| dc.description.abstract | Integrating large capacities of intermittent renewable energy sources (iRES) poses significant challenges in the path towards decarbonization. Increased flexibility of the power system is often coined as a solution to the integration problem but remains an ambiguous concept that is often only sought after in the electricity sector. This thesis follows a more holistic view towards this problem and explores the potential of coupling the electricity sector with the heating sector in local energy systems for increased flexibility. A PLEXOS model has been developed to assess the potential benefits of electricity-heat coupling for decarbonization.
The PLEXOS model includes one dense urban neighborhood with residential electricity and heating demand profiles for the year 2016 and four technological heating scenario’s. The performance of each scenario is assessed using indicators for energy consumption, CO2 emissions, flexibility (measured as self-consumption and peak flow and demand), and costs (investment and operation). These scenarios include a reference scenario with condensing gas boilers, a centralized heating scenario with CHP powered district heating, an electrification scenario using heat pumps, and an advanced gas heating scenario using mCHP’s. Variations in PV capacity ranging from current penetration levels to a share of 25% and 50% of households serve to establish the baseline flexibility in each scenario. Further variations with thermal storage on a district level combined with a large-scale heat pump, electric battery storage, flexible feed-in tariffs and flexible electricity pricing are explored to assess their effects.
The results show reductions in emissions and signs of increased flexibility in all alternative scenarios. While electrification and mCHP’s increase self-consumption the most, the peak electrical flow a least triples in these simulations. Adding electrical energy storage to each scenario further improves self-consumption, and the effect of flexible electricity prices only reduces costs in scenarios equipped with a heat pump. The potential benefits of electricity-heat coupling on a local level noteworthy but remain modest. | |
