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René M. J. Benders
Integrated Research on Energy Environment and Society (IREES), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands

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Journal article
Published: 11 August 2021 in Energies
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With the integration of Intermitted Renewables Energy (I-RE) electricity production, capacity is shifting from central to decentral. So, the question is if it is also necessary to adjust the current load balancing system from a central to more decentral system. Therefore, an assessment is made on the overall effectiveness and costs of decentralized load balancing, using Flexible Renewable Energy (F-RE) in the shape of biogas, Demand Side Management (DSM), Power Curtailment (PC), and electricity Storage (ST) compared to increased grid capacity (GC). As a case, an average municipality in The Netherlands is supplied by 100% I-RE (wind and solar energy), which is dynamically modeled in the PowerPlan model using multiple scenarios including several combinations of balancing technologies. Results are expressed in yearly production mix, self-consumption, grid strain, Net Load Demand Signal, and added cost. Results indicate that in an optimized scenario, self-consumption of the municipality reaches a level of around 95%, the total hours per year production matches demand to over 90%, and overproduction can be curtailed without substantial losses lowering grid strain. In addition, the combination of balancing technologies also lowers the peak load to 60% of the current peak load in the municipality, thereby freeing up capacity for increased demand (e.g., electric heat pumps, electric cars) or additional I-RE production. The correct combination of F-RE and lowering I-RE production to 60%, ST, and PC are shown to be crucial. However, the direct use of DSM has proven ineffective without a larger flexible demand present in the municipality. In addition, the optimized scenario will require a substantial investment in installations and will increase the energy cost with 75% in the municipality (e.g., from 0.20€ to 0.35€ per kWh) compared to 50% (0.30€ per kWh) for GC. Within this context, solutions are also required on other levels of scale (e.g., on middle or high voltage side or meso and macro level) to ensure security of supply and/or to reduce overall costs.

ACS Style

Frank Pierie; Christian E. J. van Someren; Sandór N. M. Kruse; Gideon A. H. Laugs; René M. J. Benders; Henri C. Moll. Local Balancing of the Electricity Grid in a Renewable Municipality; Analyzing the Effectiveness and Cost of Decentralized Load Balancing Looking at Multiple Combinations of Technologies. Energies 2021, 14, 4926 .

AMA Style

Frank Pierie, Christian E. J. van Someren, Sandór N. M. Kruse, Gideon A. H. Laugs, René M. J. Benders, Henri C. Moll. Local Balancing of the Electricity Grid in a Renewable Municipality; Analyzing the Effectiveness and Cost of Decentralized Load Balancing Looking at Multiple Combinations of Technologies. Energies. 2021; 14 (16):4926.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Frank Pierie; Christian E. J. van Someren; Sandór N. M. Kruse; Gideon A. H. Laugs; René M. J. Benders; Henri C. Moll. 2021. "Local Balancing of the Electricity Grid in a Renewable Municipality; Analyzing the Effectiveness and Cost of Decentralized Load Balancing Looking at Multiple Combinations of Technologies." Energies 14, no. 16: 4926.

Journal article
Published: 26 September 2017 in Resources
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The dairy sector in the Netherlands aims for a 30% increase in efficiency and 30% carbon dioxide emission reduction compared to the reference year of 1990, and a 20% share of renewable energy, all by the year 2020. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) can play a substantial role in achieving these aims. However, results from this study indicate that the AD system is not fully optimized in combination with farming practices regarding sustainability. Therefore, the Industrial Symbiosis concept, combined with energy and environmental system analysis, Life Cycle Analysis and modeling is used to optimize a farm-scale AD system on four indicators of sustainability (i.e., energy efficiency, carbon footprint, environmental impacts and costs). Implemented in a theoretical case, where a cooperation of farms share biomass feedstocks, a symbiotic AD system can significantly lower external energy consumption by 72 to 92%, carbon footprint by 71 to 91%, environmental impacts by 68 to 89%, and yearly expenditures by 56 to 66% compared to a reference cooperation. The largest reductions and economic gains can be achieved when a surplus of manure is available for upgrading into organic fertilizer to replace fossil fertilizers. Applying the aforementioned symbiotic concept to the Dutch farming sector can help to achieve the stated goals indicated by the Dutch agricultural sector for the year 2020.

ACS Style

Frank Pierie; Austin Dsouza; Christian E. J. Van Someren; René M. J. Benders; Wim J. Th. Van Gemert; Henri C. Moll. Improving the Sustainability of Farming Practices through the Use of a Symbiotic Approach for Anaerobic Digestion and Digestate Processing. Resources 2017, 6, 50 .

AMA Style

Frank Pierie, Austin Dsouza, Christian E. J. Van Someren, René M. J. Benders, Wim J. Th. Van Gemert, Henri C. Moll. Improving the Sustainability of Farming Practices through the Use of a Symbiotic Approach for Anaerobic Digestion and Digestate Processing. Resources. 2017; 6 (4):50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Frank Pierie; Austin Dsouza; Christian E. J. Van Someren; René M. J. Benders; Wim J. Th. Van Gemert; Henri C. Moll. 2017. "Improving the Sustainability of Farming Practices through the Use of a Symbiotic Approach for Anaerobic Digestion and Digestate Processing." Resources 6, no. 4: 50.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2015 in Applied Energy
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The energy efficiency and sustainability of an anaerobic green gas production pathway was evaluated, taking into account five biomass feedstocks, optimization of the green gas production pathway, replacement of current waste management pathways by mitigation, and transport of the feedstocks. Sustainability is expressed by three main factors: efficiency in (Process) Energy Returned On Invested (P)EROI, carbon footprint in Global Warming Potential GWP(100), and environmental impact in EcoPoints. The green gas production pathway operates on a mass fraction of 50% feedstock with 50% manure. The sustainability of the analyzed feedstocks differs substantially, favoring biomass waste flows over, the specially cultivated energy crop, maize. The use of optimization, in the shape of internal energy production, green gas powered trucks, and mitigation can significantly improve the sustainability for all feedstocks, but favors waste materials. Results indicate a possible improvement from an average (P)EROI for all feedstocks of 2.3 up to an average of 7.0 GJ/GJ. The carbon footprint can potentially be reduced from an average of 40 down to 18 kgCO2eq/GJ. The environmental impact can potentially be reduced from an average of 5.6 down to 1.8 Pt/GJ. Internal energy production proved to be the most effective optimization. However, the use of optimization aforementioned will result in les green gas injected into the gas grid as it is partially consumed internally. Overall, the feedstock straw was the most energy efficient, where the feedstock harvest remains proved to be the most environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, transport distances of all feedstocks should not exceed 150 km or emissions and environmental impacts will surpass those of natural gas, used as a reference. Using green gas as a fuel can increase the acceptable transportation range to over 300 km. Within the context aforementioned and from an energy efficiency and sustainable point of view, the anaerobic digestion process should be utilized for processing locally available waste feedstocks with the added advantage of producing energy, which should first be used internally for powering the green gas production process.

ACS Style

F. Pierie; C.E.J. van Someren; R.M.J. Benders; Jan Bekkering; W.J.Th. van Gemert; H.C. Moll. Environmental and energy system analysis of bio-methane production pathways: A comparison between feedstocks and process optimizations. Applied Energy 2015, 160, 456 -466.

AMA Style

F. Pierie, C.E.J. van Someren, R.M.J. Benders, Jan Bekkering, W.J.Th. van Gemert, H.C. Moll. Environmental and energy system analysis of bio-methane production pathways: A comparison between feedstocks and process optimizations. Applied Energy. 2015; 160 ():456-466.

Chicago/Turabian Style

F. Pierie; C.E.J. van Someren; R.M.J. Benders; Jan Bekkering; W.J.Th. van Gemert; H.C. Moll. 2015. "Environmental and energy system analysis of bio-methane production pathways: A comparison between feedstocks and process optimizations." Applied Energy 160, no. : 456-466.

Journal article
Published: 17 January 2012 in Journal of Industrial Ecology
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Unsustainable private consumption causes energy and environmental problems. This occurs directly (resource depletion and emissions through using cars for transport) or indirectly (purchase of consumer goods and services for which the production uses energy and emits damaging gases). A hybrid energy analysis proved that indoor energy consumption, mobility, and vacations are the main consumer categories from an energy point of view. Although energy is often used as a proxy for environmental load from private consumption, there are other proxies like methane (CH4), sulfur oxides (SOx), and land use. This article describes the results of the extension of the hybrid energy analysis with energy and ten environmental stressors (CH4, nitrous oxide [N2O], nitrogen, phosphate, SOx, nitrogen oxides [NOx], ammonia [NH3], nonmethane volatile organic compounds [NMVOCs], particulate matter [PM10], and land use), combined in five impact categories (global warming potential [GWP], acidification, eutrophication, summer smog, and land use). Household consumption was analyzed by dividing Dutch household expenditure into 368 consumer items in 11 categories. The results show that food impacts, in particular, are underestimated when only energy is taken into account. Food makes the highest contribution in three out of five impact categories when all ten stressors are taken into account. Within the food domain, meat and dairy consumer items have the highest environmental impact, about 45% of total food impact on average across all five impact categories. Looking in detail (368 consumer items), there are nine food items in the top ten most‐polluting items. Salad oil and cheese are the most polluting food items.

ACS Style

René M.J. Benders; Henri C. Moll; Durk S. Nijdam. From Energy to Environmental Analysis. Journal of Industrial Ecology 2012, 16, 163 -175.

AMA Style

René M.J. Benders, Henri C. Moll, Durk S. Nijdam. From Energy to Environmental Analysis. Journal of Industrial Ecology. 2012; 16 (2):163-175.

Chicago/Turabian Style

René M.J. Benders; Henri C. Moll; Durk S. Nijdam. 2012. "From Energy to Environmental Analysis." Journal of Industrial Ecology 16, no. 2: 163-175.

Research articles
Published: 06 September 2011 in Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences
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The concern about global warming initiated ambitious CO2 reduction goals in cities and regions in the Netherlands. This article describes a study of such a local initiative for the Northern Netherlands. The research aimed to develop CO2 reduction scenarios for 2035 with national and international politics, and regional goals and opportunities being integrated. The scenarios were calculated using a bottom-up model. Four scenarios were developed with a defined goal of a 50% CO2 reduction on the starting year (2000). The four scenarios were developed along two axes: centralized versus decentralized energy supply systems, and international climate policy versus a European-oriented energy policy. Primary energy consumption varied between 273 and 443PJ. Although 50% CO2 reduction is possible in all scenarios, an enormous effort would be required to reach this goal. Depending on the scenario: an almost 50% reduction of the primary energy demand, the installation of 4 GW of offshore wind or the shift to a bio based economy is needed.

ACS Style

Rene Benders; Henk Moll; Klaas Jan Noorman; Gerwin Wiersma. CO2reduction strategies for the Northern Netherlands. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 2011, 8, 219 -239.

AMA Style

Rene Benders, Henk Moll, Klaas Jan Noorman, Gerwin Wiersma. CO2reduction strategies for the Northern Netherlands. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences. 2011; 8 (3):219-239.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rene Benders; Henk Moll; Klaas Jan Noorman; Gerwin Wiersma. 2011. "CO2reduction strategies for the Northern Netherlands." Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 8, no. 3: 219-239.

Review article
Published: 31 December 2010 in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
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In this article energy densities of selected renewable fuels are determined. Energy density is defined here as the annual energy production per hectare, taking energy inputs into account. Using 5 scenarios, consisting of 1 set focusing on technical differences and 1 set focusing on geographical variations, the range of energy densities currently obtained in Europe was determined for the following fuels: biodiesel from rapeseed; bioethanol from sugar beet; electricity from wood, wind and solar PV. The energy densities of the fuels produced from biomass were calculated by determining the energy contained in the energy carrier produced from the crop annually produced on 1 ha, from which the energy inputs for crop cultivation and conversion were subtracted. For wind and solar electricity, the energy density calculation was based on the energy production per turbine or cell and the number of turbines or cells per hectare after which the manufacturing energy was subtracted. Comparing the results shows that, for the average energy density scenarios, the ratio between the energy densities for wind, solar, and biomass is approximately 100:42:1, with wind electricity also having the highest energy output/input ratio. A case study was done in which the energy density was used to calculate the distance a vehicle can cover using the energy carrier annually produced per hectare. This was done for 3 regions, in Mid-Sweden, North-Netherlands, and South-East Spain. The results of the case show that wind electricity results in the largest distance covered, except in Spain, where solar electricity is the most favourable option.

ACS Style

T. J. Dijkman; R. M. J. Benders. Comparison of renewable fuels based on their land use using energy densities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2010, 14, 3148 -3155.

AMA Style

T. J. Dijkman, R. M. J. Benders. Comparison of renewable fuels based on their land use using energy densities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2010; 14 (9):3148-3155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

T. J. Dijkman; R. M. J. Benders. 2010. "Comparison of renewable fuels based on their land use using energy densities." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14, no. 9: 3148-3155.

Journal article
Published: 30 November 2009 in Applied Energy
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About 72 million households in rural India do not have access to electricity and rely primarily on traditional biofuels. This research investigates how rural electrification could be achieved in India using different energy sources and what the effects for climate change mitigation could be. We use the Regional Energy Model (REM) to develop scenarios for rural electrification for the period 2005–2030 and to assess the effects on greenhouse gas emissions, primary energy use and costs. We compare the business-as-usual scenario (BAU) with different electrification scenarios based on electricity from renewable energy, diesel and the grid. Our results indicate that diesel systems tend to have the highest CO2 emissions, followed by grid systems. Rural electrification with primarily renewable energy-based end-uses could save up to 99% of total CO2 emissions and 35% of primary energy use in 2030 compared to BAU. Our research indicates that electrification with decentralised diesel systems is likely to be the most expensive option. Rural electrification with renewable energy tends to be the most cost-effective option when end-uses are predominantly based on renewable energy, but turns out to be more costly than grid extensions when electric end-use devices are predominantly used. This research therefore elaborates whether renewable energy is a viable option for rural electrification and climate change mitigation in rural India and gives policy recommendations.

ACS Style

Frauke Urban; René M.J. Benders; Henri C. Moll. Energy for rural India. Applied Energy 2009, 86, S47 -S57.

AMA Style

Frauke Urban, René M.J. Benders, Henri C. Moll. Energy for rural India. Applied Energy. 2009; 86 ():S47-S57.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Frauke Urban; René M.J. Benders; Henri C. Moll. 2009. "Energy for rural India." Applied Energy 86, no. : S47-S57.

Conference paper
Published: 01 February 2009 in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
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ACS Style

Annemarie C Kerkhof; R M J Benders; H C Moll. Variation in household CO2 emissions and the consequences for burden sharing. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2009, 6, 1 .

AMA Style

Annemarie C Kerkhof, R M J Benders, H C Moll. Variation in household CO2 emissions and the consequences for burden sharing. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2009; 6 (10):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Annemarie C Kerkhof; R M J Benders; H C Moll. 2009. "Variation in household CO2 emissions and the consequences for burden sharing." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 6, no. 10: 1.

Journal article
Published: 31 December 2006 in Energy Policy
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Large-scale energy reduction campaigns focusing on households generally have two shortcomings. First, an energy reduction campaign is either personalized but time intensive or time extensive but generalized. Second, because only the direct energy requirements are addressed, only 50% of the total household energy requirement is subject to reduction. The other 50%, the indirect energy requirement, is much more difficult to calculate and address and therefore not subject to reduction. In this paper, we describe a web-based tool that has the potential to overcome both of these shortcomings. The tool addresses direct as well as indirect energy requirements. By means of a simple expert system participants obtain personalized reduction options and feedback on the energy reduced. The tool was tested in Groningen (the Netherlands) with a sample of 300 households, resulting in a direct energy reduction of about 8.5% compared to a control group. The reduction in indirect energy was not statistically significant.

ACS Style

René M.J. Benders; Rixt Kok; Henri C. Moll; Gerwin Wiersma; Klaas Jan Noorman. New approaches for household energy conservation—In search of personal household energy budgets and energy reduction options. Energy Policy 2006, 34, 3612 -3622.

AMA Style

René M.J. Benders, Rixt Kok, Henri C. Moll, Gerwin Wiersma, Klaas Jan Noorman. New approaches for household energy conservation—In search of personal household energy budgets and energy reduction options. Energy Policy. 2006; 34 (18):3612-3622.

Chicago/Turabian Style

René M.J. Benders; Rixt Kok; Henri C. Moll; Gerwin Wiersma; Klaas Jan Noorman. 2006. "New approaches for household energy conservation—In search of personal household energy budgets and energy reduction options." Energy Policy 34, no. 18: 3612-3622.