A comprehensive review of renewable energy resources for electricity generation in Australia

Recently, renewable energy resources and their impacts have sparked a heated debate to resolve the Australian energy crisis. There are many projects launched throughout the country to improve network security and reliability. This paper aims to review the current status of different renewable energy resources along with their impacts on society and the environment. Besides, it provides for the first time the statistics of the documents published in the field of renewable energy in Australia. The statistics include information such as the rate of papers published, possible journals for finding relative paper, types of documents published, top authors, and the most prevalent keywords in the field of renewable energy in Australia. It will focus on solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydropower technologies and will investigate the social and environmental impacts of these technologies.     

Electricity generation from renewable energy sources in Poland

AbstractFor the European Union's Member States 2001/77/EC Directive on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market determined targets for 2010 of 21% share of electricity from renewable energy sources in total electricity consumption. Particular Member States adopted different measures for development of renewable and in consequence they achieved different results. Poland, being Member State of the EU since 2004 has accepted target of 7.5% for electricity generated from renewable energy sources until 2010. Currently, in this decade, new 2009/28/EC Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources plays significant role in development of renewable energy sources. Directive set new target for 2020. Nowadays is a time for summary and assessment of results fulfilling Directives and monitor progress of new targets. Article presents measures implemented for renewable source energy development, also current state and perspectives of using of renewable energy sources in Poland and in the EU.     

Efficiency and effectiveness of promotion systems for electricity generation from renewable energy sources - Lessons from EU countries

Currently, a wide range of strategies is implemented in different countries to increase the share of electricity from renewable energy sources (RES-E). A still controversial discussion is whether quantity-driven (like Tradable Green Certificates (TGCs) based on quotas) or price-driven (like feed-in-tariffs (FIT)) instruments lead to preferable solutions for society. The core objective of this paper is to compare the perspectives of quota-based certificate trading systems for an efficient and effective increase of RES-E with FIT. The major results of this analysis are: (i) The success stories of growth in RES-E in EU member states in recent years has been triggered by FIT implemented in a technology-specific manner at modest costs for European citizens; (ii) At present, TGC systems in most countries applied show a low effectiveness with respect to RES-E deployment of less mature technologies such as solar PV (with improving tendencies in e.g. the UK or Italy with respect to certain technologies); (iii) Compared to short term trading in TGC markets the intrinsic stability of FIT systems appears to be a key element for success; (iv) Hence, currently a well-designed (dynamic) FIT system provides a certain deployment of RES-E in the shortest time and at lowest costs for society.     

Mathematical modelling of electricity market with renewable energy sources

The paper addresses the electricity market with conventional energy sources on fossil fuel and non-conventional renewable energy sources (RESs) with stochastic operating conditions.A mathematical model of long-run (accounting for development of generation capacities) equilibrium in the market is constructed. The problem of determining optimal parameters providing the maximum social criterion of efficiency is also formulated.The calculations performed have shown that the adequate choice of price cap, environmental tax, subsidies to RESs and consumption tax make it possible to take into account external effects (environmental damage) and to create incentives for investors to construct conventional and renewable energy sources in an optimal (from the society view point) mix.     

Overview of energy storage systems for storing electricity from renewable energy sources in Saudi Arabia

Renewable power (photovoltaic, solar thermal or wind) is inherently intermittent and fluctuating. If renewable power has to become a major source of base-load dispatchable power, electricity storage systems of multi-MW capacity and multi-hours duration are indispensable. An overview of the advanced energy storage systems to store electrical energy generated by renewable energy sources is presented along with climatic conditions and supply demand situation of power in Saudi Arabia. Based on the review, battery features needed for the storage of electricity generated from renewable energy sources are: low cost, high efficiency, long cycle life, mature technology, withstand high ambient temperatures, large power and energy capacities and environmentally benign. Although there are various commercially available electrical energy storage systems (EESS), no single storage system meets all the requirements for an ideal EESS. Each EESS has a suitable application range.     

Prospects of renewable energy utilisation for electricity generation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been facing a power crisis for about a decade, mainly because of inadequate power generation capacity compared with demand and the ageing infrastructure of many existing power generation facilities. Only 20% of the total population are connected to grid electricity—25% in urban areas and a mere 10% in rural areas where 80% of the total population resides. Currently, most power plants in Bangladesh (representing 84.5% of the total installed capacity) use natural gas—the main commercial primary energy source, with limited national reserves—as a fuel. Electricity supply to low-load rural and remote areas is characterised by high transmission and distribution costs and transmission losses, and heavily subsidised pricing.Renewable energy sources in Bangladesh, particularly biomass, can play a major role to meet electricity demands in the rural and remote areas of the country. The current study indicates that in 2003, the national total generation and recovery rates of biomass in Bangladesh were 148.983 and 86.276 Mtonne, respectively. In energy term, the national annual amount of the recoverable biomass is equivalent to 312.613 TWh. Considering the present national consumption of biomass, total available biomass resources potential for electricity generation vary from 183.865 to 223.794 TWh. Biomass energy potential in the individual districts of the country has been estimated for the planning small- to medium-scale biomass-to-electricity plants.     

Assessment of renewable energy resources potential for electricity generation in Bangladesh

Renewable energy encompasses a broad range of energy resources. Bangladesh is known to have a good potential for renewable energy, but so far no systematic study has been done to quantify this potential for power generation. This paper estimates the potential of renewable energy resources for power generation in Bangladesh from the viewpoint of different promising available technologies. Estimation of the potential of solar energy in Bangladesh is done using a GIS-based GeoSpatial Toolkit (GsT), Hybrid System Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) model and NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE) solar radiation data. The potential of wind energy is estimated by developing a Bangladesh wind map using NASA SSE wind data and HOMER model. A review of country's biomass and hydro potential for electricity generation is presented. The technical potential of gird-connected solar PV is estimated at 50,174 MW. Assuming that 1000 h per year of full power is the feasible threshold for the exploitation of wind energy, the areas that satisfy this condition in the country would be sufficient for the installation of 4614 MW of wind power. The potential of biomass-based and small hydro power plants is estimated at 566 and 125 MW, respectively. The renewable energy resources cannot serve as alternative to conventional energy resources, yet they may serve to supplement the long-term energy needs of Bangladesh to a significant level.     

Economics of secondary renewable energy sources with hydrogen generation

Against the background of diminishing traditional energy sources, increasing negative impact on the environment, also due to some energy sectors, as well as the growing threat of extreme increase in the waste on a global scale, SRES have a serious potential to play the role of one of the key methods to achieve a sustainable balance, without any harm to the economic development. In practice, if assumed that the total population of the Earth is 7 billion people, at least 5 million tons of waste is generated on a daily basis (not counting the industrial ones). Of them, circa 2 million tons are non-recyclable, but these could be transformed into energy. Modern technologies offer up to 50% conversion of the source materials into useable free energy––i.e. there is a potential for the generation of approximately 1 million МW/h per day, or at least 300–350 TW/h per annum. This amounts to the whole electricity consumption of 5–10 small developed countries like Bulgaria, Slovenia, etc. The improvement and implementation of the SRES technologies will require significant expenses for scientific research and development. A part of these expenses can be covered by the general provision of incentives for alternative energy sources, another part should be provided by external sources, including funding from the central budgets, grants, as part of public-private partnerships, etc. The offered article examines the economics of the SRES, and all related factors, including their role and place in the energy sector, significance for the protection of the environment and for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), adopted within the UN. An attempt is made to develop the existing and to offer new criteria for a more accurate and universal definition of the SRES. The objective of the article is not to claim to be an universal and exhaustive study of all aspects, related to the nature and use of the SRES, but it is rather an attempt to systematize and carry out a comparative analysis of the main problems, related to the SRES, as well as to draw the attention and stir a wider discussion on a topic, which––according to the authors––undeservedly fails to be sufficiently incorporated into the studies and research, related to the alternative energy development. Special attention is drawn to the opportunities provided by waste-to-hydrogen solutions alongside with other waste-to-energy approaches. Authors are also introducing for the first time the notion of “double-green-solution” as a specific feature of the waste-to-energy solutions. The article may be of interest to economists, investors and practitioners.     

Utilization of renewable energy sources for power generation in Iran

Utilization of non-renewable energy sources not only results in environmental deterioration but also confronts us with the dilemma of a rapid rate of depletion of such resources, while renewable energy sources can serve us indefinitely with minimal environmental impacts as compared with fossil and nuclear fuels.This article deals with the extent of harnessing renewable energy sources for power generation in Iran, a Middle Eastern Asian nation.     

An analysis of hydrogen production from renewable electricity sources

Three aspects of producing hydrogen via renewable electricity sources are analyzed to determine the potential for solar and wind hydrogen production pathways: a renewable hydrogen resource assessment, a cost analysis of hydrogen production via electrolysis, and the annual energy requirements of producing hydrogen for refueling. The results indicate that ample resources exist to produce transportation fuel from wind and solar power. However, hydrogen prices are highly dependent on electricity prices. For renewables to produce hydrogen at $2 kg⁻¹, using electrolyzers available in 2004, electricity prices would have to be less than $0.01 kWh⁻¹. Additionally, energy requirements for hydrogen refueling stations are in excess of 20 GWh/year. It may be challenging for dedicated renewable systems at the filling station to meet such requirements. Therefore, while plentiful resources exist to provide clean electricity for the production of hydrogen for transportation fuel, challenges remain to identify optimum economic and technical configurations to provide renewable energy to distributed hydrogen refueling stations.     

德国可再生能源发电的补偿标准

2000年4月，德国可再生能源法(EEG)代替了1991年生效的电力供应法(StrEG)。新颁布的可再生能源法，调整了各种可再生能源发电的补偿标准。其中对风力发电在装备投产使用后的不同时期规定了不同的补偿标准。即初期阶段较高的补偿标准，和后续期较低的补偿标准。因为风电的补偿与风机安装地点风力资源的多少，即与风机安装地点的质量有关，因此，为了使补偿值的确定更为合理，在可再生能源法中引入了。推荐     

Investigation of distributed power generation based on renewable energy sources and hydrogen batteries

The paper deals with investigation of distributed renewable power sources use efficiency by the example of solar power plant, wind farm and biogas power plants. The paper uses statistical data collection on weather conditions and solar radiation in different regions of the Russian Federation to assess effectiveness. It has been found out that arrangement of solar power plants and wind farms in the Republic of Bashkortostan is more profitable than their arrangement in other regions (Astrakhan, Vladivostok, Gorno-Altaisk, Makhachkala, St. Petersburg), and the use of biogas power plant is profitable in the region, where the production of biofuels is possible, including the Republic of Bashkortostan. Moreover, the paper presents a high-speed magnetoelectric generator for microturbines. In order to save and generate electric energy in accordance with consumer load curve, hydrogen batteries have been examined.     

Promoting renewable electricity generation in emerging economies

China, India, and South Africa have recognized the importance of renewable electricity for their future development. In this paper, we investigate the experience of the three countries in applying generation-based policies to promote renewable electricity. We show that they have developed approaches that deviate from what the European experience suggests as successful. With a special focus on feed-in tariffs and auction-based tariffs, our comparison highlights the importance of policy choice and policy design specifications in meeting specific objectives. All three emerging economies face the necessity to promote electricity from renewable energies while keeping electricity prices low. Hence, they experiment with policies and design options, and arrive at country specific solutions. Despite applying different policy instruments and designs that put strong emphasis on low cost solutions, all three countries seem able to reach their ambitious deployment targets.     

Latin American electricity markets and renewable energy sources: The Argentinean and Chilean cases

From the mid eighties on, most of Latin American Countries reformed their energy systems. The impact of these reforms over electricity markets was different in each case. However, in the majority of these cases there was a shift to private participation, instead of State, and a convergence of electricity systems to hydro and thermal technologies. This is the case of Argentina and Chile.     

Optimization of electrical distribution networks fed by conventional and renewable energy sources

This paper provides a methodology for the optimization of an existing electrical distribution network when upgraded by renewable energies. The contribution of renewable energy in electricity generation is decided upon through both network design optimization and proper load management whereby applications that can be satisfied by non‐electrical means are separated from the main load. The remaining load will then be satisfied by an optimal mix of renewable energy which will be injected to the existing grid. The proposed problem will be formulated using multiobjective linear programming in conjunction with fuzzy logic. It will be shown that optimization using fuzzy logic can provide decision makers with more flexibility that would assist them in the allocation of various energy resources to optimally meet the various end uses and solve the problem of renewable energy connection to existing distribution networks. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

关于我国可再生能源发电产业的探讨

我国可再生能源发电产业现状及背景我国目前已拥有 3亿千瓦的电力装机 ,国电公司全额投资、控股或掺股的电厂占总装机的一半左右。全国发电量达到 1.2万亿千瓦时。其中火力发电量占总发电量的 74 .5 % ,可再生能源发电不足 1‰ (未包括小水电 )。风力发电总装机容量 34万千瓦 ,风机国产化率可达 4 0 %以上 ;太阳能光伏发电总装机容量 2万千瓦 ,9个国内生产厂家的年生产能力达 1万千瓦以上。我国电力行业发展的传统模式是“大机组、大电网、高电压、集中供电”。今后很长一段时间内 ,我国电力行业还将继续沿着这样的模式发展。但是这种模式是…     

Optimum energy storage techniques for the improvement of renewable energy sources-based electricity generation economic efficiency

The high wind and solar potential along with the extremely high electricity production cost met in the majority of Greek Aegean islands comprising autonomous electrical networks, imply the urgency for new renewable energy sources (RES) investments. To by-pass the electrical grid stability constraints arising from an extensive RES utilization, the adaptation of an appropriate energy storage system (ESS) is essential. In the present analysis, the cost effect of introducing selected storage technologies in a large variety of autonomous electrical grids so as to ensure higher levels of RES penetration, in particular wind and solar, is examined in detail. A systematic parametrical analysis concerning the effect of the ESSs’ main parameters on the economic behavior of the entire installation is also included. According to the results obtained, a properly sized RES-based electricity generation station in collaboration with the appropriate energy storage equipment is a promising solution for the energy demand problems of numerous autonomous electrical networks existing worldwide, at the same time suggesting a clean energy generation alternative and contributing to the diminution of the important environmental problems resulting from the operation of thermal power stations.     

Mapping the potential for decentralized energy generation based on renewable energy sources in the Republic of Croatia

There are regions in the Republic of Croatia (underdeveloped, devastated by war, depopulated, as well as islands and mountainous areas) which are still disconnected from the electricity network or where the current network capacity is insufficient. In addition, these regions have good renewable energy potential. Since the decentralized energy generation (DEG) covers a broad range of technologies, including many renewable energy technologies (RET) that provide small-scale power at sites close to the users, this concept could be of interest for these locations. This paper identifies the areas in Croatia where such systems could be applied. Consideration is given to geographical locations as well as possible applications. Wind, hydro, solar photovoltaic, geothermal, and biomass conversion systems were analyzed from a technological and economic point of view. Since the renewable energy sources (RES) data for Croatia are rather scarce, the intention was to give a survey of the present situation and an estimate of future potential for DEG based on RES. The energy potential (given as capacity and energy capability) and production costs were calculated on a regional basis and per type of RET. Finally, the RES cost–supply curves for 2006 and 2010 are given.