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Sustainable housing with energy efficient and flexible solutions is pivotal in lowering emissions and energy consumption. Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) is an initiative to design and enable areas within a city to have a surplus of renewable energy generation and net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to identify the necessary parameters to run energy simulations for a district with the simulation software City Energy Analyst (CEA). Then to analyse the districts with the implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) and integration of local renewable energy production. Lastly, the scenarios has been analysed based on their potential of becoming a PED. The model for the simulation was calibrated based on data for U-values and energy demand from a building within the district located in Umeå, Sweden. Using the calibration, a model for a building district was created through scaling up the results and applying the building properties to all buildings. The first scenario was simulated with the same building properties as before a refurbishment project was initiated. The yearly average energy intensity for this scenario was simulated at 146.43 kWh/m2 of heated floor area. The same simulations were carried out for the remaining two scenarios: refurbishment and passive house. The energy intensity associated with these scenarios was 78.28 and 70.14 kWh/m2 of heated floor area respectively. The local renewable energy was also integrated into the scenarios and consisted of a total of 2410 m2 of photovoltaic cells with an energy production of 249 MWh. The conclusion from the results is that the EEMs mainly affect the heating demand of the district and the limited daytime hours during the winter solstice period affect the effectiveness of solar energy production which makes the feasibility of PEDs in the northern part of Sweden harder to achieve and proves that further measures is needed to achieve a PED.

In this work, it was investigated how a production requirement-based model and a system-identified model, both using first-order transfer functions, can be combined. The study developed a tool using Python programming to simulate the expected delivery of Frequency Containment Reserve based on production requirements. Simultaneously, system identification is used to analyze the actual delivery, enabling assessment of a hydropower unit's capacity to provide FCR based on operational data. The focus is on identifying system constants and analyzing their impact on system performance in various operational scenarios. By applying frequency filtering to the dataset of actual delivered active power, the study aims to establish a fair comparison between expected and actual deliveries concerning production requirements. The study describes the construction of the model and the theoretical attributes supporting its design.  The results from the study present three operational scenarios in which the production requirement-based model simulates the expected active power delivery, while the system-identified model simulates the actual active power delivery from the ancillary services FCR-N, FCR-D upward, and FCR-D downward. The results indicate that the hydropower units' dynamic performance requirements can be assessed for FCR-N with this method but not for FCR-D. Static performance requirements can be evaluated for both reserves, albeit with varying levels of uncertainty for both FCR-N and FCR-D. The results also emphasize the importance of combining the production requirement-based model with the system-identified model to identify periods suitable for analysis.  The discussion highlights the results of the various operational scenarios for the production requirement-based model, the system-identified model, and the actual delivered active power, while also reviewing the choice of method and its application. It is also discussed that there are certain challenges in trying to capture the complex dynamics of a hydropower plant with a simple transfer function. The challenges lie in handling nonlinear effects and rapid regulations that can affect the model's accuracy. It has also been discussed that by expanding the models with additional production requirements and factors, FCR-D could be analyzed more effectively and with greater success. The conclusions indicate that a combination of theoretical modeling, system identification, and signal processing is an efficient way to use Python to analyze the characteristics relevant to production requirements for FCR delivery using operational data. Furthermore, the models tested in this study show potential for further development. This suggests that the work presented here may be a good starting point for a concept that seems to work well and that, with additional improvements and refinements, could lead to even more robust and reliable methods for the analysis and optimization of FCR delivery.

This bachelor thesis investigates the market and technical potential of combining PV-T technology with ground source heat pumps for multi-family housings in Sweden. The basic idea is to first convert ordinary solar panels to solar panels that are cooled which reduces their resistance. This makes them more efficient and increases their life expectancy. The heat extracted is then utilized to make the heat pump more efficient. This can be done in multiple ways. Different system setups are therefore considered and the most optimal one is modelled and evaluated. The model is created in Excel using weather data from Sweden. It calculates the borehole temperature, COP and simple payback time for the system, varying different interesting inputs. The conclusion is that the best system solution is to transfer the PV-T coolant heat to the borehole. The result also shows that the performance of the system is improved the most for buildings with low heat losses, but that the simple payback time is longer in those cases. The potential of a system like this is not promising due to the long simple payback time, more detailed modelling is required so that a more realistic result can be achieved to see if it becomes shorter. / Detta kandidatexamensarbete undersöker möjligheten att kombinera hybrid-solceller med bergvärmepumpar för flerfamiljebostäder i Sverige. Grundtanken är att göra om vanliga solceller till solceller som blir kylda så att de blir effektivare samt att de får längre livslängd, för att sedan använda den värmen man extraherar från cellen till att göra bergvärmepumpen effektivare. Detta kan göras på flera olika sätt och olika konfigurationer konstrueras och den bästa lösningen blir modellerad. Modellen görs i Excel och med hjälp av väder- och solcelldata från Sverige kommer den nya borrhålstemperaturen, COP-värdet samt tiden det tar innan man har fått tillbaka investeringen att beräknas. Resultatet är att det bästa sättet att kombinera dessa två system är att leda värmen direkt ner i borrhålet. Resultatet säger även att tiden det tar innan man har fått tillbaka sin investering är som kortast vid byggnader som har höga energibehov. Potentialen för detta system ser i nuläget inte lovande ut eftersom tiden det tar innan man får tillbaka investeringen är alldeles för lång, utförligare beräkningar krävs för att uppnå mer exakta resultat för att se om återbetalningstiden blir kortare.

This thesis examines the antecedents of employees’ capability cognition within a medium-sized electricity utility (Ntot 􀵎 1200) in German-speaking Switzerland. The firm implemented a new strategy in 2015 with the aim to shift its core capabilities towards sustainability. In the research field of organizational cognition and capabilities, various scholars have published work exploring how resources and capabilities are recombined to adapt to changing environments, but only relatively little about how capabilities are identified and evaluated within a company. While current literature  stresses that there are considerable differences in how managers, but also individuals, perceive capabilities, it has not yet been explored what the antecedents for the difference in perception are. This thesis will contribute to filling this research gap by identifying factors influencing capability perception of individuals in an electric utility during sectoral shift towards sustainability. Employees’ cognition of (i) environmental dynamism, (ii) their perception of, and (iii) participation in organizational change, (iv) the openness to change, as well as (v) perceived organizational identity in 2015are hypothesized to have a significant influence on the perception of capabilities in line with the new strategy assessed in 2016. To test the hypotheses, data was drawn from two-wave survey that has been conducted prior to this study in 2015 and 2016 (Nstudy = 358) exploring the implementation process of the new strategy, organizational climate as well as various characteristics of each individual. Consequently, the character-class statements of each employee are perceived score capabilities have been transformed into a numerical quotient, the percentage of capabilities in line with the new strategy. This information is then correlated with the perceived core capabilities in a regression analysis based on Structural Equation Models (SEM). When the perceived share of capabilities in line with the new strategy was predicted, it was found that participation in organizational change, openness to change, and perceived organizational identity were significant predictors. Environmental dynamism and organizational change were not significant predictors. The findings yield novel insights about what factors influence capability perception of employees in a changing external environment and bear important implications for practitioners about how to frame and facilitate organizational change towards sustainability. / Denna avhandling undersöker de faktorer som påverkat de anställdas förmågor och attityd i hållbarhetsfrågor hos en medelstor elproducent (Ntot≈ 1200) i den tyskspråkiga delen av Schweiz. Företaget implementerade en ny strategi i 2015 med syftet att profilera dess kärnfunktioner tydligar vad gäller hållbarhet. Tidigare forskning inom organisationsteori visar att olika gruppers förmåga att hantera resurser och kapacitet kan rekombineras för att anpassa sig till nya miljöer, men endast relativt lite av denna forsking har genomfört inom ett företag. Den typiska litteraturen inom området(mainstream) betonar att det finns betydande skillnader i hur chefer, men också individer uppfattar sin kapacitet men även vad dessa skillnader beror på. Denna avhandling kommer att bidra till att fylla denna lucka i forskning genom att identifiera faktorer som påverkar individernas kapacitet och inställning i ett elbolag när en hel sektor transformeras mot större fokus på hållbarhet.  Anställdas kognition av de hållbarhetsmässiga utmaningarna, (ii) deras uppfattning av och (iii) deltagande i organisatorisk förändring, (iv) öppenhet för förändring, samt (v) upplevda organisatoriska identitet år 2015 är de faktorer som hypotetiskt borde ha en betydande (mätbar) påverkan på synen på erforderlig eller saknad kapacitet som konsekvens av företaget s nya strategi som lanserades under 2016. För att testa hypotesen, data drogs från en s.k. twowave undersökning som genomfördes 2015 (före) och 2016 (Nstudy = 358) att utforska implementeringen av den nya strategin, förändring av organisatoriskt klimat samt om de olika egenskaperna hos varje enskild uppfattas som tillräckliga. Resultaten ger nya insikter om vad som påverkar uppfattad kapacitet hos de anställda när den yttre miljön förändras (ny strategi) och visar på viktiga konsekvenser för praktiker om hur man kan och bör rama in (frame) och underlätta organisatorisk förändring mot hållbarhet.

Globala växthusgasutsläpp har ökat sedan den industriella revolutionen på grund av ökad användning av fossila bränslen. För att motverka denna trend och minska klimatförändringarna krävs en global energiomställning med övergång till förnybara energikällor och minskade koldioxidutsläpp. En viktig sektor för energiomställningen är transportsektorn, som är en av de sektorer som bidrar med störst andel globala växthusgasutsläpp på grund av en stor andel fossila bränslen. För energiomställningen av transportsektorn är elektrifiering och ökad användning av biodrivmedel centrala faktorer. I Sverige, med stor tillgång till skogsråvara och en stark skogsindustri, finns stor potential för produktion av andra generationens biodrivmedel från skogsavfall. Den framtida produktionen av biodrivmedel i Sverige påverkas däremot av många osäkerhetsfaktorer, såsom politiska beslut kring biomassa och krav på biodrivmedelsinblandning i fossila bränslen. Syftet med examensarbetet är därför att undersöka befintliga långsiktiga energimarknadsscenarier med avseende på vad som i framtiden påverkar pris och prisosäkerhet för biodrivmedel i Sverige. Syftet ämnades besvaras utifrån två frågeställningar:- Vilka faktorer påverkar priset för andra generationens biodrivmedel baserat på skogsavfall på den svenska marknaden idag?- Vilket prisspann kan förväntas för andra generationens biodrivmedel baserat på skogsavfall i Sverige 2030 och 2050? Frågeställningarna besvarades dels genom en kvantitativ studie av energimarknadsscenarier för att bestämma framtida prisspann för biodrivmedel. Beräkningar gjordes även baserat på oljepriser från energimarknadsscenarierna för att specificera framtida biodieselpris. En kvalitativ studie av vetenskaplig litteratur genomfördes också för att identifiera prispåverkande faktorer för biodrivmedel. Dessa faktorer kunde inte identifieras utifrån endast energimarknadsscenarierna, eftersom det i rapporterna om dessa framtidsscenarier för energimarknaden identifierades en bristande transparens kring antaganden och metoder. Beräkningarna och studien av energimarknadsscenarier resulterade i ett framtida prisspann för biodrivmedel mellan 51-400 €/MWh år 2030 och 59-424 €/MWh år 2050. Den något ökande prisspridningen från 2030 till 2050 indikerar på en något ökad framtida prisosäkerhet. Litteraturstudien identifierade oljepris och tillgång samt pris på biomassa som de mest framstående prisfaktorerna för biodrivmedel. Styrmedel som inblandningskrav av biodrivmedel och efterfrågan visade sig också vara viktiga prispåverkande faktorer. Utifrån det totala resultatet definierades fyra prisnivåer; hög, medelhög, medellåg och låg. De beräknade biodieselpriserna sorterades in i fyra prisnivåer baserat på prisernas fördelning enligt kvartiler. Priserna från första kvartilen sorterades in i den lägsta prisnivån, och så vidare. Ungefär 75 % av priserna i resultatet befinner sig i de två övre prisnivåerna, vilket indikerar att biodrivmedelspriset kommer att vara högt i framtiden. Slutligen rekommenderas att forskare som studerar långsiktigt lönsamma biodrivmedelsproduktionstekniker tar hänsyn till hela det identifierade prisspannet för biodrivmedel, eftersom det speglar de många osäkerheterna på energimarknaden. Beslutsfattare i Sverige bör beakta de många prispåverkande faktorerna vid styrning mot önskat biodrivmedelspris och inse att oljeprisets inflytande kan minska i takt med att andra drivmedel som el och vätgas tar större plats inom transportsektorn.

This master's thesis details the development and verification of a new thermal model for STATic synchronous COMpensator (STATCOM) installations, particularly SVC Light plants, utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The aim of this study is to determine the duration for which an SVC Light STATCOM plant can remain operational without coolant flow. An examination of an existing thermal equivalent circuit is performed, and a new circuit design is presented that more effectively represents the three-dimensional aspects of the thermal energy flow. The new thermal circuit is calibrated using CFD simulations of the coolant fluid flow and thermal energy transfer from the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) modules. This updated thermal model can accurately predict the temperatures of the transistor and diode chip junctions within the IGBT modules, as well as the coolant temperature within the adjacent heatsinks. The model is utilized to predict the operational time of SVC Light STATCOM plants during a coolant flow disruption. The findings suggest that the operational time limit set by the plant manufacturer can often be extended without surpassing the presently imposed thermal design constraints.

<p> People in developing countries have limited access to electricity, especially in rural and remote areas. As electricity consumption is correlated with economic development, the lack of access to electricity is a key obstacle to achieving economic growth. Techniques for improving access to electricity include grid extension and distributed energy resources (DER), but analyzing the tradeoff between grid extension and distributed generation requires a better understanding of the impacts of grid unreliability. In this dissertation, a new method for simulating unreliable electric grids is presented. The method is then used to determine the cost of reliable electricity in areas where the grid is unreliable. The method is extended in order to calculate the distance at which grid extension of an unreliable grid and DER have the same cost, a point known as the economic distance limit (EDL). Finally, the method is applied to analyze the impact of grid sell-back prices on electricity cost and EDL. The methods are demonstrated for a village in Uganda, but hold universally. Results indicate that demand for increased availability increases cost, but now the cost per unit of availability can be calculated and used in decision making. Similarly, with fixed demand availability, we see increasing costs as grid availability decreases. This also results in EDL decreasing as grid availability decreases, as there is little value in extending a grid that functions poorly. From the simulation results, linear approximations of some of the key outputs are developed and are demonstrated to be consistent with results. These provide a method for rapidly calculating electricity costs and EDL without the need to perform numerous simulations. Simple calculations for cost of highly available electricity will enable more informed choices for grid-tied and stand-alone electricity generation for system operators and for policy makers.</p>

A housing society in the municipality of Umeå have under a period found interest in lowering their heating costs for the property. The property consists of 4 buildings in total with 3 of them being a multi-family residential containing 36 apartments in total and one of the buildings is an office building. The housing society was interested in knowing what a geothermal heating system would cost and how long the payback time would be. With the help of the old drawings the property was drawn in Revit and used to calculate the heat loss from different layers of the climate barrier and heat loss from the ventilation system. The internal heat generation was calculated by using standard values. When the total heat losses were calculated, and the internal heat generation was known the yearly energy needs were calculated by using a duration diagram. Then the yearly energy needs were compared to the actual yearly energy consumption of district heat and the software Nibe Dim was used to simulate three different alternatives. The investment that showed best result showed that the total cost for the investment would be 1 800 000 SEK and the annual saving 75 000 SEK/year. The payback time for the investment would however be as high as 24 years. / En bostadsrättsförening i Umeå kommun har under längre tid varit intresserade av att sänka kostnaderna för uppvärmningen av fastigheten. Fastigheten består totalt av 4 byggnader där 3 är flerbostadshus med totalt 36 lägenheter och en kontorsbyggnad. Bostadsrättsföreningen var intresserade av att veta vad en installation av bergvärme skulle kosta och hur lång payback-tid det resulterar i. Genom att rita upp fastigheten i Revit med hjälp av ritningar kunde klimatskärmens skikt och drift av ventilation sammanställas för att beräkna energiförlusterna. Den interna värmegenereringen beräknades med hjälp av schablonvärden. Med de totala värmeförlusterna och den interna värmegenereringen kunde det årliga energibehovet beräknas med hjälp av varaktighetsdiagram. När det årliga energibehovet var känt jämfördes det med den årliga fjärrvärmeanvändningen och programmet Nibe Dim användes för att välja ut tre olika alternativ. Billigaste installationen av bergvärme visar att av de tre alternativ som presenteras skulle det innebära en investeringskostnad på 1 800 000 kr med en besparing på 75 000 kr/år. Återbetalningstiden för investeringen blir emellertid så hög som 24 år.

The increasing share of renewable electricity will make energy storage technologies indispensable in the future. In this study, the potential of grid energy storage technologies is discussed, focusing on the Nordic countries as well as Germany. It is challenging to balance the intermittency of wind power and solar power production in the energy system. In Norway and Sweden, and to some extent Finland, hydropower is a very important balancing resource. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is a technology that has not had a real breakthrough yet. There are ongoing projects at different locations where one of the targets is to achieve better round-trip efficiency by taking care of the heat generated at compression. Pumped hydroelectric storage (PHS) has advantages in being cost-efficient and has a high round-trip efficiency. There is probably a high theoretical potential of new generating capacity in Norway and Sweden, but the electricity cost does not vary enough for new developments to be profitable at the moment. The environmental and social impact of PHS plants is an important and difficult aspect to handle. Power-to-gas, power-to-power and hydrogen storage has been getting more attention recently but needs more research to increase the round-trip efficiency and to reduce the costs of electrolysers, storage and fuel cells. Batteries can be well suited as a minute reserve or for peak shaving but are currently not cost-efficient for long-time storage. With lower prices and the possibility of using more abundant metals with less environmental and social impact batteries could play a larger role in electric grids. There might be possibilities of integrating batteries in electric vehicles with power systems as well.To speed up the development of energy storage technologies, governmental subsidies might be necessary. In the future, a larger variation in electricity cost can be expected during different times of the day and the year, which will make energy storage facilities more profitable.