Analyzing the Impacts of Employing Demand Response and Creating Optimal Coalition on Optimal Scheduling of Multi-Microgrid

In the restructured power system, by integrating distributed generators in the near of loads, necessity of installing power plants is eliminated. This work is feasible by introducing small-scale systems, which are presented by the microgrid (MG) concept. To exchange power between seller and buyer MGs, they should pay costs to the distribution network operator (DNO), which are called service charges. In this paper, creating a proper coalition is suggested for optimal management of a multi-MG system. In each load level, MGs, to minimize their service charge and maximize their benefits and feed their demands for energy at low prices and …

Reimagining the Electricity Sector in Island Nations with Virtual Power Plants

Distributed virtual power plants (VPPs) can revolutionize the Caribbean’s energy landscape. These networks of decentralized and distributed energy sources (DERs) are aggregated and actively controlled by a VPP aggregator, enabling hundreds or thousands of devices to operate as a unified system offering an innovative solution to the region’s energy challenges. Many island nations remain heavily dependent on expensive, imported and polluting fossil fuels for electricity generation, leaving them vulnerable to volatile global fuel prices and frequent power outages due to aging grid infrastructure. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, with hurricanes posing a constant threat to power systems and economic …

Supporting a Reliable Grid: The Opportunity for Virtual Power Plants in Michigan

Michigan has an aging distribution grid with high incidents of blackouts. It also suffers from narrowing capacity availability for resources to meet peak demand. Virtual power plants (VPPs) — aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs) that can provide utility-scale and utility-grade grid services — can help address those challenges while supporting the state in reaching its ambitious clean energy standard of 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040.

According to the Department of Energy, VPPs can be configured to provide a range of benefits, including reliability and resilience, affordability, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, resource adequacy, and more.

This brief outlines …

Drivers of Persistent Changes in the Global Methane Cycle Under Aggressive Mitigation Action

To achieve the Paris climate agreement goals, methane (CH4) emission mitigation plays a key role. Therefore, a better understanding of the global methane cycle is indispensable. Here we simulate the global methane cycle fully interactively from 1850 to 2100 with a strong mitigation action scenario (SSP1-2.6) post 2014. We show that the atmospheric methane burden largely recovers to early 20th-century levels, while wetland methane emissions follow a persistent upward trend from 166 Tg(CH4) yr–1 at pre-industrial to 221 Tg(CH4) yr–1 in 2100. The methane lifetime decreases from 9.3 to 7.3 years over the 1850–2100 period. We identify net primary productivity …

Proceedings of the Working Group on Codes and Standards (WGCS) International Workshop on Mechanical Codes and Standards

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) Working Group on Codes and Standards (WGCS) sponsored a online international workshop on in-service inspection (ISI) on 11-14 April 2022. Among international codes and standards, the ISI acceptance criteria and examination frequency vary, even for identical components (including safety-related components). ISI programmes based on different or inconsistent requirements may have significant impact on nuclear power plant safety operation. Therefore, it is necessary to review and compare the ISI provisions in codes and standards, document the difference and determine if modifications to harmonise are necessary. Through a member survey, the …

ICDE Topical Report Operational Experience on Common-Cause Failures due to External Environmental Factors

This report presents a study performed on a set of common-cause failure (CCF) events within the International Common-cause failure Data Exchange (ICDE) project. The topic of the study was external factor events. An external factor event is a CCF event or CCF fragility (impairment) related to external or environmental factors or an event directly caused or triggered by such factors (conditions).

The report is mainly intended for designers, operators and regulators to provide insights into the type of external factor events in the ICDE database. The insights can give valuable experience to support and improve the external event modelling in …

Consensus Position on the Qualification of Existing and New Material Manufacturing Techniques within Codes and Standards

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Working Group on Codes and Standards (WGCS) has agreed that a consensus position on the topic of the qualification of existing and new material man facturing techniques within codes and standards is warranted given their impact on the quality of the material used for safety significant structures, systems or components.

This action follows the WGCS examination of Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) activities on positive macro-segregation issues in large forgings leading to recommedations on the qualification of material manufacturing techniques.

The WGCS proposes a consensus position gathering common expectations from regulators onthe qualification of …

Energy Transition Outlook: China 2025

No one who has visited China regularly over the past decade or so will have failed to notice the skies above the cities becoming clearer and the streets increasingly filled with electric cars and buses. These are the visible signs of a vast decarbonization effort taking place in China. From a position where, in 2023, China was responsible for a third of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions, by 2050 that share will have reduced to a fifth. In absolute terms, China’s emissions will reduce by a staggering 70%. As they show in this Outlook, this is related mainly to the …

Energy Transition Outlook: Norway 2025

Just as Oslo’s electricity consumption has expanded unimaginably from the perspective of 1900, the whole of Norway’s power consumption has grown enormously, and now extends to the electrification of parts of offshore oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf. Ninety percent of this electricity is still supplied by Norway’s hydropower systems, which have become the envy of nations. However, as shown in this forecast, Norway’s electricity consumption is going to grow in the next 25 years by almost as much as it has over the past 100.

The reason for accelerated electrification in Norway — beyond what can …

Energy Transition Outlook: Spain 2025

When DNV began in Spain in 1999, their market activities were centred on the early development of renewable energy. Wind and solar power are now the dominant energy sources, and they forecast they will grow 4-fold and 6-fold, respectively, by 2050. The new challenges lie in electrifying more of Spain’s energy use and upgrading grid integration to handle all the renewable electricity.

Hydrogen generation and infrastructure will also be part of the future in an energy system that has already significantly decarbonized the power sector and aims to reduce carbon emissions further. DNV foresees hydrogen playing a key role in …