À la suite du paquet Énergie Climat Européen et des Grenelle de l’Environnement, l’État français lance à partir de 2011 une série d’appels d’offres et d’appels à manifestation d’intérêt pour la construction d’infrastructures d’énergies marines renouvelables (EMR) le long des côtes françaises, en particulier en Basse-Normandie, région fortement marquée par son lien avec le nucléaire civil et militaire. Les parties prenantes du développement des EMR y anticipent des problèmes d’« acceptabilité sociale ». L’objet de cette thèse est, à partir de l’étude des acteurs qui concourent au développement des EMR en Basse-Normandie et des dispositifs d’acceptabilité qu’ils mettent en place, d’appréhender le maintien et le renouvellement d’un système énergétique centralisé fondé sur le nucléaire, en y intégrant l’alternative renouvelable. S’appuyant sur une combinaison de techniques d’enquête (observation directe, entretiens, questionnaires, recueil de productions documentaires, de textes réglementaires et de documents biographiques) dont l’analyse s’appuie sur des méthodes principalement qualitatives, ce travail montre que le maintien du système énergétique opère à travers le gouvernement de la critique. Les acteurs locaux, y compris critiques des projets, sont mobilisés par les entreprises, l’État, les collectivités, et les scientifiques à l’aide de dispositifs visant à construire l’acceptabilité sociale. Avec ces dispositifs d’acceptabilité, on n’assiste pas à une transformation des projets techniques vers l’intégration de dimensions sociales, mais davantage à la translation d’enjeux sociaux en termes techniques. / Following the European Union climate and energy package and le Grenelle de l’Environment, the French State launched, from 2011, a series of calls for tender and for expressions of interest for the construction of infrastructures of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE). The planned infrastructures are located along the French coast, particularly in Lower Normandy, a region characterized by the production of civilian and military nuclear power. Stakeholders in the development of MREs anticipated problems of "social acceptability". This thesis, based on a study of the actors who participated in the development of MREs in Basse-Normandie and of the acceptability mechanisms they have put in place, focuses on maintaining a centralized energy system based on nuclear energy, that has integrated the renewable alternative. Based on a combination of survey techniques (direct observation, interviews, questionnaires, collection of documentary productions, regulatory texts and biographical documents) analysed mainly through qualitative methods, this thesis reveals that the maintaining of the energy system operates through the government of critique. Local actors, including those who oppose the project, are mobilized by companies, the state, regional public authorities, and scientists through mechanisms aiming to build social acceptance. Thus acceptability, as an instrument of governing, does not mean a transformation of technical projects towards a better integration of social dimensions, but rather a translation of social questions into technical terms.

<p> Simple theoretical expressions for the zero temperature energy gap and the transition temperature of a weak coupling superconductor are derived and applied to an investigation of several phenomena.</p> <p> The anisotropy of the energy gap in aluminium arising from the anisotropy in the phonon spectrum is calculated. The effect of this energy gap anisotropy on some thermodynamic properties of superconducting aluminium is investigated.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The transition from one energy system to another has been analysed by many researchers especially in the context of developed countries. Community renewable energy transition in rural areas is largely under-researched, particularly in developing countries. This study developed a model based on indicators from transition theory and concepts to assess the transformative potential of the processes and governance approaches to community renewable energy in accelerating energy and sustainability transition in off-grid communities in Nigeria. The exploratory research adopted a case study approach and analysed renewable energy planning and decision-making processes as well as evaluated the development of a pilot community renewable energy project in Shape rural community in Nigeria. In addition to documentary evidence, the study gathered data primarily by interviewing 24 relevant actors in the Nigerian electricity industry as well as actors involved in the pilot community renewable energy project. The study reveals that the processes and governance approaches adopted are in line with transition theory and have the potential of contributing to the transformation of the rural electricity provision in Nigeria. However, there is still a long way to go for Nigeria to effectively implement an integrated governance approach capable of accelerating the transition processes. The study found that community renewable energy is motivated by several determinants including: the lack of energy accessibility; removing carbon emissions; meeting environmental obligations; achieving energy security; and, addressing cracks in the current system of rural electrification. The study further found a lack of local initiatives at the grassroots level that can add pressure to make the transition happen. The study found the establishment of an arena for the identification of the challenges facing rural communities and development of strategies. However, some prominent actors are not involved in both strategic decision-making and the implementation process. Of concern, the study revealed a lack of clearly defined responsibilities with most of the government agencies carrying out renewable energy activities independently. Similarly, the study found several barriers which are classified as: actor; interaction; institutional; infrastructural; and, socio-political that are challenging the successful transition to community renewable energy. This work contributes to current attempts to operationalise transition theory and concepts to assess on-going transition processes and governance. This is a significant contribution to the literature because it helps in linking theoretical development with sustainability in practice in a developing country context. The study may assist policy makers, communities and other relevant stakeholders in designing an integrated governance framework for renewable energy transition in rural areas.

An energy transition is currently taking place in many European countries. Existing studies comparing countries’ energy transition pathways are limited in scope and lack a strong theoretical foundation. This thesis addresses the lack of theoretical framework-based approaches by applying a sectoral analysis framework, identifying the main factors facilitating or hindering the sustainable energy transition in several countries, and the significant differences between them.The research focused on four countries; the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom and was limited to the residential sector of the built environment. It included the three dominant housing types: social rental; private rental; and homeownership. Data was clustered along the four dimensions of the sectoral analysis framework, identifying: (1) actors, interactions &amp; networks; (2) the institutional or legal framework; (3) the technological framework; and (4) market demand. The same process was repeated for each of the countries, forming a detailed overview about their chosen energy transition pathways. A number of interviews were conducted to gain further insight into country-specific factors.With respect to actors, interactions and networks, this study has found that strong ties and cooperation between ministries and departments is an important factor facilitating policy success, with departmental fragmentation or competition posing a significant barrier. In terms of the institutional framework policy stability, clear targets and long-term policy framework are all factors for policy success. Conversely, frequent changes to existing policies, non-binding goals and the absence of a long-term framework are all seen as barriers for a sustainable energy transition. Looking at the technological regime, this study found countries with active support for renewable energy technologies have a higher share of renewable energy than countries where the choice of technologies is largely market-based. Past technological choices and existing energy-infrastructure were found to influence transition pathways and can be both a positive or negative factor. Lastly, with respect to market demand, the existence of a standardised housing stock was found to be a potentially significant factor for the upscaling of innovative initiatives. The existence of a large and fragmented (private) rental sector and high interest rates on financing products were found to be further barriers for the energy transition in the residential sector.This thesis has identified obstacles matching those in previous studies and introduced a number of factors facilitating policy success. It has made a first step in overcoming the lack in theoretical framework-based approaches in energy transition analysis future studies can build on.

Cette thèse se consacre à l’étude du cadre juridique de la transition énergétique depuis 2012, année depuis laquelle l’expression a connu une utilisation croissante dans le domaine des politiques publiques en matière d’énergie et d’environnement. Le champ des évolutions juridiques frappées du sceau de la transition énergétique est si vaste que ces travaux se sont concentrés sur la règlementation des énergies renouvelables électriques prééminentes que sont l’éolien terrestre et le solaire photovoltaïque. Il en ressort que le droit de la transition énergétique se situe au carrefour d’autres droits plus anciens, plus établis. De nature évolutionnaire plus que révolutionnaire, il se coule dans le cadre existant et se soumet aux principes classiques du droit. De nos travaux ressort notamment qu’il fait un usage immodéré d’instruments de planification le soumettant potentiellement à une obligation de résultats mesurables. Il est aussi amené à intégrer des considérations de justice très contemporaines, liées à sa finalité, faisant de lui davantage qu’un droit purement technique. Toutefois, il a été marqué par une confusion certaine lors du processus de rédaction de la loi relative à la transition énergétique pour la croissance verte, du fait de son volume, de ses conflits et des failles inhérentes aux institutions de la Ve République. Ce contexte n’ayant pas favorisé l’émergence d’un droit stable et de qualité, il manque de sécurité juridique. Enfin, il se révèle être plus souvent un frein qu’un facilitateur pour le développement des énergies renouvelables, alors qu’il est mal écrit et mal armé quand il s’agit d’organiser la diminution de la part du nucléaire dans le mix électrique. / This doctoral thesis aims to study the legal framework of the energy transition in France since 2012. From this year on, the term “energy transition” has been increasingly used in environment and energy-linked public policies. The scope of the legal developments related to the energy transition is so wide that this work has only focused on the rules applicable to renewable sources of electricity, especially onshore wind and solar photovoltaics. As a result, it appears that the energy transition law lies at a crossroads between older and more recognised fields of the Law. Evolutionary more than revolutionary, it fits into the existing frame and submits itself to the classical principles of Law. Among the outcomes of this research, we found that the energy transition law is making a strong use of planning tools, potentially placing it under a measurable performance obligation. It is also forced to integrate very contemporary notions of justice, linked to its finality, denying it the qualification of a solely technical law. However, there was confusion in the writing process of the Energy Transition for Green Growth Act, the flagship energy transition act, because of its size, its conflicts and the inherent flaws of the institutions of the 5th Republic. This context did not promote the emergence of a stable and high-quality law. Actually, it is lacking of legal certainty. Finally, energy transition law is more often than not placing a break on than facilitating the development of renewable energy, while it is badly written and ill-equipped to organise the decrease of nuclear energy into the electrical mix.

Miscanthus is a highly productive, low-input biofuel crop that supports agricultural diversification with improved performance for climate commitment, energy security, and water quality over first generation biofuels. Despite its high performance, no local or regional markets for the feedstock have formed in North America, and current climate-based productivity assessment methods lack the information farmers and decision-makers need to establish commercial scale bioenergy markets, programs, and thermal co-firing plans. This study develops a Miscanthus Suitability Rating and a transferable field-scale siting method, applied at 10 m resolution across the State of Iowa to assess miscanthus production potential and identify individual farms that are highly suitable for large-scale miscanthus cultivation while maintaining a majority of existing row cropping acreage. Results show that highly suitable fields within 50 miles (84 km) of each of Iowa’s coal-fired electrical generating units (EGUs) can displace up to 43% of current coal consumption. Every EGU in Iowa has land resource to produce local miscanthus to co-fire with other solid fuels at industry-leading levels without significantly impacting local row crop production. Seven of the state’s smaller facilities could even operate exclusively on local miscanthus with advancements in densification technology. The energy evaluation tool developed in this work estimates the energy return on investment (EROI) of Iowa miscanthus for existing thermal generation facilities between 37 and 59, depending on transportation requirements and chemical field applications. This transition would diversify local agribusiness and energy feedstocks, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a sustainable, dispatchable, in-state fuel source to complement wind and solar energy.

Power and energy tariffs and their pricing are a vital component which form the main source of income for all actors in the energy industry. Different methods of how to price the energy have been proposed and implemented through the past century, each with its respective advantages and disadvantages. However, in the recent decades, interest has turned towards having power-based tariffs, since it’s the power dimensioning that counts for the majority of the costs. Sala-Heby Energi Elnät AB is local, publicly-owned Swedish distribution system operator which has been using a power-based tariff system for the last 15 years. That being said, the company has an upper limit for their net income which should not be overpassed. With the ongoing energy transition, where the number of electric vehicles in circulation is going up, and more customers turning towards residential micro-production, such a tariff might require modifications. In addition, a look on how the demand will evolve will be needed to see if the grid could handle such a transition. In this paper, a thorough study is conducted on how the energy transition would look like in Sala, Sweden, and what Sala-Heby Energi Elnät AB would expect. A simulation of the total residential load curve of the city is developed and ran via MATLAB and consumption data offered by Sala-Heby Energi Elnät AB. It involved generating an average residence based on the fuse size, which would yield the annual consumption profile to be used. The simulations were also done for several scenarios of different electric vehicle charging routines. They also take into account several residential PV systems coverages in the said city. Depending on which scenario, a rise or a drop in the net income is recorded. Modifications to the power tariff are explored based on that would help counter the fluctuations in the income, and simulated to track their effect. Another aspect that is studied is the subscription capacity to the grid by the operator to the respective power generation. Depending also on the scenario, various excessive consumptions peaks are recorded, which could pave the way to more difficulty in handling the grid.

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events is a consequence of changing climate. The direct physical causes are carbon dioxide emissions from the intensive use of fossil fuels and accelerated soil and plant decomposition from alterations in land use. Efforts to avoid a global environmental calamity and engineer a shift towards a more sustainable path are at the forefront of global agenda. However, beyond all the commitments and good intentions, there is no consensus on what constitutes sustainability, the requirements for a power transition towards a post-carbon era, or the energy resources available to achieve economic goals. This dissertation aims to clarify the relationship between energy and sustainability. We begin with a review of capacity factors for the leading power technologies at a global and regional scale to understand performance of these technologies and their potential. To address the challenge of evaluating sustainability, we propose a new approach, the eight-dimensional sustainability octagon. This approach broadens the fundamental pillars of sustainability (social, environmental, and economic), and provides a simple yet robust tool for comparing the sustainability of countries on the Earth. This analysis shows that the world is performing at one-third of achievable sustainability levels. Afterwards, we assess current global energy mix from a primary power perspective and estimate energy savings from- and limitations of electrification. We evaluate the power requirements, nominal power to be installed, infrastructure needs, and carbon dioxide emissions associated with replacing current fossil electricity generation mix with renewables. This evaluation indicates that complete decarbonization of the global power mix is impossible by 2050, and electrification could further delay decarbonization. At a single country level (case study), we analyze connections between the ongoing energy-environmental crisis and population growth to assess the feasibility of achieving the government of Rwanda’s developmental goals, given available power resources. We evaluate Lake Kivu in Rwanda as a complex methane source and energy system. We assess the implicit risks and environmental impacts of large-scale methane production to generate electricity. From our analysis, Rwanda is overpopulated, and the available energy resources can only secure low incomes for the population.

The move towards addressing two pertinent energy challenges that is access to electricity and climate change has seen the transition towards sustainable forms of energy including Ocean Based Renewable Energy (OBRE). However, much work remains to be done in understanding the critical success factors that could enable such potential transition, especially in the area of OBRE electricity generation. This research addresses this concern by drawing on transition theory and frameworks to critically evaluate the prospects towards OBRE development in Nigeria. The rationale for the study stems from issues around the inadequate supply of electricity, which has become a profound concern and, where its absence is mostly observed in rural and remote areas including coastal communities. Based on an interpretative philosophical stance, the study adopted a qualitative approach for conducting the research. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from twenty-seven research participants. The research findings revealed that there is scope for transitioning towards OBRE electricity generation. However, this potential may be hindered by key features of the incumbent socio-technical regime: inconsistency of statements in formal policy documents; unclear institutional arrangements to foster renewable energy development; and lack of regulatory and market support mechanisms, which keep renewable energy development at the margins. Nevertheless, the study found certain perceived critical success factors that when considered could aid in facilitating OBRE development in Nigeria. These included, in particular, meaningful stakeholder engagement that aimed to harmonise the diverse interests of key actors’ and the role of adequate political governance to facilitate OBRE design and implementation. The research concludes by developing a conceptual intervention model called the OBRE Transition Model. This model argues that through more meaningful engagement with pertinent stakeholders’ and stronger political commitment, the prospect for a transition towards OBRE development in Nigeria could be accomplished. This thesis is the first of its kind to study the prospects for a transition towards OBRE innovation in West Africa. Additionally, the model that has been developed is now going to be corroborated in an OBRE project in Nigeria, thus, forming the evidence on the model’s potential applicability for future study.

En raison du changement climatique, le monde doit de plus en plus faire face aux urgences environnementales. Plusieurs questions écologiques, notamment énergétiques, surgissent globalement d’une manière préoccupante et impose dans les esprits la nécessité d’une « transition énergétique » comme solution. Cette transition implique des changements économiques, politiques et sociétaux n’engagent plus la seule responsabilité gouvernementale. Et c’est au nom de ce principe que les autorités ont appelé tout à chacun à se prononcer sur ces questions lors du Débat National sur la Transition Énergétique (DNTE) en France en 2013. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’exposer les spécificités discursives et textuelles de ce débat national, depuis son origine jusqu’à son aboutissement présenté sous forme de synthèse. En situant dans le cadre théorique de l’analyse du discours, ce travail recourt à diverses approches : historique, communicationnelle, socio-politique et linguistique. Il entend en particulier décrire la fabrication des synthèses de ce débat et leur dimension textuelle pour à la fois rendre compte des caractéristiques propres du DNTE et son issue, laquelle devant permettre en principe au gouvernement de délibérer et décider sur des politiques à adopter. / Due to climate change, the world is experiencing numerous environmental problems, which are in urgent need of solutions. Among the major ecological concerns being discussed globally are energy-related problems. The "energy transition" is known as an effective solution to such a situation. This implies the economic, political and societal changes that the government is no longer solely responsible for this global issue. In France, everyone is called upon to take a stand as evidenced by the National Debate on Energy Transition (DNTE) in 2013. The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the discursive and textual specificities of this national debate, from its origin to its completion presented in the form of synthesis. Within the theoretical framework of the French discourse analysis, this thesis combines historical, communicational, socio-political and linguistic approaches to analyze the debate. It focuses particularly on describing the production of the synthesis of this debate and their textual dimension in order to show the specific characteristics of the DNTE as well as its result which allows the government to deliberate and decide on the policies to adopt.