Implications of an energy efficiency obligation scheme for the Swedish energy-intensive industries: an evaluation of costs and benefits

The EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) aims at improving energy efficiency by implementing actions in all sectors of the economy in the EU. Article 7 of the EED sets the target of 1.5 % cumulative annual energy end-use savings. An energy efficiency obligation scheme (EEO) is one of the policy mechanisms proposed to reach this target. This paper assesses the impact of implementing a Swedish EEO and the implications that such a scheme may have for Swedish energy-intensive industries. The assessment was based on cost-benefit analysis (CBA) methodology. The benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) ranges from 1.56 to 2.17 and the break-even cost ranges from 83.3 to 86.9 €/MWh with sensitivity analyses performed for the emission allowance prices and eventual costs of the EEO. The annual energy savings potential is estimated to be 1.25 TWh/year. A Swedish EEO could motivate investments in energy efficiency measures and thus help Sweden reach the energy efficiency targets set in the EED.     

Above-ground carbon storage by urban trees in Leipzig, Germany: Analysis of patterns in a European city

Many aspects of global change, including carbon dioxide emissions, have been attributed to urban areas. On the other hand, cities have been found to provide valuable ecosystem services such as carbon storage. The aim of this study is to estimate the above-ground carbon storage in trees in the central European city of Leipzig and produce spatially explicit carbon storage maps. We used stratified random sampling across 19 land cover classes using 190 sample plots to measure carbon storage. In addition, we derived canopy cover from color-infrared orthophotos using an object-oriented approach and Random Forest machine learning. Finally, we apply an error assessment method that includes sampling error, but also uncertainty stemming from allometric equations, and that so far has only been applied to rural forests. The total above ground carbon stock of Leipzig was estimated using both land cover and canopy cover, which was more laborious than just using land cover but reduced the standard error. Canopy cover was approximately 19% of the city area. Leipzig's above-ground carbon storage was estimated to be 316,000 Mg C at 11 Mg C ha⁻¹. The distribution of carbon storage across the city showed the highest values at intermediate urbanization levels. Carbon storage in the city of Leipzig was in the lower range compared to cities in Europe, Asia and the USA, and our results indicate that great care should be taken when transferring values between cities. We provide spatially explicit and detailed maps of above-ground storage that can contribute to ecosystem services assessments.     

Water Quality Monitoring Station Design for Remote Sites Experiencing Extreme Water Level Fluctuation

The Nature Conservancy and the US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a multiyear floodplain restoration project on the Mollicy Farms tract of the Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge (UONWR) located in north‐east Louisiana. Large magnitude flood pulses, remote setting and other factors presented major challenges to the monitoring effort. A planning and design process resulted in the creation of a water quality monitoring station that could deploy Yellow Springs Instruments water sampling equipment in areas with large ranges in water level throughout the UONWR floodplain. Details of the station design, fabrication and diagrams are provided. Monitoring data will help measure the impact that large‐scale floodplains have on water quality once they are reconnected to river systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.