Is India pulling its weight? India’s nationally determined contribution and future energy plans in global climate policy

Ahead of the Conference of Parties (COP) 24 where countries will first take stock of climate action post Paris, this paper assesses India’s progress on its nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets and future energy plans. We find that, although India is well on track to meet its NDC pledges, these targets were extremely modest given previous context. Furthermore, there is considerable uncertainty around India’s energy policy post 2030 and if current plans for energy futures materialise, the Paris Agreement’s 2 degrees goal will be almost certainly unachievable. India’s role in international climate politics has shifted from obstructionism to leadership particularly following the announcement of withdrawal by the United States from the Paris Agreement, but analysis reveals that India’s ‘hard’ actions on the domestic front are inconsistent with its ‘soft’ actions in the international climate policy arena. Going forward, India is likely to face increasing calls for stronger mitigation action and we suggest that this gap can be bridged by strengthening the links between India’s foreign policy ambitions, international climate commitments, and domestic energy realities.

Key policy insights

• India’s NDC pledges on carbon intensity and share of non-fossil fuel capacity are relatively modest given domestic context and offer plenty of room to increase ambition of action.

• India’s ‘soft’ leadership in global climate policy can be matched by ‘hard’ commitments by bringing NDC pledges in line with domestic policy realities.

• There is significant uncertainty around future plans for coal power in India which have the potential to exceed the remaining global carbon budget for 2 degrees.

     

Artificial reef effect and fouling impacts on offshore wave power foundations and buoys – a pilot study

Little is known about the effects of offshore energy installations on the marine environment, and further research could assist in minimizing environmental risks as well as in enhancing potential positive effects on the marine environment. While biofouling on marine energy conversion devices on one hand has the potential to be an engineering concern, these structures can also affect biodiversity by functioning as artificial reefs. The Lysekil Project is a test park for wave power located at the Swedish west coast. Here, buoys acting as point absorbers on the surface are connected to generators anchored on concrete foundations on the seabed. In this study we investigated the colonisation of foundations by invertebrates and fish, as well as fouling assemblages on buoys. We examined the influence of surface orientation of the wave power foundations on epibenthic colonisation, and made observations of habitat use by fish and crustaceans during three years of submergence. We also examined fouling assemblages on buoys and calculated the effects of biofouling on the energy absorption of the wave power buoys. On foundations we demonstrated a succession in colonisation over time with a higher degree of coverage on vertical surfaces. Buoys were dominated by the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Calculations indicated that biofouling have no significant effect in the energy absorption on a buoy working as a point absorber. This study is the first structured investigation on marine organisms associated with wave power devices.     

基于短期历史资料的河西地区太阳辐射预报订正研究

基于数值模式的太阳辐射预报往往存在一定的系统性偏差,AVT订正方法能够有效降低预报偏差,本文利用该方法对甘肃河西地区两个光伏电站的太阳辐射预报结果进行订正。结果表明：(1)订正前预报偏差呈现明显的“先增加、后减小”日变化特征,订正后日变化特征不明显,并且订正前预报偏差与观测值线性关系显著,订正后线性关系减弱(相关系数降低、拟合优度降低);(2)太阳辐射存在明显的年变化特征,其预报偏差春季最高,其次为夏季,冬季最小,订正后不同季节的预报偏差均降低,春季和夏季降低较为明显。     

Optimal Hybrid Power System Using Renewables for a Household in the UK

The aim of this study is to find an optimal design for a distributed hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for a residential house in the UK. The hybrid system, which consists of wind turbines, PV arrays, a biodiesel generator, batteries and converters, is designed to meet the known dynamic electrical load of the house and make use of renewable energy resources available locally. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software is used for this study. Different combinations of wind turbines, PV arrays, a biodiesel generator and batteries are evaluated and compared using the NPC (Net Present Cost) method to find the optimal solutions. The HRES is modeled, simulated and optimized using HOMER. The results showed that the wind-biodiesel engine-battery system was the best with the lowest NPC (USD 60254) and the lowest COE (Cost of Energy, USD 0.548/kWh) while the second best system added PV arrays. This study gives evidence of the key contribution wind turbines make to HRES due to abundant wind resources in the UK, especially in Wales.     

全球可再生能源消费现状分析

随着全球经济的发展,能源消费不断增长。在全球的能源消费中,可再生能源占比不断提高,2017年占比为10.4%,成为能源消费的重要组成部分。全球可再生能源的利用中,水电处于主导地位,占6成以上;其次为风能,占比超过1成;太阳能和地热发展较晚,占比均不足1成。各国可再生能源利用水平不均,挪威、加拿大和巴西等国家的可再生资源已成为本国能源消费的主要来源之一。中国同样重视可再生能源的开发利用,2017年中国能源消费中可再生能源占比为11.8%,已超过天然气成为第三大能源消费来源。总之,随着可再生能源开发利用水平的不断提高,可再生能源在全球能源消费中的比重将进一步增加,将成为化石能源的重要替代资源。     

《吉林省地图集》中节约型社会建设专题图的表示方法

专题图由于能够直观、准确、形象地反映出有关专业数据信息而受到越来越多行业的欢迎.<节约型社会建设>专题图是<吉林省地图集>中图幅之一,该图在地理底图基础上把资源综合利用;循环经济发展布局;循环经济发展重点、目标;节能减排的主要目标、行业目标;"十一五"资源综合利用主要目标等用图、表的形式编制成图,使其成为社会公共资源并...     

Valuation and use of complex ecosystems: An economist's view

This paper surveys approaches to the economic valuation of ecosystems and the determination of their optimal utilisation. The components of the value of ecosystems are defined and methods of measurement are presented. Also discussed is a simple model of the economic use of a dynamic ecological system. Economically optimal trajectories are shown and scenarios are presented in which it is economically optimal to destroy the ecosystem. Particular problems arise if the ecosystem is a common-property resource as is often the case with marine ecosystems. This issue is also addressed. Moreover, the paper presents some extensions of the model that add complexity and uncertainty.     

海洋热能的利用

海洋热能是一种重要的可再生能源,对其进行开发利用是解决当前人类所面临的能源短缺和由于矿物燃料燃烧和大量使用空调所造成的环境效应的有效途径。文章综述了海洋热能利用的3个领域：海洋温差发电、海水冷却和海水源空调,介绍了几种利用方式的现状、优缺点及其应用前景。重点对海水作为空调热源的可行性进行分析和讨论,在对空调系统进行yong分析的基础上,针对间接换热和热泵方式的缺点,提出了两种高效的节能环保海水空调的应用方案,即海水直接换热供冷供热和热泵 直接换热方案。     

Involving the public in the impact assessment of offshore renewable energy facilities

Public participation in decision-making about development has many benefits especially in the coastal zone and in the near-shore marine environment. This research expands the discussion of public involvement in decisions about marine resource use by examining public participation in environmental impact assessment as relevant for offshore renewable energy facilities. A review of empirical and theoretical research supports the development of a framework for further analysis. The framework consists of five main features: (1) effective communication, (2) broad-based inclusion, (3) prioritization, (4) early three-way learning, and (5) alternatives analysis. The paper's concluding sections explore the relevance of such a framework and indicate possible applications.     

Which policy instruments attract foreign direct investments in renewable energy?

Reducing GHG emissions and mitigating climate change would require significant investments in renewable energy technologies. Foreign direct investments (FDI) in renewable energy (RE) have increased over the last years, contributing to the diffusion of RE globally. In the field of climate policy, there are multiple policy instruments aimed at attracting investments in renewable energy. This article aims to map the FDI flows globally including source and destination countries. Furthermore, the article investigates which policy instruments attract more FDI in RE sectors such as solar, wind and biomass, based on an econometric analysis of 137 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD countries. The results show that Feed in Tariffs (FIT) followed by Fiscal Measures (FM), such as tax incentives and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), are the most significant policy instrument that attract FDI in the RE sector globally. Regarding carbon pricing instruments, based on our analysis, carbon tax proved to be correlated with high attraction of FDI in OECD countries, whereas Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) proved to be correlated with high attraction of FDI mainly in non-OECD countries.

Key policy insights

• Feed in Tariffs is the most significant policy instrument that attracts FDI in the Renewable Energy sector globally.

• Fiscal Measures (FM), such as tax incentives, show a significant and positive impact on renewable energy projects by foreign investors, and particularly on solar energy.

• Carbon pricing instruments, such as carbon taxation and emissions trading, proved to attract FDI in OECD and non-OECD countries respectively.

• Public investments, such as government funds for renewable energy projects, proved not as attractive to foreign private investors, perhaps because public funds are not perceived as stable in the long run.