Role of a district-heating network as a user of waste-heat supply from various sources – the case of Göteborg

District-heating (DH) networks can utilise heat that would otherwise be of limited use. This study analyses a municipal DH system, which uses waste heat from industries and waste incineration as base suppliers of heat and is currently investing in a natural-gas fired combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant. An important assumption in this study is of the establishment of an integrated European electricity-market, which means higher electricity prices than are traditional in Sweden. The study shows that there is space in the DH system for all three energy carriers; heat from industries, waste incineration and CHP plants. The new CHP plant replaces mainly other heat sources, i.e., hot water boilers and heat pumps. The new CHP plant’s operating time is strongly dependent on the electricity price.     

Integrated modelling of material flows and energy systems (MIMES)

A comprehensive nonlinear programming model, MIMES, for the optimization of linked material and energy flow systems is presented. The model is generic, intended for systems that can be described by materials and energy balances but where the details of phase transitions and chemical reactions can be omitted. It fills a niche between energy systems engineering and process flowsheeting models. Issues suitable for analysis by the model range from energy conservation in industrial plants, specific industries or industrial subsectors to municipal waste management and fuels and materials life cycle analysis. MIMES is implemented on PC (386/486). The model is demonstrated for a paper production line in a paper mill. This example shows how the model can be used for joint analysis of energy and water conservation, substitution of energy carriers, and utilization of waste heat outside the system.     

A methodology for the electrical energy system planning of Tamil Nadu state (India)

In this paper, an energy planning optimisation procedure of a selected territory is illustrated and applied using an energy flow optimisation model. The developed approach takes into account various electricity generating options to meet the energy needs of various demand sectors. Energy saving techniques and hybrid technologies are considered and various scenarios are developed by assessing the contribution of renewable energy technologies over the planning period. The procedure aims to reduce the total actualised cost of energy generation over selected time horizon and predicts the additional installations required along with the existing facilities to meet the energy demand. At the same time the role of renewable energy technologies and of energy saving measures is evaluated by imposing suitable constraints on CO₂ emissions and primary energy sources exploitation. The procedure is applied to the territory of Tamil Nadu state (India) by considering different energy planning scenarios.     

Energy planning in developing countries

The sharp increases in international oil prices during the past decade have had a major impact on growth prospects and balance of payments in developing countries. This has led to an increasing awareness that energy is a crucial factor in the development process. This paper describes the planning context in developing countries and summarizes their needs. Within an overall analytical framework for analysis and planning, a number of specific approaches and examples are given in the areas of energy demand and supply planning. One of the major conclusions is that the energy planning process can be effective only as an integral part of development planning.     

石油和化学工业能源的节约和有效利用规划(一)

我国经济的持续和快速发展推动了能源需求。能源供应量的限制及环境形势的日益严重,促使我们必须加强能源的节约和有效利用。石油和化学工业是国民经济的重要支柱产业,同时,能源消耗总量在我国能源消耗总量中所占比重较高。因此,对石油和化学工业能源的节约和有效利用进行规划是非常必要的。本文从企业、化学工业区、区域和国家等层面探讨了进行能源的节约和有效利用值得关注和需要解决的问题。     

Integrated resource strategic planning: Case study of energy efficiency in the Chinese power sector

In the last quarter of the 20th century, many power companies used the integrated resource planning (IRP) approach in power expansion planning. Today, very few power companies use this approach because of the split between the power generation and distribution activities. It seems that, in some countries, long-term power system expansion planning has become a task of the central government. To help the government in this area, this paper proposes a new approach called the integrated resource strategic planning (IRSP). When combined with a smart grid, this approach can replace the IRP for the government’s power sector expansion. This paper introduces the necessity and possibility of using this new approach, presents a framework on how to use the approach, and justifies the effectiveness of this approach against the traditional power planning approach, with a case study in China. This paper concludes that if China follows the IRSP approach, it may be able to avoid or postpone up to 69 GW of power generation in the period 2009–2015. These measures could help mitigate 201.8 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂), 0.816 million tons of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and 0.946 million tons of nitrogen oxide (NO_x).     

Micro-level energy planning in India—A case study of bangalore north Taluk

Demand for energy in India is constantly on the rise and the conventional supply options available have failed to cope with this increase. The emergence of efficiency improvement, carrier substitution and renewable energy as alternative sources of energy supply, make adherence only to macro-level energy planning unrealistic. A micro-level (district/taluk) energy planning becomes pragmatic under these circumstances to pursue the goal of sustainable development and to harness locally available energy resources. This paper considers the energy consumption pattern in Bangalore North taluk in 1987–88 and projects the demand for energy in 1995–96. Taking into account the different energy sources used to provide different end-use services through different end-use devices, the paper presents a linear programming formulation for optimum allocation. The model considers the conventional and new alternative technologies for meeting the demand for energy service. The results show that substantial savings could be achieved by this optimal allocation. The cost savings could be to the tune of Rs 41.879 million in Bangalore North taluk during 1995–96 (terminal year of Eighth Five-Year Plan). Energy savings of about 27% and cost savings of 16% could also be achieved.     

Energy monitoring and control systems (EMCS) problems and potential solutions

An Energy Monitoring and Control System (EMCS), or Energy Management System as it is sometimes known, is primarily intended as a retrofit to existing buildings to provide more efficient control of mechanical and electrical equipment. Most existing controls for heating/ventilating/air conditioning (HVAC) equipment were designed and installed during a period of low energy cost and are not the most energy efficient. Using a computer for supervisory control allows the equipment to be operated in a more efficient manner through existing controls. In the U.S.A., primarily in the Department of Defense, significant potential benefits have been recognized for EMCS applications, including direct energy savings as well as more effective utilization of limited manpower. Unfortunately, actual implementation of systems has been fraught with problems. To overcome this, a 2-year intensive effort involving industry and government personnel has culminated in an EMCS design manual and guide specifications for four different types of EMCS, ranging from a single building controller to a network controlling hundreds of buildings. A research program has been formulated to address ways of improving hardware components, control strategies (software), and the implementation process. This paper addresses a rationale and methodology for planning, designing, installing and operating an EMCS to fully realize energy savings.     

Synergistic effect of hydrogen and waste lubricating oil on the performance and emissions of a compression ignition engine

The demand for energy is increasing every year. For a long time, fossil fuels have been used to satiate this energy demand. However, using hydrocarbon-based fossil fuels has led to an enormous rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere resulting in global warming. It is therefore necessary to look for alternatives to fossil fuels. The research carried out till date have shown biomass and waste-derived fuels as plausible alternatives to fossil fuels. The biomass feedstock includes jatropha oil, Karanja oil, cottonseed oil, and hemp oil among others and wastes include used cooking oil, used engine oil, used tire and used plastics etc. In this study, the authors aim to explore waste lubrication oil as a fuel for the diesel engine. The used lubrication oil was pyrolyzed and diesel-like fuel with 80% conversion efficiency was obtained. A blend of the fuel and diesel in the ratio of 80:20 on volume basis was prepared. Engine experiments at various load conditions was carried out with the blend. As compared to diesel, a 2% increase in thermal efficiency, 6.3%, 16.1% and 13.6% decrease in smoke, CO and HC emissions & 3.2% and 1.8% increase in NOx and CO₂ emission were observed at full load with the blend. With an aim to further improve the engine performance and reduce the overall emissions from the engine exhaust, a zero-carbon fuel namely gaseous hydrogen was inducted in the intake manifold. The flow rate of hydrogen was varied from 3 to 12 Litres per minute (LPM). As compared to diesel, at maximum hydrogen flow rate the thermal efficiency increased by 12.2%. HC, CO and smoke emissions decreased by 42.4%, 51.6% and 16.8%, whereas NOx emissions increased by 22%. The study shows that the combination of pyrolyzed waste lubricant and hydrogen were found to be suitable as a fuel for an unmodified diesel engine. Such fuel combination can be used for stationary applications such as power backups.     

Integrated control strategy of vehicle supercapacitor energy storage system based on MMC

针对单辆城轨列车在起动、制动过程中对牵引网电压造成冲击从而引起网压不稳定的问题,提出一种基于MMC的车载超级电容储能系统（车载MMC-SCESS）,该系统以MMC拓扑结构作为主电路,通过将超级电容储能单元分散接入MMC子模块中,提高系统的控制灵活性与容错性;其次以车载MMC-SCESS的整体结构为研究对象,详细分析其a相桥臂电路工作原理,总结出每个储能子模块的一般工作模式。针对该储能系统主电路结构,提出采用综合控制策略,通过控制超级电容储能单元的充放电状态来实现能量在城轨列车、直流牵引网、超级电容储能系统三者之间流动。最后在Matlab/Simulink中搭建三相五电平车载MMC-SCESS仿真模型,仿真波形验证了储能系统控制策略的可行性。     

Development of strategies for reducing air pollutant emissions in the European community

In view of increasing economic and environmental problems, energy supply strategies as well as air pollutant emission reduction strategies are required. These strategies should be designed in accordance with the specific development of a country or region. In the past they were mainly considered with respect to the finiteness of natural resources and the scarcity of economic resources. In recent years the ‘joint-production’ of air pollutant emissions in the energy sector has been increasingly recognized as an additional argument. As a consequence, concepts on future energy pathways, which should be efficient with respect to both economic development and environmental protection, have to be devised. For this purpose energy-environmental models such as EFOM-ENV can be used as analytic tools. The paper discusses optimal future energy supply structures that result from different strategies for air-pollution control in the countries of the European Community. The results have been obtained by applying the energy flow optimization model (EFOM), which has been extended by additional environmental modules to EFOM-ENV. The issues of the paper are based on research activities that the authors are performing for the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), Brussels, and the European Research Center for Air Pollution Control Measures (PEF), Karlsruhe, in close co-operation with research institutes in member countries of the European Community.     

Waste gas emission control and constraints of energy and economy in China

This paper studies the characteristics of waste gas emission (WGE), energy consumption (EC) and economic development in China, and analyzes the reason for the change of waste gas intensity (WI) in order to provide necessary information for policy maker. Firstly, this paper describes the situation of WGE and the primary factors in China in general to describe the relationship among energy, economy and environmental at the national level. Then we detect the main sectors for WGE that have notable effectiveness for economic and EC through the comparison of the percentage of EC, value added (VA) and industrial WGE from combustion in 39 industrial sectors. Then with the calculation of energy intensity (EI), clean level (CL) and WI, this paper selects those crucial sectors for waste gas control and shows the efficiency of waste gas control in these sectors from 2001 to 2005. The result showed most waste gas came from heavy industrial sectors. However, heavy industrial sectors usually have lower CL than light industries. Moreover, within these sectors, some sectors, particularly Production and supply of electric power and heat power, showed the tendency of worsening efficiency for waste gas control from 2001 to 2005.     

Emission control strategies for Turkey in view of an integration into the European community

As Turkey intends to join the European Community (EC), there is a need to adjust the national policies to the EC policies. As for the Turkish energy policies, supply strategies are needed that comply with the emission control regulations of the EC, taking into account the fast growing energy requirements and the increasing use of low-grade domestic fuels in Turkey, resulting in increasing air pollution. In a project carried out by the Institute for Industrial Production (IIP), Karlsruhe, in collaboration with the Gazi University, Ankara, and the responsible Turkish authorities, cost-efficient strategies are being developed to reduce emissions in Turkey according to the requirements. The project is financed by the Volkswagen-Stiftung, Hannover. By using the energy-environmental model EFOM-ENV as a tool, cost-efficient mixtures of technological emission control measures, including fuel switching, substitution of energy conversion technologies and the application of emission reduction technologies, are being determined to enable Turkey to comply with the emission control regulations of the EC. Selected results of this project are presented.     

Trust and community: Exploring the meanings,contexts and dynamics of community renewable energy

Community renewable energy projects have recently been promoted and supported in the UK by government policy. A community approach, it is argued in the rhetoric of both government and grassroots activists will change the experience and outcomes of the energy sustainable technology implementation. In this paper, we consider how interpersonal and social trust is implicated in the different meanings given to community in RE programmes and projects, and in the qualities and outcomes that are implied or assumed by taking a community approach. We examine how these meanings play out in examples of projects on the ground, focusing on two contrasting cases in which the relationships between those involved locally have exhibited different patterns of cohesiveness and fracture. We argue that trust does have a necessary part to play in the contingencies and dynamics of community RE projects and in the outcomes they can achieve. Trust between local people and groups that take projects forward is part of the package of conditions which can help projects work. Whilst trust may therefore be functional for the development of community RE and potentially can be enhanced by the adoption of a community approach, this cannot be either assured or assumed under the wide diversity of contexts, conditions and arrangements under which community RE is being pursued and practiced.     

Industrial combined heat and power (CHP) planning: Development of a methodology and application in Greece

This paper establishes a methodology for the estimation of the primary energy savings of an industrial (sub)-sector and the primary energy savings of the total energy system due to CHP. A primary energy savings indicator within a (sub)-sector and a total primary energy savings indicator are developed which are related with the actual energy use of a (sub)-sector and the way of disposal of the excess CHP energy produced. The methodology is applied in an industrial sub-sector in Greece according to the ‘power match’ and the ‘thermal match’ CHP sizing scenarios; subsequently results are presented and the developed indicators are fully explained. It was found that the primary energy savings indicator of a sub-sector is determined by the efficiencies of the relevant technologies, and the interrelation of the ‘power to heat’ ratio of the CHP technology used and the ‘power to heat’ ratio of the sub-sector examined; the total primary energy savings indicator is determined by the efficiencies of the relevant technologies and the percentage of the CHP energy exported from the sub-sector. The methodology can be utilized for optimum CHP planning.     

我国居民生活用能特征研究

本文揭示了我国居民生活能源消费的主要特征:(1)居民生活能源消费量总体呈上升趋势,其在全社会能源消费总量中所占比重却持续下降。(2)城镇和农村居民生活用能特征有很大不同,城镇居民人均生活能源消费量增长极快,农村居民能源消费结构却仍以煤炭为主,引导居民部门能源消费应该对城乡居民有所侧重。(3)各区域居民生活能源利用效率存在明显差异,东部沿海地区能源利用效率最高、中部地区最低,要提高各区域生活能源利用效率,需根据各区域不同用能特征规划能源政策。     

Findings of the second international conference on energy use management—ICEUM-II

It is evident that future worldwide patterns of energy use will be modifications of current ones. The objective of this work is to understand the directions these modifications are taking and to assess opportunities for bringing about beneficial changes and avoiding detrimental ones.

The future will see greater deficits of conventional fuels such as oil and gas and the certainty of higher prices. Fuel and electricity prices, already at record highs, are seen to double again in the next 1–2 years. As a consequence of potential scarcity, disruption of supplies and economic pressures, the danger of a major war is greater now than it has been in the past several decades. The problem is compounded by the fact that the public, in general, is not convinced there is a serious problem and is not prepared to take decisive action.

The United States—the world's major energy user—plays a pivotal role. The consequences of an ineffective U.S. national energy policy have been that U.S. imports remain high, oil prices stay high, the world economy is less stable and less oil is available for other nations. Commensurately, increased prices for food, industrial products, and transportation are resulting.

At this time, changing energy futures is less a problem of technology and more a problem of motivation, values and social awareness. New technology is available for many industrial processes, for heating and cooling buildings, for lighting and agriculture. New technology is urgently needed for energy efficient transportation. Unresolved are the issues of how best to educate and inform the public and to instill new values appropriate for the future. The public, in general, still is not convinced that there is a serious problem and still is not prepared to take decisive actions.

New energy resources are widely sought as replacements for conventional ones, especially those which are imported. While these efforts will lead to varying degrees of success, energy use management has been established during the decade of the 1970s as an effective near-term ‘resource’. It is the most immediate, least risky, cheapest and least environmentally damaging of all the potential options for solving energy problems. National and international policies must be modified to vastly increase the priority given this resource.     

Energy efficiency status of the community housing in Australia

Community housing in Australia provides a range of rental options to low-to-moderate income tenants ranging from short-term crisis accommodation to long-term housing. Most community housing providers rely on rental income as their major source of recurrent funding and the rents are often set to a low percentage of the tenants’ income. Therefore, these not-for-profit organizations have to operate within very stringent budgets. Tenants in community housing may also have special needs. Their energy consumption are relatively high, as they spend long hours in their homes. They are therefore particularly vulnerable to increasing energy prices, and in need of the most assistance in reducing these living costs. This paper researches the status of energy use and the needs of the community housing to reduce the energy and water consumption. There appear to be ample opportunities for water and energy efficiency improvement in community housing, e.g. insulation, more energy efficient hot water systems, etc. However, the organizations lack of time, knowledge, fund and expertise to improve energy efficiency makes it hard and thus create a room for the Government to take initiates to reduce carbon from this sector.