J.K. Kaldellis

2.16 – Environmental-Social Benefits/Impacts of Wind Power

Wind energy is characterized as a clean and environmentally friendly technology, and this is one of the main benefits that makes it such an attractive and promising energy supply solution. The present chapter deals with the main social and environmental benefits from the introduction of wind energy in an area, such as CO 2 emissions and fossil fuels imports reduction, creation of new job positions, and regional development. In addition, the environmental concerns resulting from wind power plants, such as noise, visual impacts, and a possible disturbance of the wildlife are described. Another very interesting issue that is of first priority when examining wind power projects is their social acceptance and public attitude. Methods for reliable impacts assessment, mitigation measures, and future trends in the impacts assessment and their mitigation are also being discussed.

The Contribution of Renewables on Reducing the Electricity Generation Cost in Autonomous Island Networks

The Aegean Archipelago is a remote Hellenic area, including several hundreds of scattered islands of various sizes. The electricity demand in the Aegean Archipelago islands has up to now been covered by the existing autonomous power stations (APS) at very high electricity production cost. In order to face the continuous load demand increase an integrated solution based on the exploitation of the available renewable energy sources potential in collaboration with appropriate energy storage systems is investigated. According to the results obtained, the proposed solution is clearly more cost-effective than the operation of the existing thermal power stations, while remarkable environmental and macroeconomic benefits are also expected.

Model development for the optimal water systems planning

Abstract A systems engineering approach is proposed for the optimal water supply chain management. The work introduces the idea of optimally allocating the existing resources quantifying the profitability of water use and eliminating inefficiencies rather than continuously seeking ways to water used and eliminating inefficiencies rather than continuously seeking ways to expand the supply sources. The developed mathematical model takes into account the costs of each supply source and the benefits from the water allocation to each user, allowing the water availability to be less than the total demand. The variables of the model include the time varying water quantities supplied by different water sources and the time varying water quantities being delivered to various users. Model constraints include demands, limitations in the capacity of the various water sources and technical specifications that must be followed in the water allocation. Optimisation criteria for the water planning are proposed aiming to the identification of the most efficient operation of the integrated water system.

RES-based power plants siting using geographical information systems

One of the main reasons for the delay of renewable energy sources (RES) applications in Greece is the difficulty of finding a proper location for their installation that will satisfy the required specifications. The situation is further aggravated by the lack of an integrated decision support tool, taking into consideration all the parameters affecting the optimum siting of similar power stations. In this context, the main aim of the current work is to develop an appropriate siting procedure on the basis of geographical information systems, taking into consideration the main parameters affecting the best choice of a new RES power station ands using as a test case study the island of Syros in the Aegean Sea.

Combined photovoltaic and energy storage systems: an integrated electrification solution for small islands

The numerous small Aegean Sea islands present serious problems related to insufficient infrastructure, low quality of electricity available at very high production cost, as well as problematic connection with the mainland. On the other hand, the high solar potential of the area may encourage photovoltaic-based applications characterised by rather low maintenance support demands. In this context, an integrated electrification solution based on a photovoltaic generator along with an appropriate energy storage device is investigated. One of the main targets of the proposed solution is to maximise the solar energy exploitation of the area at minimum electricity generation cost, while special emphasis is given to the selection of the most cost-efficient energy storage configuration available. According to the results obtained, the solution under investigation is not only financially attractive but also improves the quality of electricity offered to the local communities, substituting for the expensive and heavily polluting operating thermal power stations.

Energy systems optimisation: Highlights from an interdisciplinary postgraduate module development

Abstract The objective of the present work is to describe the underlying principles, the development and the implementation of the Energy Systems Optimisation Module, one of the Modules of the postgraduate course entitled as ‘MSc in Energy Systems’. The Energy Systems Optimisation Module objectives are twofold: The acquirement of the state of the art knowledge in Energy Systems and Optimisation theory, and – most significantly - the familiarisation with the formulation, modelling and applications of optimisation methods and tools in practical problems. The diverse disciplines of the students as well as the wide spectrum of case studies being analysed are of the most important characteristics of the Module. After the implementation of the course the students have acquired a wider scope of how energy problems may be approached and solved.

Optimising the total benefit of water resources management in combination with the local energy systems in remote communities taking into account sustainability considerations

Abstract Reliable energy and water supply is an essential condition for human, economic and technological development. The level of access to these resources may also represent an index of prosperity for the community and/or individual. Water resources scarcity becomes a continuously increasing problem since there are various parts in the world where water resources are very constrained, either permanently or seasonally. The problem becomes more and more intensive and it is believed that water resources management will evolve as the most crucial technical and social problem in the next years. Today, in most cases, water and energy systems are interdependent. Water is used in all phases of energy production and electricity generation. Energy is required to extract, produce and deliver water of appropriate quality for diverse human uses, and then again to treat wastewater and return it to the environment or - even more significantly - to produce recycled water. The objective of this work is to address in an integrated way the water supply problem in areas with limited water resources integrating it with the corresponding design and operation of the local energy system. Following that goal, in this paper the optimisation framework of water supply chain is presented taking into account the links of the energy system and the entire energy supply chain in terms of maximising the overall benefit of the integrated system, whilst satisfying the conflicting demands. On top of the framework, model parameters, considerations, and implementation possibilities of the proposed approach of the energy and water supply problem integrated optimisation, are analysed through an indicative case study in a Greek-medium sized, island.

Energy performance evaluation of a hybrid system in the Athos State

Based on the use of long-term energy measurements for an entire year, obtained from a hybrid station operating in the Monastery of “Simonos Petras” in Northern Greece, evaluation of the system energy management plan is presently carried out. The hybrid system under investigation comprises of a hydropower station, a photovoltaic (PV) generator and a diesel engine, while the entire installation is also supported by the employment of a battery bank. According to the analysis of results obtained, reassessment of the current energy management plan is as proved necessary in order to raise restrictions posed to the energy contribution of the PV generator. For this purpose, the theoretical maximum energy contribution of the PV generator is estimated and replacement of the diesel engine operation is explored, with results obtained being rather encouraging for the system future operation.

Design and performance optimization of hybrid energy systems

Abstract Hybrid energy systems can offer a valuable solution for the electrification of remote areas. In most cases there is a range of different combinations of components that may be considered for the energy demand satisfaction of a specific area, each combination exhibiting different technical and economic characteristics. Optimisation considerations in the development of a hybrid system include the configuration of such a system, i.e. which component will be included and how, the sizing of the individual components and the percentage of load that will be covered by renewable energy sources (RES) depending on the needs of the specific site and various economic and environmental constraints. Within this wider context, the aim of the present work is to highlight the main characteristics of the hybrid energy systems, the efforts that are being carried out for the solution of the corresponding problems and the contribution of the process systems approach in these rather novel research areas.

Simulation of electricity production systems in autonomous networks in order to maximize the wind energy penetration

Abstract Wind energy applications are recently characterized as an economic and attractive solution for the urgent electrification problem of most Aegean Sea islands. On the other hand, the fluctuation of daily and seasonal electricity load in almost all island grids, in combination with the stochastic behaviour of the wind, lead to substantial wind energy penetration limits, especially during the low consumption periods of the year. In this context, the present study is devoted to the development and implementation of a mathematical simulation model of the electricity production process in autonomous electrical networks, based on various types of power plants. For this purpose a new reliable and integrated numerical model is developed, using the available information of the corresponding electricity generation system (EGS), in order to calculate the maximum acceptable wind power contribution in the system, under the normal constraints that the system manager imposes.