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An Approach to Assessment of Sustainability of Energy Systems

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Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming

Abstract

Measuring progress towards sustainability is an important step in achieving sustainable development, but a standard and universally accepted approach for measuring sustainability does not yet exist. Here, a sustainability assessment methodology for energy systems is developed based on a systems approach. A set of 22 indicators is identified that link a community energy system to technology, economy, society, environment, and institutional subsystems. The new approach is illustrated on a gas-turbine power plant and a single-flash geothermal steam power plant. The results of the sustainability analyses demonstrate that the gas-turbine power plant is more technologically sustainable but its renewability and environmental impacts are serious concerns, while the single-flash geothermal steam power plant rates well with the society and environment subsystems although reliability of energy supply is identified as an area where improvement is necessary. The new sustainability assessment methodology is expected to prove useful as a tool for understanding and fostering sustainable energy systems, alone or in concert with other approaches.

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Abbreviations

CRF :

Capital recovery factor

ex :

Specific exergy (kJ kg−1)

\( \dot{E}x \) :

Exergy rate (kW)

h :

Specific enthalpy (kJ kg−1)

HHV :

Higher heating value (kJ kg−1)

i :

Interest rate

\( \dot{m} \) :

Mass flow rate (kg s−1)

N :

Plant lifetime (year)

P :

Pressure (kPa)

\( \dot{Q} \) :

Heat rate (kW)

s :

Specific entropy (kJ kg−1 K−1)

\( \dot{S} \) :

Entropy rate (kW K−1)

T :

Temperature (K)

\( \dot{W} \) :

Work rate (kW)

η :

Energy efficiency

ϵ :

Exergy efficiency

0:

Reference environment

C:

Compressor

T:

Turbine

D:

Destruction

Gen:

Generation

ARI:

Advanced Resources International

CFC:

Chlorofluorocarbon

EROI:

Energy return on investment

ESI:

Environmental Sustainability Index

ExROI:

Exergy return on investment

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

IAEA:

International Atomic Energy Agency

IPCC:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

UOIT:

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

WCED:

World Commission on Environment and Development

CH4 :

Methane

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

CO2e:

Carbon dioxide equivalent

NO:

Nitric oxide

NO2 :

Nitrogen dioxide

NOx :

Nitrogen oxides

SO2 :

Sulfur dioxide

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Acknowledgement

The support for this work provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, Canada, L1H 7K4

    Kevork Hacatoglu, Marc A. Rosen & Ibrahim Dincer

Authors
  1. Kevork Hacatoglu
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  2. Marc A. Rosen
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  3. Ibrahim Dincer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kevork Hacatoglu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

    Ibrahim Dincer

  2. Makina Muhendisligi Bolumu, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca, Izmir, Turkey

    Can Ozgur Colpan

  3. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey

    Fethi Kadioglu

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Hacatoglu, K., Rosen, M.A., Dincer, I. (2013). An Approach to Assessment of Sustainability of Energy Systems. In: Dincer, I., Colpan, C., Kadioglu, F. (eds) Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7588-0_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7588-0_23

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7587-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7588-0

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