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How can local authorities effectively approach the decarbonisation of urban environments? Recent efforts to redirect cities into a less energy-intensive model have been mostly approached from a sectoral perspective, with specific energy policies and plans being issued without deeply considering their ties with other urban aspects. In this sense, well-established urban planning procedures have not been part of those, with the consequence of barriers in the implementation phase of those energy plans. The Cities4ZERO methodology was developed to guide effective integration between urban planning and energy policies, plans, and practices. It provides a holistic approach to strategic municipal processes for urban decarbonisation in the mid-long term, which includes key local stakeholders’ engagement into integrated energy planning processes, as well as tools for effective energy decarbonisation modelling. This paper analyses the application of the Cities4ZERO decarbonisation methodology on its strategic stage in the development of Vitoria-Gasteiz’s Action Plan for an Integrated Energy Transition 2030 (APIET 2030). It suggests that in order to accelerate urban decarbonisation, it is critical to: (a) foster interdepartmental collaboration; (b) allow for flexibility on the land-use planning regulations; (c) back decisions with detailed urban-energy models; and (d) truly engage key local stakeholders in the planning and implementation processes.
Koldo Urrutia-Azcona; Patricia Molina-Costa; Iñigo Muñoz; David Maya-Drysdale; Carolina Garcia-Madruga; Iván Flores-Abascal. Towards an Integrated Approach to Urban Decarbonisation in Practice: The Case of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8836 .
AMA StyleKoldo Urrutia-Azcona, Patricia Molina-Costa, Iñigo Muñoz, David Maya-Drysdale, Carolina Garcia-Madruga, Iván Flores-Abascal. Towards an Integrated Approach to Urban Decarbonisation in Practice: The Case of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8836.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKoldo Urrutia-Azcona; Patricia Molina-Costa; Iñigo Muñoz; David Maya-Drysdale; Carolina Garcia-Madruga; Iván Flores-Abascal. 2021. "Towards an Integrated Approach to Urban Decarbonisation in Practice: The Case of Vitoria-Gasteiz." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8836.
Energy planning increasingly revolves around the use of tools for energy system modelling and analysis with a view to generating scenarios to show implications and possibilities for decision makers. Municipalities engage in the transition to renewable energy systems through the formulation of strategies and goals at a local level despite often lacking appropriate tools and resources to conduct the needed complex analyses. Tools for energy system analyses have traditionally been designed either with the scope of national energy systems or detailed project-specific analysis in mind, leaving municipal planners in a state of flux. This study aims to identify important specifications and critical design principles for future energy system modelling tools designed for municipal planners. Through a qualitative case-oriented approach, this study investigates the planning practices of four municipalities. It is found that future tools for municipal planning purposes need to combine the need for systematic analyses with concrete and implementable initiatives while balancing analytical complexity with operational simplicity.
Rasmus Johannsen; Poul Østergaard; David Maya-Drysdale; Louise Krog Elmegaard Mouritsen. Designing Tools for Energy System Scenario Making in Municipal Energy Planning. Energies 2021, 14, 1442 .
AMA StyleRasmus Johannsen, Poul Østergaard, David Maya-Drysdale, Louise Krog Elmegaard Mouritsen. Designing Tools for Energy System Scenario Making in Municipal Energy Planning. Energies. 2021; 14 (5):1442.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRasmus Johannsen; Poul Østergaard; David Maya-Drysdale; Louise Krog Elmegaard Mouritsen. 2021. "Designing Tools for Energy System Scenario Making in Municipal Energy Planning." Energies 14, no. 5: 1442.
There are three strategic levels for successful energy planning in cities: 1) Integration strategy for integrating energy planning into urban planning institutions; 2) Practice strategy for developing suitable energy planning practices in urban planning institutions, and 3) Vision strategy for the creation and integration of energy visions and scenarios required for long-term decarbonisation. The vision strategy is critical but not well researched and is the focus of this article. Using Strategic Energy Planning (SEP) as an analytical framework, the vision strategy of eight forerunner European cities are analysed. Some critical elements of SEP include the use of long-term targets, holistic energy system thinking, and retention of scenarios. The results indicate that the level of understanding and practice of the vision strategy is still deficient in the cities. Cities often use the practice of urban planning, which does not fit very well with energy planning, particularly with the vision strategy. The energy planning in the cities mostly focuses on shorter-term goals and actions, and they often abandon energy scenarios once extracted. However, through trial and error, some cities are finding ways forward. The article concludes with several recommendations, particularly that cities need to see scenarios as retainable long-term servants providing information desired by the planner, rather than serving as a guide to the planner.
David Maya-Drysdale; Louise Krog Jensen; Brian Vad Mathiesen. Energy Vision Strategies for the EU Green New Deal: A Case Study of European Cities. Energies 2020, 13, 2194 .
AMA StyleDavid Maya-Drysdale, Louise Krog Jensen, Brian Vad Mathiesen. Energy Vision Strategies for the EU Green New Deal: A Case Study of European Cities. Energies. 2020; 13 (9):2194.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Maya-Drysdale; Louise Krog Jensen; Brian Vad Mathiesen. 2020. "Energy Vision Strategies for the EU Green New Deal: A Case Study of European Cities." Energies 13, no. 9: 2194.
This paper addresses economic aspects of heat savings in the context of strategic heat planning. The analysis uses the city of Aalborg, Denmark, as a case where municipalisation through a recent acquisition of a coal-fired cogeneration of heat and power (CHP) plant has made an update of a municipal strategic energy plan necessary. Combining datasets on buildings and insulation techniques with economic methods, we investigate how the local district heating tariff can be adapted to improve the conditions for heat savings and support the transition to lower supply temperatures in line with the requirements of future fourth generation district heating systems. The paper concludes that implementing a fully variable heat tariff scheme improves the financial incentive for heat savings, while also making the system development less vulnerable to fluctuations and shortages in capital markets. The paper supplements existing literature on heat savings with novelty in its approach and in its systematic investigation of the interplay between tariff policies and interest rates.
Søren Djørup; Karl Sperling; Steffen Nielsen; Poul Alborg Østergaard; Jakob Zinck Thellufsen; Peter Sorknæs; Henrik Lund; David Drysdale. District Heating Tariffs, Economic Optimisation and Local Strategies during Radical Technological Change. Energies 2020, 13, 1172 .
AMA StyleSøren Djørup, Karl Sperling, Steffen Nielsen, Poul Alborg Østergaard, Jakob Zinck Thellufsen, Peter Sorknæs, Henrik Lund, David Drysdale. District Heating Tariffs, Economic Optimisation and Local Strategies during Radical Technological Change. Energies. 2020; 13 (5):1172.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSøren Djørup; Karl Sperling; Steffen Nielsen; Poul Alborg Østergaard; Jakob Zinck Thellufsen; Peter Sorknæs; Henrik Lund; David Drysdale. 2020. "District Heating Tariffs, Economic Optimisation and Local Strategies during Radical Technological Change." Energies 13, no. 5: 1172.
Energy systems in cities need to be decarbonized and are becoming more integrated via energy sector coupling. Today, cities often use simple methods to assess their low carbon targets, e.g., carbon calculators, and these methods use annualized carbon reduction potentials. For example, reductions from heat savings in buildings or fuel demand in transport. This is done because it is simple and fast. This paper describes a methodology that goes beyond carbon calculators and assesses highly renewable energy systems. The methodology is carried out for a case city—Sønderborg, Denmark. Using a national 100% renewable energy study and a suitable energy system analysis tool (EnergyPLAN), the method accounts for inter-sector coupling and energy system dynamics. The energy system is assessed by comparing the results from the analysis tool against numerous key sustainability factors for a Smart Energy System. The paper illustrates how the method delivers a sustainable 100% renewable Smart Energy System for Sønderborg, which can be part of the Danish energy system in 2050 based on local resources. The paper discusses the broader applicability of the method within strategic energy planning.
David Drysdale; Brian Vad Mathiesen; Henrik Lund. From Carbon Calculators to Energy System Analysis in Cities. Energies 2019, 12, 2307 .
AMA StyleDavid Drysdale, Brian Vad Mathiesen, Henrik Lund. From Carbon Calculators to Energy System Analysis in Cities. Energies. 2019; 12 (12):2307.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Drysdale; Brian Vad Mathiesen; Henrik Lund. 2019. "From Carbon Calculators to Energy System Analysis in Cities." Energies 12, no. 12: 2307.
Residential and service (office) buildings consume a large proportion of primary energy in Europe in the form of electricity and all other energy carriers. In response to this, the concept of near Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) has been developed. These buildings have very low energy demands and integrate renewable energy to supply residual demand. nZEBs aim to increase energy efficiency from a demand-side user perspective. When looking at the entire energy system, there are also energy efficiency gains to be achieved on the supply-side. For example, from a district heating system. If an energy system becomes more efficient on the supply-side, then the question is how much energy needs to be saved on the demand-side, for instance by low energy buildings such as nZEBs. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and understand the implications from building new low energy buildings, i.e. nZEBs, within an energy system that is (a) transitioning to 100% renewable energy and (b) has substantially improved supply-side energy efficiency. A case study from Denmark is used to understand the outcome for the energy system when these new buildings are built in this context. The methodology and results of this study could be replicated for other European countries as well. The analysis looks at the total energy system heat savings, costs and biomass consumption. The paper shows that these new low energy buildings with very low heat demand do not deliver the expected benefits for the 100% renewable energy system transition in Denmark. This is due to the increased efficiency and flexibility of the energy supply system in the future. However, deep renovations of existing buildings are necessary. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates based on the Danish case, that as European countries decarbonise their energy systems over the next decades, they will need to carry out detailed energy system analysis to determine the extent to which heat demand should be reduced in buildings within the context of the transitioning energy system.
David Drysdale; Brian Vad Mathiesen; Susana Paardekooper. Transitioning to a 100% renewable energy system in Denmark by 2050: assessing the impact from expanding the building stock at the same time. Energy Efficiency 2018, 12, 37 -55.
AMA StyleDavid Drysdale, Brian Vad Mathiesen, Susana Paardekooper. Transitioning to a 100% renewable energy system in Denmark by 2050: assessing the impact from expanding the building stock at the same time. Energy Efficiency. 2018; 12 (1):37-55.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Drysdale; Brian Vad Mathiesen; Susana Paardekooper. 2018. "Transitioning to a 100% renewable energy system in Denmark by 2050: assessing the impact from expanding the building stock at the same time." Energy Efficiency 12, no. 1: 37-55.
The cost of heat savings in buildings increase as more heat savings are achieved and hence, alternatives other than savings typically become more economically feasible at a certain level of heat reductions. The challenge addressed in this paper is to identify when the cost of heat savings become more expensive than the cost of sustainable heat supply, so society does not overinvest in heat saving measures. This study first investigates the heat saving potentials for different countries in Europe, along with their associated costs, followed by a comparison with alternative ways of supplying sustainable heating. Furthermore, the levelised cost of supplying sustainable heat is estimated for both a single technology and from an energy system perspective. The results are analysed by assessing various parameters such as socio-economic costs and energy efficiency improvements in the national energy systems. The results demonstrate the economically feasible levels of heat savings and heat production for various European countries, highlighting differences in their national conditions and energy systems. The findings in this paper indicate that overinvestments in heat savings can be avoided by saving heat until a level around 30–50% of projected heat demands and supplying the remaining heat demand with sustainable heat sources.
Kenneth Hansen; David Connolly; Henrik Lund; David Drysdale; Jakob Zinck Thellufsen. Heat Roadmap Europe: Identifying the balance between saving heat and supplying heat. Energy 2016, 115, 1663 -1671.
AMA StyleKenneth Hansen, David Connolly, Henrik Lund, David Drysdale, Jakob Zinck Thellufsen. Heat Roadmap Europe: Identifying the balance between saving heat and supplying heat. Energy. 2016; 115 ():1663-1671.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKenneth Hansen; David Connolly; Henrik Lund; David Drysdale; Jakob Zinck Thellufsen. 2016. "Heat Roadmap Europe: Identifying the balance between saving heat and supplying heat." Energy 115, no. : 1663-1671.
Municipal solid waste management systems of many developing countries are commonly constrained by factors such as limited financial resources and poor governance, making it a difficult proposition to break with complex, entrenched and unsustainable technologies and systems. This article highlights strategic partnerships as a way to affect a distributed agency among several sets of stakeholders to break so-called path dependencies, which occur when such unsustainable pathways arise, stabilize and become self-reinforcing over time. Experiences from a North–South collaborative effort provide some lessons in such partnership building: In Uganda and Denmark, respectively, the World Wildlife Fund and the network organization access2innovation have mobilized stakeholders around improving the municipal solid waste management system in Kasese District. Through a municipal solid waste management system characterization and mapping exercise, some emergent lessons and guiding principles in partnership building point to both pitfalls and opportunities for designing sustainable pathways. First, socio-technical lock-in effects in the municipal solid waste management system can stand in the way of partnerships based on introducing biogas or incineration technologies. However, opportunities in the municipal solid waste management system can exist within other areas, and synergies can be sought with interlinking systems, such as those represented with sanitation.
David Christensen; David Drysdale; Kenneth Hansen; Josefine Vanhille; Andreas Wolf. Partnerships for development: Municipal solid waste management in Kasese, Uganda. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 2014, 32, 1063 -1072.
AMA StyleDavid Christensen, David Drysdale, Kenneth Hansen, Josefine Vanhille, Andreas Wolf. Partnerships for development: Municipal solid waste management in Kasese, Uganda. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy. 2014; 32 (11):1063-1072.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Christensen; David Drysdale; Kenneth Hansen; Josefine Vanhille; Andreas Wolf. 2014. "Partnerships for development: Municipal solid waste management in Kasese, Uganda." Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 32, no. 11: 1063-1072.