Eco-friendly Innovations in Electricity Transmission and Distribution Networks

Jean-Luc Bessede

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781782420101
• eBook ISBN: 9781782420194
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) networks carry electricity from generation sites to demand sites. With the increasing penetration of decentralised and renewable energy systems, in particular variable power sources such as wind turbines, and the rise in demand-side technologies, the importance of innovative products has never been greater. Eco-design approaches and standards in this field are aimed at improving the performance as well as the overall sustainability of T&D network equipment. This multidisciplinary reference provides coverage of developments and lessons-learned in the fields of eco-design of innovation from product-specific issues to system approaches, including case studies featuring problem-solving methodologies applicable to electricity transmission and distribution networks. - Discusses key environmental issues and methodologies for eco-design, and applies this to development of equipment for electricity transmission and distribution. - Provides analysis of using and assessing advanced equipment for wind energy systems. - Includes reviews of the energy infrastructure for demand-side management in the US and Scandinavia.

Part One

Eco-design and innovation in electricity transmission and distribution networks

Outline

1. The implications of climate change and energy security for global electricity supply: The Energy (R)evolution

2. Key performance indicators in assessing new technology for electricity transmission and distribution networks

3. Improving European Union ecodesign standardization

4. Approaches for multi-objective optimization in the ecodesign of electric systems

5. Strategic environmental assessment of power plants and electricity transmission and distribution networks

1

The implications of climate change and energy security for global electricity supply

The Energy (R)evolution

F. Maltini FM Consultants Associates, Alairac, France

Abstract

The impact of greenhouse emissions on climate change and the decrease in world fossil energy sources will have significant consequences for the future of the planet. Three major reports (‘The Stern Review: the Economics of Climate Change’, October 2006, ‘Where will the Energy for Hydrogen Production come from? Status and Alternatives’ by Ludwig-Bolkow-Systemtechnik GmbH – LBST/European Hydrogen Association, 2007, published in 2006–2007, and an updated version of ‘The Global Energy (R)evolution Scenario’ by GWEC-EREC-Greenpeace International, 2013) are analysed in this chapter. Additional data are supplied by the IPCC (International Panel for Climate Change) report 2013 and its addendum 2014 presented in March 2014. They reach the same conclusions about the complexity of the phase out from the carbon society and the conversion to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

Keywords

Energy; Environment; Greenhouse emissions; International Panel for Climate Change

For the sake of a sound environment, political stability and thriving economies, now is the time to commit to a truly secure and sustainable energy future.

Greenpeace, 2013

This chapter has been adapted from ‘Climate change and the complexity of the energy global security supply solutions: the global energy (r)evolution’, by F. Maltini, published in Volume 37: Complexity and Security in the NATO Science for Peace and Security Series – E: Human and Societal Dynamics, 2012, pp. 185–217, published with the permission of IOS Press BV, The Netherlands.

1.1. Greenhouse emissions and climate change

Over the last century, humankind has rescripted its role in the natural world. Millions upon millions of people have been fed, many deadly diseases have been treated, technology has taken us into space, telecommunications and the Internet run society. Much of nature has been bent to our will, but still it appears difficult to deal with the weather. For a number of years, it was believed that the changes in climate were caused by solar influence and cosmic radiation.¹ Now, in the face of disastrous flooding, the melting of glaciers and the threat of disappearance of entire islands or the considerable degradation of the ecosystem, a different reality has appeared. A significant body of scientific evidence seems to indicate that the Earth's climate is rapidly changing, possibly as a result of increases in greenhouse gases caused by human activities.

Figure 1.1 Annual greenhouse gas emissions by sector. Source: IPCC (2004).

Since pre-industrial time (around 1800), atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide concentrations² have increased, mainly as a result of human activities burning fossil fuels, and deforestation and other changes in land-use. Figure 1.1 shows greenhouse gas emissions in 2000 by sector.

The Earth's climate system is a complex structure that is driven by interactive natural and human activities. Figure 1.2 shows a flowchart representing the world GHG emissions and their origin.

Figure 1.2 World GHG emissions flowchart. Can be seen in Plate I (see colour section between pages 224 and 225). Source: World Resources Institute (2009).

Figure 1.3 shows most of the components and their interactions. There is compelling evidence that the worldwide rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) will have a warming effect on the climate.

Figure 1.4 shows the annual emissions from 1970 to 2010. The result is an increase of the amount of infrared radiation (heat energy) reflected by the Earth and trapped by the atmosphere, which is ‘thickening’: this is the ‘greenhouse effect’ shown in Figure 1.5.

Figure 1.6 shows the growing trend of cumulative CO₂e emissions since 1970.

Table 1.1 shows the global warming potential (GWP) values and lifetimes (in years) of major gases – carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1 since it is the baseline unit to which all other greenhouse gases are compared.

Figure 1.7 illustrates the types of impact that could be experienced as the world comes into equilibrium with more greenhouse gases.³ The top panel shows the range of temperatures projected at stabilization levels between 400 ppm (parts per million) and 750 ppm CO₂e. The solid horizontal lines indicate the 5–95% ranges based on climate sensitivity estimates from the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 report and the Hadley Centre ensemble study.

Figure 1.3 Schematic view of the components of the climate system, their processes and interactions. Source: IPCC (2007): The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group 1 to the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report on climate change.

Figure 1.4 Annual GHG emissions by group of gases. Source: IPCC (2014).

Figure 1.5 The greenhouse effect. Source: US Global Change Research Program – USGCRP.

Figure 1.6 Cumulative CO₂e emissions have more than doubled since 1970. Source: IPCC Working Group III (2014).

Table 1.1

Global warming potential (GWP) values and lifetimes (in years) of major gases

GWP values and lifetimes from 2013 IPCC AR5 p714 (with climate-carbon feedbacks)	Lifetime (years)	GWP time horizon
		20 years	100 years
Methane	12.4	86	34
HFC-134a (hydrofluorocarbon)	13.4	3790	1550
CFC-11 (chlorofluorocarbon)	45.0	7020	5350
Nitrous oxide	121.0	268	298
Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4)	50,000	4950	7350

Note: Carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1 since it is the baseline unit to which all other greenhouse gases are compared.

Source: IPCC (2013).

The vertical line on each range indicates the mean of the 50th percentile point. The dashes show the 5–95% ranges based on 11 recent studies. The bottom panel illustrates the range of impacts expected at different levels of warming. The relationship between global average temperature changes and regional climate changes is very uncertain, especially with regard to changes in precipitation.

The current level or stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is today equivalent to around 380 ppm CO₂e compared with only 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution. These concentrations have already caused the world to warm by more than 0.5 °C and will lead to at least a further half degree warming over the next few decades because of the inertia in the climate system.

The change in global average near-surface tempera...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Related titles
• Copyright
• Dedication
• List of contributors
• Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part One. Eco-design and innovation in electricity transmission and distribution networks
• Part Two. Application and assessment of advanced equipment for electricity transmission and distribution networks
• Part Three. Application and assessment of advanced wind energy systems
• Part Four. Smart grid and demand-side management for electricity transmission and distribution networks
• Index
• Plate Captions List