This master thesis aims to examine the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth and between energy consumption and greenhouse emissions for the EU countries, using a panel time series data from 1996 to 2012 within a multivariate framework for 26 EU countries. The energies are composed from oil consumption, natural gas consumptions, and renewable energies including the biomass as a distinct part. To do that, Unit Root Tests, cointegration test, Pairwise Granger causality tests, and Error Correction Model are employed to find out the type of the causal relationship. The main results to denote are that, there is in the short run, a positive unidirectional causal relationship running from oil consumption to economic growth. We can as well denote a positive bidirectional causal relationship between renewable energies and economic growth and between greenhouse emissions and economic growth. However, there is an unexpected negative bidirectional causal relationship between biomass consumption and gas consumption. From the greenhouse emissions perspective, we can see in the short run, a negative bidirectional causal relationship between greenhouse emissions and renewable energies, and a positive unidirectional causal relationship running from both oil consumption and biomass consumption...

Evaluation of host geologic sediment interactions with carbon dioxide is very important in sequestration strategies. The objective of the study is to experimentally investigate the effects of different soil mineral types on carbon dioxide hydrate formation. At isothermal, isochoric, and isobaric conditions, batch experiments were conducted with different types of solids (bentonite, kaolinite, nontronite, pyrite, and soil) and electrolytes (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2) to measure carbon dioxide hydrate formation times. A 50 mL pressurized vessel was used for the experiment by bubbling gaseous CO2 into the solid suspension. We observed that the formation time of carbon dioxide hydrate was dependent on the reactor temperature (273.4 K and 277.1 K) and types of solid and electrolyte. A clear peak was observed in the temperature profile of each experimental run and determined as the hydrate formation time. This is due to the initiation of the hydrate crystallization and latent heat release at the hydrate formation time. The temperature profiles vary significantly with respect to the types of solids and electrolytes. As crystallization initiates, peaks were observed at higher temperatures in pyrite and soil suspensions. The results showed that hydrate formation times for clay minerals in water were approximately twice and 10 times faster than that for pyrite and soil, respectively. The rates of gas consumption were able to be determined by the pressure monitoring. The kaolinite appeared to have the fastest gas consumption rate among the clay mineral suspensions, which was 2.4 times and 7.4 times faster than nontronite and bentonite, respectively. Results from these experiments seem to provide an insight on the formation and growth of carbon dioxide hydrate, once sequestered into the sea bed sediments under the deep sea environment.

Due to the vast fossil fuel wealth, the country of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a dramatic growth in both population and GDP. Therefore there is a growing demand for water and energy to meet these needs. All of the electricity that is generated is sourced from crude oil and natural gas. All natural gas production is used domestically and there are no net imports or exports. Due to many constrains on the natural gas supply, there is a slow shift in the generation mix going towards crude oil based power generation. This study assessed the viability of utility scale solar integration into the Saudi Arabian electric mix to potentially relieve some demand pressure for natural gas consumption as well as reduce green house gas emissions. Parabolic trough concentrated solar power technology was chosen as the primary technology for utility scale integration. A total of five scenarios were calculated. The scenarios include the following, base case, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% solar integration in terms of installed capacity. Two sets of net present values were calculated. The net present values of each scenario were calculated. A second set of net present values was calculated with a projected increase in electricity prices. The natural gas and crude oil offset from the four solar integration scenarios were calculated using the base case forecasted natural gas and crude oil consumption from power generation. As expected, natural gas and crude oil consumption decreased when there was an increase in solar integration. The expected carbon dioxide offsets were calculated for each scenario. There was a decrease in carbon dioxide emission as solar integration was increased. Finally, all of these analyses were used as criteria for a decision analysis using the analytical hierarchy process. Depending on the decision maker’s importance on the determined criteria, solar integration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is achievable. / text

O setor residencial reflete a cultura do uso excessivo da eletricidade para aquecimento de água. Para este uso final, a inclusão de gás e complementação com energia termo-solar pode apresentar vantagem por se tratar de energia final mais compatível com os processos de transformação em energia útil na forma de calor. A inclusão destas fontes pode propiciar uma diminuição de sobrecarga no sistema elétrico e da eletrotermia no setor residencial. Este trabalho faz uma avaliação econômica dos sistemas de aquecimento de água elétrico, a gás e solar. Os sistemas são analisados considerando custos de infra-estrutura, com diferentes disponibilidades de uso, custos de equipamentos e de operação para vários níveis de consumo. A avaliação é aplicada a 3 tipologias de edificações verticais representativas no mercado da construção civil da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Os custos de serviço de aquecimento de água quente estão apresentados em função do volume de água consumido. / The residential sector reflects the culture of the indiscriminate use of electricity water heating. Inclusion of gas and thermosolar energy to the electrical supply system may present advantages as they are more compatible to consumer\"s heat transformation processes. In addition these new sources of energy may decrease the electrical and electrothermal system overload in the residential sector. This study is an economic evaluation of the electric, gas and solar water heating systems. The heating systems are analyzed taking in consideration infrastructure costs, and equipment and operation costs for different levels of consumption. The evaluation is applied to three typologies of vertical residential edifications that represent the civil construction market of the São Paulo metropolitan area. The costs of water heating service are presented in function of the consumed volume of water.

O setor residencial reflete a cultura do uso excessivo da eletricidade para aquecimento de água. Para este uso final, a inclusão de gás e complementação com energia termo-solar pode apresentar vantagem por se tratar de energia final mais compatível com os processos de transformação em energia útil na forma de calor. A inclusão destas fontes pode propiciar uma diminuição de sobrecarga no sistema elétrico e da eletrotermia no setor residencial. Este trabalho faz uma avaliação econômica dos sistemas de aquecimento de água elétrico, a gás e solar. Os sistemas são analisados considerando custos de infra-estrutura, com diferentes disponibilidades de uso, custos de equipamentos e de operação para vários níveis de consumo. A avaliação é aplicada a 3 tipologias de edificações verticais representativas no mercado da construção civil da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Os custos de serviço de aquecimento de água quente estão apresentados em função do volume de água consumido. / The residential sector reflects the culture of the indiscriminate use of electricity water heating. Inclusion of gas and thermosolar energy to the electrical supply system may present advantages as they are more compatible to consumer\"s heat transformation processes. In addition these new sources of energy may decrease the electrical and electrothermal system overload in the residential sector. This study is an economic evaluation of the electric, gas and solar water heating systems. The heating systems are analyzed taking in consideration infrastructure costs, and equipment and operation costs for different levels of consumption. The evaluation is applied to three typologies of vertical residential edifications that represent the civil construction market of the São Paulo metropolitan area. The costs of water heating service are presented in function of the consumed volume of water.

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