| 1. |
- Bastholm, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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The use of three perspectives to make energy implementation studies more culturally informed
- 2014
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer. - 2192-0567. ; 4:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In our research on the social and technical feasibility of a small-scale electrical power system in Tanzania, we have perceived a need for an alternative framework or method for social scientific studies of limited scope. The approach we suggest is also a response to the growing criticism of cultural ignorance with which many energy implementation projects are handled. Theories from Social Anthropology and Sociology form the core of the approach we present. In addition, concepts from Science and Technology studies are used, as well as lessons learned from History of Technology. We suggest that particular attention should be paid to three aspects: identification of social actors, perceptions of change, and long-term feasibility and sustainability. The approach has been developed and concretised through application in our research. To elucidate our suggested approach, we use examples and results from our ongoing research project, in which the 'Three-perspectives-approach' is currently applied. We have combined theories, approaches and knowledge from different disciplines in order to formulate a framework for studies of social aspects of energy projects that is structured, concise and comparable. The approach is developed to target multi-disciplinary researchers with limited training in social scientific research. It may also be used by project implementers, or as a way for social scientists to present their findings in a way that facilitates for non-social scientists to integrate them into practice. We suggest that the Three-perspectives-approach may be applied independently, os as a complement to other tools.
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| 2. |
- Ahmadi Moghaddam, Elham, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the potential for biomethane production by willow pyrolysis using life cycle assessment methodology
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundBiomethane, as a potential substitute for natural gas, reduces the use of fossil-based sources, promoting bioenergy applications. Biomethane for energy use can be produced using a variety of biomass types and technologies. Biomethane from farmland crops is currently produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) of energy crops, which is a biological treatment of organic material resulting in biomethane and digestate. Recently, thermochemical conversion technologies of biomass to biomethane have gained attention. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process whereby woody biomass is converted to fuel gas and biochar. This study assessed the land use efficiency of producing biomethane through a maize-based AD system compared with switching to a willow-based biomethane system using pyrolysis as an emerging technology. The energy performance and climate impact of the two pathways were assessed from a land use perspective, using life cycle assessment methodology. The entire technical system, from biomass production to delivery of biomethane as the end product, was included within the analysis. The study also investigated how the climate impact was affected when biochar was applied to soil to act as a soil amendment and carbon sequestration agent or when biochar was used as an energy source.ResultsPyrolysis of willow had a higher external energy ratio and climate mitigation effect than maize-based AD as a result of lower primary energy inputs and lower methane loss in the pyrolysis process and upgrading units. Furthermore, the biochar from willow pyrolysis, when used as a soil amendment or energy source, contributed significantly to the climate impact mitigation potential in both cases. Substituting fossil gas with biomethane gave a considerable reduction in climate impact in all scenarios, especially in the case of willow pyrolysis. The willow pyrolysis system acted as a carbon sink, resulting in a negative climate impact, counteracting global warming.ConclusionFrom a land use perspective, the transition from maize-based AD to a willow-based pyrolysis system for biomethane production could be beneficial regarding the energy performance and climate impact. Application of biochar to the soil in the willow scenario contributed significantly to counteracting emissions of greenhouse gases.
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| 3. |
- Atteridge, Aaron, et al.
(författare)
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Development aid for energy in Small Island Developing States
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy is given high priority in the national development agendas of most Small Island Developing States (SIDS) because it is intertwined with social, economic and environmental challenges. Many SIDS experience heavy fiscal burdens associated with imported fuels, some have very low electricity access rates, and islands also have a strong interest in the transition to cleaner energy because they are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This paper presents a global mapping of development finance for SIDS’ energy sectors. We analyse whether energy aid has increased following international commitments to support developing countries tackle climate change and whether this is supporting renewable energy, whether finance has been targeted to different recipient countries based on either their income status or their electricity access rates and whether electricity access rates have substantially improved during this time, and whether financial commitments are actually being disbursed. Focusing mainly on the period 2002–2016, we use data reported by bilateral and multilateral sources to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee on financial support to 37 SIDS. Our analysis includes almost 5700 energy-related transactions between 2002 and 2016. Data on populations and electricity access rates of individual countries come from the World Bank’s Open Data platform. We observe an increase in funding since 2009 and a shift towards renewables, and solar particularly, though oil-fired plants and other non-renewables continue to be funded. Energy aid is unevenly spread between SIDS, on a total and a per capita basis. There is little correlation between the allocations made to individual countries and either their income or energy access gaps, and improvements in electricity access have been slow in those countries where the gap is largest. We also identify low disbursement rates, suggesting implementation problems. There is an urgent need to improve the quantity and quality of aid to help SIDS tackle their significant energy challenges. While the trend towards more funding for renewables is positive, low disbursement levels and limited support for strengthening local human and institutional capacities may be limiting its effectiveness.
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| 4. |
- Busch, Henner, et al.
(författare)
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Local power: Exploring the motivations of mayors and key success factors for local municipalities to go 100% renewable energy
- 2014
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - 2192-0567. ; 4:5, s. 1-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper investigates the decision-making processes of mayors on the municipal level in Brandenburg, Germany, to support 100% renewable energy policies as well as the respective key success factors. Three different cases and their specific settings are examined: (1) Turnow-Preilack with Germany's largest solar power plant, (2) Prenzlau, a town claiming the title 'City of Renewable Energy’ and (3) the village of Feldheim, the first energy independent settlement in Germany. On the basis of exploratory site visits and interviews, the process of implementation of renewable energy is investigated. The methodology developed here is based on the 'theory of planned behaviour’ which helps to visualise the individual decision-making processes of key actors. Not surprisingly, many different factors influence the investigated cases. The decision-making processes must be investigated in their context that is shaped by the attitudes of mayors, the expectation of how their actions will be perceived, and the control mayors estimate to have over projects. The identified factors point at the key finding that the mayors first and foremost think about the 'good of their municipality’. This does not necessarily refer to economic factors but can encompass aspects such as 'strengthening community life’. More abstract factors such as climate change or contributing to the transition of the national power supply play - if at all - a minor role. Policies that aim at supporting energy transitions in similar settings should therefore shift their focus from communicating climate change mitigation to the co-benefits that ambitious renewable energy policies can bring to a community.
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| 5. |
- Causevic, Amar, et al.
(författare)
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Analyzing development finance flows in the Western Balkans’ energy sector: a 2008–2020 perspective
- 2023
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Nature. - 2192-0567. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Development finance is vital for low- and middle-income countries to enhance their sustainability agendas, as it provides essential funding necessary to close domestic financing gaps, including in the energy sector. Coal is still a vital power source for the energy sectors in the Western Balkans (i.e., Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). The energy sector is a critical component in the five countries’ pursuit to decarbonize (i.e., follow the net zero pathways) due to its central role as a primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a critical enabler of sustainability transition. This article presents a mapping exercise of development finance for five Western Balkan countries’ energy sectors. The study conducted a scoping literature review and detailed analysis of the five countries’ energy sector-related development finance flows from 2008 to 2020. This aimed to provide insights into the development finance flows for renewable and non-renewable energy sources in five Western Balkan countries. Results: The scoping literature review indicated a significant gap in knowledge about the effects and effectiveness of development finance in the Western Balkans. Data analysis identified US$3.2 billion in energy development finance in the examined countries. The disbursement ratios were above the global average of 63%. Serbia received the highest proportion of the total funding, while Montenegro obtained the highest funding per capita. The data analysis did not establish a connection between adopting the Paris Agreement in 2016 and increasing development finance flows for renewable energy projects. Around one-third of the disbursed development finance was invested in projects for energy supply using non-renewable sources. Official Development Aid loans represented 37% (US$1.2 billion) of the total funding, contributing to the increase in indebtedness in the five countries. European-based bilateral and multilateral development finance providers were the most important actors in the five examined countries. Conclusions: The amount of the disbursed development finance was insufficient to cover a significant percentage of the needs of the surveyed countries. Although carbon-intensive energy infrastructure received considerable funding, the total amount of disbursed energy development finance ranged between 0.15 and 0.62% of the average gross domestic product for the analyzed countries during the study period. Based on the research findings, we recommend that development finance providers and recipient countries pay greater attention to planning for strategic funding disbursement.
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| 6. |
- Hojcková, Kristina, 1990, et al.
(författare)
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A global super-grid: sociotechnical drivers and barriers
- 2022
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background One way to design an electricity system wholly based on renewables is referred to as the global Super-grid, a vision of a transmission network of unprecedented geographical scope that uses advanced technology to balance spatially and temporally varying supply and demand across the globe. While proponents, since the 1960s, have argued that a global Super-grid is technologically possible and socially desirable, and significant technical progress has been made since the 1990s, development is slow with new transmission lines being built predominantly with established technology and within the boundaries of single countries. The aim of this study is to explore sociotechnical drivers and barriers of global Super-grid development. Results A main driver is the century old ideas that larger grids are more efficient and contribute to cooperation and peace. Over the last decades, the level of technical knowledge and networks of proponent have grown. The Super-grid also benefits from the potential opportunity of building on existing grids. Barriers stem from the scale of investments needed to experiment, path dependences in established industry and competition from novel smaller scale solutions based on local production, energy storage and smart grid technology. Other barriers originate in the organisational and institutional complexities of international electricity trade, and in the lack of trust at local and global levels, which hinder the development of necessary coordination. Conclusions The analysis suggests that if the Super-grid is to become part of a future electricity system, the discourse needs to open up, move beyond simplistic ideas of efficiency and 'technocratic internationalism', and take into account a broader set of social benefits, risks and trade-offs.
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| 7. |
- Holmlid, Leif, 1942
(författare)
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Muon-catalyzed fusion and annihilation energy generation will supersede non-sustainable T+D nuclear fusion
- 2022
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Ingår i: Energy, sustainability and society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Large-scale fusion reactors using hydrogen isotopes as fuel are under development at several places in the world. These types of fusion reactors use tritium as fuel for the T+D reaction. However, tritium is not a sustainable fuel, since it likely will require fssion reactors for its production, and since it is a dangerous material due to its radioactivity with main risks of release to the environment during tritium production, transport and refuelling operations. Thus, widespread use of fusion relying on tritium fuel should be avoided. At least two better methods for producing the nuclear energy needed in the world indeed already exist, using deuterium or ordinary hydrogen as fuel, and more methods need to be developed. It should be noted that the frst experiments with sustained laser-driven fusion above break-even using deuterium as fuel were published already in 2015. Similar results for T+D fusion do not exist even after 60 years of development, which gives no confdence in this approach. Main text: The well-known muon-induced fusion (often called muon-catalyzed fusion) can use non-radioactive deuterium as fuel. With the recent development of a high intensity muon source (1013 muons per laser shot) (patented), this method is technically and economically feasible today. Due to the low energy cost of producing muons at<1 MeV with this new source, the length of the so-called catalytic chain is unimportant. This removes the 60-yearold enigma, concerning the so-called alpha sticking process. The recently developed annihilation energy generation uses ordinary hydrogen in the form of ultradense hydrogen H(0) as fuel and is thus sustainable and has very high efciency. Conclusions: Muon-induced fusion is able to directly replace most combustion-based power stations in the world, giving sustainable and environmentally harmless power (primarily heat), in this way eliminating most CO2 emissions of human energy generation origin. Annihilation-based power generation has the potential to replace almost all other uses of fossil fuels within a few decades, also in mobile applications, including spacefight, where it is the only method able to give relativistic rocket propulsion.
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| 8. |
- Kjeang, Are, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Energy consulting services in the information age - literature review
- 2017
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 7:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The institution of energy consulting services is one of the several government instruments for improving the efficiency of energy usage in many European countries. Various forms of advice on energy issues are offered to households. In Sweden, there has been a drop in the number of households who avail of this service, even though it is offered independently, free of charge and easily accessible. Instead, Swedes have been increasingly seeking information on the Internet (websites, blogs and social media), which can be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity for the energy consulting service offered by Swedish municipalities. The aim of the literature study is to present an overview of current research in the area of energy consulting targeting households. This to identify central themes in the research front, identify knowledge gaps and discuss which challenges previous research emphasise for energy consulting services targeting households. The results show that research indicates that a measurement–feedback–communication strategy for households is necessary if one wishes to effect a change in consumer behaviour. Today, consumers expect more individualised information than before. Here, the three dimensions of sustainable development can be useful. Energy consulting is also better appreciated if it occurs in situ—at the customer’s home. How it can and should be developed in an increasingly digitalised world is a topic we think is vital for future research. Also, with sustainable development becoming increasingly important in this century, an interdisciplinary approach to energy consulting is strongly recommended by the authors of this paper.
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| 9. |
- Kojonsaari, A. R., et al.
(författare)
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The development of social science research on smart grids : a semi-structured literature review
- 2023
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 13:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Smart technologies, such as smart grids, are emerging as indispensable aspects of an energy transformation and come with hopes of more sustainable resource use. A substantial amount of research has examined the technical, economic, and environmental implications of these technologies, but less attention has been paid to their social aspects. For the smart grid projects to be realised, studies that include the actors who are supposed to implement the visions are needed. Results: A semi-structured literature review was conducted to investigate the state of social science literature on smart grids and identify the main research avenues and research gaps by addressing a broad research question: “What kind of knowledge is produced in social science studies on smart grids?” We retrieved peer-reviewed articles from the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases up until 2022 and mapped them in terms of features such as topic, design, method, and theory. Conclusions: We found that knowledge development in social science studies on smart grids followed a pattern where most research focused on visions; professionals and users; and smart technologies in homes with a geographical focus on Europe or the USA. We identified six research gaps related to an overly vague definition of the smart grid and the need to include more diverse actors and geographical places to advance our understanding of the smart grid. There is also a lack of studies relating to energy democracy, the resistance of smart grids and the centralised–decentralised nexus of the smart grid. These less studied areas can bring in new knowledge that enhances a deployment of a smart grids supporting not only technological development, but also society and users.
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| 10. |
- Lazoroska, Daniela, et al.
(författare)
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Perceptions of participation and the role of gender for the engagement in solar energy communities in Sweden
- 2021
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Ingår i: Energy, Sustainability and Society. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2192-0567. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energy communities are emphasized by the EU as important for developing sustainable energy systems that include and engage many people. While many renewables are highly compatible with a more decentralized energy system, research indicates that participation in 'desirable' energy activities and energy decision-making is influenced by social and economic factors, including gender, economic status and home ownership. The overall aim of this article is to contribute to this line of inquiry by exploring how and under which conditions energy communities allow for broader participation in the energy system. This article examines how gender, as a more specific condition, influences the extent to which parties can or cannot engage with collective solar ownership models by means of a qualitative study of 11 solar energy communities and one housing association in Sweden.Results: The study revealed that despite the relative potential for inclusion that they hold, energy communities can raise justice concerns in terms of inequities concerning access, capacity, and opportunity to engage in decision-making.Conclusions: While solely focusing on gender offers a limited view of the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in renewable energy projects, it is our position that integrating it into the analysis will provide insights into possible measures to remedy limitations and accelerate the renewable energy transition.
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