Optimal configuration of power generating systems in isolated island with renewable energy

In isolated islands, usually diesel generators supply electric power. However, there are problems, e.g., a lack of fossil fuel, environmental pollution etc. So, isolated island, e.g. Miyako island, installs renewable energy power production plants. However, renewable energy power production plants are very costly. This paper presents an optimal configuration of power system in isolated island installing renewable energy power production plants. The generating system consists of diesel generators, wind turbine generators, PV system and batteries. Using the proposed method, operation cost can be reduced about 10% in comparison with diesel generators only from simulation results.     

考虑碳捕集利用与可再生能源的低碳综合能源系统配置优化研究

为实现传统工业部门的低碳转型,构建了集成可再生能源、电锅炉、储热以及碳捕集利用与封存（CCUS）装备的低碳综合能源系统,并提出了经济和低碳双重导向下的系统配置优化方法。应用粒子群优化算法求解获得各设备的最优配置容量及典型场景下的最优调度方案,并选取乙烯工业进行案例分析。结果表明：通过引入CCUS和可再生能源装备,系统碳排放减少了57.50%,年总成本增加15.92%;当碳价高于109.61元/t时,低碳综合能源系统具有经济和低碳双重优势。     

Potential application of renewable energy for rural electrification in Malaysia

Energy poverty and lack of electricity in rural areas exacerbate the poverty of the developing countries. In Malaysia, 3.8% of the population lives below the poverty line and most of them are settled in rural areas. The electricity coverage in poor states is about 79% in comparison with 99.62% in Peninsular Malaysia. The renewable energy sources can be considered the best alternative to reduce the energy poverty of the rural areas where the grid extension through a difficult terrain and thick jungle is not possible or economic. In this study, the potential for applying renewable sources – solar, wind and hydropower – for rural electrification is investigated, especially in the poorest States. A comparative study on rural electrification policies, in order to have community approval, appropriate siting and financial benefits for the rural community, while considering the three categories of social, institutional and economic issues, is also examined. Finally, the Malaysian policies of rural electrification by applying renewable sources are explained. It is found that in Malaysia, with a maximum solar radiation of about 6.027 kWh/m² per day in Sabah and 5.303 kWh/m² per day in Sarawak, the potential for applying solar energy for electrification is too high. However, the potential for micro-hydropower in Sabah and Sarawak is found to be 3182 kW and 6317 kW through 18 and 22 sites, respectively.     

Life-cycle assessment in the renewable energy sector

The Polish energy industry is facing challenges regarding energetic safety, competitiveness, improvement of domestic companies and environmental protection. Ecological guidelines concern the elimination of detrimental solutions, and effective energy management, which will form the basis for sustainable development. The Polish power industry is required to systematically increase the share of energy taken from renewable sources in the total energy sold to customers. Besides the economic issues, particular importance is assigned to environmental factors associated with the choice of energy source. That is where life-cycle assessment (LCA) is important. The main purpose of LCA is to identify the environmental impacts of goods and services during the whole life cycle of the product or service. Therefore LCA can be applied to assess the impact on the environment of electricity generation and will allow producers to make better decisions pertaining to environmental protection. The renewable energy sources analysed in this paper include the energy from photovoltaics, wind turbines and hydroelectric power. The goal and scope of the analysis comprise the assessment of environmental impacts of production of 1 GJ of energy from the sources mentioned above. The study will cover the construction, operation and waste disposal at each power plant. Analysis will cover the impact categories, where the environmental influence is the most significant, i.e. resource depletion, global warmth potential, acidification and eutrophication. The LCA results will be shown on the basis of European and Australian research. This analysis will be extended with a comparison between environmental impacts of energy from renewable and conventional sources. This report will conclude with an analysis of possibilities of application of the existing research results and LCA rules in the Polish energy industry with a focus on Poland's future accession to the European Union. Definitions of LCA fundamental concepts, its methodology and application are described in the ISO 14040-14049 series of standards. These standards have already been introduced in some countries, but in Poland they are still at the stage of translation into Polish. Nevertheless some companies in Poland try to assess how their products influence the environment and what are the possibilities of technology improvement in the existing production process reduce their environmental impact.     

Necessity of biodiesel utilization as a source of renewable energy in Malaysia

In recent decades, the energy crisis and environmental issues have become a crucial problem. The rapid industrialization has lead humankind to deplete the fossil fuels and consequently the pollutant emissions have increased in the world. Many investigations have been done to find an alternative fuel to fulfill increasing energy demand. Recently, biodiesel has been introduced as an economical renewable and sustainable fuel which is cited as an environment-friendly resource. Around 350 oil-bearing crops were analyzed and some of them were capable to be considered as potential alternative fuels for diesel engines. These include virgin vegetable oils and waste vegetable oils. Rapeseed, jatropha, soybean, and palm oil are mentioned as the most common sources of biodiesel. Many countries have invested in biodiesel as an acceptable source of energy not only in research area but also in production and export. It has been proven that the biodiesel combustion characteristics are similar as petroleum. Higher ignition pressure and temperature, shorter ignition delay and higher peak release were reported in experimental combustion of biodiesel blends. Also, the efficiency of biodiesel base catalysts is more than enzymes and acid catalysts. This article is a literature review on necessity of biodiesel production as alternative fuel recourse in Malaysia and tries to illustrate the combustion characteristics and pollutant formation in biodiesel application.     

Optimal green energy management for island resorts in Malaysia

This paper proposes optimum green energy systems for electricity generation of island resorts in Malaysia. A combination of solar energy and wind energy as intermittent renewable energy sources with a fuel cell (FC) system and a battery storage energy system as a backup to the green energy system is introduced for this study. This system is eco-friendly, economical over the long-term, highly sustainable and reliable. In addition, a diesel-based energy system as a non-green system is compared with the proposed green system. National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) HOMER software is used to determine and compare the optimal configuration green energy system with the diesel-based energy system in terms of net present cost, sensitivity analysis and pollutant gas emission. The feasibility and assessment of the proposed system is evaluated by utilizing the load profile and considering the geographical condition of a village (Juara village in Tioman Island) with approximately 30 chalets located in southern Malaysia. HOMER uses two types of load profiles for each given year. The first load profile is used during the presence of tourists, and the second profile is used when the locals are the main inhabitants of the island. The optimization management for the green energy system is performed through unit sizing to find the optimum power management analysis and to perform cost analysis of the system.The potential of renewable energy as well as a diesel-based energy system to meet the power demand for such a stand-alone system is considered. Technically feasible and economically viable green energy systems as prospective plans are explored in this study.     

The role of renewable and sustainable energy in the energy mix of Malaysia: a review

Energy consumption has risen in Malaysia because of developing strategies and increasing rate of population. Depletion of fossil fuel resources, fluctuation in the crude oil prices, and emersion of new environmental problems due to greenhouse gasses effects of fossil fuel combustion have convinced governments to invest in development of power generation based on renewable and sustainable energy (RSE) resources. Recently, power generation from RSE resources has been taken into account in the energy mix of every country to supply the annual electricity demand. In this paper, the scenario of the energy mix of Malaysia and the role of RSE resources in power generation are studied. Major RSE sources, namely biomass and biogas, hydro‐electricity, solar energy, and wind energy, are discussed, focusing more toward the electrical energy demand for electrification. It is found that power generation based on biomass and biogas utilization, solar power generation, and hydropower has enough spaces for more development in Malaysia. Moreover, minihydropower and wind power generation could be effective for rural regions of Malaysia. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An econometric study on long-term energy outlook and the implications of renewable energy utilization in Malaysia

We developed a comprehensive econometric model to study the long-term outlook of Malaysia's economy, energy and environment to 2030. Our projections under the reference scenario indicated that Malaysia's gross domestic production (GDP) is expected to average 4.6% from 2004 to 2030, and total primary energy consumption will triple by 2030. Coal import will increase following governmental policy of intensifying its use for power generation. Oil import is predicted to take place by 2013 and reach 45 Mtoe in 2030. Hence, in the near future, Malaysia's energy import dependency will rise. Carbon emissions will triple by 2030. On the other hand, our projections under an alternative renewable energy (RE) scenario showed that the utilization of RE is a strategic option to improve the long-term energy security and environmental performance of Malaysia. However, substantial governmental involvements and support, as well as the establishment of a regulatory framework are necessary.     

Optimal investment portfolio in renewable energy: The Spanish case

This article presents a model for investing in renewable energies in the framework of the Spanish electricity market in a way that risk is minimised for the investor while returns are maximised. The model outlined here is based on an economic model for calculating cash flows intended to obtain the internal rate of return (IRR) of the different energies being studied: wind, photovoltaic, mini hydro and thermo electrical. The IRRs obtained are considered the returns on investments, while their standard deviations are considered associated risks. In order to minimise risk, a comprehensive portfolio of investments is created that includes all of the available energies by means of a system of linear equations. The solution of the linear system is graphically checked using the efficient frontier method for the different financing options. Several case studies within the Renewable Energies Plan (PER is its Spanish abbreviation) that is in force in Spain in the period 2005–2010 are analysed in order to illustrate the method, as are other case studies using different types of financing, helping us to reach the pertinent conclusions.     

Optimal hybrid renewable energy systems for energy security: a comparative study

A hybrid power system may be used to reduce dependency on either conventional energy or renewable systems. This article deals with the sizing, generator running hours, sensitivity analysis, optimisation, and greenhouse gas emission analysis of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES). Two locations have been selected where the feasibility of using different hybrid systems is studied for the same load demand. One site is the small remote community of Amini in the Lakshadweep Islands, located in southern India in the Arabian Sea, where solar and/or wind energy is always available throughout the year to provide energy security. Another place is the rural township of Hathras, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where agricultural biomass is found in abundance for the whole year. A comparative study has been made for the two locations for the same load demand by simulating HRES. To achieve the goal of simulation, the hybrid optimisation model for electric renewables (HOMER) software of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA, is used. An optimisation model of a hybrid renewable system has been prepared which simplifies the task of evaluating the design of an off-grid/standalone system. After simulating all possible system equipment with their sizes, a list of many possible configurations may be evaluated and sorted by net present cost to compare the design options. An elaborate sensitivity analysis has been used for each input variable; the whole optimisation process is repeated to get simulated system configurations     

适应可再生能源消纳的储能技术经济性分析

低成本储能技术是碳中和目标下高渗透率可再生能源系统的重要支撑技术.现有储能技术经济性研究一般基于储能产品技术参数评估平准化充放电成本(LCOS),缺少结合具体应用工况的储能技术路线对比分析.在未来以新能源为主体的新型电力系统中,储能的运行工况将发生明显变化,技术经济性定量预测研究是储能技术路线选择和激励政策设计的重要参...     

A fuzzy levelised energy cost method for renewable energy technology assessment

Renewable energy project development is highly complex and success is by no means guaranteed. Decisions are often made with approximate or uncertain information yet the current methods employed by decision-makers do not necessarily accommodate this. Levelised energy costs (LEC) are one such commonly applied measure utilised within the energy industry to assess the viability of potential projects and inform policy. The research proposes a method for achieving this by enhancing the traditional discounting LEC measure with fuzzy set theory. Furthermore, the research develops the fuzzy LEC (F-LEC) methodology to incorporate the cost of financing a project from debt and equity sources. Applied to an example bioenergy project, the research demonstrates the benefit of incorporating fuzziness for project viability, optimal capital structure and key variable sensitivity analysis decision-making. The proposed method contributes by incorporating uncertain and approximate information to the widely utilised LEC measure and by being applicable to a wide range of energy project viability decisions.     

Multi-criteria assessment of new and renewable energy power plants

The multi-criteria evaluation of new and renewable technologies demonstrates the potential analysis of complex systems. Every energy system under consideration is an entity by itself, defined by the respective number of parameters which are deterministically interrelated according to the physical laws. Sustainability indicators take into account the economic and environmental resources parameters. This paper presents selection of criteria and options for the new and renewable energy technologies assessment based on the analysis and synthesis of parameters under the information deficiency method. In order to present an evaluation of the new energy technologies, a number of options featuring some of the characteristics measured by the selected sustainability indicators are taken into consideration. For each option under consideration, the sustainability indicators are defined in order to verify their rating under the specific constraints and to obtain the generalised index of sustainability rating of all options. The aim of this paper is to define energy indicators used in the assessment of energy systems which meet the sustainability criterion. In this respect, the following indicators are taken into consideration: energy resources, environment capacity, social indicators and economic indicators.     

Algerian renewable energy assessment: The challenge of sustainability

Algeria plays a very important role in world energy markets, both as a significant hydrocarbon producer and as an exporter, as well as a key participant in the renewable energy market. Due to its geographical location, Algeria holds one of the highest solar potentials in the world. This paper presents a review of the present renewable energy situation and assesses present and future potential of renewable energy sources (RESs) in Algeria. This paper also discusses the trends and expectation in solar systems applications and the aspects of future implementation of renewable energies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region status. The problem related to the use of RES and polices to enhance the use of these sources are also analysed in this paper. In addition the available capacity building, the technical know-how for each RES technology and localizing manufacturing of renewable energy equipments are defined. The co-importance of both policy and technology investments for the future Algerian markets of RES and competitiveness of the solar/wind approach is emphasized. Some examples of policy significantly impacting Algerian markets are reviewed, and the intention of the new Algerian RES initiative is discussed.     

Sustainable application of renewable sources in water pumping systems: Optimized energy system configuration

Eighteen years ago, in Portugal, the expenses in a water supply system associated with energy consumption were quite low. However, with the successive crises of energy fuel and the increase of the energy tariff as well as the water demand, the energy consumption is becoming a larger and a more important part of the total budget of water supply pumping systems. Also, new governmental policies, essentially in developed countries, are trying to implement renewable energies. For these reasons, a case-study in Portugal of a water pumping system was analysed to operate connected to solar and wind energy sources.     

Optimal management of microgrids including renewable energy scources using GPSO-GM algorithm

Environmentally friendly energy sources with high power quality or reliability and low costs are regarded as an effective solution for energy supply problems arising from use of conventional methods. Presented in this paper, gives an optimal management strategy of PV/wind/diesel independent hybrid systems for supplying required energy in autonomous microgrids. A new optimization problem is formulated for minimizing the capital investment and fuel costs of the system. To solve the proposed optimization problem a novel algorithm, named Guaranteed convergence Particle Swarm Optimization with Gaussian Mutation (GPSO-GM), is developed. Two operators, namely mutation and guaranteed convergence, are added to PSO in order to help finding more accurate results and increasing the speed of calculations. The performance of the proposed strategy is evaluated in two case studies.     

Generating renewable energy from oil palm biomass in Malaysia: The Feed-in Tariff policy framework

The renewable energy (RE) industry in Malaysia began in 2001 in the context of the growing concern about future depletion of conventional fuels and the global environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. The Small Renewable Energy Programme (SREP) is a tool that was first designed to drive the development of the industry based on the abundance of oil palm biomass reserves and other identified renewable energy resources. Due to the slow uptake of this scheme, a new system, the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) was introduced in 2011 to stimulate the industry. By considering the deficiencies of the previous scheme, this paper examines the sustainability of the FiT policy framework in steering the future expansion of small-scale biomass renewable energy businesses in Malaysia. Resulting from the evaluation of the current policy settings and a market based appraisal, this work outlines strategies for enhancing the scheme and suggests future studies aimed at improving the flaws in the present system.     

Optimal sizing of renewable hybrids energy systems: A review of methodologies

Taking into account oil depletion, increasing population, and increasing energy demand, electrical power generation has entered into a new phase of evolution, which can be characterized mainly by increasing concerns about climate change, by a transition from a hydrocarbon-based economy, and by an efficient utilization of energy. In this sense, it seems that alternative energies have gathered considerable momentum since 1970s oil crisis. Moreover, Earth seems to have enough power to cover World’s electrical power demand but not by a single source; for this reason, recent researches have been carried out in order to design in an optimal way system’s configuration. Nevertheless, because of the randomized nature of alternative energy sources, electrical load profile, as well as the non-linear response of system components, to mention a few, is not an easy to assess the hybrid energy system performance; therefore, hybrid energy system designing has been a complex task. For this reason, the aim of this paper is to present a brief review about the sizing methodologies developed in the recent years.     

An opinion survey based assessment of renewable energy technology development in India

India has a very large potential for harnessing renewable energy sources. However, there is a large gap between the estimated potential and the cumulative achievements made so far. A variety of reasons are attributed to the current low levels of dissemination of renewable energy technologies in India as against their respective estimated potentials. Several of these attributes could, one way or the other, be related to the current status of development of the technology, its appropriateness and dissemination strategies adopted for their diffusion and deployment. Results of an attempt to assess the current status of some renewable energy technologies in India are briefly presented in this paper. The main findings of a structured questionnaire based survey undertaken for eliciting views of different categories of stakeholders on various issues affecting dissemination of renewable energy technologies in India are presented in this paper.     

Dynamic life cycle assessment (LCA) of renewable energy technologies

Before new technologies enter the market, their environmental superiority over competing options must be asserted based on a life cycle approach. However, when applying the prevailing status-quo Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to future renewable energy systems, one does not distinguish between impacts which are ‘imported’ into the system due to the ‘background system’ (e.g. due to supply of materials or final energy for the production of the energy system), and what is the improvement potential of these technologies compared to competitors (e.g. due to process and system innovations or diffusion effects). This paper investigates a dynamic approach towards the LCA of renewable energy technologies and proves that for all renewable energy chains, the inputs of finite energy resources and emissions of greenhouse gases are extremely low compared with the conventional system. With regard to the other environmental impacts the findings do not reveal any clear verdict for or against renewable energies.Future development will enable a further reduction of environmental impacts of renewable energy systems. Different factors are responsible for this development, such as progress with respect to technical parameters of energy converters, in particular, improved efficiency; emissions characteristics; increased lifetime, etc.; advances with regard to the production process of energy converters and fuels; and advances with regard to ‘external’ services originating from conventional energy and transport systems, for instance, improved electricity or process heat supply for system production and ecologically optimized transport systems for fuel transportation.The application of renewable energy sources might modify not only the background system, but also further downstream aspects, such as consumer behavior. This effect is, however, strongly context and technology dependent.