Quantifying the potential impacts of China's power-sector policies on coal input and CO2 emissions through 2050: A bottom-up perspective

This study evaluates four recent policies for China's power sector—mandatory renewable targets, green dispatch, carbon capture and sequestration development, and coal-fired generation efficiency improvements—and quantifies their energy and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions reduction potential through 2050 using bottom-up energy modeling and scenario analysis. We find renewable targets and green dispatch have crucial interlinked impacts on energy and CO₂ emissions that could change the shape and peak year of China's power-sector emissions outlook. Without either renewable targets or green dispatch, coal will likely continue dominating China's power mix and could delay the power-sector CO₂ emissions peak to the late 2030s.     

Cost effective energy and carbon emissions optimization in building renovation (Annex 56)

The construction sector has become an important target for reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption and for kerbing resource depletion, because of its relevance in all these important areas.Many of the current energy related policies have their focus on new buildings but, due to the low rates of replacement of the existing building stock, it is crucial that the low energy performances of these buildings are improved. Most of these buildings,due to design and construction constraints,may not be able to reach the new energy efficiency standards,which many times involve complex construction works. Nevertheless, the achievement of significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions may not always require a highly efficient solution for the envelope. Other solutions, combining energy efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy, are also possible.In this context, the key research problem addressed in Annex 56 was to understand how far it is possible to go with energy conservation and efficiency measures and from which point the measures to foster renewable energy use become more economical taking into account the local context and the many restrictions the existing buildings face.Thus,a new methodology was developed to be used in the decision making process for energy related building renovation, allowing to find a cost-effective balance between energy consumption,carbon emissions and overall added value achieved in the renovation process.The methodology developed within IEA EBC Annex 56 project aims at defining,assessing and comparing energy renovation activities in a cost-effective way,o ptimizing the energy use and the carbon emissions reduction,mainly in residential buildings but also in non-residential buildings without complex HVAC technologies.The methodology explores the full range of cost-effective reduction of carbon emissions and energy use and takes into account also the additional benefits and the overall added value achieved by the building within the renovation process.     

A socio-technical framework of zero-carbon building policies

Zero-carbon building (ZCB) is regarded as an innovative and important approach to reducing both carbon emissions and energy consumption. Policies promoting ZCB have been explicitly set in several countries and regions. Other countries have developed relevant initiatives or demonstration projects. However, the sharing of knowledge of policies on ZCB is limited and challenging. A socio-technical transition framework is developed based on an examination of ZCB policies and the supporting literature. This framework depicts the technical systems of ZCB policies within the regulatory, social and geographical contexts. The technical systems comprise four components: carbon reduction targets and a timeline; a ZCB definition and scope; a carbon emission measure and indicator; and a reliance on renewable energy. This systems approach shows that reliance on only technical solutions is constrained to achieving the zero-carbon target, yet human behaviours are poorly addressed in the policies. Thus, a significant gap exists between policy intentions and actual practices. The developed framework can inform discussion on current and future ZCB policies.     

Clean-energy policies and electricity sector carbon emissions in the U.S. states

State governments in the United States have enacted various clean-energy policies to decarbonize electric utilities, diversify energy supplies, and stimulate economic development. With a panel data set for 48 continental states from 1990 to 2008, fixed-effect panel regressions are estimated to test the impacts of clean-energy policies on total carbon emissions, electricity consumption, and carbon intensity. The results indicate that supply-side policy tools, such as RPS and EERS, are negatively correlated with carbon intensity in the electricity sector. More aggressive policies are needed to reduce total carbon emissions.     

How environmental policy stringency affects renewable energy investment? Implications for green investment horizons

Renewable energy has many benefits, but the most important is its ability to reduce our carbon emissions and help protect the environment. This study looks into the nonlinear effects of environmental policy stringency (EPS) on renewable energy investment in BRICS. To probe the short- and long-term connection, we exploited the nonlinear panel QARDL framework. According to the analysis's results, renewable energy investment rises at nearly all quantiles in response to both short- and long-run positive shocks in EPS. The long-run negative shocks in EPS reduce renewable energy investments at lower and medium quantiles only, whereas the short-term negative shocks in EPS significantly reduce renewable energy investment at most quantiles. At all quantiles, the short and long-run Wald test validates the dissimilar effect of EPS on renewable energy investment. Consequently, policymakers should distinguish between positive and negative shocks in the EPS when considering the effect of EPS on renewable energy investment.     

Input–output analysis of Irish construction sector greenhouse gas emissions

Ireland is committed to limiting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 113% of 1990 levels over the period 2008–12 and to 84% of 2005 levels by 2020 under the Kyoto Agreement and the EU's 2020 target by 2020 respectively. National policies have targeted many industry sectors but have failed to directly tackle GHG emissions associated with construction activity. This paper estimates energy and GHG emissions intensities of the Irish construction sector and subsectors and estimates its contribution to Irish national emissions. This information is used to identify and assess the impacts of policy measures which would result in a reduction in emissions from the sector in a cost-effective manner. Energy and emissions intensities are estimated using input–output analysis techniques applied to Irish construction sector.     

A new methodology for renewable and rational use of energy policy in building sector: Case study for the island of Crete

This paper discusses the future development of efficient energy policies with respect to building sector, using a new simulation computer model called INVERT. The building sector incorporates supply side systems (heating, domestic hot water (DHW) and cooling systems) and Demand Side Management (DSM) measures. Simulation runs have been carried out up to 2020 for the Greek island of Crete based on sensitivity analyses for different building types, heating/cooling technologies and DHW systems. Promotion schemes for renewable energy sources (RES) and rational use of energy (RUE) are also implemented in the simulation model, since they have a strong impact on long-term financial investment strategies. Transfer costs and CO₂ emissions of various hypothesis scenarios about new or additional promotion schemes for energy conservation in residential buildings have been compared with a reference scenario for the island of Crete. The outcome of this case study is presented and discussed in this paper.     

Sustainability policies to reduce pollution in energy supply and waste sectors in the V4 countries

Sustainability is directly connected with less natural resources consumption and consequently, with less pollution. However, carbon dioxide emissions could be controlled through policies that are designed starting from empirical results. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of electricity prices for non-household consumers, innovation and economic development on pollution in energy supply and waster sectors in V4 countries (2010–2021). The analysis is based on fixed-effect panel threshold and dynamic GMM models and revealed a U pattern for energy supply sector and an inverted U for waste sector. Higher electricity prices for non-households and more renewables consumption in waste sector are necessary, while more patents in environment-related technologies have expected impact on pollution only at higher levels of GDP. These empirical findings are subject to policy proposals.     

Reducing Carbon Emissions from Transport: Multi-level Governance and the Problem of Monitoring

Tackling climate change and reducing global greenhouse gas emission levels to meet the target ceiling of two degrees above pre-industrial average global temperatures will require multi-level governance. In this paper we examine the idea of multi-level governance and the role of the transport sector at city level in contributing to the global goal. We examine international examples and options for Australia. Although policy at city level is sometimes well developed, monitoring of the effect of policies is not yet carried out systematically, transparently and in such a way that would enable city governments to adjust their policies to maximise goal achievement. Without monitoring we cannot know whether policies are effective. We explore methods that have been proposed to monitor carbon emissions from urban transport and their potential application in Australia.     

Evolution of energy policy in the Netherlands: past,present and future

In this paper, the past, present and possible future developments of energy policy for the built environment in the Netherlands are described briefly. The focus is on the development of and necessity for introducing new policy instruments for the built environment. Over the years, energy policy has evolved gradually to create a more integrated approach to the energy efficiency of buildings and larger urban districts. However, further evolution might be inevitable due to a shift of the primary driver for ‘energy’ policy from energy conservation to carbon dioxide reduction. Maximum targets of carbon dioxide emissions are being developed for each sector by 2010 and each sector has the obligation to meet its defined carbon dioxide reduction goal. Severe carbon dioxide reduction goals for the built environment in the Netherlands can only be achieved by means of energy efficiency improvement and fuel substitution, replacing natural gas with lower-carbon fuels. The introduction of lower-carbon fuels raises policy questions on whether to maintain the old infrastructure at great cost or whether investment should be in a new energy infrastructure and how this transition can be managed.     

A conceptual framework to support solar PV simulation using an open-BIM data exchange standard

With the construction industry moving rapidly towards Building Information Modelling (BIM), it is essential that various analysis tools used in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) domain are interoperable with a non-proprietary open BIM schema such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The UK government will be requiring fully-collaborative BIM in all public sector projects by 2016 and is also chasing the target of achieving zero-carbon buildings by 2019. This dual target will require the use of renewable energy analysis tools in the early stages of the building design process and establish the need for these tools to be IFC-compliant. This paper presents a conceptual framework for developing IFC-compliant renewable energy simulation tools using a multi-model concept in which the IFC data model provides partial input data required to run simulation models. A prototype has been developed as a ‘proof-of-concept’ for an IFC-compliant solar PV simulation tool. The prototype has been validated against other solar PV simulation tools such as PV*Sol, RETScreen® and HOMER to provide credibility to the simulation model. The developed conceptual framework is applicable not only to solar PV simulation but other renewable energy simulation models as well, thereby making an IFC-compliant renewable energy modelling tool capable of conducting, energy, carbon emissions and financial analysis.     

Clean energy transition in the Turkish power sector: A techno-economic analysis with a high-resolution power expansion model

The Turkish power sector achieved rapid growth after the 1990s in line with economic growth and beyond. However, domestic resources did not support this development and therefore resulted in a high dependency on imported fossil fuels. Furthermore, the governments were slow off the mark in introducing policies for increasing the share of renewable energy. Even late actions of the governments, as well as significant decreases in the cost of wind and especially solar technologies, have recently brought the Turkish power sector into a promising state. A large-scale generation-expansion power-system model (TR-Power) with a high temporal resolution (hours) is developed for the Turkish power generation sector. Several scenarios were analyzed to assess their environmental and economic impacts. The results indicate that a transition to a low-carbon power grid with around half of the electricity demand satisfied by renewable resources over 25 years would be possible, with annual investments of 3.97–6.88 billion in 2019 US$. Moreover, TR-Power indicates that the shadow price of CO₂ emissions in the power sector will be around 17.1 and 33.8 $/per tCO2 by 2042, under 30% and 40% emission reduction targets relative to the reference scenario.     

Impacts of green deal policies on the Nordic power market

This study analyzes how the Green Deal affects the Nordic electricity and district heat market, considering carbon pricing alone and in combination with policy measures such as a coal phaseout, a renewable target, or an electrification strategy. Our findings show that the Green Deal targets significantly increase CO₂ prices and power price variability. The Green Deal has a minor impact on Nordic electricity production, while a switch to increased power-to-heat is observed in the district heating sector. However, if the EU ETS is supplemented with other policies, generation mix, producer revenues, and CO₂- and power prices are significantly impacted.     

Localised knowledge,local policies and regional innovation activity for renewable energy technologies: Evidence from Italy

This paper investigates the mechanism of locally induced innovation activities in the field of renewable energy technologies (RET). A panel data analysis from 1998 to 2007 across 20 Italian regions identifies the primary drivers of renewable energy patenting activity. As expected, the localised stock of knowledge, local researchers and regional public research subsidies contribute significantly to the development of innovation activities. Additionally, regional characteristics, such as regional energy dependence and hydroelectric resources, are effective in determining the RET innovation patterns. Specifically, regional hydroelectric power acts as a substitute input and hence hampers the innovation activities in the field of RET. Finally, RET innovation activities depend to a limited extent on the political orientation of regional councils, thereby confirming prior research on the role of social acceptance of and political support for technology development. Highlighting the role of local resources and local policies for RET innovation activities, the present research has potential implications for economies that strive to become more self‐reliant and less import intensive in the knowledge sector.     

Sustainable development of renewable energy on Wangan Island,Taiwan

This study investigated the potential of achieving energy autonomy in Wangan Island, based on the use of renewable energy. The simulation results of air pollutants indicate that there could be a 30–40% reduction in emissions because of an improvement in energy efficiency. The reduction of CO₂ emissions exceeded 50% in two scenarios of energy integration systems after energy efficiency was improved. Renewables could replace costly diesel for electricity generation on Wangan, and become a successful condition example of sustainable development. Roadmaps are needed for Wangan to scale up its applications of renewables, whether in the power or transportation sectors. This requires support from central government and reform in regulatory arrangements in the energy sector.     

Electricity from renewable energy resources: Sustainable energy transition and emissions for developed economies

Previous studies cover the connection between production-based carbon emissions and economic, financial, and environmental indicators. However, the comprehensive analysis still needs empirical evidence concerning the consumption-based carbon emissions. The present analyzes 21 industrialized countries during 1990–2020 by using the second-generation panel techniques. The study's results reveal the existence of the long-run equilibrium stable connection between the variables. Due to asymmetric data distribution, this research employed the novel method of moment quantile regression and found that economic growth is the leading factor of consumption-based carbon emission throughout the selected quantiles. However, electricity from renewable resources, research and development in renewable energy, environmental related taxes, and development of environmental related technologies substantially reduce consumption-based emissions and encourage environmental sustainability. This study concludes that an energy transition is an important tool for developed economies to confront the issue of degraded environmental quality.     

Towards a common carbon footprint assessment methodology for the water sector

This paper describes the carbon footprint methodology used in assessing the global warming potential of the Dutch water sector. The assessment includes CO₂ emissions from energy consumption and methane and nitrous oxide emissions from water treatment processes. There is, however, debate on the amounts and mechanism of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and a standardised approach is discussed. As a result of this approach, the contribution of GHG emissions to the total carbon footprint of the Dutch water sector appeared to be relatively high. Next to the lack of common emission factors for GHG and chemicals used, there is also no agreed‐upon approach related to the system boundaries and scope of carbon footprinting of the water cycle. For reasons of benchmarking and monitoring of climate change reduction targets, a common carbon footprint assessment methodology for the water sector will be required.     

碳夹点技术对区域能源规划的优化作用

为不断优化区域能源结构,有效规划区域能源供需量,降低区域能源碳排量,采用碳夹点分析方法针对区域能源规划进行调整。详细介绍了碳夹点分析方法,概述了碳夹点在能源结构中的优化作用。建立精确的数学模型,通过案例研究分析,采用数形结合方法确定区域零碳能源需求量。不断优化能源结构,使其既满足能源的供需量,又在此基础上达到碳排放限值。合理分配区域所需能源,以及在满足碳排放条件下优化区域能源具有实际意义。     

Evolution of energy policy in the Netherlands: past, present and future

In this paper, the past, present and possible future developments of energy policy for the built environment in the Netherlands are described briefly. The focus is on the development of and necessity for introducing new policy instruments for the built environment. Over the years, energy policy has evolved gradually to create a more integrated approach to the energy efficiency of buildings and larger urban districts. However, further evolution might be inevitable due to a shift of the primary driver for 'energy' policy from energy conservation to carbon dioxide reduction. Maximum targets of carbon dioxide emissions are being developed for each sector by 2010 and each sector has the obligation to meet its defined carbon dioxide reduction goal. Severe carbon dioxide reduction goals for the built environment in the Netherlands can only be achieved by means of energy efficiency improvement and fuel substitution, replacing natural gas with lower-carbon fuels. The introduction of lower-carbon fuels raises policy questions on whether to maintain the old infrastructure at great cost or whether investment should be in a new energy infrastructure and how this transition can be managed.     

促进可再生能源建筑应用的政策效率比较

促进可再生能源在建筑中的应用可以采用强制型政策和激励型政策.本文以节能成本为研究对象,通过对执行这两种类型政策的静态经济效率的比较,证明了激励型政策更具有效率,并分析了影响效率差异的决定因素.