The challenging paradigm of interrelated energy systems towards a more sustainable future

Abstract

This paper brings together several contemporary topics in energy systems aiming to provide a literature review based reflection on how several interrelated energy systems can contribute together to a more sustainable world. Some directions are discussed, such as the improvement of the energy efficiency and environmental performance of the systems, the development of new technologies, the increase of the use of renewable energy sources, the promotion of holistic and multidisciplinary studies, and the implementation of new management rules and "eco-friendly and sustainable" oriented policies at different scales. The interrelations of the diverse energy systems are also discussed in order to address their main social-economic-environmental impacts. The subjects covered include the assessment of the electricity market and its main players (demand, supply, distribution), the evaluation of some urban systems (buildings, transportation, commuting), the analysis of the implementation of renewable energy cooperatives, the discussion of the diffusion of the electric vehicle and the importance of new bioenergy systems. This paper also presents relevant research carried out in the framework of both the Energy for Sustainability Initiative of the University of Coimbra and the Sustainable Energy Systems focus area of the MIT-Portugal Program. To conclude, several research topics that should be addressed in the near future are proposed.

Assessing Socioeconomic Impacts of Integrating Distributed Energy Resources in Electricity Markets through Input-Output Models

“…In this context, the deployment of renewable generation directly affects electricity final prices through the reduction of the wholesale electricity price. Renewable generation capacity deployment has developed electricity price divergences among spot electricity markets [5].…”

“…Input-output analysis is widely applied to the macroeconomic study of direct, indirect and induced effects of renewable sources. The existing IO literature on assessing economic-energy-environment policies mainly concentrates on its effectiveness in terms of value of lost load, output, employment and emissions (see a review of input-output multi-objective models in an energy framework in [5]).…”

Aspectos Relacionados À Alimentação De Educandos Da Eja Dentro E Fora Da Escola Emef “Prof. Pedro Simão”, Em Alegre, Espírito Santo

“…As características econômicas do setor elétrico exigem a adoção de políticas de incentivo para promover as inovações tecnológicas no domínio da evolução da eletricidade (DANTAS et al, 2018). As dinâmicas envolvidas são difíceis de prever e surgem novos desafios na concepção de medidas adequadas para fornecer informações as partes interessadas do sistema de energia elétrica, para orientar as prioridades de investimento, estabelecer os riscos e fornecer orientação na concepção de políticas e quadro regulamentar (SOARES et al, 2018). Simulações de política indicam que racionalizar o instrumento de preços de energia é uma garantia importante para o desenvolvimento sustentável e são eficazes na redução do consumo de eletricidade residencial.…”

Review of Electricity Markets for Smart Nano-Grids

“…Hierarchical energy resources are the ideal purpose to follow and to solve a variety of problems related with electricity scarcity, environmental problems and a sustainable society in terms of energy (1) . Consequently this theory calls for a prioritization of the concepts to improve the sustainability of the energy system being the most important aspect energy saving, followed by energy efficiency, renewable energy production, and low and high environmental impact energies as shown in Figure 1.…”