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Erik O. Ahlgren
Division of Energy Technology, Department of Space, Earth and the Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden

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Journal article
Published: 22 June 2021 in Forest Policy and Economics
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While forests are a primary source of energy for the majority of Tanzanian households, the forest cover is rapidly declining. The Tanzanian government has introduced a tree-planting campaign strategy, aimed at reducing pressure on natural forests. However, the campaign appears not to have contributed significantly to the forest recovery rate. Thus, this study aims at examining household perceptions of tree-planting for wood energy production for both in-house uses and for sale, and identify the factors influencing household perceptions of tree-planting. We employed the multinomial logit model to analyse the factors influencing household perceptions of tree-planting for energy. Our findings indicate that respondents considered the right/freedom to harvest trees from farms and transport them to markets as the most important factor (86%), followed by lack of awareness of tree-planting programmes (72%), and the existence of fuelwood for free from natural forests (59%). The size of the farm, education, distance to forest reserves, and age of the household head are found to have significant impact on the household perceptions of tree-planting for energy. Our results further show that woodfuel harvesting and enforcement systems do not exist in nearby forests. This situation is exacerbated by the absence of a specific policy formulated to match with the daily demand of forest produce for energy and income of households near forest reserves. Thus, we suggest policy makers to target policies and actions promoting tree-planting for energy.

ACS Style

Yusuph J. Kulindwa; Erik O. Ahlgren. Households and tree-planting for wood energy production – Do perceptions matter? Forest Policy and Economics 2021, 130, 102528 .

AMA Style

Yusuph J. Kulindwa, Erik O. Ahlgren. Households and tree-planting for wood energy production – Do perceptions matter? Forest Policy and Economics. 2021; 130 ():102528.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yusuph J. Kulindwa; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2021. "Households and tree-planting for wood energy production – Do perceptions matter?" Forest Policy and Economics 130, no. : 102528.

Journal article
Published: 30 December 2020 in Energy for Sustainable Development
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Off-grid systems, and mini-grids in particular, are expected to play a significant role in improving electricity access to one billion people until 2040. One of the major challenges for mini-grids is associated with their high costs, low financial viability and local development impact. Productive use of electricity can be an important driver of local development and impacts the total load in a mini-grid. By using a mixture of high-resolution (minutes) measurements and long-term data (years) on electricity expenditures and purchased electricity from a mini-grid in the Tanzanian highlands, we analyse the technical and economic impact from household and productive use of electricity, respectively. The high-resolution data is analysed using performance indicators and the long-term data using regression tools. We find that a mixture of household use and productive use of electricity provides both technical and economic benefits for the operator. In addition, we find that while productive use customers only represent 25% of the customers, they generate 44% of the operator's income. Furthermore, productive use of electricity customers are also likely responsible for the peak demand in the mini-grid, which occurs during day time. Lastly, we find empirical evidence suggesting that expenditures and demand are unit elastic, which has implications on economic policies for supporting rural electrification.

ACS Style

Elias Hartvigsson; Jimmy Ehnberg; Erik O. Ahlgren; Sverker Molander. Linking household and productive use of electricity with mini-grid dimensioning and operation. Energy for Sustainable Development 2020, 60, 82 -89.

AMA Style

Elias Hartvigsson, Jimmy Ehnberg, Erik O. Ahlgren, Sverker Molander. Linking household and productive use of electricity with mini-grid dimensioning and operation. Energy for Sustainable Development. 2020; 60 ():82-89.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elias Hartvigsson; Jimmy Ehnberg; Erik O. Ahlgren; Sverker Molander. 2020. "Linking household and productive use of electricity with mini-grid dimensioning and operation." Energy for Sustainable Development 60, no. : 82-89.

Journal article
Published: 16 July 2020 in Global Transitions
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Local energy transitions are gaining widespread attention through their contribution to sustainability, notably to climate change mitigation. Social innovation (SI) in local energy transitions have been scrutinized in multiple works, but the impact of SI on the local energy transitions is an under-studied field. The objective of this study is to put forward a method to model SI in local energy transitions. This is done using System Dynamics modelling (SDM) of the local energy transitions processes. The SDM method is to study a broad spectrum of socio-techno-natural phenomena, generally. In this study, SDM is used to capture the endogenous factors which underpin the transition processes. This study is based on two cases: solar photovoltaics (PV) diffusion in Skåne, and transition to alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) in Dalsland, Sweden. The transitions are modelled with the municipality actors providing input. Two simulation runs of the local transitions are executed, namely the Base run and No SI run. The Base run has the municipality actors’ co-creation actions. Results show that the co-creation actions induce a significant increase in the diffusion of electric vehicles in Dalsland and higher diffusion of solar PV in Skåne. The main outcome of this study is a model to assess the possible impacts of SI on local energy transitions. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to methods of quantitatively assessing the impact of SI in local energy transitions.

ACS Style

Sujeetha Selvakkumaran; Erik O. Ahlgren. Impacts of social innovation on local energy transitions: Diffusion of solar PV and alternative fuel vehicles in Sweden. Global Transitions 2020, 2, 98 -115.

AMA Style

Sujeetha Selvakkumaran, Erik O. Ahlgren. Impacts of social innovation on local energy transitions: Diffusion of solar PV and alternative fuel vehicles in Sweden. Global Transitions. 2020; 2 ():98-115.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sujeetha Selvakkumaran; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2020. "Impacts of social innovation on local energy transitions: Diffusion of solar PV and alternative fuel vehicles in Sweden." Global Transitions 2, no. : 98-115.

Journal article
Published: 22 November 2019 in Energy for Sustainable Development
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This paper presents a case study of a minigrid powered by a small hydro plant in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The approach was chosen to provide in-depth understanding on benefits and challenges facing a rural minigrid. The case focuses on productive use; i.e. electricity as a direct input to the production of goods or provision of services. The study applies an interdisciplinary approach consisting of a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, which included stakeholder and user interviews and measurements of output power and water flow. The analysis shows that certain entrepreneurial activities emerged as an outcome of electricity access thru the minigrid; barber shops, welding machines, mobile phone charging, salons, photo copy, and lighting business centres. Major challenges are related to the initial set up of the mini-hydro power plant, i.e. to only service the hospital, as the idea and need for building a minigrid developed much later. A tentative conclusion is that subsidized electricity will not promote rural businesses unless other criteria are met. Moreover, the minigrid faced a number of technical problems partly because of lack of adequate technical resources such as technicians and spare parts but also from the poor-planning and non-saving culture. The study concludes that the minigrid has led to productive uses that are found elsewhere in grid-connected rural communities. The finite supply of energy however means that there are restrictions using electricity for certain productive use – there is a load shedding schedule in place for some of the power intensive machines - due to overload caused by the load and large number of connections. Finally, there is apparent room for improvement not the least regarding the tariffs, which do not reflect market price and hence may affect the sustainability of the system.

ACS Style

Joseph M. Ngowi; Lennart Bångens; Erik O. Ahlgren. Benefits and challenges to productive use of off-grid rural electrification: The case of mini-hydropower in Bulongwa-Tanzania. Energy for Sustainable Development 2019, 53, 97 -103.

AMA Style

Joseph M. Ngowi, Lennart Bångens, Erik O. Ahlgren. Benefits and challenges to productive use of off-grid rural electrification: The case of mini-hydropower in Bulongwa-Tanzania. Energy for Sustainable Development. 2019; 53 ():97-103.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joseph M. Ngowi; Lennart Bångens; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2019. "Benefits and challenges to productive use of off-grid rural electrification: The case of mini-hydropower in Bulongwa-Tanzania." Energy for Sustainable Development 53, no. : 97-103.

Journal article
Published: 16 July 2019 in Systems Research and Behavioral Science
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ACS Style

Elias Hartvigsson; Erik Oscar Ahlgren; Sverker Molander. Tackling complexity and problem formulation in rural electrification through conceptual modelling in system dynamics. Systems Research and Behavioral Science 2019, 37, 141 -153.

AMA Style

Elias Hartvigsson, Erik Oscar Ahlgren, Sverker Molander. Tackling complexity and problem formulation in rural electrification through conceptual modelling in system dynamics. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. 2019; 37 (1):141-153.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elias Hartvigsson; Erik Oscar Ahlgren; Sverker Molander. 2019. "Tackling complexity and problem formulation in rural electrification through conceptual modelling in system dynamics." Systems Research and Behavioral Science 37, no. 1: 141-153.

Journal article
Published: 08 April 2019 in Renewable Energy
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Biogas is a locally accessible and renewable energy source that can be generated from organic feedstocks under anaerobic conditions. This paper aims to assess the future biogas potential in India from varied sources (crops residues, animal manure, municipal solid wastes, municipal and industrial wastewater). The study uses a bottom-up, resource focused approach for the assessment of biogas potential. The paper assess agriculture and animal residues as well as generation, collection and availability of municipal and industrial waste for biogas production. The results show considerable potential of biogas in the next two decades due to rising waste generation and deployment of infrastructure for improving waste collection efficiency. The analysis estimates biogas potential ranges from 310 to 655 billion m3/year in the year 2040 depending upon availability of different resources. The estimated biogas potential in the year 2040 is around 36% of India's current (2015) total primary energy supply in the high availability scenario. Finally, the paper offers policy recommendations aimed at realizing the biogas potential.

ACS Style

Shivika Mittal; Erik O. Ahlgren; Priyadarshi Shukla. Future biogas resource potential in India: A bottom-up analysis. Renewable Energy 2019, 141, 379 -389.

AMA Style

Shivika Mittal, Erik O. Ahlgren, Priyadarshi Shukla. Future biogas resource potential in India: A bottom-up analysis. Renewable Energy. 2019; 141 ():379-389.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shivika Mittal; Erik O. Ahlgren; Priyadarshi Shukla. 2019. "Future biogas resource potential in India: A bottom-up analysis." Renewable Energy 141, no. : 379-389.

Journal article
Published: 26 October 2018 in Sustainability
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Co-creation in the societal sphere is becoming important in many parts of the world. However, empirical analysis of co-creation in local energy transitions has been understudied. This paper aims to contribute to the field of local energy transitions by integrating a model-based approach with the municipal co-creation efforts in a local energy transition setting. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, with both quantitative and qualitative methods underpinning the approach. A System Dynamics (SD) model is built to analyse the feedback loops created by the co-creation efforts of the municipalities in Skåne, Sweden to increase the uptake of household solar photovoltaics. Simultaneously, the model is conceptualized and built in coordination with the municipality actors, and qualitative validation provided by them. An iterative process is implemented, consisting of three steps: interaction with the municipality actors (MAs), developing the causal relationships between the model variables and model development. The suggestions and discussions with the MAs were very useful in understanding the social factors and processes which help in the diffusion of a technologically innovative product, such as solar PV. The MAs said that they found the explanation of the modelling variables useful in undertaking the co-creation efforts.

ACS Style

Sujeetha Selvakkumaran; Erik O. Ahlgren. Model-Based Exploration of Co-Creation Efforts: The Case of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) in Skåne, Sweden. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3905 .

AMA Style

Sujeetha Selvakkumaran, Erik O. Ahlgren. Model-Based Exploration of Co-Creation Efforts: The Case of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) in Skåne, Sweden. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (11):3905.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sujeetha Selvakkumaran; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2018. "Model-Based Exploration of Co-Creation Efforts: The Case of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) in Skåne, Sweden." Sustainability 10, no. 11: 3905.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2017 in Energy Policy
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ACS Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Erik O. Ahlgren; Tomas Ekvall. Low-energy buildings heat supply–Modelling of energy systems and carbon emissions impacts. Energy Policy 2017, 111, 371 -382.

AMA Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall, Erik O. Ahlgren, Tomas Ekvall. Low-energy buildings heat supply–Modelling of energy systems and carbon emissions impacts. Energy Policy. 2017; 111 ():371-382.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Erik O. Ahlgren; Tomas Ekvall. 2017. "Low-energy buildings heat supply–Modelling of energy systems and carbon emissions impacts." Energy Policy 111, no. : 371-382.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2017 in Energy Strategy Reviews
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ACS Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Erik O. Ahlgren; Tomas Ekvall. Cost-efficiency of urban heating strategies – Modelling scale effects of low-energy building heat supply. Energy Strategy Reviews 2017, 18, 212 -223.

AMA Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall, Erik O. Ahlgren, Tomas Ekvall. Cost-efficiency of urban heating strategies – Modelling scale effects of low-energy building heat supply. Energy Strategy Reviews. 2017; 18 ():212-223.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Erik O. Ahlgren; Tomas Ekvall. 2017. "Cost-efficiency of urban heating strategies – Modelling scale effects of low-energy building heat supply." Energy Strategy Reviews 18, no. : 212-223.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2017 in Energy
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ACS Style

Anna Krook-Riekkola; Charlotte Berg; Erik O. Ahlgren; Patrik Söderholm. Challenges in top-down and bottom-up soft-linking: Lessons from linking a Swedish energy system model with a CGE model. Energy 2017, 141, 803 -817.

AMA Style

Anna Krook-Riekkola, Charlotte Berg, Erik O. Ahlgren, Patrik Söderholm. Challenges in top-down and bottom-up soft-linking: Lessons from linking a Swedish energy system model with a CGE model. Energy. 2017; 141 ():803-817.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Krook-Riekkola; Charlotte Berg; Erik O. Ahlgren; Patrik Söderholm. 2017. "Challenges in top-down and bottom-up soft-linking: Lessons from linking a Swedish energy system model with a CGE model." Energy 141, no. : 803-817.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Environmental Science & Policy
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ACS Style

Stefan Åström; Katarina Yaramenka; Ingrid Mawdsley; Helena Danielsson; Peringe Grennfelt; Annika Gerner; Tomas Ekvall; Erik O. Ahlgren. The impact of Swedish SO2 policy instruments on SO2 emissions 1990–2012. Environmental Science & Policy 2017, 77, 32 -39.

AMA Style

Stefan Åström, Katarina Yaramenka, Ingrid Mawdsley, Helena Danielsson, Peringe Grennfelt, Annika Gerner, Tomas Ekvall, Erik O. Ahlgren. The impact of Swedish SO2 policy instruments on SO2 emissions 1990–2012. Environmental Science & Policy. 2017; 77 ():32-39.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefan Åström; Katarina Yaramenka; Ingrid Mawdsley; Helena Danielsson; Peringe Grennfelt; Annika Gerner; Tomas Ekvall; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2017. "The impact of Swedish SO2 policy instruments on SO2 emissions 1990–2012." Environmental Science & Policy 77, no. : 32-39.

Review
Published: 09 March 2017 in GCB Bioenergy
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The high oil dependence and the growth of energy use in the transport sector have increased the interest in alternative nonfossil fuels as a measure to mitigate climate change and improve energy security. More ambitious energy and environmental targets and larger use of nonfossil energy in the transport sector increase energy–transport interactions and system effects over sector boundaries. While the stationary energy sector (e.g., electricity and heat generation) and the transport sector earlier to large degree could be considered as separate systems with limited interaction, integrated analysis approaches and assessments of energy–transport interactions now grow in importance. In recent years, the scientific literature has presented an increasing number of global energy–economy future studies based on systems modelling treating the transport sector as an integral part of the overall energy system and/or economy. Many of these studies provide important insights regarding transport biofuels. To clarify similarities and differences in approaches and results, the present work reviews studies on transport biofuels in global energy–economy modelling and investigates what future role comprehensive global energy–economy modelling studies portray for transport biofuels in terms of their potential and competitiveness. The results vary widely between the studies, but the resulting transport biofuel market shares are mainly below 40% during the entire time periods analysed. Some of the reviewed studies show higher transport biofuel market shares in the medium (15–30 years) than in the long term (above 30 years), and, in the long-term models, at the end of the modelling horizon, transport biofuels are often substituted by electric and hydrogen cars.

ACS Style

Erik O. Ahlgren; Martin Börjesson Hagberg; Maria Grahn. Transport biofuels in global energy-economy modelling - a review of comprehensive energy systems assessment approaches. GCB Bioenergy 2017, 9, 1168 -1180.

AMA Style

Erik O. Ahlgren, Martin Börjesson Hagberg, Maria Grahn. Transport biofuels in global energy-economy modelling - a review of comprehensive energy systems assessment approaches. GCB Bioenergy. 2017; 9 (7):1168-1180.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Erik O. Ahlgren; Martin Börjesson Hagberg; Maria Grahn. 2017. "Transport biofuels in global energy-economy modelling - a review of comprehensive energy systems assessment approaches." GCB Bioenergy 9, no. 7: 1168-1180.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Energy
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Use of bioenergy can contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions and increased energy security. However, even though biomass is a renewable resource, the potential is limited, and efficient use of available biomass resources will become increasingly important. This paper aims to explore system interactions related to future bioenergy utilization and cost-efficient bioenergy technology choices under stringent CO2 constraints. In particular, the study investigates system effects linked to integration of advanced biofuel production with district heating and industry under different developments in the electricity sector and biomass supply system. The study is based on analysis with the MARKAL_Sweden model, which is a bottom-up, cost-optimization model covering the Swedish energy system. A time horizon to 2050 is applied. The results suggest that system integration of biofuel production has noteworthy effects on the overall system level, improves system cost-efficiency and influences parameters such as biomass price, marginal CO2 emission reduction costs and cost-efficient biofuel choices in the transport sector. In the long run and under stringent CO2 constraints, system integration of biofuel production has, however, low impact on total bioenergy use, which is largely decided by supply-related constraints, and on total transport biofuel use, which to large extent is driven by demand.

ACS Style

Martin Börjesson Hagberg; Karin Pettersson; Erik O. Ahlgren. Bioenergy futures in Sweden – Modeling integration scenarios for biofuel production. Energy 2016, 109, 1026 -1039.

AMA Style

Martin Börjesson Hagberg, Karin Pettersson, Erik O. Ahlgren. Bioenergy futures in Sweden – Modeling integration scenarios for biofuel production. Energy. 2016; 109 ():1026-1039.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martin Börjesson Hagberg; Karin Pettersson; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2016. "Bioenergy futures in Sweden – Modeling integration scenarios for biofuel production." Energy 109, no. : 1026-1039.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2016 in Energy
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Highlights•System profitability of large excess heat network investigated.•Broad sensitivity analysis of system profitability applied.•Excess heat use in district heating systems profitable under most assumptions.•Biomass competition and natural gas phase-out increase excess heat profitability.•High interest rates and other baseload excess heat decrease system profitability. AbstractThe use of EH (excess heat) in DH (district heating) may contribute to increased sustainability through reduced use of primary energy. In Sweden, while biomass has become the most important DH fuel during the last decades, there is a significant amount of industrial EH that could be utilised in the DH systems if it could be shown to be an economically viable alternative. This study addresses the long-term system profitability of a large heat network between a cluster of chemical industries and two DH systems that enables an increased use of EH. An assessment is carried out by scenario and sensitivity analyses and by applying the optimising energy systems model MARKAL_WS, in which the DH systems of the Västra Götaland region of Sweden are represented individually. The results show heat network profitability under most assumptions, and that the profitability increases with biomass competition, phase-out of natural gas use and higher CO2 charges, whereas it decreases with the availability of other EH sources in the base load of the DH systems.

ACS Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Erik O. Ahlgren; Tomas Ekvall. System profitability of excess heat utilisation – A case-based modelling analysis. Energy 2016, 97, 424 -434.

AMA Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall, Erik O. Ahlgren, Tomas Ekvall. System profitability of excess heat utilisation – A case-based modelling analysis. Energy. 2016; 97 ():424-434.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Erik O. Ahlgren; Tomas Ekvall. 2016. "System profitability of excess heat utilisation – A case-based modelling analysis." Energy 97, no. : 424-434.

Conference paper
Published: 01 September 2015 in 2015 50th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC)
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Over 500 million people lack access to modern energy sources in sub-Saharan Africa as of today. Many of these people live in remote rural areas. Improving access to modern energy sources is considered an important goal towards reaching the Millennium goals. Minigrids are seen as an important technology to increase electricity access in non-electrified rural areas. There is currently a lack of measured load data from minigrids in developing countries. This paper investigates the differences between daily load profiles created from measurements and from appliance data collected through interviews. The paper reports differing results from the two methodologies. Specifically the interview data largely underestimate the base load from household. However, the study also concludes that measurements require special equipment and knowledge that can obstruct the access to data. Interview based load profiles can furthermore be used in previous non-electrified areas to indicate electricity usage before minigrids are constructed.

ACS Style

Elias Hartvigsson; Jimmy Ehnberg; Erik O. Ahlgren; Sverker Molander. Assessment of load profiles in minigrids: A case in Tanzania. 2015 50th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC) 2015, 1 -5.

AMA Style

Elias Hartvigsson, Jimmy Ehnberg, Erik O. Ahlgren, Sverker Molander. Assessment of load profiles in minigrids: A case in Tanzania. 2015 50th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC). 2015; ():1-5.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elias Hartvigsson; Jimmy Ehnberg; Erik O. Ahlgren; Sverker Molander. 2015. "Assessment of load profiles in minigrids: A case in Tanzania." 2015 50th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC) , no. : 1-5.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2015 in Energy
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EH (excess heat) is an important, but yet partially unused, source for DH (district heating). This study analyses energy system and CO2 emission impacts at a regional scale of integration of EH from a large chemical cluster and local DH systems. The assessment is carried out with the optimising energy systems model MARKAL_WS, in which the DH systems in the Västra Götaland region of Sweden are represented individually. In addition, options for transport biofuel production are included. The results show that the connection contributes to a reduction of biomass and fossil fuel use, and to a related reduction of CO2 emissions, in the DH systems. This opens opportunities for earlier production of transport biofuels but instead electricity generation from combined heat and power plants in the region decreases. In the short term, total CO2 emissions increase if an expanded systems view is applied in which effects on the DH systems, transport system and European electricity system are accounted for, while in the mid-term they decrease. The study is based on a case and due to the diversity of Swedish DH systems in terms of use of fuels and local available resources, a generalisation of the results is not straightforward

ACS Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Martin Börjesson; Tomas Ekvall; Erik O. Ahlgren. Modelling environmental and energy system impacts of large-scale excess heat utilisation – A regional case study. Energy 2015, 79, 68 -79.

AMA Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall, Martin Börjesson, Tomas Ekvall, Erik O. Ahlgren. Modelling environmental and energy system impacts of large-scale excess heat utilisation – A regional case study. Energy. 2015; 79 ():68-79.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Akram Fakhri Sandvall; Martin Börjesson; Tomas Ekvall; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2015. "Modelling environmental and energy system impacts of large-scale excess heat utilisation – A regional case study." Energy 79, no. : 68-79.

Journal article
Published: 02 December 2014 in GCB Bioenergy
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Bioenergy could contribute both to the reduction of greenhouse gases and to increased energy security, but the extent of this contribution strongly depends on the cost and potential of biomass resources. For Sweden, this study investigates how the implementation of policies for CO2 reduction and for phase out of fossil fuels in road transport affect the future utilization of biomass, in the stationary energy system and in the transport sector, and its price. The analysis is based on the bottom‐up, optimization MARKAL_Sweden model, which includes a comprehensive representation of the national energy system. For the analysis, the biomass supply representation of MARKAL_Sweden is updated and improved by use of, e.g., forestry forecasting modeling and through construction of detailed biomass supply curves. A time horizon up to 2050 is applied. The results indicate a potential for significantly higher use of bioenergy. In the main analysis scenario, in which CO2 reduction of 80% by 2050 is imposed on the Swedish energy system, the total bioenergy utilization increases by 63% by 2050 compared to 2010. The largest increase occurs in the transport sector, which by 2050 accounts for 43% of the total primary bioenergy use. The high demand and strong competition significantly increase biomass prices and lead to utilization of higher‐cost biomass sources such as stumps and cultivated energy forest, as well as use of pulpwood resources for energy purposes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Martin Börjesson; Dimitris Athanassiadis; Robert Lundmark; Erik O. Ahlgren. Bioenergy futures in Sweden – system effects of CO 2 reduction and fossil fuel phase‐out policies. GCB Bioenergy 2014, 7, 1118 -1135.

AMA Style

Martin Börjesson, Dimitris Athanassiadis, Robert Lundmark, Erik O. Ahlgren. Bioenergy futures in Sweden – system effects of CO 2 reduction and fossil fuel phase‐out policies. GCB Bioenergy. 2014; 7 (5):1118-1135.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martin Börjesson; Dimitris Athanassiadis; Robert Lundmark; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2014. "Bioenergy futures in Sweden – system effects of CO 2 reduction and fossil fuel phase‐out policies." GCB Bioenergy 7, no. 5: 1118-1135.

Journal article
Published: 28 November 2014 in Sustainability
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A widespread dissemination of improved cooking stoves in the developing world can lead to considerable improvement of health, to reduced pressure on natural woody resources and to substantial reductions of emissions contributing to global warming. A number of programs have aimed to achieve such dissemination, while few of the programs have had any large-scale success. It has been suggested that a more commercial approach, as opposed to subsidized or freely distributed stoves, would achieve a higher level of success. However, a majority of the households that would benefit from an improved stove are poor and cannot afford the cost of the stove, especially if no monetary savings are possible from a more efficient fuel use, i.e., if the fuel used is collected biomass. The aim of this paper is to propose and evaluate a model that might overcome some of the barriers previous programs have experienced. The proposed model involves commercialization of collected fuels. The methods for evaluation include a qualitative assessment of the proposed model aided by the literature on improved cooking stove programs, fuel wood collection and fuel switching together with a quantitative simplistic model calculation of a hypothetical application of the proposed model principles, in order to assess its financial feasibility. The assessment indicates that the model would increase both households’ incentives and means to purchase and use improved cooking stoves. Furthermore, the model could possibly be partly financed based on carbon credits achieved from the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

ACS Style

Niklas Vahlne; Erik O. Ahlgren. Energy Efficiency at the Base of the Pyramid: A System-Based Market Model for Improved Cooking Stove Adoption. Sustainability 2014, 6, 8679 -8699.

AMA Style

Niklas Vahlne, Erik O. Ahlgren. Energy Efficiency at the Base of the Pyramid: A System-Based Market Model for Improved Cooking Stove Adoption. Sustainability. 2014; 6 (12):8679-8699.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niklas Vahlne; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2014. "Energy Efficiency at the Base of the Pyramid: A System-Based Market Model for Improved Cooking Stove Adoption." Sustainability 6, no. 12: 8679-8699.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2014 in Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
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First and second generation biofuels are among few low-carbon alternatives for road transport that currently are commercially available or in an early commercialization phase. They are thus potential options for meeting climate targets in the medium term. For the case of Sweden, we investigate cost-efficient use of biofuels in road transport under system-wide CO2 reduction targets to 2050, and the effects of implementation of targets for an almost fossil-free road transport sector to 2030. We apply the bottom-up, optimization MARKAL_Sweden model, which covers the entire Swedish energy system including the transport sector. For CO2 reductions of 80% to 2050 in the Swedish energy system as a whole, the results of the main scenario show an annual growth rate for road transport biofuels of about 6% from 2010 to 2050, with biofuels accounting for 78% of road transport final energy use in 2050. The preferred biofuel choices are methanol and biomethane. When introducing additional fossil fuel phase-out policies in road transport (−80% to 2030), a doubling of the growth rate to 2030 is required and system CO2 abatement costs increases by 6% for the main scenario. Results imply that second generation biofuels, along with energy-efficient vehicle technologies such as plug-in hybrids, can be an important part of optimized system solutions meeting stringent medium-term climate targets

ACS Style

Martin Börjesson; Erik O. Ahlgren; Robert Lundmark; Dimitris Athanassiadis. Biofuel futures in road transport – A modeling analysis for Sweden. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 2014, 32, 239 -252.

AMA Style

Martin Börjesson, Erik O. Ahlgren, Robert Lundmark, Dimitris Athanassiadis. Biofuel futures in road transport – A modeling analysis for Sweden. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 2014; 32 ():239-252.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martin Börjesson; Erik O. Ahlgren; Robert Lundmark; Dimitris Athanassiadis. 2014. "Biofuel futures in road transport – A modeling analysis for Sweden." Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 32, no. : 239-252.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2014 in Energy Policy
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Despite the long history of cook stove programs, very few have been successful, often only in areas where biomass is purchased or there is a biomass shortage. Several studies have described how rural households generally rely on several different fuels; which fuels are used may depend on various household characteristics such as location and income. This article explores possible consequences of variations in fuel usage for improved cook stove programs and how this may vary between different areas. Reductions of CO2 equivalent emissions and monetary savings are calculated for hypothetical cook stove deployment using data from a rural energy survey in the Vĩnh Phúc province of northern Vietnam. The results indicate that the areas may respond differently to the various stove options, both in terms of economy and emission reductions. Furthermore, there are large differences in emission reduction calculations when only Kyoto-gases are included and when non-Kyoto greenhouse agents are added. Assumptions regarding household behavior and stove efficiencies have large impacts on the results, indicating a need for further research on how improved cook stoves may influence households’ fuel choices

ACS Style

Niklas Vahlne; Erik O. Ahlgren. Policy implications for improved cook stove programs—A case study of the importance of village fuel use variations. Energy Policy 2014, 66, 484 -495.

AMA Style

Niklas Vahlne, Erik O. Ahlgren. Policy implications for improved cook stove programs—A case study of the importance of village fuel use variations. Energy Policy. 2014; 66 ():484-495.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Niklas Vahlne; Erik O. Ahlgren. 2014. "Policy implications for improved cook stove programs—A case study of the importance of village fuel use variations." Energy Policy 66, no. : 484-495.