“…Electrification of heating systems using HPs and electric boilers has been suggested in recent years to reduce GHG emissions of the heating sector (Thomaßen et al, 2021). Integrating HPs with PV or PV/T panels could enhance renewable energy utilization in urban areas.…”
The growing urban population globally leads to higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and stress on the electricity networks for meeting the increasing demand. In the early urban design stages, the optimization of the urban morphology and building physics characteristics can reduce energy demand. Local generation using renewable energy resources is also a viable option to reduce emissions and improve grid reliability. Notwithstanding, energy simulation and environmental impact assessment of urban building design strategies are usually not done until the execution planning stage. To address this research gap, a novel framework for designing energy systems for zero-carbon districts is developed. An urban building energy model is integrated with an urban energy system model in this framework. Dynamic prediction of heating and cooling demand and automatic sizing of different energy system configurations based on the calculated demands are the framework's primary capabilities. The workability of the framework has been tested on a case study for an urban area in Montreal to design and compare two different renewable energy systems comprising photovoltaic panels (PV), air-source, and ground source heat pumps. The case study results show that the urban building energy model could successfully predict the heating and cooling demands in multiple spatiotemporal resolutions, while the urban energy system model provides system solutions for achieving a zero-carbon or positive energy district.
“…Electrification of heating systems using HPs and electric boilers has been suggested in recent years to reduce GHG emissions of the heating sector (Thomaßen et al, 2021). Integrating HPs with PV or PV/T panels could enhance renewable energy utilization in urban areas.…”
The growing urban population globally leads to higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and stress on the electricity networks for meeting the increasing demand. In the early urban design stages, the optimization of the urban morphology and building physics characteristics can reduce energy demand. Local generation using renewable energy resources is also a viable option to reduce emissions and improve grid reliability. Notwithstanding, energy simulation and environmental impact assessment of urban building design strategies are usually not done until the execution planning stage. To address this research gap, a novel framework for designing energy systems for zero-carbon districts is developed. An urban building energy model is integrated with an urban energy system model in this framework. Dynamic prediction of heating and cooling demand and automatic sizing of different energy system configurations based on the calculated demands are the framework's primary capabilities. The workability of the framework has been tested on a case study for an urban area in Montreal to design and compare two different renewable energy systems comprising photovoltaic panels (PV), air-source, and ground source heat pumps. The case study results show that the urban building energy model could successfully predict the heating and cooling demands in multiple spatiotemporal resolutions, while the urban energy system model provides system solutions for achieving a zero-carbon or positive energy district.
“…It should be noted that the adoption of biomass could also represent a valid mitigation option for the European residential sectors since most heating systems are currently fossil based. However, considering the requirement for achieving 85%–95% emission reduction in the residential sector by 2050 ( Knobloch et al, 2019 ), the adoption of heat pumps for space heating is often seen as the most promising technological option ( Thomaβen et al., 2021 ), provided the availability of zero-carbon electricity. Figure 1 Biomass-based CO 2 removal pathways considered in this study A detailed process characterization of each pathway is reported in the supplemental information (SI).…”
Owing to its versatility, biomass can be used for a range of CO 2 mitigation and removal options. The recent adoption of end-of-century temperature targets at the global scale, along with mid-century economy-wide net zero emission targets in Europe, has boosted demand forecasts for this valuable resource. Given the limited nature of sustainable biomass supply, it is important to understand most efficient uses of biomass, both in terms of avoided CO 2 emissions (i.e., substituted energy and economic services) and CO 2 removal. Here, we quantify the mitigation and removal potential of key bio-based CO 2 removal pathways for the transport, power, construction, and iron and steel sectors in Europe. By combining the carbon balance of these pathways with their economics, the optimal use of biomass in terms of CO 2 avoidance and removal costs is quantified, and how these evolve with the decarbonization of the European energy system is discussed.
“…EC reports only address the economy in energy quantity format and ignore the energy quality [8]. For example, EU strategists offer decarbonization by total electrification using heat pumps, which operate on green electricity [9]. According to many strategists, total electrification may seem to be a perfect solution for the quantity management of energy (1 st Law of Thermodynamics).…”
This paper discusses whether the exergy destruction minimization or energy efficiency maximization comes first in resolving the climate emergency problem and provides sustainable solution options regarding the 2 nd Law of thermodynamics. It has been shown that low-temperature district energy systems with renewable energy sources and waste heat are effective in minimizing exergy destructions, while energy efficiency has a secondary impact. The research has been based on the Rational Exergy Management Model. The corresponding rational exergy management efficiency was directly related to nearly-avoidable CO2 emissions responsibility with a global magnitude of around 80% of direct emissions in the built environment. One conclusion deduced from such an unrecognized magnitude so far is that nearly-avoidable CO2 emissions may not be ignored anymore to develop new strategies for sustainable decarbonization, while the 1 st Law measures have limited remaining capabilities. New equations were developed to show the impact of exergy destructions on total CO2 emissions. Sample results show that a 30 percent-point decrease of exergy destructions comparing to the supplied exergy in thermo-mechanical systems has the potential of reducing total CO2 emissions by 35%. The paper argues that current exergy destruction is around 0.8 of the supply exergy, as an industry average, which gives ample room for improvement using the 2 nd Law, while the 1 st Law efficiency is already higher, and there is less room available for improvements concerning CO2 emissions. The paper shows that the 1 st Law efficiency may be increased by about 0.15 points, which gives a window of opportunity about a 25 percent-point decrease in emissions. The second main conclusion is that nowadays, new decarbonization strategies are needed based on the 2 nd Law, which will positively impact when coupled with the current 1 st Law measures towards meeting the Paris agreement.
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