Unit 3 - Energy Transition: From Traditional Biomass To Fossil Fuels To Low Carbon Energy

Question 1

Major energy transitions in history:

Answer 1

??? - from manpower/animal power to traditional biomass
1860 - from traditional biomass to coal
1880 - from coal to oil
1900 - from oil to natural gas
1900 - 1910 - from natural gas to electricity and heat
Ca 1965 - introduction of large scale commercial nuclear
Ca 1995 - introduction of RE (incl. Large Hydropower)

Question 2

Bashmakov three laws of energy transition:

Energy transitions are often driven by …

Answer 2

1. changing energy costs in relation to income (the predominant energy form becomes to expensive)
2. improving energy quality (eg higher energy efficiency like electricity in comparison to fuel wood)
3. Growing energy productivity (eg more industrial output can be optained)

Question 3

What is a “low carbon energy transition”

Answer 3

Shifts from a country’s economic activities based on fossil fuels to (partially) RE and low carbon energy.

Question 4

Low carbon energy transitions can be achieved by:

Answer 4

1. Reducing energy use
2. Introducing RE and low carbon energy
3. Increasing energy efficiency and using fossil fuels efficiently

(as Lysen (1996) described in the concept of the Trias Energeticas).

Question 5

What are socio-technical transitions?

Answer 5

Society-wide transitions that take into account the interactions between socio-economic, political and technological factors. Requires a change of social practices, norms, infra, techno-scientific knowledge, networks and symbolic meaning

Question 6

What are energy transitions?

Answer 6

Shifts from a country’s economic activities based on one energy source to another.

Question 7

Traditional biomass includes…

Answer 7

Fuel wood
Charcoal
Dung
Agri residues

Question 8

Fossil fuels and its use

Answer 8

Coal - heating, cooking and electricity, lower efficiency, potential high sulfur levels
EMISSION FACTOR 94.6-98.3 tCO2/TJ
- conventional coal-fired power plants
- integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC)
- Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Oil and oil-based products: petrol, diesel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) - mainly for transport somethimes heating or electricity.
EMISSION FACTOR 63.1-77.4 tCO2/TJ

Natural gas and natural gase based products (CNG) used for multipurpose. CNG for transport.
Highest efficiency and lowest emission factor
EMISSION FACTOR 56.1-64.2 tCO2/TJ
- combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT)
- Gas Turbine (GT) Peak

Question 9

Fossil fuels are heavily subsidised

Answer 9

OECD data suggests:
About 775 billion USD in subsidies in 2010
80% to developing countries (rest in developed and for global production)

Question 10

Low carbon energy technologies:

Answer 10

1. Wind energy - onshore/offshore, 283GW installed capacity (2012). From small kW turbined to MW turbines. Average modern large turbine = 5000hh (7MW)
2. Solar energy - PV panels/modules, SWH, Solar Thermal technology, lamps and cookers. 100 GW installed (2007)
   - concentrated solar power (CSP) = large scale
3. Hydropower - 2012 16% of global electricity, 990GW installed
4. Nuclear - nuclear fission, 370 GW installed (2012)
5. Modern biomass - biofuels, biogas
   First generation / conventional biofuels: edible biomass based starch, sugar or vegetable oil (or soy, jatropha and palm oil for biodiesel)
   Second generation: not edible, based on feedstock (example; municipal waste)
   Third generation: algae, cellulose, other forms of plant biomass (harder to extract fuels)

Question 11

Cost of solar power

Answer 11

In 1985 silicone PV panels cost about US7$ per Watt power

In 2011 this is 2USD

Question 12

Which part of all GHG emissions worldwide comes from energy related activities?

Answer 12

70%

45% the power sector alone

Question 13

Which part of the global energy use is for transport? And which part of the emissions

Answer 13

20%
And almost 25% of CO2 emissions
50% increase by 2030 (according to IEA)
80% increase by 2050 (according to IEA)

Increase both energy use and emissions

Question 14

IEA suggestions for mitigation in the transport sector (3x)

Answer 14

1. More sustainble transportation modes (cycling, public transport)
2. Increasing efficiencies (for example technological improvements)
3. Alternative fuels - electricity, hydrogen, biofuels

Question 15

WHich part of the global emissions comes from the industrial sector?

Answer 15

20% - however not only CO2 but others as well

Example from cement, steel, petrochemical etc

Question 16

What is the share of GHG emissions from the commercial and residential buildings together?

Answer 16

10%

Question 17

What is the share of global anthropogenic emissions from agriculture?

Answer 17

15%

However 50% of total methane emissions and 80% of world total N2O emissions.

Question 18

Contribution to global GHG emissions for each sector:

• residential and commercial buildings
• industries
• Agri
• Energy generation in power sector

Answer 18

10%
20%
15%
45%

Question 19

What does Bashmakov (2007) law of long-term energy cost to income stability mean?

Answer 19

In the long term, energy cost to income ratios are relatively stable with just a very limited sustainable fluctuation range. And this range is very similar in different countries.

When the max of the range is reached
Consumers will reduce their consumption by sacrificing comfort
Than will improve energy efficiency
Demands decline
Household energy prices will go down and therefore teh ratio will go down.

Question 20

What does Bashmakov (2007) law of improved energy quality mean?

Answer 20

Growing overall economic productivity requires a better quality of energy services.

When the share of energy cost grows, teh rate of return drops, slowing down economic growth.
This leads to technology improvements - the induced technology change leads to the substitution of low-quality production factors with the same production factors only of a better quality.

Question 21

What does Bashmakov (2007) law of growing energy productivity mean?

Answer 21

As energy quality improves against relatively stable energy costs to income ratios, energy productivity grows or energy intensity declines.

Question 22

Reasons why electricity generation has quadrupled since 1970

Answer 22

• population growth
• higher e-rates
• increased consumption (due to increased incomes)
• excessive e-consumption by the richest segments in society
• etc.

Question 23

What % of people in developing countries relied on traditional biomass as their main energy source in 2009

Answer 23

54%