Fionn Rogan

Sustainability assessment of large-scale storage technologies for surplus electricity using group multi-criteria decision analysis

Power to gas (P2G)-methane, pumped hydroelectric storage (PHES) and compressed air energy storage (CAES) are three methods to store surplus electricity with high capacity and long discharge time. However, there is a few research included P2G—methane in comparing with other storage technologies in general and in terms of sustainability development. This paper explored and compared the cost, efficiency, position flexibility, storage capacity/discharge time, energy carrier vector and environmental issues of those storage technologies in terms of single criterion and group multi-criteria analysis. The single criterion data of each technology was reviewed from literature and compared with each other. The data from single criterion were normalised then used as inputs of the linear additive model. The weights of criteria were determined by sending out the weighting assessment form to 10 researchers. The comparison in terms of cost and efficiency showed that PHES is better than P2G and CAES. And P2G has many benefits such as: conversion of energy vector from electricity to gas which is available for renewable thermal and transport energy; longest storage time; and minimal impact on the environment. From sustainable development strategy perspective, the evaluation results of P2G, PHES and CAES are 4.03, 2.46 and 2.16, respectively. Which means P2G was assessed as preferable.

From 2 °C to 1.5 °C: How Ambitious Can Ireland Be?

The current climate policy of Ireland was set according to a 2 °C temperature rise target. Pursuing a 1.5 °C temperature increase limit requires ratcheting of decarbonisation ambition. A large ensemble of scenarios are generated with decreasing carbon budgets, and the challenges of not exceeding these carbon budgets are compared with the current 2 °C climate policy scenario. The results indicate that a national carbon budget compatible with a 1.5 °C target would need to be almost three times smaller than the carbon budget resulting from the current national climate policy. This budget is technically feasible, but extremely challenging with the current technology assumptions. A carbon budget which would be midway between 1.5 and 2 °C appears much more plausible. Cost effective decarbonisation rates are non-linear in the near-medium term, contrary to the current policy, and more ambitious carbon budget targets can only be achieved through much stronger near-term mitigation efforts than suggested by the current nationally determined contribution. Marginal Abatement Costs (MAC) increase exponentially with increasing ambition. Delayed action causes a step change increase in MAC as well as reduces the level of feasible decarbonisation ambition.

Techno-economic data for a multi-model approach to decarbonisation of the Irish private car sector

These data and analyses support the research article “From technology pathways to policy roadmaps to enabling measures – A multi-model approach” Mulholland et al. (2017) [1]. This article uses 3 models – an optimization model of the Irish energy system (Irish TIMES), a simulation model of the Irish private transport sector (CarSTOCK), and a market share algorithm used to provide a behavior rich representation into the multi-modelling process. Each of these models are linked to provide a technology pathway, policy roadmap, and finally identify the enabling measures of the private transport sector in a low-carbon Ireland moving toward 2050. The article is organized in the same order, firstly providing the key modelling assumptions and operability of Irish TIMES, secondly for CarSTOCK, and finally for the market share algorithm. All data is supplied within this article.