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PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

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These studies are, however, only concerned with electricity supply. The<br />

important issues <strong>of</strong> energy demand for transportation, hot water and heat have<br />

not been addressed, and any full analysis <strong>of</strong> the energy needs <strong>of</strong> an area must<br />

also consider these.<br />

1.5 Decision Support Framework<br />

Although various studies have been carried out to find the best supply mix for<br />

given areas, results from specific studies cannot be easily applied to other<br />

situations due to area-specific resources and energy-use pr<strong>of</strong>iles. This is<br />

because the ideal way to organise an energy supply system, with a large<br />

percentage <strong>of</strong> renewable resources, will vary substantially with the size and type<br />

<strong>of</strong> area (rural, urban), climate, location, typical demand pr<strong>of</strong>iles, and available<br />

renewable resource mix. Therefore, a decision support framework is required in<br />

order to aid the design <strong>of</strong> future renewable energy supply systems (both large<br />

and small), effectively manage transitional periods, and encourage and advance<br />

state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art deployment as systems become more economically desirable.<br />

This system model will concentrate on the technical feasibility <strong>of</strong> possible<br />

renewable energy supply systems, although the ultimate decision will also be<br />

affected by wider economic and political issues.<br />

The proposed decision support framework will allow possible supply scenarios<br />

to be quickly and easily tried, to see how well the demands for electricity, heat<br />

and transport for any given area can be matched with the outputs <strong>of</strong> a wide<br />

variety <strong>of</strong> possible generation methods. These generation methods will include<br />

the generation <strong>of</strong> electricity from intermittent sources, the production <strong>of</strong> fuels<br />

derived from waste and biomass and their use in CHP, heating and energy<br />

limited plant, and the use <strong>of</strong> electricity and derived fuels for transportation. The<br />

framework will allow the appropriate type and sizing <strong>of</strong> spinning reserve, fuel<br />

production and energy storage to be ascertained, and will support the analysis <strong>of</strong><br />

supplies and demands for an area <strong>of</strong> any type and geographical location, to<br />

allow potential renewable energy provision on the small to medium scale (from<br />

an individual building to a medium sized community) to be analysed. This<br />

system will aid the making <strong>of</strong> informed decisions about suitable overall energy<br />

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