Sustainable power density in electricity generation

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -When comparing renewables with fossil fuels, emotional approaches are fuelled by the difficulties in defining a proper metric able to make consistent comparisons among energy sources. In literature several approaches have been proposed, all effective in some way but ineffective in others. Variables like energy density, prices, estimated resources, life time emissions, water use and waste, all come at the same time to form an unmanageable mix. This paper discuss the adoption of a shared metric to clarify the boundary conditions that limit the solutions can be operated and to define which scenarios are sustainable and which are not. Design/methodology/approach -Energy density and power density are the cornerstones of the physical limitations in the exploitation of the energy sources. On this basis, a novel classification of energy sources, volumetric and flowing, has been proposed and discussed in light of three parameters: abundance, power density and sustainability. Eventually, an extended definition of power density based on life-cycle assessment is adopted. Findings -Sustainable power density makes possible compare the different energy options and shows how limitation in land comes to be the root of all resources limitations. Originality/value -A definition of a unique parameter is proposed and pros and cons of all energy options are calculated and put in a single graphic providing new insights into the energy policy.

Consideration of marginal electricity in real-time minimization of distributed data centre emissions

“…(Frischknecht & Rebitzer, 2005;Jolliet et al, 2003). Also, another optimization criteria such as the sustainability power density defined by Buceti (2014) would probably lead to different choices and consequently to different emissions. Distributed data centres' optimization based only on GHG emissions are therefore not expected to minimize damage to human health or ecosystems.…”

A resource curse for renewables? Conflict and cooperation in the renewable energy sector

“…However, the power density of biomass, calculated as energy per unit of time and area in the extraction region (e.g. W/m 2 ), is several orders of magnitude lower than that of fossil resources or fissile material in places where these exist [63]. Biomass also has lower power density than wind power and solar PV (see Table 2).…”

“…[63,[65][66][67]. Values are generally in the lower part of the range, but geography and favourable environmental conditions increase the density in some locations, e.g.…”

Green Synthetic Fuels: Renewable Routes for the Conversion of Non-Fossil Feedstocks into Gaseous Fuels and Their End Uses

“…The main advantage of biomass among of the rest of the renewable energy sources is to be a predictable energy resource of renewable nature that can be easily stored, transported and utilized far away from the point of origin [450]. Instead, main drawbacks are the impact on natural ecosystems and low power density (0.5 W/m 2 of biomass crops) compared to other renewable sources (2 W/m 2 of wind power and 10 W/m 2 of photovoltaic power) [451]. Compared to coal, biomass has low contents of ash, C, FC, N, S, Si and higher volatile matter, but has also a high content of moisture [452].…”