Due to the increasingly detrimental impacts of the global fossil fuel-driven energy economy, technological solutions that can mitigate the deleterious emissions from fossil fuel conversion or that can lessen societal dependence on fossil fuels are urgently required. The conversion of biomass, a renewable energy feedstock, into energy and fuels that are fungible with those derived from fossil fuels would help supplant some of the global fossil fuel consumption with sustainable energy generation. However, one of the main disadvantages of biomass as an energy feedstock when compared to fossil fuels is its low energy density. The majority of thermochemical biomass conversion technologies therefore focus on converting a low energy density feedstock in biomass to a higher energy density end product. Due to the operating parameters involved in these processes, they are typically accomplished on larger and more centralized scales by skilled operators. Few technologies exist that utilize biomass in a sustainable manner under a distributed energy framework, which would allow energy consumers to use locally available resources and waste material to generate energy. The alkaline thermal treatment of biomass has recently been proposed as a novel method for producing high purity H₂ with suppressed COₓ formation under moderate reaction conditions (i.e., 573 K and ambient pressure). Essentially, biomass, which in this study were the model compounds of glucose and cellulose, is reacted with an alkali metal hydroxide, such as NaOH, in such a molar proportion that all of the carbon and oxygen embodied in the reactants is fixed as an alkali metal carbonate, while all of the elemental hydrogen is released as pure H₂ gas. Thus, fuel cell ready H₂ can be produced from biomass in a single reactor. This technology has great potential for sustainable bioenergy production since it can handle a wide range of feedstocks including biomass and biogenic wastes with high water content. In addition to having the potential to be a distributed energy generation technology, the alkaline thermal treatment of biomass could help meet increasing industrial demand for H₂ in a more sustainable manner, as 96% of current H₂ generation is derived from fossil fuels. The alkaline thermal treatment technology is also relatively unexplored; thus, the effects of parameters such as feedstock type, reaction temperature, heating rate, NaOH:Biomass ratio, method of reactant mixing, flow of steam, and concentration of steam flow, on the gaseous and solid products formed are not fully understood. This study was undertaken to quantify the effects of these non-catalytic variables on the alkaline thermal treatment reaction and to elucidate potential reaction pathways in order to better evaluate the potential of the alkaline thermal treatment technology as a viable biomass conversion technology. In the study of the alkaline thermal treatment of glucose, NaOH did play an important role in suppressing COₓ formation while facilitating H₂ production and promoting CH₄ formation. The non-catalytic alkaline thermal treatment of glucose in the absence of steam flow resulted in a maximum H₂ conversion of about 27% at 523 K with a stoichiometric mixture of NaOH and glucose. The solids analysis confirmed the presence of Na₂CO₃ in the solid product, indicating the inherent carbon management potential of the alkaline thermal treatment process. The addition of steam flow increased conversion to H₂ from 25% to 33%, while decreasing total CH₄ formation 5 fold. After the investigation of the alkaline thermal treatment applied to glucose, cellulose was studied as a feedstock because it is the predominant component of lignocellulosic biomass, the target feedstock source for second generation biofuels. Like in the glucose study, it was found that H₂ and hydrocarbon formation occurred with the addition of NaOH to cellulose under thermal treatment, while the further addition of steam enhanced H₂ production and suppressed hydrocarbon formation. Both the enhancement of H₂ conversion and the suppression of hydrocarbon formation with the addition of steam flow was found to be more significant for cellulose than it was for glucose, with in the cellulose case H₂ conversion doubling from 25% to 48%, and CH₄ formation falling 35 times from the no steam flow case. Also like the glucose study, much of the carbon and oxygen present in the reactants were converted to Na₂CO₃. With the knowledge gained about the effects various reaction parameters had on the alkaline thermal treatment reaction, a study of the reaction pathways of the alkaline thermal treatment of cellulose reaction was undertaken. Compounds formed at intermediate temperatures were identified, tested for gaseous production when reacted with NaOH, and the gas product formation rate trends of these reactions were compared with those trends observed from the alkaline thermal treatment of cellulose reaction. The intermediates identified included sodium carboxylate salts, namely sodium formate, sodium glycolate, and sodium acetate, among others. The reactions of these compounds with NaOH were found to yield H₂ and CH₄, with the gaseous formation rate trends being similar to trends observed for the alkaline thermal treatment reaction for cellulose in certain temperature regions. Particular focus was placed on sodium glycolate, which was an intermediate found in high concentration and that reacted with NaOH to produce both H₂ and CH₄. The formation of Na₂CO₃ at intermediate temperatures was also studied, and the comparison of Na₂CO₃ conversion to H₂ conversion at intermediate temperatures revealed that H₂ and Na₂CO₃ formation do not always occur at the 2:1 H₂:Na₂CO₃ molar ratio implied by the proposed stoichiometry of the alkaline thermal treatment reaction for cellulose. The aforementioned studies were conducted both in the presence and absence of steam flow to study its influence on the reaction. Finally H₂ formation kinetic studies were performed on the alkaline thermal treatment of cellulose system as well as the H₂-producing sodium carboxylate salt reaction systems. Sodium formate and sodium oxalate were found to have better selectivity toward H₂ formation and their reactions were more kinetically favored than sodium glycolate with NaOH. A comparison of the isothermal H₂ kinetics between the cellulose and sodium glycolate systems at higher temperatures, however, revealed that H₂ conversion in the alkaline thermal treatment of cellulose appeared to be limited by the rate of conversion of sodium glycolate. From the results of these studies, recommendations are made for future research directions aimed at improving the alkaline thermal treatment of cellulose reaction.

O etanol é utilizado como combustível desde o início do século XX, porém foi a partir da década de 1970 que sua utilização em larga escala foi concretizada pela primeira vez no mundo. Através do PROÁLCOOL foi estabelecido bases para sua produção, distribuição e comercialização. A cultura da cana-de-açúcar prevaleceu em relação às demais como mandioca e babaçu. Análises do potencial do sorgo sacarino também foram realizadas, mas devido ao desconhecimento desta cultura no Brasil não houve muito progresso na sua utilização. No início do século XXI, motivado por razões ambientais e estratégicas, surge o etanol brasileiro como exemplo de utilização de combustíveis alternativos aos derivados do petróleo. A aceitação do veículo com gerenciamento eletrônico para alimentação de combustíveis diferenciados, popularmente denominados de Flex, impulsionou o uso de etanol em território nacional chamando a atenção do mundo. A constatação de mudanças climáticas mundiais despertou a consciência do uso de hidrocarbonetos e suas conseqüências. A expectativa de um mercado mundial de etanol leva a procura de novas fontes de matérias-primas, uma vez que não se pode e não se deve plantar cana-de-açúcar em todos os lugares ou regiões do planeta. Surge o sorgo sacarino como uma das alternativas. Cultura milenar em vários paises demonstra grande potencial para produção de etanol, seguindo os mesmos procedimentos utilizados para cana, porém com menor ciclo de cultivo e menor necessidade hídrica e tolerância ao tipo de terra a ser cultivado. Seu aproveitamento é apoiado pela FAO em diversos paises, entre eles a China. A adoção por parte dos Estados Unidos do etanol em substituição ao metanol e as metas estabelecidas para a adição à gasolina nos próximos anos, provocou um acelerado aumento na produção de etanol, sendo esta baseada em milho. Diversos paises já se espelham nas experiências brasileiras para obtenção de maior independência energética. As necessidades para o abastecimento, dos mercados interno e externo, refletem as iniciativas de investimentos em novos projetos de novas usinas produtoras de etanol. Paises como China, Suécia, Japão já demonstraram amplo interesse na adoção do etanol como aditivo junto à gasolina. As pesquisas em novos sistemas de produção de etanol motivam instituições e empresas a uma busca acelerada para obtenção de processos mais rentáveis e economicamente viáveis. / Ethanol is being used as combustible since the beginning of century XX. However, since the decade of seventy it has been used in large scale in the world. The PROÁLCOOL program established bases for its production, distribution and commercialization. The culture of the sugar cane prevailed in relation to cassava and babaçu. Analyses of the potential of sweet sorghum had been also carried through, but due to the unfamiliarity of this culture in Brazil it did not have much progress in its use. At the beginning of century XXI, motivated for environmental and strategy reasons, Brazilian ethanol appears in the world scenario as an example of use of alternative fuels as substitutes for oil derivatives. The acceptance of vehicles with electronic management for differentiated fuel feeding, known as Flex cars, stimulated the use of ethanol in Brazil calling the attention the world. The knowledge of the worldwide climate changes brought the conscience of the use of hydrocarbons and its consequences. The expectation of a worldwide market of ethanol leads to the search for new sources of fuels. Since sugar cane cannot be planted all over the world due to climate differences, sweet sorghum appears as a promising alternative. Millenarian culture in several countries, it demonstrates a great production potential for the production of ethanol. The same procedures employed for sugar cane can be used. However, the sorghum crops require a lesser cycle of culture and minor water needs and tolerance when compared against sugar cane. Its exploitation is supported by FAO in several countries, being China among them. The adoption of ethanol the United States in substitution to methanol and the goals established for the addition to the gasoline in the next years, has been leading to the increase in the production of ethanol, manufactured from maize. Several countries already have been following the Brazilian path for the attainment of bigger energy independence. The necessities for the supplying of the domestic and external markets reflect the initiatives of investments in new projects of new producing plants of ethanol. Countries such as China, Sweden and Japan already had demonstrated a great interest in the adoption of ethanol as a gasoline additive. The research for new systems of production of ethanol motivates institutions and companies to search for the attainment of more income-producing and economically viable processes.

This dissertation investigates the relationship between electricity market reforms and the development of renewable energy through interviews with policymakers, energy experts, and industry representatives in Brazil. Within the context of market-oriented power reforms initiated in the 1990s, policymakers have attempted to diversify the energy supply and reduce the country’s reliance on hydroelectric power. However, Brazil’s pre-existing hydropower infrastructure has hindered the diffusion of alternative options. By looking at energy auctions and net-metering regulations for wind and solar energy, this research explores the role of independent regulators in facilitating the development of non-hydro renewable sources of energy. While academic and policy debates center on designing public support schemes for renewable energy, this research argues that adaptive regulation can provide opportunities for new technologies that policy instruments alone are unable to achieve. In particular, the governance characteristics of regulatory agencies are critical to the effective articulation of renewable energy policies. Three subnational case studies further demonstrate how states and regions contribute to developing and deploying wind and solar energy technologies.

Residential demand-side response (DSR) is a key strategy for meeting the challenges facing the UK electricity system. Leveraging residential flexibility should help to enhance system reliability, reduce carbon emissions, support the integration of renewables into the energy mix and deliver a lower-cost electricity system. However, the viability of residential DSR hinges on two critical factors: consumers will first need to switch to DSR programmes in sufficient numbers and then successfully respond by adjusting their consumption patterns accordingly. This thesis explores how to optimise the impact of residential DSR by examining the enablers and constraints of uptake and response. While participation is primarily encouraged through financial incentives, studies suggest that some consumers may be willing to participate for nonfinancial reasons. As such, this thesis also explores how environmental and pro-social motivations could be leveraged to help promote uptake and response. The thesis contributes to the knowledge on DSR by testing UK consumer preferences for different programme models through a large-scale online survey and identifying measures which could help to maximise uptake. It also explores the potential afforded by dynamic information-only programmes through a trial based on available wind generation. The thesis further makes a theoretical contribution by exploring how the Fogg Behaviour Model (FBM) can be used to conceptualise the enablers and constraints of uptake and response. By mapping these factors to the FBM's core components of ability, motivation and trigger, the model is refined as a tool for understanding how to optimise the impact of residential DSR. The research reveals that information-only DSR programmes may represent a significant untapped resource. Approximately 8% of a representative sample of UK consumers indicated a preference for this model over more conventional price-based programmes; while trial households succeeded in reducing electricity consumption by 9.9% on average when asked to consume less and increasing consumption by 4.4% on average when asked to consume more. These promising findings may help to inform policy and programme design as the UK energy system evolves towards a renewables-based future.

SAMMANFATTNING Medvetenhet och oro kring miljöeffekter från utsläpp av växthusgaser och de minskande resurserna av icke förnybara energikällor har ökat de senaste årtiondena. Utvecklingen av ny teknologi för förnybar energi har drivits fram globalt som ett svar på denna oro. Det har skett stora framsteg i produktion av el och värme från sol, vind, hav, vattenkraft, biomassa, geotermiska resurser, biobränslen och väte. Följaktligen har utvecklingen av energi-lager blivit en viktig del för integration av förnybar energi i systemen. Det är gynnsamt för hela försörjningskedjan, för pålitlighet och bättre stabilitet i leveranser och distribution, och för ökad el-kvalitet. I uppsatsen undersöks en optimal energidesign för ett kombinerat system med vattenkraft och vindkraft inklusive ett lager i form av en damm. Vatten som pumpas upp till lagret har en stor och balanserande potential för att få in en högre grad förnybar energi i energisystemen. Detta är nödvändigt då dessa energikällor är intermittenta och variabla till sin natur. Ett av de studerade objekten är ett vattenkraftverk med pumpad damm, Tehri i Uttarakhand, Indien. Systemets totala verkningsgrad om 93 % diskuteras utifrån förluster såväl som potentialen för vind och dess inverkan. Vind-data är hämta från National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) och har analyserats med programmen MATLAB och WindPro. Det slutligen valda området för exploatering av vindkraft blev Ramakkalmedu, Idukki district, Kerala, Indien. Efter valet av plats valdes tre olika vindturbiner ut för analys; Siemens SWT-3.2-113 3.2 MW, Enercon E-126 4.2MW, och Enercon E-126 7.58MW. Analysen består av flera delar; vindparks-modellering, beräkning av buller-generering från vindkraften, beräkning av årlig energi-generering - Annual Energy Production (AEP), kapacitetsfaktor, vindparkens effektivitet med hänsyn tagen till lagret/dammens variation av bas-last. Resultat har erhållits från alla tre turbinerna och den övergripande slutsatsen är att kombinationen med vatten- och vindkraft med lagring av vatten som pumpas upp vid behov är en tillfredsställande metod för att möta belastningstoppar, vilket valideras av denna uppsats.   Nyckelord: pumpade vattenkraftdammar, vindkraftparker, energi lager, förnybar energi. / ABSTRACT  Awareness and concern regarding the environmental effects of greenhouse gas emissions and depletion of non-renewable energy sources has increased over the last decades. A considerable development of new technology for renewable energy has occurred globally as an answer to this concern. There has been a major progress in production of electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen. Consequently, the development of energy storages has become an imperative part, for integration of renewable energy. It is beneficial for the entire supply chain, for dependability and better stability, and for enhanced quality of electrical power. This thesis is exploring an optimal energy design for a system of pumped hydro-wind power plants including storage. Solutions with Pumped Hydro Storages have a great potential for their balancing role necessary for a higher degree of renewable energy sources, RES, in the energy systems because of the intermittent and variable nature of these sources. Tehri pumped hydro storage plant, in Uttarakhand, India is one of the objects studied in this thesis. The systems total efficiency of 93%, calculated from head losses, is discussed as well as wind potential and its impact. Wind data is obtained from National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) and analysed using the software tools MATLAB and WindPro. The finally chosen area explored for wind potential is Ramakkalmedu, Idukki district, Kerala, India. After selection of site within the area, three different turbines; Siemens SWT-3.2-113 3.2 MW, Enercon E-126 4.2MW, and Enercon E-126 7.58MW were considered for analysis. The analysis consists of several parts; Wind farm modelling, Noise estimation of Wind Park, estimation of Annual Energy Production (AEP), Capacity factor, Wind park efficiency with respect to the storage/reservoir´s base load variation. Results are achieved for all three turbines. The overall conclusion is that combined hydro and wind power with a pumped storage, is a satisfactory method for bulk energy store to address peak loads, which is validated by this thesis.   Keywords: Pumped Hydro, Wind farm, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a renewable ocean energy material selection methodology for use in FAU's Ocean Energy Projects. A detailed and comprehensive literature review has been performed concerning all relevant material publications and forms the basis of the developed method. A database of candidate alloys has been organized and is used to perform case study material selections to validate the developed fuzzy logic approach. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to aid in the selection of materials that will ensure the successful performance of renewable ocean energy projects so that clean and renewable energy becomes a reality for all. / by Donald Anthony Welling. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This Master thesis investigates how Renewable Energy Microgrid Systems (REMS) can enhance resilience for a rural grid-connected community in El Salvador. The study examines the optimally resilient design of a grid-connected PV-Wind-Battery hybrid energy system. The optimally resilient system configuration was determined based on energy affordability, defined as minimum net present cost (NPC) and energy reliability, which was defined as a 1% maximum annual capacity shortage. The system modelling and optimisation was performed in the HOMER (Hybrid Optimisation of Multiple Energy Resources) software, where the system was optimised for different scenarios. The results of this study show that REMS can enhance resilience by lowering electricity costs for the community and thus increasing energy affordability. However, the REMS did not manage to make an equally substantial impact on energy reliability, due to the grid performance that proved to be high with few annual power outages. Besides the grid connection, the optimally resilient system was driven entirely by PV energy since it proved to be highly profitable. Wind power and battery storage were excluded from the optimally resilient system since they did not contribute to affordability and the capacity shortage limit was met already from the PV unit and the grid. Furthermore, the results show that self-sufficiency can be provided with REMS from the local energy resources, but that it is unrealistic with current costs due to the high battery prices. The study concludes that REMS should be considered as a legitimate resilience measure in rural El Salvador.

The 2040 governmental goal of 100 % renewable electricity in Sweden means that there will be a shift in electricity production and a phasing out of nuclear power. This nuclear power has to be replaced by some other source. Wind power is a viable alternative, thanks to its reliability and the abundance of wind in Sweden. However, wind power production requires a large amount of land and carries the risk of disrupting the landscape. Wind energy is therefore often difficult to develop, and when developed it is often in rural areas where it disturbs as few people as possible. This study presents an alternative to rural exploitation, it investigates whether it is possible to produce sufficient wind power to satisfy urban demand within 20 000 meters of the 20 largest cities in Sweden. Firstly, the criteria for areas where wind power can be developed were synthesised. Secondly a numerical model was used to simulate energy demand in TWh considering the future growth in demand and the phasing out of nuclear power. The demand for wind power was then translated into correlating area in km2. Finally, a GIS analysis was conducted to estimate the extent of area suitable for wind power development based on the criteria above and within a 20 000m perimeter from the 20 largest cities in Sweden. The analysis showed that only 35 % of the required area for wind power development fulfilled the criteria within the given perimeter. From the GIS analysis only 940.73 km2 was found to be suitable. From the numerical model, the results showed that for it to be sufficient, there would have to be at least 2687.1 km2 suitable land. The conclusion from this study is that in order to phase out the nuclear power, the majority of the wind power has to be located in the rural areas.

Off-grid hybrid renewable energy systems are known as an attractive and sustainable solution for supplying clean electricity to autonomous consumers. Typically, this applies to the communities that are located in remote or islanded areas where it is not cost-effective to extend the grid facilities to these regions. In addition, the use of diesel generators for electricity supply in these remote locations are proven to be uneconomical due to the difficult terrain which translates into high fuel transportation costs. The use of renewable energy sources, coupling with the diesel generator allows for the diesel fuel to be offset. However, to date, a common design standard for the off-grid system has yet to be found and some challenges still exist while attempting to design a reliable system. These include the sizing of hybrid systems, coordination between the operation of dissimilar power generators and the fluctuating load demands, optimal utilisation of the renewable energy resources and identifying the underlying principles which reduce the reliability of the off-grid systems. In order to address these challenges, this research has first endeavoured into developing a sizing algorithm which particularly seeks the optimal size of the batteries and the diesel generator usage. The batteries and diesel generator function in filling the gap between the power generated from the renewable energy resources and the load demand. Thus, the load requirement is also an important factor in determining the cost-effectiveness of the overall system in the long run. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to provide a better understanding of the relationship between the assessed renewable energy resources, the load demand, the storage capacity and the diesel generator fuel usage. The thesis also presents the modelling, simulation and experimental work on the proposed hybrid wind-diesel-battery system. These are being implemented with a full-scale system and they are based on the off-the-shelf components. A novel algorithm to optimise the operation of a diesel generator is also proposed. The steady-state and dynamic analysis of the proposed system are presented, from both simulation and an experimental perspective. Three single-phase grid-forming inverters and a fixed speed wind turbine are used as a platform for case studies. The grid-forming inverters adopt droop control method which allows parallel operation of several grid-forming sources. Droop control-based inverters are known as independent and autonomous due to the elimination of intercommunication links among distributed converters. Moreover, the adopted fixed speed wind turbine employs a squirrel cage induction generator which is well known for its robustness, high reliability, simple operation and low maintenance. The results show a good correlation between the modelling, the experimental measurements, and the field tested results. The final stage of this research explores the effect of tower shadow on off-grid systems. Common tower designs for small wind turbine applications, which are the tubular and the lattice configurations, are considered in this work. They generate dissimilar tower shadow profiles due to the difference in structure. In this research, they are analytically modelled for a wind turbine which is being constructed as a downwind configuration. It is proven that tower shadow indeed brings negative consequence to the system, particularly its influence on battery lifetime within an off-grid system. This detrimental effect occurs when power generation closely matches the load demand. In this situation, small frequent charging and discharging cycles or the so called microcycles, take place. The battery lifetime reduction due to these microcycles has been quantified and it is proven that they are not negligible and should be taken into consideration while designing an off-grid hybrid system.

The challenge of tackling global climate change and our increasing reliance on power means that new and diverse renewable energy generation technologies are a necessity for the future. From a number of technologies reviewed at the outset, the cross-flow tidal turbine was chosen as the focus of the research. The numerical investigation begins by choosing to model flow around a circular cylinder as a challenging benchmarking and evaluation case to compare two potential solvers for the ongoing research, ANSYS CFX and OpenFOAM. A number of meshing strategies and solver limitations are extracted, forming a detailed guide on the topic of cylinder lift, drag and Strouhal frequency prediction in its own right. An introduction to cross-flow turbines follows, setting out turbine performance coefficients and a strategy to develop a robust numerical modelling environment with which to capture and evaluate hydrodynamic phenomena. The validation of a numerical model is undertaken by comparison with an experimentally tested lab scale turbine. The resultant numerical model is used to explore turbine performance with varying Reynolds number, concluding with a recommended minimum value for development purposes of Re = 350 × 103 to avoid scalability errors. Based on this limit a large scale numerical simulation of the turbine isconducted and evaluated in detail, in particular, a local flow sampling method is proposed and presented. The method captures flow conditions ahead of the turbine blade at all positions of motion allowing local velocities and angles of attack to be interrogated. The sampled flow conditions are used in the final chapter to construct a novel blade pitching strategy. The result is a highly effective optimisation method which increases peak turbine power coefficient by 20% for only two further case iterations of the numerical solution.