Energy, Sustainability and Society最新文献

{"title":"An intervention framework for the adoption of solar home system technology in rural Vhembe district, South Africa","authors":"Ranganai Chidembo,&nbsp;Joseph Francis,&nbsp;Simbarashe Kativhu","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00493-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00493-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Solar photovoltaic technology is one of the promising renewable energy solutions of the twenty-first century. It successfully provides electricity to industries, homes and even the transport sector. The decreasing prices of solar modules from 2010 have made Solar Home Systems Technology (SHST) increasingly attractive compared to other renewable energy technologies. Paradoxically, in rural communities of South Africa the usage of SHS remains low. Households continue to rely on unclean energy sources such as firewood for cooking and water heating. Previous efforts to electrify rural communities with SHS have failed considerably. Thus, a comprehensive study was conducted in the Vhembe District, encompassing three villages, to explore this issue and develop a contextualised solution using a behavioural change model. A 35-item questionnaire was randomly administered to 310 households to understand the factors that contribute to the low adoption rate of SHS technology. The data gathered were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics and Amos version 28. Confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing were employed as the principal statistical methods.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>A 12-item model with five distinct factors consolidated into a single measurement model was revealed. All standardised factor loadings exceeded 0.7. Composite reliability values (CR) were above 0.8 and higher than MaxR(H) values, indicating the model’s reliability. Among the five factors influencing SHS adoption (perceived behavioural control, attitude, intention, trust, and subjective norms), only trust and attitude significantly impacted the intention to adopt SHS in the district (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). Based on these findings, the conceptualised structural model reflected SHS adoption as determined by the integration of the technology’s social, technical and policy factors. Because of this, this should be regarded as a true reflection of the practical and behavioural intentions of local communities. Moreover, in this paper the barriers hindering SHS adoption are explained, emphasising the significance of attitude and trust. Highlights of policy imperatives are included together with a proposal for a contextual framework, and the way of promoting sustainable solutions. Emphasis is placed on the importance of scaling up renewable energy access.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This research provides a compelling academic exploration of the barriers to the adoption of SHS, the influential role of attitudes and trust, policy considerations, a contextual framework, and the need for promoting sustainable solutions and expanding access to renewable energy. The South African government should lead a change in how solar PV is deployed, considering its social impact, associated technical skills and policy support.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00493-w","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gender-based opportunity structure in the energy sector: a literature review on women’s networking and mentoring","authors":"Daniela Lazoroska,&nbsp;Jenny Palm,&nbsp;Anna-Riikka Kojonsaari","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00494-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00494-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>While the energy system is recognized as the largest contributor to climate disruption, the bulk of the sustainability-oriented interventions are made through technologies rather than employment equity and social justice issues. Emergent research points to the critical role of increasing the number of women and other minoritized groups in the energy sector, which could have a cultural, economic, and environmental impact. Nevertheless, how inclusion and diversity in the sector are to be achieved is not clear.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>This article is a result of a structured literature review of earlier research focusing on gender in professional networks and mentoring programs within the energy sector. Professional networks and mentoring have been identified as some of the tools employed for increasing gender diversity in the sector. We seek to understand how gender has been integrated, what the main barriers and enablers for women are, and what strategies organizations have applied to achieve gender balance so that men and women face equal opportunities to partake in and influence decisions concerning the energy system.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>We found that women’s exclusion is not recognized as a problem that needs to be acknowledged, monitored, or addressed by the energy sector or policymakers. Professional mentoring and networking have largely been employed to fill the career advancement and diversity gaps left untackled by the energy sector or policymakers. Opportunities for women to be meaningfully included in energy systems decision-making are still limited and fragmented. Furthermore, this lack of recognition is mirrored in energy research. We identified a concerning lack of evidence-based findings on the topic of women’s networking and mentoring in the energy sector. We thus call for in-depth, qualitative, and critical examinations of how opportunities for women and other minoritized groups are generated on both the policy and practice level.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00494-9","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142844845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“Just” energy? An ecofeminist analysis and critique of a predominant conception of energy","authors":"Noemi Calidori,&nbsp;Giovanni Frigo,&nbsp;Rafaela Hillerbrand","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00495-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00495-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This theoretical paper offers an ecofeminist analysis and critique of a specific conception of energy. The hypothesis is that, at least in the Western context, there is a characteristic socio-economic understanding of energy as a resource and commodity for human needs and the development of human societies. This conception corresponds to a cultural understanding that is both different from and broader than the scientific notion of energy. Such a conception has become part of several narratives, including energy policy. Our research question is: <i>does this conception of energy as a commodity and resource affect the relation between humans and nature? And if so, how?</i></p><h3>Results</h3><p>Drawing on the work of Val Plumwood, and Greta Gaard, we argue that conceiving of energy as a resource and commodity for human needs and the socio-economic development of human societies reinforces and mediates the hierarchical and oppressive dualism “human-nature”, thus contributing to backgrounding, excluding, incorporating, and instrumentalizing some parts of nonhuman nature as well as some human groups.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The idea of energy as a commodity shapes public debates and policies, worsening existing environmental issues. This dominant perspective affects how people respond to environmental challenges and crises, both individually and collectively. This article aims to encourage more critical and open discussions about energy. It suggests that researchers and policymakers adopt more radical and less oppressive approaches in their academic work, benefiting both the human and non-human world.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00495-8","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142811124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life cycle environmental impacts and costs of water electrolysis technologies for green hydrogen production in the future","authors":"Jan Christian Koj,&nbsp;Petra Zapp,&nbsp;Christoph Wieland,&nbsp;Klaus Görner,&nbsp;Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00497-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00497-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>To limit climate change and reduce further harmful environmental impacts, the reduction and substitution of fossil energy carriers will be the main challenges of the next few decades. During the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), the participants agreed on the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. Hydrogen, when produced from renewable energy, can be a substitute for fossil fuel carriers and enable the storage of renewable energy, which could lead to a post-fossil energy age. This paper outlines the environmental impacts and levelized costs of hydrogen production during the life cycle of water electrolysis technologies.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The environmental impacts and life cycle costs associated with hydrogen production will significantly decrease in the long term (until 2045). For the case of Germany, the worst-case climate change results for 2022 were 27.5 kg CO_2eq./kg H₂. Considering technological improvements, electrolysis operation with wind power and a clean heat source, a reduction to 1.33 kg CO_2eq./kg H₂ can be achieved by 2045 in the best case. The electricity demand of electrolysis technologies is the main contributor to environmental impacts and levelized costs in most of the considered cases.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>A unique combination of possible technological, environmental, and economic developments in the production of green hydrogen up to the year 2045 was presented.</p><p>Based on a comprehensive literature review, several research gaps, such as a combined comparison of all three technologies by LCA and LCC, were identified, and research questions were posed and answered. Consequently, prospective research should not be limited to one type of water electrolysis but should be carried out with an openness to all three technologies. Furthermore, it has been shown that data from the literature for the LCA and LCC of water electrolysis technologies differ considerably in some cases. Therefore, extensive research into material inventories for plant construction and into the energy and mass balances of plant operation are needed for a corresponding analysis to be conducted. Even for today’s plants, the availability and transparency of the literature data remain low and must be expanded.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00497-6","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142778253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of sense of ownership in rural community mini-grid management: qualitative case study from Tanzania","authors":"Irene F. Ngoti","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00496-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00496-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The majority of mini-grids in Tanzania are managed by private entities, faith-based institutions, and the government. In contrast, a limited number of mini-grids under community management strive to survive. Although the concept of “sense of ownership” is considered crucial for mini-grid sustainability in developing countries, there is limited theoretical exploration of the factors that drive this concept and its effects on community mini-grid management. This paper assesses the relationship between the sense of ownership among electricity users and the effective management of two solar community-based mini-grids with different sustainability experience.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>A sense of ownership plays a role in establishing the decision-making process of mini-grids among village energy committee members toward sustainable or unsustainable management. The mechanisms behind the sense of ownership among community members toward managing mini-grids are largely expedited by the strong leadership of village energy committee members, community participation in decision-making and resource mobilisation, especially in the preparation, design and implementation phases of mini-grids.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>A sense of ownership is found to influence the effective management of community mini-grids in Tanzania. When designing mini-grid project policies and programs that target respective communities as prospective owners, energy practitioners and policy-makers should consider creating an environment that nurtures a sense of ownership.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00496-7","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142761908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Value creation of straw-based biogas in China","authors":"Yingmu Chang,&nbsp;Walter Stinner,&nbsp;Daniela Thraen","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00492-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00492-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Value creation is a common concept in business, and the core purpose of economic activity. “Value creation” of biogas refers to how much biogas value can be created when it is used for different purposes. The fact that 1 m³ of biogas contains enough value as an energy carrier to replace coal, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and natural gas in the power and heat sector, as well as gasoline and diesel as a vehicle fuel, receives too little attention in China. The use of agricultural residues and waste is not only a key element for the reduction of resource demand and climate gas emissions, but also offers the potential for value creation. Biogas provision, which is being promoted more and more in China, could be the key to unlocking this potential.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>To assess the potential of value creation for straw-based biogas in China, we calculated the value created by substituting fossil fuels by biogas in different provinces. Likewise, we calculated the collectable straw potential between 2011 and 2020 by using data regarding methane yield, the official biogas electricity price and rate of subsidy by province, as well as market prices of fossil fuels issued by the <i>National Bureau of Statistics</i> as unit price. Furthermore, the amount of value that 1 m³ methane creates in different applications is compared in Chinese yuan, euro and dollar.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results showed that value creation for vehicle use is the highest, which reached 5.52/6.57/8.16 yuan/m³ methane (0.789/0.939/1.166 USD/m³) as a gasoline replacement, and 5.17/5.81/7.07 yuan/m³ methane (0.699/0.785/0.955 USD/m³) as a diesel replacement; followed by substitution of natural gas, and LPG; the current most common use, electricity generated by the CHP plant showed a relatively low value, which reached 1.08/1.90 yuan/m³ methane (0.154/0.271 USD/m³); and the heat supply showed the lowest with only 0.56 yuan/m³ methane (0.08 USD/m³). This scientific calculation method of the value of biogas as an energy carrier provides a basis for further development of the biogas industry. This paper initially raises this research question in China.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00492-x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142736966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of wind energy potential along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast","authors":"Kareem Tonbol,&nbsp;Mohamed Elbessa,&nbsp;Omneya Ibrahim,&nbsp;Tarek M. El-Geziry","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00491-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00491-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Currently, there is no wind park operating along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast. Therefore, this study aims to find suitable locations for such projects. Wind data from five coastal meteorological stations were used. These are Marsa Matruh (MM), Ras El-Tin (RE), Abu Qir (AQ), Port Said (PS), and Arish (Ar), in that order from west to east. The wind regime dataset, comprising velocity and direction measurements at a 10-m elevation, was collected from January 2007 to December 2022 (16 years), with a complete record of all data points. The Weibull distribution function, along with its different parameters, was used to characterize wind energy along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast. The coefficient of determination (<i>R</i>²), root mean squared error (RMSE), and relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) for the Weibull parameters, along with the relative percentage errors (RPE) for the wind power density were calculated to assess the concordance between outcomes derived from observed data and those predicted by the Weibull function.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Results revealed that the dominant wind direction along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast was the NNW to N wind, except at Ar where the dominant wind was S. The wind velocity range of 4–6 m/s dominated RE, AQ, and PS. At MM and Ar, this was reduced to 2–4 m/s. The analysis of wind power density outlined significant insights into the potential for wind energy generation in the region. The overall analysis showed that AQ and PS were potentially the most suitable locations for wind energy projects. However, the high variability at the AQ site required robust system designs to manage the fluctuating wind conditions. PS might be more suitable for projects prioritizing stability and consistency over maximum energy output. Although Arish, characterized by its lower wind power density, may be less conducive for large-scale wind energy projects, it could still be viable for smaller installations or when integrated with other renewable energy sources.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The different statistical indices reflected good model fitting, displaying the reliability of the Weibull distribution as a tool for preliminary wind resource assessment along the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast and facilitating accurate predictions of wind power availability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00491-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142714308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promoting real-time electricity tariffs for more demand response from German households: a review of four policy options","authors":"Sönke Häseler,&nbsp;Alexander J. Wulf","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00490-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00490-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Demand response is an important option for accommodating growing shares of renewable electricity, and therefore, crucial for the success of the energy transition in Germany and elsewhere. In conjunction with smart meters, real-time (or ‘dynamic’) electricity tariffs can facilitate the flexibilization of power consumption and reduce energy bills. Whilst such tariffs are already quite common in several EU member states, Germany lags behind in this respect. The country makes for an interesting case study because of the sheer volume of additional flexibility that its energy transition necessitates.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>This paper discusses how German policymakers can make real-time tariffs more attractive for households and thus entice them to better adapt their consumption to current market conditions. Following an analysis of the current impediments to the adoption of such tariffs, we discuss four policy options: (1) a more ambitious legal definition of real-time tariffs that can promote market transparency and leverage potential savings for consumers, (2) a shift in energy taxation that encourages the uptake of renewable power and increases price spreads, (3) a new model of dynamic network charges which combines grid-serving and market-serving incentives, and (4) a subsidy for users of real-time tariffs that helps internalise the benefits they provide to all electricity consumers. Given the similar regulatory framework, our suggestions should generally also apply to other countries in Europe and beyond.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Overall, we argue that there is considerable scope for policymakers to better exploit market forces to ensure security of electricity supply at lower social cost. Our call for stricter regulation in order to allow the markets to better guide consumer behaviour may seem like a paradox—but it is one well worth embracing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00490-z","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142598870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An agile life cycle assessment for the deployment of photovoltaic energy systems in the built environment","authors":"Tomás Gómez-Navarro,&nbsp;Christian Stascheit,&nbsp;Dácil Díaz-Bello,&nbsp;Carlos Vargas-Salgado","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00488-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00488-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>In the context of urban energy transition, photovoltaic (PV) systems play an important role in electricity generation. However, PV technology has some environmental drawbacks that also need to be acknowledged and managed. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to assess the environmental impacts of systems, but LCA is very complex to perform. Therefore, this research work presents a proof of concept for a parameterized LCA tool for grid-tied photovoltaic systems in urban areas that allows non-experts in LCA to obtain LCA results reliably and quickly.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The resulting methodology is an integration of three preexisting tools: PVGIS, Brightway and Ecoinvent, plus a Breakeven point analysis. The first step of the approach consists of identifying the main parameters of photovoltaic systems: geographical, technological, and temporal. Once the non-expert practitioner sets the influential parameters, the tool assesses the greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of the PV panels per unit of supplied electricity, allocates the emissions per component, and calculates the point at which the avoided emissions compensate for those produced by the power system. The algorithm strives to find the optimal PV system configuration to reduce the environmental impact, providing decision-making support for promoters and policymakers in the context of the urban energy transition. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the proposed method’s applicability and benefits.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The production of PV panels was confirmed as the main source of emissions in this kind of installation. The reasons are analyzed, allowing for improved design. Furthermore, the estimated break-even point where savings of conventional electricity offset emissions shows the influence of the parameters on the system’s environmental performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00488-7","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142600558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of disamenity costs and equality considerations regarding onshore wind power expansion and distribution into energy system optimization models","authors":"C. Lohr,&nbsp;F. Peterssen,&nbsp;M. Schlemminger,&nbsp;A. Bensmann,&nbsp;R. Niepelt,&nbsp;R. Brendel,&nbsp;R. Hanke-Rauschenbach","doi":"10.1186/s13705-024-00489-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-024-00489-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Social acceptance of energy infrastructure projects affects public support for the energy transition and is essential for the transition’s sustainability and success. Despite extensive research focusing on the social acceptance of renewable energy, and on the acceptance of onshore wind power in particular, energy system models have largely prioritized techno-economic aspects. This focus has created a gap between model results and decision-makers’ needs. In this study, we offer recommendations for integrating disamenity costs and equality considerations—two critical social aspects related to onshore wind power—into energy system optimization. To achieve this, we use a spatially distributed model from a climate-neutral Germany and explore various implementations and trade-offs of these two social aspects.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>We identified effective linear formulations for both disamenity costs and equality considerations as model extensions, notably outperforming quadratic alternatives, which exhibit longer solution times (+ 50–115%). Our findings reveal that the endogenous consideration of disamenity costs in the optimization approach can significantly reduce the human population’s exposure to wind turbines, decreasing the average disamenity per turbine by 53%. Drawing on notions of welfare economics, we employ two different approaches for integrating equality into the optimization process, permitting the modulation of the degree of equality within spatial distributions in energy system models. The trade-offs of the two social aspects compared to the cost-optimal reference are moderate, resulting in a 2–3% increase in system costs.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Disamenity costs emerge as a predominant factor in the distribution of onshore wind power in energy system optimization models. However, existing plans for onshore wind power distribution in Germany underscore equality as the driving factor. The inclusion of social aspects in energy system models facilitates the identification of socially superior wind turbine locations. Neglecting disamenity costs and equality considerations leads to an overestimation of the practical solution space for decision-makers and, consequently, the resulting energy system designs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://energsustainsoc.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13705-024-00489-6","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142595355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}