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Philippine off-grid islands are mostly electrified by diesel generators, resulting in costly electricity that is interrupted by fuel supply disruptions. The archipelagic nature of the country also impedes off-grid electrification due to the high capital cost of grid extension. Transitioning from diesel-only systems to hybrid renewable energy systems and interconnecting the island microgrids can solve these problems while promoting cleaner energy production. In this work, a comparative study on decentralized and clustered hybrid renewable energy system microgrids in the Polillo group of islands in the Philippines, using HOMER Pro, was performed. Microgrids comprising solar photovoltaics, lithium-ion battery energy storage, and diesel generators were designed on each island. Clustered systems encompassing multiple islands in the island group were simulated by also considering the least-cost interconnection paths. The techno-economics of each decentralized or clustered system and the four-island system were evaluated based on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Reliability was assessed using the change in LCOE upon the failure of a component and during weather disturbances. Transitioning from diesel-only systems to hybrid systems reduces generation costs by an average of 42.01% and increases the renewable energy share to 80%. Interconnecting the hybrid systems results in an average increase of 2.34% in generation costs due to the cost of submarine cables but improves system reliability and reduces the optimum solar photovoltaic and lithium-ion storage installations by 6.66% and 8.71%, respectively. This research serves as a framework for the interconnection pre-feasibility analysis of other small off-grid islands.
Olivia Francesca B. Agua; Robert Joseph A. Basilio; Mc Erschad D. Pabillan; Michael T. Castro; Philipp Blechinger; Joey D. Ocon. Decentralized versus Clustered Microgrids: An Energy Systems Study for Reliable Off-Grid Electrification of Small Islands. Energies 2020, 13, 4454 .
AMA StyleOlivia Francesca B. Agua, Robert Joseph A. Basilio, Mc Erschad D. Pabillan, Michael T. Castro, Philipp Blechinger, Joey D. Ocon. Decentralized versus Clustered Microgrids: An Energy Systems Study for Reliable Off-Grid Electrification of Small Islands. Energies. 2020; 13 (17):4454.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOlivia Francesca B. Agua; Robert Joseph A. Basilio; Mc Erschad D. Pabillan; Michael T. Castro; Philipp Blechinger; Joey D. Ocon. 2020. "Decentralized versus Clustered Microgrids: An Energy Systems Study for Reliable Off-Grid Electrification of Small Islands." Energies 13, no. 17: 4454.
Southeast Asia is one of the regions most affected by impacts of climate change underlying the urgency to build resilience especially for remote and isolated island communities. Moreover, these islands face the problem of expensive and unreliable electricity supply. The large number of island communities further magnifies the difficulty of reaching universal sustainable electricity supply. Off-grid electrification technologies promise to tackle this challenge entailing high investments yet also market potential. Currently both aspects – electricity access and climate resilience - are barely linked in electrification planning. Energy planning in a region highly affected by climate change requires integrative planning considering these risks. Here, to enhance integrative planning, we study the status quo of energy access and risk exposure of non-electrified Southeast Asian islands. We identify 1932 islands with a population greater than 21 million having limited access to electricity. Our study reveals three risk-specific island archetypes, which need different technical measures to enhance climate resiliency of future electricity systems. We conclude that future energy planning in Southeast Asia requires climate resilience as an additional planning dimension. The identified cluster groups serve as a blueprint for decision makers to support measures improving energy systems’ resilience avoiding expensive re-investments in the future.
Katrin Lammers; Paul Bertheau; Philipp Blechinger. Exploring requirements for sustainable energy supply planning with regard to climate resilience of Southeast Asian islands. Energy Policy 2020, 146, 111770 .
AMA StyleKatrin Lammers, Paul Bertheau, Philipp Blechinger. Exploring requirements for sustainable energy supply planning with regard to climate resilience of Southeast Asian islands. Energy Policy. 2020; 146 ():111770.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatrin Lammers; Paul Bertheau; Philipp Blechinger. 2020. "Exploring requirements for sustainable energy supply planning with regard to climate resilience of Southeast Asian islands." Energy Policy 146, no. : 111770.
The fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands is being affected by population growth, intensive tourism, the exploitation of local resources and the high consumption of imported fossil fuels. This unsustainable development model makes the provision of services such as electricity a challenge. This research investigates the hybrid renewable mini-grid Baltra–Santa Cruz, which represents 62% of the electricity generation mix of the archipelago. This study aims to support the Galapagos Zero Fossil Fuel Initiative and the Sustainable Development Goal 7 through the reduction in diesel consumption and electricity generation costs. To do so, HOMER Pro, a specialized hybrid renewable mini-grid planning tool, is used to perform several techno-economic assessments, focusing on different electricity demand scenarios. Therefore, multiple pathways are compared to identify the most reliable alternatives towards the progressive decarbonization of this hybrid system. The results indicate that installing 18.25 MWp of photovoltaic and 20.68 MWh of battery capacity could reduce the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) from 32.06 to 18.95 USc/kWh, increasing the renewable energy (RE) share from 18% to 39%. Additionally, the successful application of energy efficiency measures would even reduce the LCOE to 17.10 USc/kWh. What is more, distributed energy is considered the most attractive way to involve islanders in the energy transition process. Finally, this paper offers a comprehensive business model proposal to achieve a resilient energy supply, based on a combination of auctions and energy community models, which demands high political will, reliable and innovative regulations and social awareness about energy use.
Andrea Eras-Almeida; Miguel Angel Egido Aguilera; Philipp Blechinger; Sarah Berendes; Estefanía Caamaño; Enrique García-Alcalde. Decarbonizing the Galapagos Islands: Techno-Economic Perspectives for the Hybrid Renewable Mini-Grid Baltra–Santa Cruz. Sustainability 2020, 12, 2282 .
AMA StyleAndrea Eras-Almeida, Miguel Angel Egido Aguilera, Philipp Blechinger, Sarah Berendes, Estefanía Caamaño, Enrique García-Alcalde. Decarbonizing the Galapagos Islands: Techno-Economic Perspectives for the Hybrid Renewable Mini-Grid Baltra–Santa Cruz. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (6):2282.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Eras-Almeida; Miguel Angel Egido Aguilera; Philipp Blechinger; Sarah Berendes; Estefanía Caamaño; Enrique García-Alcalde. 2020. "Decarbonizing the Galapagos Islands: Techno-Economic Perspectives for the Hybrid Renewable Mini-Grid Baltra–Santa Cruz." Sustainability 12, no. 6: 2282.
Small islands developing states (SIDS) contribute minuscule proportions to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption, but are highly exposed to climate change impacts, in particular to extreme weather events and sea-level rise. However, there is little research on potential decarbonization trajectories unique to SIDS. Here, we argue that insular topology, scale, and economy are distinctive characteristics of SIDS that facilitate overcoming carbon lock-in. We investigate these dimensions for the three islands of Barbados, Fiji, and Mauritius. We find that insular topologies and small scale offer an opportunity for both public transit corridors and rapid electrification of car fleets. The tourism sector enables local decision-makers and investors to experiment with shared mobility and to induce spillover effects by educating tourists about new mobility options. Limited network effects, and the particular economy thus enables to overcome carbon lock-in. We call for targeted investments into SIDS to transition insular mobility systems towards zero carbon in 2040. The decarbonization of SIDS is not only needed as a mitigation effort, but also as a strong signal to the global community underlining that a zero-carbon future is possible.
Zakia Soomauroo; Philipp Blechinger; Felix Creutzig. Unique Opportunities of Island States to Transition to a Low-Carbon Mobility System. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1435 .
AMA StyleZakia Soomauroo, Philipp Blechinger, Felix Creutzig. Unique Opportunities of Island States to Transition to a Low-Carbon Mobility System. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1435.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZakia Soomauroo; Philipp Blechinger; Felix Creutzig. 2020. "Unique Opportunities of Island States to Transition to a Low-Carbon Mobility System." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1435.
The achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is heavily influenced by access to data: Data is necessary to assess the current status quo as well as to measure progress and to find opportune contextualized solutions for development challenges. Specifically, the lack of energy access (as defined in SDG7) is an immense bottleneck for development in Tanzania and considering spatial planning plays a crucial role in locating the most appropriate electrification solution for each site; taking into account not only its inherent characteristics, such as local demand for electricity and economic activities, but also external factors such as the distance to existing energy transmission and distribution infrastructure. Data in Tanzania is scarce, and this paper is an attempt to analyze the potential of open data sources to increase data availability to eventually provide improved foundation for decision making and investment flows for electrification planning. Results show that data quality of the given sources is sufficient for providing a novel level of disaggregated spatial information which can serve as an additional information stream for all involved stakeholders.From both perspectives, with national planning on the one hand and bottom-up initiatives on the other hand, it is important to understand the spatial aspects of any planning scheme to guarantee that a successful implementation phase will follow the planning stage.
C. Cader; S. Pelz; A. Radu; P. Blechinger. OVERCOMING DATA SCARCITY FOR ENERGY ACCESS PLANNING WITH OPEN DATA – THE EXAMPLE OF TANZANIA. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 2018, XLII-4/W8, 23 -26.
AMA StyleC. Cader, S. Pelz, A. Radu, P. Blechinger. OVERCOMING DATA SCARCITY FOR ENERGY ACCESS PLANNING WITH OPEN DATA – THE EXAMPLE OF TANZANIA. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. 2018; XLII-4/W8 ():23-26.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Cader; S. Pelz; A. Radu; P. Blechinger. 2018. "OVERCOMING DATA SCARCITY FOR ENERGY ACCESS PLANNING WITH OPEN DATA – THE EXAMPLE OF TANZANIA." The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XLII-4/W8, no. : 23-26.
Some 630 million people representing two-thirds of all Africans have no access to electricity, which is identified as a key barrier towards further development. Three main electrification options are considered within our work: grid extensions, mini-grids and solar home systems (SHS). A methodology is applied to all sub-Saharan African countries to identify in high geospatial resolution which electrification option is appropriate taking into account datasets for night light imagery, population distribution and grid infrastructure. Four different scenarios are considered reflecting grid development and electrification constraints due to low population density. The results clearly indicate a dominating role of SHS for achieving a fast electrification of the not supplied people. The share of supplied people by mini-grids is found to be rather low while grid extension serves a large share of the population. The decisive factors for these distinctions are population density and distance to grid. We applied several scenarios and sensitivities to understand the influence of these key parameters. The highest trade-off happens between SHS and grid extension depending on the selected thresholds. Mini-grid deployments remain in the range of 8 to 21%.
Paul Bertheau; Ayobami Solomon Oyewo; Catherina Cader; Christian Breyer; Philipp Blechinger. Visualizing National Electrification Scenarios for Sub-Saharan African Countries. Energies 2017, 10, 1899 .
AMA StylePaul Bertheau, Ayobami Solomon Oyewo, Catherina Cader, Christian Breyer, Philipp Blechinger. Visualizing National Electrification Scenarios for Sub-Saharan African Countries. Energies. 2017; 10 (11):1899.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul Bertheau; Ayobami Solomon Oyewo; Catherina Cader; Christian Breyer; Philipp Blechinger. 2017. "Visualizing National Electrification Scenarios for Sub-Saharan African Countries." Energies 10, no. 11: 1899.
Globally, small islands below 100,000 inhabitants represent a large number of diesel based mini-grids. With volatile fossil fuel costs which are most likely to increase in the long-run and competitive renewable energy technologies the introduction of such sustainable power generation system seems a viable and environmental friendly option. Nevertheless the implementation of renewable energies on small islands is quite low based on high transaction costs and missing knowledge according to the market potential. Our work provides a global overview on the small island landscape showing the respective population, economic activity, energy demand, and fuel costs for almost 1800 islands with approximately 20 million inhabitants currently supplied by 15 GW of diesel plants. Based on these parameters a detailed techno-economic assessment of the potential integration of solar PV, wind power, and battery storage into the power supply system was performed for each island. The focus on solar and wind was set due to the lack of data on hydro and geothermal potential for a global island study. It revealed that almost 7.5 GW of photovoltaic and 14 GW of wind power could be economically installed and operated on these islands reducing the GHG-emissions and fuel consumption by approximately 50%. In total numbers more than 20 million tons of GHG emissions can be reduced by avoiding the burning of 7.8 billion liters of diesel per year. Cost savings of around 9 USDct/kWh occur on average by implementing these capacities combined with 5.8 GWh of battery storage. This detailed techno-economic evaluation of renewable energies enables policy makers and investors to facilitate the implementation of clean energy supply systems on small islands. To accelerate the implementation of this enormous potential we give specific policy recommendations such as the introduction of proper regulations.
P. Blechinger; Catherina Cader; P. Bertheau; H. Huyskens; R. Seguin; Christian Breyer. Global analysis of the techno-economic potential of renewable energy hybrid systems on small islands. Energy Policy 2016, 98, 674 -687.
AMA StyleP. Blechinger, Catherina Cader, P. Bertheau, H. Huyskens, R. Seguin, Christian Breyer. Global analysis of the techno-economic potential of renewable energy hybrid systems on small islands. Energy Policy. 2016; 98 ():674-687.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP. Blechinger; Catherina Cader; P. Bertheau; H. Huyskens; R. Seguin; Christian Breyer. 2016. "Global analysis of the techno-economic potential of renewable energy hybrid systems on small islands." Energy Policy 98, no. : 674-687.
Isolated diesel systems are the main electricity generation method in many rural areas nowadays and represent a viable option to supply un-electrified villages in the Global South. However, this generation scheme leads to a dependency on fossil fuels and their price volatility on a global market with a projected increase of costs in the future. At the same time, high carbon dioxide emissions increase environmental costs. Up to date, many hybrid mini-grid pilot projects and case studies were performed globally to assess how the inclusion of renewable energy in these systems can enhance technical and economic performance. This provides insights in local characteristics and challenges of that approach on a case by case basis. This study, on the other hand, takes a look at the overall global potential for solar–battery–diesel mini-grids for rural electrification and derives a comparative analysis of the respective regions. The introduction of a GIS-based analysis in combination with a sophisticated mini-grid simulation allows a highly automated approach to draw global conclusions with the option to downscale to local regions. The results of the methodology show that in many regions substantial LCOE reductions are achievable by introducing solar–battery–diesel systems compared to pure diesel systems. Furthermore, the crucial role of spatial varying of diesel fuel prices over different regions and the impacts on the feasibility of solar–battery–diesel systems can be observed.
Catherina Cader; P. Bertheau; P. Blechinger; H. Huyskens; Christian Breyer. Global cost advantages of autonomous solar–battery–diesel systems compared to diesel-only systems. Energy for Sustainable Development 2016, 31, 14 -23.
AMA StyleCatherina Cader, P. Bertheau, P. Blechinger, H. Huyskens, Christian Breyer. Global cost advantages of autonomous solar–battery–diesel systems compared to diesel-only systems. Energy for Sustainable Development. 2016; 31 ():14-23.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCatherina Cader; P. Bertheau; P. Blechinger; H. Huyskens; Christian Breyer. 2016. "Global cost advantages of autonomous solar–battery–diesel systems compared to diesel-only systems." Energy for Sustainable Development 31, no. : 14-23.
Many people in African countries lack access to sufficient electricity supply due to missing infrastructure of the centralized conventional power generation system. In order to provide electricity to a wider part of the population, it is necessary to exploit the vast renewable resources in African countries. Therefore, this paper scrutinizes the economic advantages of photovoltaic-based hybrid systems over fossil fuel-based power generation. A simulation model is applied in order to calculate the cost advantage of hybrid systems compared to diesel-only systems for the entire continent on a long term basis by applying two scenarios: one based on world market diesel prices and the other one based on national diesel prices. The results indicate that average power generation costs per country can be reduced by up to 0.11 €/kWh considering world market diesel prices and by up to 0.48 €/kWh considering national diesel prices. Furthermore, the effect of diesel fuel subsidies and taxes on the renewable energy potential and the respective savings are examined. These findings may ameliorate the policy development according to fossil fuel subsidies and taxes and demonstrate the advantages of decentralized renewable hybrid systems especially in rural areas of Africa.
Paul Bertheau; Catherina Cader; Hendrik Huyskens; Philipp Blechinger. The Influence of Diesel Fuel Subsidies and Taxes on the Potential for Solar-Powered Hybrid Systems in Africa. Resources 2015, 4, 673 -691.
AMA StylePaul Bertheau, Catherina Cader, Hendrik Huyskens, Philipp Blechinger. The Influence of Diesel Fuel Subsidies and Taxes on the Potential for Solar-Powered Hybrid Systems in Africa. Resources. 2015; 4 (3):673-691.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaul Bertheau; Catherina Cader; Hendrik Huyskens; Philipp Blechinger. 2015. "The Influence of Diesel Fuel Subsidies and Taxes on the Potential for Solar-Powered Hybrid Systems in Africa." Resources 4, no. 3: 673-691.
Despite large amounts of readily available renewable energy, most island states in the Caribbean are still heavily dependent on mostly imported fossil fuels for their energy production. Making use of empirical analyses, this paper explores the barriers to the development of RE for power generation in the Caribbean, and outlines a strategy of how to overcome these barriers. Semi-structured interviews with three “super-experts” serve to supplement the findings of a preceding literature review. Approximately 30 experts are consulted to confirm and rank the identified barriers to RE according to their importance. The end-product of this study is a ranking matrix that will serve as a strategy instrument for decision-makers, who are then able to prioritise barriers and initiate their removal.
Philipp Blechinger; Katharina Richter; Ortwin Renn. Barriers and Solutions to the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies in the Caribbean. Springer Proceedings in Energy 2015, 267 -284.
AMA StylePhilipp Blechinger, Katharina Richter, Ortwin Renn. Barriers and Solutions to the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies in the Caribbean. Springer Proceedings in Energy. 2015; ():267-284.
Chicago/Turabian StylePhilipp Blechinger; Katharina Richter; Ortwin Renn. 2015. "Barriers and Solutions to the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies in the Caribbean." Springer Proceedings in Energy , no. : 267-284.
The authors regret that the printed version of the above article contained a number of errors. The correct and final version follows. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused
P. Blechinger; R. Seguin; C. Cader; P. Bertheau; Ch. Breyera. Corrigendum to Assessment of the Global Potential for Renewable Energy Storage Systems on Small Islands. Energy Procedia 2014, 46, 324 .
AMA StyleP. Blechinger, R. Seguin, C. Cader, P. Bertheau, Ch. Breyera. Corrigendum to Assessment of the Global Potential for Renewable Energy Storage Systems on Small Islands. Energy Procedia. 2014; 46 ():324.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP. Blechinger; R. Seguin; C. Cader; P. Bertheau; Ch. Breyera. 2014. "Corrigendum to Assessment of the Global Potential for Renewable Energy Storage Systems on Small Islands." Energy Procedia 46, no. : 324.
More than 2,000 small islands (1,000 to 100,000 inhabitants) globally exist. These islands cover a huge potential for the implementation of renewable energies and storage systems. Their power generation is mainly based on expensive diesel power plants. In combination with abundant renewable resources, hybrid renewable energy systems become competitive compared to the existing fossil based power generation. This work reveals the enormous market potential for high share renewable energy solutions including battery storage systems. On a global scale more than 5 GWh of energy storage can be economically installed on these small islands
P. Blechinger; R. Seguin; C. Cader; P. Bertheau; Christian Breyer. Assessment of the Global Potential for Renewable Energy Storage Systems on Small Islands. Energy Procedia 2014, 46, 294 -300.
AMA StyleP. Blechinger, R. Seguin, C. Cader, P. Bertheau, Christian Breyer. Assessment of the Global Potential for Renewable Energy Storage Systems on Small Islands. Energy Procedia. 2014; 46 ():294-300.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP. Blechinger; R. Seguin; C. Cader; P. Bertheau; Christian Breyer. 2014. "Assessment of the Global Potential for Renewable Energy Storage Systems on Small Islands." Energy Procedia 46, no. : 294-300.