Overview
of Small Scale Renewable Energy
|
Contents
Review
of Small Scale Deployment
Review
of Small Scale Deployment
A number of case studies have
been conducted which look at developing small-scale renewable energy systems
for autonomous or part autonomous supply.
Many of these are in developing countries where issues of grid
connection at lowest available cost remain paramount. For the purposes of these studies these case studies were ignored
as they represented different sides of quite possibly the same coin.
Very few case studies where the
aim was to provide a feasibility study for the development of autonomous supply
from small-scale renewable resource were found. There were many instances of deployment of renewable technology
but the approach taken was to maximise the resource available and all aspects
of the system were developed in order to sell the electricity onto the pool for
the consumer to purchase in the normal way.
The
technology area, which differed, was CHP where heat was purchased by the
consumer from the company responsible for running the CHP unit. The electricity generated was sold into the
pool and used to finance the capital cost/debt servicing of the system. The most enlightened scheme found was in
Woking where some 4500 dwellings were supplied via a small-scale CHP unit on a
private wire. Consumers could purchase
both heat and electricity from the council who had targeted the development to
alleviate fuel poverty among their elderly population and had reduced fuel
bills to approximately 6% of the state pension.
There
were many examples of CHP schemes connected to district heating schemes serving
communities as large as 120,000 (Sheffield).
This of course is common practice in the Scandinavian countries where
40-60% of space heating requirements are provided in this manner. Typically the fuel source is municipal solid
waste, forestry, industrial and agricultural wastes. However a number of schemes do run on fossil fuels exacting
greater efficiencies than by separate power and heat generation.
Most
autonomous wind schemes were in combination with solar/PV arrays with battery
storage to compensate for the intermittent nature of the resource. They tended to service remote
communities. The largest such example
was a fishing village on Cos in Greece which had a community of 300.
Small-scale
hydro schemes are gaining in popularity in Europe. Run-of-the river schemes are seen to offer a constant renewable
resource without the local environmental catastrophe which usually accompanies
the development of hydro at the >100MW scale. Seven such systems have been developed in Scotland in the last 5
years to supply electricity to the grid.
Only
one case study along the lines we would be proposing was found in the
literature. This was at La Rioja in
Spain where a number of differing technologies were being looked at to provide
autonomous energy supply. The project
was largely being studied to reap the socio-economic benefits such developments
are perceived to deliver. A more
concise description of the possibilities of small scale is given elsewhere in
the website.
In
summary then, there were many examples of the benefits of community led schemes
for providing heat and in some cases power from CHP and DHS. These were in some cases being used
specifically to address fuel poverty issues.
The EU has initiated a scheme to develop 100 autonomous renewable energy
communities before 2008 through the ALTENER program. To date, most autonomous studies have focussed on the
developing world where issues surrounding grid connection have been addressed.
References:
1.
Woking: Energy Services for
the New Millennium
Allan
Jones, Energy Services Manager, Woking Borough Council
2.
Proposal for the use of
renewable energy in the La Rioja autonomous community
Luis
Maria Lopez Gonzalez et al
Renewable
Energy, 20, (2000) pp289-304
3.
BRESCU Good Practice Case
Study 81, Community Heating in Sheffield
E-mail
brecsuenq@bre.co.uk
4.
http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg17/altpres.htm
Why
Small Scale?
Here is a list of 15 reasons
perceived to be possible effects of the deployment of small-scale renewable
systems:
- Reduction in energy dependence, move towards
self-reliance in sources.
- Boost to manufacturing industries for components
both local and regional.
- Promotion in specialised services in Engineering
and consulting in the use of renewable energies at local level.
- Development of R&D in companies and local
education centres.
- Reduced environmental impact of electricity
production.
- Increased level of services to the local community.
- Employment creation – research, design, equipment
production, installation, maintenance and exploitation.
- Reduced cost of electricity – deferred capital
investment. The £/kWh of
generation may be higher but the £/kWh of supply may be lower.
- Reduced transmission/distribution losses.
- Reduced capital risk.
- Reduced risk of stranded capital.
- Potentially, stability of the system is improved as
supply and demand scenarios are reduced.
- Impact of electricity production at local community
level – everyone will be able to see the energy being produced. The likely impact of this is
behavioural change in consumption pattern of electricity usage.
- Centralised, large-scale production of electricity
then distributed through a national grid was designed in the 1950’s when
the supply, cost and environmental impact of fuel presented no problems.
As we move into the 21st century, the supply of
fuel is become more problematic – becoming more concentrated in the Middle
East.
The cost of fossil fuel is
likely to rise as a result of regional concentration, environmental taxes
(climate change levy) and dwindling resource.
The environmental impacts of
fuel choice are widely understood.
Renewable, clean energy systems
are unlikely to present themselves as a large scale alternative largely due to
their intermittent nature or the difficulties associated with fuel transportation.
Perhaps then, the model for electricity generation and
supply for the 21st century is in small, localised generation
through hybrid renewable energy systems.
The problems of transportation of fuel are diminished. Some of the quality problems associated with
intermittent supply can be mitigated in hybrid systems e.g. it is likely to be
sunny when the wind is not blowing.
- Elimination of fuel poverty where areas that are
rich in renewable resource are penalised for not being in an area of high
population density. The potential is there to actually complete the task
in areas rich in renewable resource.
European Energy Strategy
The Kyoto Protocol has
set a number of challenging objectives and targets on several important issues:
the central issue being climate change.
The E.U has moved a step
forward as each member has set itself even higher goals. It is indeed thought
that by 2020, the E.U will depend on the Third World for 70% of its gas demand
and 90% of its oil demand. So drastic actions must be taken.
Hence afterwards the
Treaty of Amsterdam made sustainable development one of the key objectives of
the E.U and provided that the environment protection requirements must be
integrated into the definition of community policies and activities.
Sustainable development will not only reduce CO2 emissions and
therefore help to reach targets set by the climate change issues but it will
also help create employment at regional levels and awareness of the problems
that face Europe in the near future.
There are obviously
common objectives, targets and laws applicable to every member but it is up to
each individual member to implement and develop its own strategy to reach its
goals and ultimately the common goal of the E.U.
However a positive and
strategic approach to planning renewable energy is essential at every level. A
constructive dialogue needs to be open between operators, planning authorities
and local people.
Agenda
21 is the ultimate application of this policy. Agenda 21 is an action plan, an
agenda for the 21st Century. It was agreed at UN's Conference on Environment
and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and describes what must be done to
get an environmental, economic and social sustainable development. It is
emphasised that all groups in society may take part in the planning and
implementation of measures if the target shall be met. The local communities of
the world are in particular asked to enter a dialogue with their locals,
companies and voluntary organisations learn from each other, and together plan
and implement local measures to aid sustainable development.
A local Agenda 21 is both a
local action plan for sustainable development, made in a process where all
groups in society have participated actively, and the implementation of this
plan. It is a new way to work, where the importance of businesses,
organisations, and the whole community taking part in the decision-making
process is underlined. To achieve a sustainable development many every-day
actions must be changed, and then basic attitudes must change first.