Related papers: Trading off regional and overall energy system des…
Cost optimal scenarios derived from models of a highly renewable electricity system depend on the specific input data, cost assumptions and system constraints. Here this influence is studied using a techno-economic optimisation model for a…
We suggest a new methodology for designing robust energy systems. For this, we investigate so-called near-optimal solutions to energy system optimisation models; solutions whose objective values deviate only marginally from the optimum.…
To limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, fossil-free energy systems will be required eventually. To understand how such systems can be designed, the current state-of-the-art is to apply techno-economical optimisation…
To reach ambitious European CO$_2$ emission reduction targets, most scenarios of future European electricity systems rely on large shares of wind and solar photovoltaic power generation. We interpolate between two concepts for balancing the…
Achieving decarbonization across energy sectors requires demand-side transformation such as behavioural changes and end-use efficiency improvements to complement supply-side technological shifts. However, changing consumption patterns is…
The effects of the spatial scale on the results of the optimisation of transmission and generation capacity in Europe are quantified under a 95% CO2 reduction compared to 1990 levels, interpolating between one-node-per-country solutions and…
Renewable energy sources play a major role in future net-zero energy systems. However, achieving energy system resilience remains challenging, since renewables depend on weather fluctuations, and future energy systems are subject to major…
As energy systems transform to rely on renewable energy and electrification, they encounter stronger year-to-year variability in energy supply and demand. However, most infrastructure planning is based on a single weather year, resulting in…
The large-scale deployment of wind power is central to Europe`s energy transition but faces challenges due to its social and environmental impacts on communities. Here we assess how the tolerance of local stakeholders to such impacts…
We use three ensemble members of the EURO-CORDEX project and their data on surface wind speeds, solar irradiation as well as water runoff with a spatial resolution of 12 km and a temporal resolution of 3 hours under representative…
Transition pathways for Europe to achieve carbon neutrality emphasize the need for a massive deployment of solar and wind energy. Global cost optimization would lead to installing most of the renewable capacity in a few resource-rich…
The transformation of the energy system has raised concerns about the reliability of fully renewable energy systems. We address this question for a 2050 European energy system using an economically optimal adequacy assessment. Our results…
The resource quality and the temporal generation pattern of variable renewable energy sources vary significantly across Europe. In this paper spatial distributions of renewable assets are explored which exploit this heterogeneity to lower…
The ambitious energy target to achieve climate-neutrality in the European Union (EU) energy system raises the feasibility question of using only renewables across all energy sectors. As one of the EU's leading industrialized countries,…
The residual load and excess power generation of 27 European countries with a 100% penetration of variable renewable energy sources are explored in order to quantify the benefit of power transmission between countries. Estimates are based…
European countries are ambitious in both the net-zero transition and offshore energy resource development. The Irish and UK governments announced their commitments to offshore wind capacities - 37 and 125 GW, respectively, in 2050, more…
For a given carbon budget over several decades, different transformation rates for the energy system yield starkly different results. Here we consider a budget of 33 GtCO2 for the cumulative carbon dioxide emissions from the European…
The expansion of wind and solar power is driving the European energy system transformation, thereby also driving our reliance on this weather-dependent resources. Integrating renewable scarcity events into long-term planning has therefore…
In the process of decarbonization, the global energy mix is shifting from fossil fuels to renewables. To study decarbonization pathways, large-scale energy system models are utilized. These models require accurate data on renewable…
In 2021, the European Commission has adopted the Fit-for-55 policy package, legally binding European countries to reduce their CO2 emissions by 55% with respect to 1990, a first step to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. In this context, it…