Environmental aspects of
Energetics
Energetic trilemma
Cheap
Energetic trilemma
Cheap x clean
Energetic trilemma
Cheap x clean x reliable
Energetic trilemma
Win-win strategy ?
- support = ?
- support = ?
- support = ?
Energetic trilemma
Win-win strategy ?
- support = ?
- support = ?
- support = ?
Energetic trilemma
Energy use - consequences
- non-renewable E - coal, gas, oil, uranium
→ significant env. consequences, but reliable source
- renewable E – sun, wind, heat-pumps, biomass, etc.
→ significant env. consequences, non-reliable source
Steep increase of E demand:
- 1925 – 1,485 mil. coal (equiv.)
- 1970 – 6,821 mil. coal (equiv.)
- 2000 – 15 000 mil. coal (equiv.)
~ 3.2% increase per year
World E production 1971-2010.
* incl. geothermal, solar, wind, etc.
Share of sources on total E production (1973)
2016
Share of sources on total E production
1973 and 2010.
* incl. geothermal, solar, wind, etc.
2016
Dependency on fossil E
fossil fuels → 81 % world E consumption
- according to the etimates of world E
reserves, they will be depleted till
the half of 21. century
Oil crisis
- OPEC sharply increases oil prices in the 1970s
- price of oil from Abu Dhabi - $ 2.54 (1972) x $ 36.56 (1981) per barrel
- sharp price increases and supply constraints as a result of support of
western countries to Israel in the Arab-Israeli conflict
Consequences
- queues at petrol stations,
- panic among business investors
- recession and uncontrollable inflation
- USA severely affected
→ 1977 - 70% of oil imports from OPEC
Lesson from oil crisis?
- to ensure own E resources in general
- to increase the extraction of large oil reserves in Alaska, Prudhoe Bay
- however, the ecosystems of this territory are very vulnerable
- threat - failure and sabotage of the Trans-Alaskan oil pipeline leading
to the non-freezing port of Valdez
- dependency on non-renewable resources – real E-crisis solution?
Crude oil price on world markets (US$/barrel). Coal price on world markets(US$/t).
Nominal oil prices in since January, 1985.
Crude oil price on world markets (US$/barrel). Coal price on world markets(US$/t).
Fracking – extraction of shale gas
Fracking – consequences of CH4 extraction
Fracking – CO2 emissions decrease ?
Fracking – CO2 emissions decrease ? Yes, but...
... too much of cheap coal on the world market...
Fracking – CO2 emissions decrease ? Yes, but...
... too much of cheap coal on the world market...
Fracking – CO2 emissions decrease ? Yes, but...
Nuclear E – soluion of global warming?
- reliable, but very expensive and controversial E resource
Nuclear E
Bin in, sink it, bury it – we still don't
know what to do with our radioactive
waste. Is Finland offering an answer
with the world's first deep repository?
„time bomb“
- since 1988, salt water leaks to the cavern, contamination, water drained out
- 105 radioactive barrels, what to do, displace or let it be? (ground water...)
Nuclear E
- Yuca mountains repository – 11 bil. US$ spent for the project untill 2010
- unexpectedly strong resistance of the locals led to the abandonment
- why? - Nevada has no nuclear plant, but store it here?
- People faced with the finished thing, no discussion.
Renewable E (RES) – solution of E trilemma ?
- sustainable source → in the long term, probably the only way out
- as in the whole age of history, except for the last 300 years
Causes of low RES utilization
- easy availability of non-renewables
in the last 300 years → shutdown of RES
- world energy consumption increased 170x,
population "only" 10x
- infrastructure adapted to non-renewables
90% of public aid channeled funds and
resources for R&D in the energy sector
- the energy „density“ of RES is much lower than that of fossil fuels
- RES require different handling and change of mindset
E subsidies
case study:
a support of non-renewables and E savings from public sources,1994-1998:
- subsidies to support non-renewables, CZK 113 bil.
- support of nuclear sources, CZK 20 bil.
- support of savings + RES, CZK 3.7 bil.
E subsidies
case study:
a support of non-renewables and E savings from public sources,1994-1998:
- subsidies to support non-renewables, CZK 113 bil.
- support of nuclear sources, CZK 20 bil.
- support of savings + RES, CZK 3.7 bil.
Direct subsidies - costs of decommissioning and elimination of
consequences, subsidies of heat prices and transition from coal to other
fossil fuels (support for gasification of municipalities) and costs of
institutions.
Indirect subsidies - free military and police protection of nuclear power
plants + assumption of part of liability for damage in case of nuclear
accident.
E subsidies
Non-renewables subsidies
E subsidies
Dotace v energetice
Carbon pricing
Smarter Global Targets to 2030
Electricity balance in Czechia, TWh (2017)
Share of RES in EU
Share of RES in the World
Consequences of RES utilization
- use of RES should be in synergy with the E savings, resp. with energy
efficiency → the advantages of using RES become more apparent
Displaced emissions
- type and amount of displaced emissions (Part., SO2, CO2,
NOx, CxHy), depends on the type of RES
- an essential contribution to climate protection by
eliminating GHG emissions in the order of 10 mil. t of CO2
yearly (2010)
Consequences of RES utilization
- use of RES should be in synergy with the E savings, resp. with energy
efficiency → the advantages of using RES become more apparent
Displaced emissions
- type and amount of displaced emissions (Part., SO2, CO2,
NOx, CxHy), depends on the type of RES
- an essential contribution to climate protection by
eliminating GHG emissions in the order of 10 mil. t of CO2
yearly (2010)
Fuel costs
displaced fuel costs, which does not need
to be spent thanks to use of the RES can
be estimated in circa CZK 2 bln /year (2010)
- the fuel costs incurred on biomass
contributes to local development
Consequences of RES utilization
Employment
- employment diversified in many
fields and qualification levels
Consequences of RES utilization
Employment
- employment diversified in many
fields and qualification levels
Security of supply
- RES = diversified,
local resources contribute to
security and independence
supply E
security + partial independence
today has increasing meaning
(political instability, terrorism,
natural disasters…)
Consequences of RES utilization
- non-reliable E source
Do we have RES when we need it?
Actual E production-consumtion in Germany
E trilemma
Does win-win-win strategy exist ?
Economically efficient E savings
while maintaining reliable supply
- CO2 emmisions decreases, peaks of
consumption will also drop and we
will save even more
- it is not so "sexy", E-producers will
reduce profits, but it works!
E trilemma
Does win-win-win strategy exist ?
How to motivate to economical E savings
- subsidied to the E-producers to use RES?
How to motivate to economical E savings
- subsidied to the E-producers to use RES? – no, it does not
lead to an overall saving of E consumption, only to expensive
replacement of one source by another and rather motivation
to produce more E
How to motivate to economical E savings
- subsidied to the E-producers to use RES? – no, it does not
lead to an overall saving of E consumption, only to expensive
replacement of one source by another and rather motivation
to produce more E
- subsidies to consumers for austerity measures? - better, but
it is necessary to set the conditions well (people would need
to instal it anyway)
Green savings
How to motivate to economical E savings
- subsidied to the E-producers to use RES? – no, it does not
lead to an overall saving of E consumption, only to expensive
replacement of one source by another and rather motivation
to produce more E
- subsidies to consumers for austerity measures? - better, but
it is necessary to set the conditions well (people would need
to instal it anyway)
Green savings
- subsidies to producers if their customers reduce consumption
motivates manufacturers to reduce consumption by
customers, eg. by supporting energy-saving appliances,
thermal insulation, saves the customer (lower consumption of
E) and the manufacturer (remains profit)
- In California, Utility revenue decoupling
„California is 40% more
energy efficient than the
rest of the US. If the US
were as energy efficient
as California, 75% of all
coal-fired power plants
could be shut down in the
US. ”A. Schwarzenegger,
2013
How to motivate to economical E savings
- Energy performance contracting (EPC)
- Contract between suppliers and households to maintain the
level of payments after the introduction of austerity
- the supplier insulate the client's family house at his own cost,
the consumption of E decreases, but for some time the same
payments as before the thermal insulation (return on investment
to the supplier) are paid or the money saved is shared
How to motivate to economical E savings
- Energy performance contracting (EPC)
- Contract between suppliers and households to maintain the
level of payments after the introduction of austerity
- the supplier insulate the client's family house at his own cost,
the consumption of E decreases, but for some time the same
payments as before the thermal insulation (return on investment
to the supplier) are paid or the money saved is shared
- Motivate to reduce consumption during peak hours
- eg. High Tariff and Low Tariff in the Czech Republic
- eg. big businesses competition to reduce peak
consumption at the lowest possible cost (which will be
replaced by the state) tested in the UK, will reduce the need for
back-up resources for these critical periods of the year (when
those resources must still exist)
E-conservation + E-efficiency + RES
Passive house