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02368 Electricity for the 21st century: digital electricity for a digital economy
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts) specificity of the Irish case left no room for strategic behaviour. We find that providing customers with information reduced overall electricity demand by roughly 7%, as well as reducing demand fluctuations over the year. Further, we find that the DSM programme had a larger impact upon long run demand, with consumers' short run demand behaviour not being changed significantly.
04•02367 Effect of reliability considerations on the optimal synthesis, design and operation of a cogeneration system Frangopoulos, C. A. and Dimopoulos, G. G. Energy, 2004, 29, (3), 309329. In most of the publications on optimization of energy systems, it is considered that the equipment is available for operation at any instant of time (i.e. it is not subject to failure) except, perhaps, of predetermined periods of maintenance. Thus, it is left to the designer to decide empirically how to provide the system with redundancy, which is necessary in case of equipment failure. However, in this way, the final configuration may not be optimal. In the present work, reliability and availability are introduced in the thermoeconomic model of the system, so that redundancy is embedded in the optimal solution; in addition, more realistic values are obtained for the cost and profit, if any. The state-space method (SSM) of reliability analysis is used. The optimization problem is formulated at two levels: (A) synthesis and design, (B) operation under time-varying conditions. For the solution of the problem at level A and also at level B with no failure, a genetic algorithm coupled with a deterministic one is used. In case of partial failure, the optimization problem is solved by the intelligent functional approach (IFA). The use of IFA combined with SSM is proved to be very efficient for decision making regarding systems under partial failure. It turned out that reliability aspects have a direct and significant impact on the optimal result at each one of the three levels: synthesis, design and operation.
04•02368 Electricity for the 21st century: digital electricity for a digital economy Yeager, K. E. Technology in Society, 2004, 26, (2-3), 209-221. In August 2002, the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute encouraged the Institute to examine the serious challenges facing the electric power sector. The goal was to define the characteristics of a vital and robust sector, and to help develop an actionable leadership framework. The ultimate goal of the 'Electricity Sector Framework for the Future' project is to establish a coherent set of actions and accountabilities that will enable the electricity sector to meet the escalating needs and aspirations of its customers, investors/ owners, and society. In order to be effective, such a set of actions must reflect mutual self-interest and equity across the broad electricity stakeholder community. In general, this requires a unified industry leadership commitment that electricity, through innovative technology, has a service value greater than its traditional basic commodity value. This vision of innovative opportunities to transform the reliability and value of electricity for the future must be 'sold' to the public and public policy leaders at the local, state, and federal levels who can credibly advocate the message. Additionally, the initiative must be expanded to educate stakeholders about mechanisms for strengthening industry credibility, building trust, and gaining broad public and political support for the sector's vision and needed actions. Finally, the costs and benefits must be made tangible, compelling, and urgent for all stakeholders, especially consumers.
04•02369
Electricity in China: the latest reforms
Yeoh, B.-S. and Rajaraman, R. The Electricity Journal, 2004, 17, (3), 60-69. The government has entered another phase of power-sector reform by revamping the industry structure to increase competition, with the ultimate aim of creating a market-based electricity system. But China still has a huge task ahead of it. Because it places a higher value on political and economic stability than economic efficiency, and because of its unfamiliarity with a market economy, the transition to a competitive market could span a decade or more.
04•02370 Empirical assessment of energy-price policies: the case for cross-price elasticities Frondel, M. Energy Policy, 2004, 32, (8), 989-1000. Evaluations of energy-price policies are necessarily based on measures of the substitution of energy and non-energy inputs. Facing a variety of substitution elasticities, the central question arises which measure would be appropriate. Apparently, for a long time, this question has not been at issue: Allen's elasticities of substitution (AES) have been the most-used measures in applied production analysis. This paper's main contribution is an instructive survey of the origin of substitution measures and of the trinity of empirical substitution elasticities - AES, cross-price elasticities, and the Morishima elasticities of substitution (MES) - with particular emphasis on their interpretations and the perspectives that will be captured by these measures. This survey clarifies why classical cross-price elasticities are to be preferred for
334
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2004
many practical purposes. A frequently applied data set of US manufacturing is used to illustrate why assessments of energy-price policies would be better based on cross-price elasticities like the energy-price elasticity of capital, rather than on AES or MES.
04•02371 Environmental implications of electricity purchase from independent power producers: a case study from Thailand Shrestha, R. and Shrestha, R. M. Int. J. Environmental and Pollution, 2003, 19, (5), 466-474. This paper analyses the effect on the environment of electricity purchase from independent power producers (IPPs) in the case of Thailand. The environmental implication is evaluated in terms of the net change in emission of air pollutants with electricity purchase from IPPs by a utility. The main finding of the study is that electricity purchased from a non-dispatchable IPP plant based on coal-fired generation would increase the net emissions compared with that without the purchase from IPPs. The study also shows that the lower plant factor of the IPP plant would also increase the emission of air pollutants. Furthermore, with non-dispatchable IPP plants, the total emission of air pollutants would increase, whereas with dispatchable IPP plants the total emission would decrease with the level of electricity purchased.
04•02372 Eucalyptus plantations for electricity generation: the cost of carbon dioxide abatement in Thailand Amatayakul, W. and Azar, C. Int. J. Sustainable Development, 2003, 6, (3), 359-377. Short-rotation plantations are expected to play an important role in the transition towards renewable energy, in particular in many developing countries. At present, developing countries do not have any carbon dioxide (COz) abatement targets under the Kyoto Protocol, but CO2 mitigating projects might nevertheless be carried out through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The purpose of this paper is to analyse (i) the economics of eucalyptus production in the east and northeast of Thailand and (ii) the cost of substituting eucalyptus wood for fossil fuels for electricity production. The productivity of eucalyptus plantations is estimated at 7-11 dry ton/hectare(ha)/year over a rotation period of 3 to 5 years. The levelized cost of eucalyptus wood delivered to the factory gate is estimated at 13-18 USD/fresh ton (1.21.7 US$/GJ). If eucalyptus wood is used for electricity generation, the cost of electricity generation would be 6.2 cents/kWh, and consequently the cost of substituting a wood-fired plant for a coal-fired plant and a gas-fired plant would be 107 and 196 US$/ton-C, respectively. The extent to which eucalyptus plantations could offer economically attractive options for electricity generation and CO2 abatement depends, among other things, on the cost of reducing CO2 emissions in the Annex 1 countries and CO2 mitigation options in developing countries. In addition, it depends on the economics of eucalyptus production as seen be farmers. There are also several other factors that affect an increased establishment of eucalyptus plantations in Thailand. The potential land-use change impact as well as the social and environmental impact associated with establishing mono-culture eucalyptus plantations as a CO2 abatement strategy are, however, not analysed in this paper and should be further investigated.
04•02373 Exergo economically-aided evolution strategy applied to a combined cycle power plant Uhlenbruck, S. and Lucas, K. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2004, 43, (3), 289-296. Evolution strategy has been combined with a particular exergo economic method to yield an optimization technique called Exergo economically-aided evolution strategy. Its application to the optimization of a combined cycle power plant is examined to demonstrate, whether the exergo economic method can be used to improve the evolutionary optimization technique. It is shown, that there is a benefit on the optimization progress under certain conditions. However, there are generally so many uncertainties associated with the exergo economic method that it cannot be recommended as a universal tool for widely computerized process optimization. It remains, however, a useful tool for an interactive application by an experienced engineer.
04•02374 Life cycle energy and environmental benefits of generating electricity from willow biomass Heller, M. C. et al. Renewable Energy, 2004, 29, (7), 1023-1042. Biomass is a key renewable energy source expected to play an important role in US electricity production under stricter emission regulations and renewable portfolio standards. Willow energy crops are being developed in the northeast US as a fuel source for increasing biomass energy and bioproduct demands. A life cycle inventory is presented that characterizes the full cradle-to-grave energy and environmental performance of willow biomass-to-electricity. A willow biomass production model is developed using demonstration-scale field experience from New York. Scenarios are presented that mimic anticipated cofiring operations, including supplemental use of wood
04•02367 Effect of reliability considerations on the optimal synthesis, design and operation of a cogeneration system Frangopoulos, C. A. and Dimopoulos, G. G. Energy, 2004, 29, (3), 309329. In most of the publications on optimization of energy systems, it is considered that the equipment is available for operation at any instant of time (i.e. it is not subject to failure) except, perhaps, of predetermined periods of maintenance. Thus, it is left to the designer to decide empirically how to provide the system with redundancy, which is necessary in case of equipment failure. However, in this way, the final configuration may not be optimal. In the present work, reliability and availability are introduced in the thermoeconomic model of the system, so that redundancy is embedded in the optimal solution; in addition, more realistic values are obtained for the cost and profit, if any. The state-space method (SSM) of reliability analysis is used. The optimization problem is formulated at two levels: (A) synthesis and design, (B) operation under time-varying conditions. For the solution of the problem at level A and also at level B with no failure, a genetic algorithm coupled with a deterministic one is used. In case of partial failure, the optimization problem is solved by the intelligent functional approach (IFA). The use of IFA combined with SSM is proved to be very efficient for decision making regarding systems under partial failure. It turned out that reliability aspects have a direct and significant impact on the optimal result at each one of the three levels: synthesis, design and operation.
04•02368 Electricity for the 21st century: digital electricity for a digital economy Yeager, K. E. Technology in Society, 2004, 26, (2-3), 209-221. In August 2002, the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute encouraged the Institute to examine the serious challenges facing the electric power sector. The goal was to define the characteristics of a vital and robust sector, and to help develop an actionable leadership framework. The ultimate goal of the 'Electricity Sector Framework for the Future' project is to establish a coherent set of actions and accountabilities that will enable the electricity sector to meet the escalating needs and aspirations of its customers, investors/ owners, and society. In order to be effective, such a set of actions must reflect mutual self-interest and equity across the broad electricity stakeholder community. In general, this requires a unified industry leadership commitment that electricity, through innovative technology, has a service value greater than its traditional basic commodity value. This vision of innovative opportunities to transform the reliability and value of electricity for the future must be 'sold' to the public and public policy leaders at the local, state, and federal levels who can credibly advocate the message. Additionally, the initiative must be expanded to educate stakeholders about mechanisms for strengthening industry credibility, building trust, and gaining broad public and political support for the sector's vision and needed actions. Finally, the costs and benefits must be made tangible, compelling, and urgent for all stakeholders, especially consumers.
04•02369
Electricity in China: the latest reforms
Yeoh, B.-S. and Rajaraman, R. The Electricity Journal, 2004, 17, (3), 60-69. The government has entered another phase of power-sector reform by revamping the industry structure to increase competition, with the ultimate aim of creating a market-based electricity system. But China still has a huge task ahead of it. Because it places a higher value on political and economic stability than economic efficiency, and because of its unfamiliarity with a market economy, the transition to a competitive market could span a decade or more.
04•02370 Empirical assessment of energy-price policies: the case for cross-price elasticities Frondel, M. Energy Policy, 2004, 32, (8), 989-1000. Evaluations of energy-price policies are necessarily based on measures of the substitution of energy and non-energy inputs. Facing a variety of substitution elasticities, the central question arises which measure would be appropriate. Apparently, for a long time, this question has not been at issue: Allen's elasticities of substitution (AES) have been the most-used measures in applied production analysis. This paper's main contribution is an instructive survey of the origin of substitution measures and of the trinity of empirical substitution elasticities - AES, cross-price elasticities, and the Morishima elasticities of substitution (MES) - with particular emphasis on their interpretations and the perspectives that will be captured by these measures. This survey clarifies why classical cross-price elasticities are to be preferred for
334
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2004
many practical purposes. A frequently applied data set of US manufacturing is used to illustrate why assessments of energy-price policies would be better based on cross-price elasticities like the energy-price elasticity of capital, rather than on AES or MES.
04•02371 Environmental implications of electricity purchase from independent power producers: a case study from Thailand Shrestha, R. and Shrestha, R. M. Int. J. Environmental and Pollution, 2003, 19, (5), 466-474. This paper analyses the effect on the environment of electricity purchase from independent power producers (IPPs) in the case of Thailand. The environmental implication is evaluated in terms of the net change in emission of air pollutants with electricity purchase from IPPs by a utility. The main finding of the study is that electricity purchased from a non-dispatchable IPP plant based on coal-fired generation would increase the net emissions compared with that without the purchase from IPPs. The study also shows that the lower plant factor of the IPP plant would also increase the emission of air pollutants. Furthermore, with non-dispatchable IPP plants, the total emission of air pollutants would increase, whereas with dispatchable IPP plants the total emission would decrease with the level of electricity purchased.
04•02372 Eucalyptus plantations for electricity generation: the cost of carbon dioxide abatement in Thailand Amatayakul, W. and Azar, C. Int. J. Sustainable Development, 2003, 6, (3), 359-377. Short-rotation plantations are expected to play an important role in the transition towards renewable energy, in particular in many developing countries. At present, developing countries do not have any carbon dioxide (COz) abatement targets under the Kyoto Protocol, but CO2 mitigating projects might nevertheless be carried out through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The purpose of this paper is to analyse (i) the economics of eucalyptus production in the east and northeast of Thailand and (ii) the cost of substituting eucalyptus wood for fossil fuels for electricity production. The productivity of eucalyptus plantations is estimated at 7-11 dry ton/hectare(ha)/year over a rotation period of 3 to 5 years. The levelized cost of eucalyptus wood delivered to the factory gate is estimated at 13-18 USD/fresh ton (1.21.7 US$/GJ). If eucalyptus wood is used for electricity generation, the cost of electricity generation would be 6.2 cents/kWh, and consequently the cost of substituting a wood-fired plant for a coal-fired plant and a gas-fired plant would be 107 and 196 US$/ton-C, respectively. The extent to which eucalyptus plantations could offer economically attractive options for electricity generation and CO2 abatement depends, among other things, on the cost of reducing CO2 emissions in the Annex 1 countries and CO2 mitigation options in developing countries. In addition, it depends on the economics of eucalyptus production as seen be farmers. There are also several other factors that affect an increased establishment of eucalyptus plantations in Thailand. The potential land-use change impact as well as the social and environmental impact associated with establishing mono-culture eucalyptus plantations as a CO2 abatement strategy are, however, not analysed in this paper and should be further investigated.
04•02373 Exergo economically-aided evolution strategy applied to a combined cycle power plant Uhlenbruck, S. and Lucas, K. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2004, 43, (3), 289-296. Evolution strategy has been combined with a particular exergo economic method to yield an optimization technique called Exergo economically-aided evolution strategy. Its application to the optimization of a combined cycle power plant is examined to demonstrate, whether the exergo economic method can be used to improve the evolutionary optimization technique. It is shown, that there is a benefit on the optimization progress under certain conditions. However, there are generally so many uncertainties associated with the exergo economic method that it cannot be recommended as a universal tool for widely computerized process optimization. It remains, however, a useful tool for an interactive application by an experienced engineer.
04•02374 Life cycle energy and environmental benefits of generating electricity from willow biomass Heller, M. C. et al. Renewable Energy, 2004, 29, (7), 1023-1042. Biomass is a key renewable energy source expected to play an important role in US electricity production under stricter emission regulations and renewable portfolio standards. Willow energy crops are being developed in the northeast US as a fuel source for increasing biomass energy and bioproduct demands. A life cycle inventory is presented that characterizes the full cradle-to-grave energy and environmental performance of willow biomass-to-electricity. A willow biomass production model is developed using demonstration-scale field experience from New York. Scenarios are presented that mimic anticipated cofiring operations, including supplemental use of wood