in the European Union (EU) energy system is its high dependency on imported fuels for primary energy sources. The EU imports around 70% of the oil it needs, 43% of the natural gas and 50% of the coal. Oil is mainly used in transportation, and the power sector is the main user of natural gas and coal.

The current power production capacity installed in Europe is based on several sources: natural gas (18%), oil (6%), coal (26%), nuclear (33%), hydro (12%) and other

Energy sustainability criteria

There have been a number of attempts to define criteria for the assessment of the sustainability of the market products. In this respect, the Working Group of UNEP on Sustainable Development has come out with qualitative criteria for the assessment of the product design (UNEP Working Group Report, 1997).

A complex energy system is commonly composed of different subsystems and individual equipment elements. It has been recognized that the lifetime of elements and subsystems is not equal. In this

Multicriteria evaluation of energy systems

System analysis is both a philosophical approach and a collection of techniques, including simulations developed explicitly to address problems dealing with complex systems. System analysis emphasizes a holistic approach to problem solving and use of mathematical models to identify and solve important characteristics of complex systems. A mathematical model is the set of equations that describes the interrelations among those objects. By solving the equations describing a model of the system,

Energy hybrid system

A hybrid energy system produces power from more than one generating source such as wind-driven turbines and solar panels, biomass plant and hydro turbine. The system stores excess power in battery storage units, and could be configured also to use power from the local electric power grid when the reserve power storage (batteries) is low. Our systems provide the right combination of wind, biomass and solar energy generation and system components. These systems take the guess work out of

Conclusions

The multi-criteria method for the evaluation of hybrid energy system shows the potential possibility for the determination of the Sustainability Index rating. It implies quantification of the Sustainability Index as the parameter for the quality assessment of the energy system under consideration. In particular, the assessment of hybrid energy system with a large number of potential options can be justified with high level of confidence. Also, the agglomeration of the sub-indicators offers the

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Sustainability assessment of a hybrid energy system

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Scientific, technological and societal context

Energy sustainability criteria

Multicriteria evaluation of energy systems

Energy hybrid system

Conclusions

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review

Energy Policy

Desalination

Energy Conversion and Management

Energy Policy

Sustainability Assessment Method for Energy Systems

Quality, Sustainability and Indicators of Energy Systems

Modelling of energy system sustainability indicators

Thermal Science

Calculation and Reference Relation to Health and Environmental Cost

Tech-economic analysis of autonomous PV—wind hybrid energy systems, using different sizing method

Energy Conversion and Management