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Clean Energy
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This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 2515-4230 - ISSN (Online) 2515-396X
Published by Oxford University Press

[425 journals]

Investigating energy policies to boost grid-connected rooftop solar PV in
Sudan
- First page: zkad044
  Abstract: AbstractGrid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can reduce the energy demand from the grid and significantly increase the power available to it. However, rooftop solar PV has not yet been widely adopted in many sub-Saharan African countries, such as Sudan, although they are endowed with high solar radiation and in dire need of additional power. This paper investigates risks and policies to increase grid-connected rooftop solar PV adoption in Sudan. A simplified United Nations Development Program Derisking Renewable Energy Investment framework is adopted to investigate this over three stages. For Stage 1, a list of risks and barriers was produced based on a literature review of solar PV studies in Sudan and interviews with nine stakeholders. Affordability was the risk most often mentioned (eight times from nine interviewees), followed by concerns about poor utility grid infrastructure. For Stage 2, policy de-risking instruments and financial de-risking instruments were listed to overcome the barriers. These include the introduction of net metering, the use of a third-party organization to monitor policy implementation, upgrade of the grid infrastructure, public awareness campaigns and energy-saving schemes. For Stage 3, the levelized cost of electricity was estimated for a typical 2-kW rooftop PV system without policies (0.11 $/kWh) and with a net-metering policy (0.07 $/kWh).
  PubDate: Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
  DOI: 10.1093/ce/zkad044
  Issue No: Vol. 7, No. 5 (2023)
Optimal control of a hybrid microgrid for hydrogen-based heat supply using
deep reinforcement learning
- Pages: 940 - 951
  Abstract: AbstractGreen hydrogen is considered one of the key technologies of the energy transition, as it can be used to store surpluses from renewable energies in times of high solar radiation or wind speed for use in dark lulls. This paper examines the decarbonization potential of hydrogen for the heating industry. Worldwide, 99% of hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, because hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources remains prohibitively expensive compared with its conventional counterpart. However, due to the expansion of renewable energy sources and the current energy crisis of conventional energy sources, hydrogen from renewable energy sources is becoming more and more economical. To optimize the efficiency of green hydrogen production and make it more price-competitive, the author simulates a hydrogen production plant consisting of a photovoltaic plant, a power grid, hydrogen storage, an electrolyser, a natural gas purchase option, a district heating plant and households. Using the deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm from deep reinforcement learning, the plant is designed to optimize itself by simulating different production scenarios and deriving strategies. The connected district heating plant is used to map how hydrogen can be optimally used for heat supply. A demonstrable outcome of this paper is that the utilization of deep deterministic policy gradient, over the course of a full year, can result in a competitive production of hydrogen derived from renewable or stored energy sources for the heating industry as a natural gas substitute.
  PubDate: Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
  DOI: 10.1093/ce/zkad038
  Issue No: Vol. 7, No. 5 (2023)
Renewable energy in Benin: current situation and future prospects
- Pages: 952 - 961
  Abstract: AbstractTo provide clean energy at a lower cost to their citizens, all nations of the world are striving to increase their energy production in an environmentally friendly way. Benin has also joined this dynamic by considerably increasing its green energy production efforts in recent years. The country has a huge undeveloped renewable-energy (RE) potential that can contribute considerably to its national energy production capacity. This paper summarizes the current RE situation in Benin and examines its future prospects. The current energy situation of the country is discussed, followed by an examination of its electricity demand-and-supply situation. The country has been found to depend heavily on natural gas and petroleum products from neighbouring countries and has ~41% of national electricity access. However, the government is taking considerable steps to implement RE projects in the country. The study analyzes government targets in the energy sector with existing policies and institutional frameworks. Recommendations are made for the benefit of the government, the private sector and other actors in order to developing the RE potential of Benin.
  PubDate: Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
  DOI: 10.1093/ce/zkad039
  Issue No: Vol. 7, No. 5 (2023)
The UAE’s energy system and GHG emissions: pathways to achieving
national goals by 2050
- Pages: 962 - 980
  Abstract: AbstractIn recent years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has developed strategies to increase renewable power generation and reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. Electricity generation and energy-intensive industries (EII) have the largest potentials for emission reduction. Therefore, an up-to-date inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and a study of the pathways to achieving the 2050 targets are essential. This study focuses on power production and EII (aluminium, steel and cement). The structure of these sectors is modelled and simulated up to 2050 using a system dynamics (SD) methodology. The SD model is validated to reflect the real-world state of the system using the emissions inventory projections as reference modes. Nineteen mitigation policies are considered in the selected sectors and four policy scenarios were simulated. The results show that implementing the Energy Strategy 2050 in the power sector can result in a reduction of 63.5% in emissions in that sector, which translates into a reduction of 33.5% overall by 2050. Additionally, implementing all identified mitigation strategies to full utilization in EII yields a 94% reduction in that sector, which translates into a 78% reduction overall. Decarbonizing the aluminium industry yields the highest emissions reductions, followed by power production, then cement and finally steel. In the best-case scenario, 22.1% of the business-as-usual emissions are still released and further decarbonization—mainly in the power sector—will be required. This is achievable given the trajectory of the UAE’s successful nuclear energy programme and the prospect of utilizing carbon capture, utilization and storage even further.
  PubDate: Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
  DOI: 10.1093/ce/zkad040
  Issue No: Vol. 7, No. 5 (2023)
Mitigation of the impacts of electric vehicle charging on energy-star
ratings for residential buildings in India
- Pages: 981 - 993
  Abstract: AbstractThe star-labelling programme for residential buildings was introduced by India in 2020 and applies to all residential buildings with no lower limit on the built-up area or electrical demand. The energy-star label for a residential building is awarded against the notified standard by the regulatory body and electric vehicles (EVs) have not been accommodated as a load for residential buildings. The energy consumption of an existing residential building is taken from a study already carried out and compared with the requirement of the Indian residential star-labelling programme with an EV as a plugged-in load. An annual energy gap of 6060 kWh for the existing residential buildings considered in this study for five-star building energy labels increases to 7784 kWh if the EV load is added to the building load. The residential building will lose two energy stars if it caters to the EV load and, to bridge this energy gap, the replacement of existing electrical appliances with five-star-rated energy appliances, employing grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) and retrofit of the building envelope are considered. The techno-economic potential of rooftop solar PV and building envelope retrofitting for existing residential buildings is explored using RETScreen® and eQUEST software, respectively. The study establishes that the installation of rooftop solar PV can accommodate the additional load of EVs and can bridge half and three-quarters of the energy gap to achieve five energy stars for an existing building with and without EVs, respectively. It is the most economical option among the options explored in this study. The target Energy Performance Index is achievable by high-end energy consumers (12 000 kWh/year) by additional measures, the replacement of inefficient electrical appliances and building envelope retrofitting in addition to the installation of rooftop solar PV.
  PubDate: Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
  DOI: 10.1093/ce/zkad041
  Issue No: Vol. 7, No. 5 (2023)