Sigita Urboniene

Dr. Sigita Urboniene


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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29 January 2022 in Energies
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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Ričardas KrikštolaitisRičardas Krikštolaitis
Ričardas Krikštolaitis
Vincenzo BiancoVincenzo Bianco
Vincenzo Bianco
Linas MartišauskasLinas Martišauskas
Linas Martišauskas
SUSigita Urboniene
Sigita Urboniene
This work aims to present an analysis of electricity and natural gas supply security in the four European Union countries with the highest level of consumption, namely Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The goal of the study is to use and adapt a set of 22 indicators for estimating the level of energy security. The evaluation of an index called “Energy Security Level”, measuring the overall energy security, is performed for the period 2006–2018 in order to compare its evolution in each of the analyzed countries. The application of the proposed indicator system demonstrates which measures weakened or strengthened energy security in the past. The analysis of the energy security level demonstrates that Germany and France perform better than Italy and Spain in terms of energy security assurance. The main factors for these differences are the rich energy mix for Germany and the massive presence of nuclear power in France. These two elements make German and French energy systems more resilient than the Italian and Spanish ones. The results of sensitivity and uncertainty analysis demonstrate that the initial values of indicator weights have low impact on the uncertainty of energy security level estimations.

12 April 2023 in Applied Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
OVOtilija Vonzudaite
Otilija Vonzudaite
Linas MartišauskasLinas Martišauskas
Linas Martišauskas
RBRimantas Bakas
Rimantas Bakas
SUSigita Urboniene
Sigita Urboniene
Rolandas UrbonasRolandas Urbonas
Rolandas Urbonas
District heating systems are gaining global recognition as an essential tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon-energy future. In this context, heat pumps are becoming an important technology, providing an effective solution for improving energy efficiency and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels in heating systems. Therefore, this study is focused on the optimal selection of heat pump systems for different types of buildings considering technical, economic, environmental, and social factors. This paper proposes a novel methodology based on mixed-integer nonlinear programming and multi-objective optimization that minimizes total costs and reduces CO2 emissions for heat production and supply systems over a desired period. The methodology is applied to various building types, including renovated and unrenovated apartment buildings, schools, kindergartens, and a supermarket. The study analyzes various types of heat pumps and electric heaters for space heating and domestic hot water production. Optimization results showed that the optimal heating system includes air-to-water heat pumps and electric heaters. Furthermore, for schools and a supermarket, these systems are combined with hybrid heat pumps. The goal of making the heating system neutral in terms of CO2 emissions was achieved for eight out of eleven buildings analyzed. The most profitable investments were in the heating systems of renovated five-story and unrenovated nine-story apartment buildings due to their low energy costs (0.0831 EUR/kWh), short payback periods, and high returns on investment.