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A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Modelling energy systems:A methodological exploration of integrated resource management
Energy consumption is associated with adverse effects regarding security of supply and the environment. Both issues require long-term planning. Therefore information on (possible) future developments is highly important. This information can be obtained using a combination of two distinctive approaches: analysis of past and present energy systems, and scenario analysis of future energy systems. Both approaches require energy models. The aim of this thesis is to increase insights in energy systems, with the intention to be able to change energy systems in a more sustainable way. Previous research of energy systems at the ‘Center for Energy and Environmental studies (IVEM)’ indicated that crucial knowledge gaps regarding energy systems exists at relations between the management of energy and materials resources. Therefore the main thesis objective is to explore environmentally relevant relations between the management of energy and materials resources with emphasis on energy systems. This thesis observes energy systems from different angles, i.e. it considers interactions between different resource types, it considers different aggregation levels, and it considers different methodologies. Resources of different types and uses (see Table 1.1) do interact with each other within the context of societal metabolism. The interactions between energy and materials resources are generally non-linear. Consequently, diminishing returns and saturation effects are persistent. As a result of diminishing returns the potentials for environmentally benign changes are smaller than observed at first sight. On the other hand, as a result of saturation effects future pressures on resources and the environment may be smaller than expected on linear models. The combination of both diminishing returns and saturation effects make the energy system more difficult to understand intuitively. The aggregation level may limit and determine the outcome of research. Therefore, energy analysis needs to assess all three levels – micro, macro, and ...
Modelling energy systems:A methodological exploration of integrated resource management
Energy consumption is associated with adverse effects regarding security of supply and the environment. Both issues require long-term planning. Therefore information on (possible) future developments is highly important. This information can be obtained using a combination of two distinctive approaches: analysis of past and present energy systems, and scenario analysis of future energy systems. Both approaches require energy models. The aim of this thesis is to increase insights in energy systems, with the intention to be able to change energy systems in a more sustainable way. Previous research of energy systems at the ‘Center for Energy and Environmental studies (IVEM)’ indicated that crucial knowledge gaps regarding energy systems exists at relations between the management of energy and materials resources. Therefore the main thesis objective is to explore environmentally relevant relations between the management of energy and materials resources with emphasis on energy systems. This thesis observes energy systems from different angles, i.e. it considers interactions between different resource types, it considers different aggregation levels, and it considers different methodologies. Resources of different types and uses (see Table 1.1) do interact with each other within the context of societal metabolism. The interactions between energy and materials resources are generally non-linear. Consequently, diminishing returns and saturation effects are persistent. As a result of diminishing returns the potentials for environmentally benign changes are smaller than observed at first sight. On the other hand, as a result of saturation effects future pressures on resources and the environment may be smaller than expected on linear models. The combination of both diminishing returns and saturation effects make the energy system more difficult to understand intuitively. The aggregation level may limit and determine the outcome of research. Therefore, energy analysis needs to assess all three levels – micro, macro, and ...
Modelling energy systems:A methodological exploration of integrated resource management
Schenk, Niels Jan (author)
2006-01-01
Schenk , N J 2006 , ' Modelling energy systems : A methodological exploration of integrated resource management ' , Doctor of Philosophy , University of Groningen .
Theses
Electronic Resource
English
DDC:
690