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Energy system decarbonisation and changing consumer behaviours will create and destroy new markets in the electric power sector. This means that the energy industry will have to adapt their business models in order to capture these pools of value. Recent work explores how changes to the utility business model that include digital, decentralised or service-based offers could both disrupt the market and accelerate low carbon transitions. However, it is unclear whether these business models are technologically feasible. To answer this question, we undertook an expert panel study to determine the readiness levels of key enabling technologies. The result is an analysis of what technologies may hinder electricity business model innovation and where more research or development is necessary. The study shows that none of the business models that are compatible with a low carbon power sector are facing technology barriers that cannot be overcome, but there is still work to be done in the domain of system integration. We conclude that, especially in the field of energy system coordination and operation, there is a need for comprehensive demonstration trials which can iteratively combine and test information and communications technology (ICT) solutions. This form of innovation support would require a new approach to energy system trials.
Christoph Mazur; Stephen Hall; Jeffrey Hardy; Mark Workman. Technology is not a Barrier: A Survey of Energy System Technologies Required for Innovative Electricity Business Models Driving the Low Carbon Energy Revolution. Energies 2019, 12, 428 .
AMA StyleChristoph Mazur, Stephen Hall, Jeffrey Hardy, Mark Workman. Technology is not a Barrier: A Survey of Energy System Technologies Required for Innovative Electricity Business Models Driving the Low Carbon Energy Revolution. Energies. 2019; 12 (3):428.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristoph Mazur; Stephen Hall; Jeffrey Hardy; Mark Workman. 2019. "Technology is not a Barrier: A Survey of Energy System Technologies Required for Innovative Electricity Business Models Driving the Low Carbon Energy Revolution." Energies 12, no. 3: 428.
Infrastructure and services within urban areas of developed countries have established reliable definitions of resilience and its dependence on various factors as an important pathway for achieving sustainability in these energy systems. However, the assessment, design, building and maintenance of power systems situated in rural areas in emerging economies present further difficulties because there is no a clear framework for such circumstances. Aiming to address this issue, this paper combines different visions of energy-related resilience both in general and under rural conditions in order to provide a robust practical framework for local and international stakeholders to derive the right actions in the rural context of emerging economies. An in-depth review is implemented to recompile information of resilience in general, in energy systems and in rural areas in particular, and a number of existing frameworks is also consulted. In order to acknowledge the particular circumstances and identify the important factors influencing the resilience of rural electrification in emerging economies, a holistic rural power system resilience framework is developed and presented. This consists of twenty-one indicators for technical resilience, eight indicators for social resilience, and thirteen indicators for economic resilience. This framework can be used by system owners and operators, policy makers, NGOs and communities to ensure the longevity of power systems. This work also paves the way for the creation of appropriate and effective resilience standards specifically targeted for application in these regions - aiming to achieve the delivery of global and local sustainability goals.
Christoph Mazur; Yannick Hoegerle; Maria Brucoli; Koen van Dam; Miao Guo; Christos Markides; Nilay Shah. A holistic resilience framework development for rural power systems in emerging economies. Applied Energy 2018, 235, 219 -232.
AMA StyleChristoph Mazur, Yannick Hoegerle, Maria Brucoli, Koen van Dam, Miao Guo, Christos Markides, Nilay Shah. A holistic resilience framework development for rural power systems in emerging economies. Applied Energy. 2018; 235 ():219-232.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristoph Mazur; Yannick Hoegerle; Maria Brucoli; Koen van Dam; Miao Guo; Christos Markides; Nilay Shah. 2018. "A holistic resilience framework development for rural power systems in emerging economies." Applied Energy 235, no. : 219-232.
Despite the need for large-scale retrofit of UK housing to meet emissions reduction targets, progress to date has been slow and domestic energy efficiency policies have struggled to accelerate housing retrofit processes. There is a need for housing retrofit policies that overcome key barriers within the retrofit sector while maintaining economic viability for customers, funding organizations, and effectively addressing UK emission reductions and fuel poverty targets. In this study, we use a simple assessment framework to assess three policies (the Variable Council Tax, the Variable Stamp Duty Land Tax, and Green Mortgage) proposed to replace the UK’s current major domestic retrofit programme known as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). We show that the Variable Council Tax and Green Mortgage proposals have the greatest potential for overcoming the main barriers to retrofit policies while maintaining economic viability and contributing to high-level UK targets. We also show that, while none of the assessed schemes are capable of overcoming all retrofit barriers on their own, a mix of all three policies could address most barriers and provide key benefits such as wide coverage of property markets, operation on existing financial infrastructures, and application of a “carrot-and-stick” approach to incentivize retrofit. Lastly, we indicate that the specific support and protection of fuel-poor households cannot be achieved by a mix of these policies and a complementary scheme focused on fuel-poor households is required.
Luciana Maria Miu; Natalia Wisniewska; Christoph Mazur; Jeffrey Hardy; Adam Hawkes. A Simple Assessment of Housing Retrofit Policies for the UK: What Should Succeed the Energy Company Obligation? Energies 2018, 11, 2070 .
AMA StyleLuciana Maria Miu, Natalia Wisniewska, Christoph Mazur, Jeffrey Hardy, Adam Hawkes. A Simple Assessment of Housing Retrofit Policies for the UK: What Should Succeed the Energy Company Obligation? Energies. 2018; 11 (8):2070.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuciana Maria Miu; Natalia Wisniewska; Christoph Mazur; Jeffrey Hardy; Adam Hawkes. 2018. "A Simple Assessment of Housing Retrofit Policies for the UK: What Should Succeed the Energy Company Obligation?" Energies 11, no. 8: 2070.
Switching energy demand for transport from liquid fuels to electricity is the most promising way to significantly improve air quality and reduce transport emissions. Previous studies have shown this is possible, that by 2035 the economics of alternative powertrain and energy vectors will have converged. However, they do not address whether the transition is likely or plausible. Using the UK as a case study, we present a systems dynamics model based study informed by transition theory and explore the effects of technology progress, policy-making, user preferences and; for the first time, automated vehicles on this transition. We are not trying to predict the future but to highlight what is necessary in order for different scenarios to become more or less likely. Worryingly we show that current policies with the expected technology progress and expectations of vehicle buyers are insufficient to reach global targets. Faster technology progress, strong financial incentives or a change in vehicle buyer expectations are crucial but still insufficient. In contrast, the biggest switch to alternatively fuelled vehicles could be achieved by the introduction of automated vehicles. The implications will affect policy makers, automotive manufactures, technology developers and broader society.
Christoph Mazur; Gregory Offer; Marcello Contestabile; Nigel Brandon. Comparing the Effects of Vehicle Automation, Policy-Making and Changed User Preferences on the Uptake of Electric Cars and Emissions from Transport. Sustainability 2018, 10, 676 .
AMA StyleChristoph Mazur, Gregory Offer, Marcello Contestabile, Nigel Brandon. Comparing the Effects of Vehicle Automation, Policy-Making and Changed User Preferences on the Uptake of Electric Cars and Emissions from Transport. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (3):676.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristoph Mazur; Gregory Offer; Marcello Contestabile; Nigel Brandon. 2018. "Comparing the Effects of Vehicle Automation, Policy-Making and Changed User Preferences on the Uptake of Electric Cars and Emissions from Transport." Sustainability 10, no. 3: 676.
This work presents a study of how the automotive industry has responded in the last 20 years to pressures driven by economic and environmental issues, and by the transition towards electric mobility. Timelines for the major German automotive OEMs are presented to understand the industry’s behaviour in the past in order to design suitable policies that are appropriate to reach future goals around the electrification of road transport. Based upon a comparison of the pressures arising in the automotive sector and the companies’ behaviour with regard to technology choice and R&D, a set of hypotheses concerning this behaviour is then presented.
Christoph Mazur; Marcello Contestabile; Gregory J. Offer; N.P. Brandon. Understanding the automotive industry: German OEM behaviour during the last 20 years and its implications. World Electric Vehicle Journal 2013, 6, 1054 -1067.
AMA StyleChristoph Mazur, Marcello Contestabile, Gregory J. Offer, N.P. Brandon. Understanding the automotive industry: German OEM behaviour during the last 20 years and its implications. World Electric Vehicle Journal. 2013; 6 (4):1054-1067.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristoph Mazur; Marcello Contestabile; Gregory J. Offer; N.P. Brandon. 2013. "Understanding the automotive industry: German OEM behaviour during the last 20 years and its implications." World Electric Vehicle Journal 6, no. 4: 1054-1067.