Veronika Rabl - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Drafts by Veronika Rabl
We present an analysis of the costs of reducing CO 2 emissions in the US in the near-term (the ne... more We present an analysis of the costs of reducing CO 2 emissions in the US in the near-term (the next ten years), by taking a bottom-up engineering-economic approach and covering a broad spectrum of technology-based abatement measures. Technology cost-performance data are extracted from publicly available literature and " normalized " to a standard set of economic parameters and assumptions to assure consistency. Although the normalization is most complete for electric power and vehicles, the work covers buildings and industry as well. Costs of CO 2 transport and sequestration are also discussed, but we have not considered emission reductions achievable by changes in the management of forest and agricultural land. Abatement costs are calculated with respect to a baseline, for which we have chosen the EIA forecast of the Annual Energy Outlook 2005. The emissions data are expressed as equivalent CO 2 , including CH 4 and N 2 O; they also include upstream emissions, e.g. for fuel production. We also estimate the potential near-term emission reductions, as well as the uncertainties in abatement cost and reduction potential. The results are used to derive a supply curve, along with confidence intervals. The major findings are that i) the measures we have evaluated span a wide range of abatement costs, from around-$50 to over $400 per tonne of avoided CO 2 ; ii) measures with negative cost are found especially in power generation, but also in buildings, whereas the options in the vehicle sector are much more expensive; iii) modernizing electric power generation is a win-win proposition, with by far the largest reduction potential of the options we have considered; it may even make sense to retire some of the existing plants and substitute no-or low-CO 2 emission generation.
Papers by Veronika Rabl
It has already been recognized that the issue is complex and it is unlikely that a single set of ... more It has already been recognized that the issue is complex and it is unlikely that a single set of baselines will apply for all of the U.S. Nevertheless, it may be possible to develop a common set of methods for setting the baselines. While market research is part of the arsenal in this process, it is the engineers who hold much of the key information regarding the cost-performance tradeoffs. As this process continues, the distribution companies need to be proactive in discussing this issue with regulators and customers. This session will explore the state-of-the art and key issues in setting baselines premium service. The first speaker will address the issues surrounding benchmarking of different companies. The second speaker will talk about how a distribution company can evaluate its different options for achieving a specific level c~freliability (that is, a distribution company should consider the cost of achieving a specific baseline of reliability, before it actually commits to providing that level of reliability), The third speaker will discuss various options for increasing customer satisfaction and methods to find the most cost-effective means for achieving such increase. There will also be a facilitated discussion on “What should the industry do to set baselines and influence regulatory decisions?”
IEEE Power Engineering Review, 1993
During the past decade, there has been a rapid rise in public awareness and concern with the need... more During the past decade, there has been a rapid rise in public awareness and concern with the need for environmental protection. Widespread regulatory initiatives have been put in place to conserve energy resources and take action to stem a variety of environmental issues such as urban air pollution, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and depletion of the upper atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Through its generation and use, electric power can be one of the many sources of emissions that contribute to some of these problems. EPRI and the electric utility industry are developing effective technologies and practices for environmental protection, through reductions in power-plant emissions as well as improvements in the efficiency of end-use technologies. In this paper, the author provides a brief summary of the potential for increasing efficiency of existing uses and focuses the remainder on the latter new uses strategy.
2020 IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2), 2020
Electric mobility offers cleaner air, higher energy efficiency, and a path towards substantially ... more Electric mobility offers cleaner air, higher energy efficiency, and a path towards substantially increased flexibility in controlling the power system. Transportation is currently the source of most urban smog. Electric transportation is tailor-made for Smart Cities. Energy storage inherent in the auto batteries adds a dispatchable, curtailable load in the near-term and provides a foundation for fully integrating this large, flexible load into power system operations in longer-term. The added flexibility will provide an excellent complement for further increases in renewable generation. This papers describes key characteristics of an electrified transportation system and discusses opportunities and potential issues that may arise as a consequence of the attendant electric load growth.
IEEE Power and Energy Magazine
Integrated Electricity Resource Planning, 1994
The concept of demand-side management (DSM) has been used in the U.S. for more than twelve years.... more The concept of demand-side management (DSM) has been used in the U.S. for more than twelve years. DSM’s initial proponents wanted utilities to understand the value of changes to electricity use patterns on the customer side of the meter, and to adjust their planning and operations accordingly. Later, the least cost planning (LCP) framework emerged to explicitly incorporate the effects of demand-side measures and assess the viability of different options in meeting future energy needs.
ASME 2007 Energy Sustainability Conference, 2007
Demand-Side Management and Electricity End-Use Efficiency, 1988
Load management activities are undertaken by utilities to alter the load shape so as to achieve a... more Load management activities are undertaken by utilities to alter the load shape so as to achieve a better match between the customers’ cyclic demands and utilities’ current and planned generating and T&D (transmission and distribution) resources. A variety of customer-side technologies to control peak loads, shift loads from peak to off-peak periods, or to fill off-peak valleys are beginning to emerge on the market. These technologies include remote control systems, which can affect real-time changes in the load, some of them with smart controls on the customer-side, as well as thermal storage systems for cooling, heating, and water heating, which are designed to shift the corresponding electricity consumption to off-peak periods.
A “new wave” of programs are currently spreading across the nation: programs that promote the use... more A “new wave” of programs are currently spreading across the nation: programs that promote the use of renewable and/or highly efficient and non-polluting technologies to generate electricity at the premises of energy end-users (i.e., utility customers). While primarily intended to reduce the need to purchase electricity supplied “through the meter” from the power grid, these generating units may at times supply power to the grid. Several aspects of these programs are closely similar to “traditional” DSM programs (similar barriers of high first-cost, awareness and availability, limited supporting infrastructure of thoroughly trained dealers and contractors who have extensive experience with the technologies, and a reluctance to invest in equipment that is unproven and may not perform as the seller is claiming), and similar approaches for overcoming these barriers. Each of the various technologies featured in electricity-fromrenewable-energy programs have unique operating characteristi...
Analyse des avantages et des inconvenients a integrer les couts externes de la production ou de l... more Analyse des avantages et des inconvenients a integrer les couts externes de la production ou de l'utilisation de l'electricite a la planification au moindre cout
Community systems offer energy-conserving alternative methods of meeting the energy service needs... more Community systems offer energy-conserving alternative methods of meeting the energy service needs of residential, commercial, and other facilities while conserving energy and scarce fuels. This paper discusses the Integrated Community Energy Systems (ICES) approach, explores the need for computerized methods for ICES, and presents a simulation and optimization software series developed or under development for planning and design of such systems. The software addresses the analysis of community loads and energy requirements as well as the supply and distribution subsystems. Since ICES may provide several different energy services simultaneously, the overall energy conservation and economic potentials of the system are critically dependent on the match between the community demand and the supply system performance characteristics. The software has, therefore, been designed not only to simulate the system performance, but also to select optimal equipment capacities and system operatio...
Large commercial buildings use more electricity for cooling than for heating, and can account for... more Large commercial buildings use more electricity for cooling than for heating, and can account for 40% of summer peak demand. A cool storage technique in which compressors chill or freeze water during off-peak periods and the water is circulated during peak hours is in use in 100 commercial buildings. Reports indicate that these systems are economical, although little information is available, but engineers are hesitant to incorporate them because of possible damage from leaks or rust and other uncertainties. The Electric Power Research Institute is evaluating the performance of several systems to answer some of the operating and maintenance questions raised by engineers. 3 references, 3 figures. (DCK)
Standards were designed to provide guidance to regional, state, and local air pollution control a... more Standards were designed to provide guidance to regional, state, and local air pollution control and planning groups in the development of an analysis conforming to the requirements of the current federal regulations. Topics discussed at the workshop were as follows: determining level of air quality analysis detail; development of baseline data; meteorology; estimation of future emissions; allocation of emissions; modeling procedures; strategy development and testing; and strategy selection. The following appendices are included: air quality data formats; census data; fuel data; fugitive dust calculations; mathematical description of emission projection; and master grid mapping program. (HLW)
A computer program, COST (Cost Optimizing Selection Technique), for the selection of an Integrate... more A computer program, COST (Cost Optimizing Selection Technique), for the selection of an Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) was tested to evaluate its overall performance. The testing procedure used data corresponding to a community for which an ICES application had previously been conceptually designed and evaluated by conventional manual means. COST was developed to select the optional ICES tailored to a specific community. This involves finding the best generic types and capacities of equipment that can minimize annual costs. For time intervals chosen to represent different seasons, weekdays/weekends, and different times of day, the program determines equipment operating levels and amounts of purchases and sales of appropriate energy forms. The optimization criterion accounts for capital expenditures, operating costs, and the purchase and sale of energy forms - all with the requirement that community energy requirements be satisfied. To accomplish this, mathematical program...
Analyse de l'experience americaine de gestion de la demande electrique en relation avec la de... more Analyse de l'experience americaine de gestion de la demande electrique en relation avec la dereglementation et l'integration de plus en plus poussee des preoccupations environnementales.
We present an analysis of the costs of reducing CO 2 emissions in the US in the near-term (the ne... more We present an analysis of the costs of reducing CO 2 emissions in the US in the near-term (the next ten years), by taking a bottom-up engineering-economic approach and covering a broad spectrum of technology-based abatement measures. Technology cost-performance data are extracted from publicly available literature and " normalized " to a standard set of economic parameters and assumptions to assure consistency. Although the normalization is most complete for electric power and vehicles, the work covers buildings and industry as well. Costs of CO 2 transport and sequestration are also discussed, but we have not considered emission reductions achievable by changes in the management of forest and agricultural land. Abatement costs are calculated with respect to a baseline, for which we have chosen the EIA forecast of the Annual Energy Outlook 2005. The emissions data are expressed as equivalent CO 2 , including CH 4 and N 2 O; they also include upstream emissions, e.g. for fuel production. We also estimate the potential near-term emission reductions, as well as the uncertainties in abatement cost and reduction potential. The results are used to derive a supply curve, along with confidence intervals. The major findings are that i) the measures we have evaluated span a wide range of abatement costs, from around-$50 to over $400 per tonne of avoided CO 2 ; ii) measures with negative cost are found especially in power generation, but also in buildings, whereas the options in the vehicle sector are much more expensive; iii) modernizing electric power generation is a win-win proposition, with by far the largest reduction potential of the options we have considered; it may even make sense to retire some of the existing plants and substitute no-or low-CO 2 emission generation.
It has already been recognized that the issue is complex and it is unlikely that a single set of ... more It has already been recognized that the issue is complex and it is unlikely that a single set of baselines will apply for all of the U.S. Nevertheless, it may be possible to develop a common set of methods for setting the baselines. While market research is part of the arsenal in this process, it is the engineers who hold much of the key information regarding the cost-performance tradeoffs. As this process continues, the distribution companies need to be proactive in discussing this issue with regulators and customers. This session will explore the state-of-the art and key issues in setting baselines premium service. The first speaker will address the issues surrounding benchmarking of different companies. The second speaker will talk about how a distribution company can evaluate its different options for achieving a specific level c~freliability (that is, a distribution company should consider the cost of achieving a specific baseline of reliability, before it actually commits to providing that level of reliability), The third speaker will discuss various options for increasing customer satisfaction and methods to find the most cost-effective means for achieving such increase. There will also be a facilitated discussion on “What should the industry do to set baselines and influence regulatory decisions?”
IEEE Power Engineering Review, 1993
During the past decade, there has been a rapid rise in public awareness and concern with the need... more During the past decade, there has been a rapid rise in public awareness and concern with the need for environmental protection. Widespread regulatory initiatives have been put in place to conserve energy resources and take action to stem a variety of environmental issues such as urban air pollution, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and depletion of the upper atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Through its generation and use, electric power can be one of the many sources of emissions that contribute to some of these problems. EPRI and the electric utility industry are developing effective technologies and practices for environmental protection, through reductions in power-plant emissions as well as improvements in the efficiency of end-use technologies. In this paper, the author provides a brief summary of the potential for increasing efficiency of existing uses and focuses the remainder on the latter new uses strategy.
2020 IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2), 2020
Electric mobility offers cleaner air, higher energy efficiency, and a path towards substantially ... more Electric mobility offers cleaner air, higher energy efficiency, and a path towards substantially increased flexibility in controlling the power system. Transportation is currently the source of most urban smog. Electric transportation is tailor-made for Smart Cities. Energy storage inherent in the auto batteries adds a dispatchable, curtailable load in the near-term and provides a foundation for fully integrating this large, flexible load into power system operations in longer-term. The added flexibility will provide an excellent complement for further increases in renewable generation. This papers describes key characteristics of an electrified transportation system and discusses opportunities and potential issues that may arise as a consequence of the attendant electric load growth.
IEEE Power and Energy Magazine
Integrated Electricity Resource Planning, 1994
The concept of demand-side management (DSM) has been used in the U.S. for more than twelve years.... more The concept of demand-side management (DSM) has been used in the U.S. for more than twelve years. DSM’s initial proponents wanted utilities to understand the value of changes to electricity use patterns on the customer side of the meter, and to adjust their planning and operations accordingly. Later, the least cost planning (LCP) framework emerged to explicitly incorporate the effects of demand-side measures and assess the viability of different options in meeting future energy needs.
ASME 2007 Energy Sustainability Conference, 2007
Demand-Side Management and Electricity End-Use Efficiency, 1988
Load management activities are undertaken by utilities to alter the load shape so as to achieve a... more Load management activities are undertaken by utilities to alter the load shape so as to achieve a better match between the customers’ cyclic demands and utilities’ current and planned generating and T&D (transmission and distribution) resources. A variety of customer-side technologies to control peak loads, shift loads from peak to off-peak periods, or to fill off-peak valleys are beginning to emerge on the market. These technologies include remote control systems, which can affect real-time changes in the load, some of them with smart controls on the customer-side, as well as thermal storage systems for cooling, heating, and water heating, which are designed to shift the corresponding electricity consumption to off-peak periods.
A “new wave” of programs are currently spreading across the nation: programs that promote the use... more A “new wave” of programs are currently spreading across the nation: programs that promote the use of renewable and/or highly efficient and non-polluting technologies to generate electricity at the premises of energy end-users (i.e., utility customers). While primarily intended to reduce the need to purchase electricity supplied “through the meter” from the power grid, these generating units may at times supply power to the grid. Several aspects of these programs are closely similar to “traditional” DSM programs (similar barriers of high first-cost, awareness and availability, limited supporting infrastructure of thoroughly trained dealers and contractors who have extensive experience with the technologies, and a reluctance to invest in equipment that is unproven and may not perform as the seller is claiming), and similar approaches for overcoming these barriers. Each of the various technologies featured in electricity-fromrenewable-energy programs have unique operating characteristi...
Analyse des avantages et des inconvenients a integrer les couts externes de la production ou de l... more Analyse des avantages et des inconvenients a integrer les couts externes de la production ou de l'utilisation de l'electricite a la planification au moindre cout
Community systems offer energy-conserving alternative methods of meeting the energy service needs... more Community systems offer energy-conserving alternative methods of meeting the energy service needs of residential, commercial, and other facilities while conserving energy and scarce fuels. This paper discusses the Integrated Community Energy Systems (ICES) approach, explores the need for computerized methods for ICES, and presents a simulation and optimization software series developed or under development for planning and design of such systems. The software addresses the analysis of community loads and energy requirements as well as the supply and distribution subsystems. Since ICES may provide several different energy services simultaneously, the overall energy conservation and economic potentials of the system are critically dependent on the match between the community demand and the supply system performance characteristics. The software has, therefore, been designed not only to simulate the system performance, but also to select optimal equipment capacities and system operatio...
Large commercial buildings use more electricity for cooling than for heating, and can account for... more Large commercial buildings use more electricity for cooling than for heating, and can account for 40% of summer peak demand. A cool storage technique in which compressors chill or freeze water during off-peak periods and the water is circulated during peak hours is in use in 100 commercial buildings. Reports indicate that these systems are economical, although little information is available, but engineers are hesitant to incorporate them because of possible damage from leaks or rust and other uncertainties. The Electric Power Research Institute is evaluating the performance of several systems to answer some of the operating and maintenance questions raised by engineers. 3 references, 3 figures. (DCK)
Standards were designed to provide guidance to regional, state, and local air pollution control a... more Standards were designed to provide guidance to regional, state, and local air pollution control and planning groups in the development of an analysis conforming to the requirements of the current federal regulations. Topics discussed at the workshop were as follows: determining level of air quality analysis detail; development of baseline data; meteorology; estimation of future emissions; allocation of emissions; modeling procedures; strategy development and testing; and strategy selection. The following appendices are included: air quality data formats; census data; fuel data; fugitive dust calculations; mathematical description of emission projection; and master grid mapping program. (HLW)
A computer program, COST (Cost Optimizing Selection Technique), for the selection of an Integrate... more A computer program, COST (Cost Optimizing Selection Technique), for the selection of an Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) was tested to evaluate its overall performance. The testing procedure used data corresponding to a community for which an ICES application had previously been conceptually designed and evaluated by conventional manual means. COST was developed to select the optional ICES tailored to a specific community. This involves finding the best generic types and capacities of equipment that can minimize annual costs. For time intervals chosen to represent different seasons, weekdays/weekends, and different times of day, the program determines equipment operating levels and amounts of purchases and sales of appropriate energy forms. The optimization criterion accounts for capital expenditures, operating costs, and the purchase and sale of energy forms - all with the requirement that community energy requirements be satisfied. To accomplish this, mathematical program...
Analyse de l'experience americaine de gestion de la demande electrique en relation avec la de... more Analyse de l'experience americaine de gestion de la demande electrique en relation avec la dereglementation et l'integration de plus en plus poussee des preoccupations environnementales.