Showing papers by "Roberto Schaeffer published in 2013"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assessed the impacts of promoting, through auctions, centralized solar power generation (concentrated solar power and photovoltaic solar panels) on the Brazilian power system.
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors performed a life-cycle assessment (LCA) for a coal-fired power plant located in Brazil and found that when indirect emissions are taken into account, a plant which captures 90% of its CO 2 will have its CO2 equivalent emissions capture potential, based on a global warming potential metric with a 100-year time horizon, reduced to 72%.
43 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an overview of the issues related to climate change impacts on hydropower production with a focus on Amazonian regions is presented. But the authors do not consider the impact of global climate change on the operation of existing energy systems and the viability of new entrepreneurships.
Abstract: Climate change can have an impact on natural and human systems. This is usually the case with renewable-energy-based energy systems, given their close dependence on climate conditions. For instance, long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and wind shear, among other factors, can affect the operation of existing energy systems and even compromise the viability of new entrepreneurships. Therefore, global climate change can add a significant amount of uncertainty to the already uncertain operation of renewable energy systems. This article gives an overview of the issues related to climate change impacts on hydropower production with a focus on Amazonian regions.
31 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the increase in water withdrawal due to the implementation of carbon capture by chemical absorption, with the use of monoethanolamines (MEA), in coal-fired thermal power plants installed or planned to operate in Brazil.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the environmental impacts of future electricity generation under a baseline case and four side cases, using a Monte-Carlo approach to incorporate uncertainty in power plant performance and LCA impacts, showing that, under the cost-optimal base case scenario, Brazil's GHGs from electricity (excluding hydroelectric reservoir emissions) rise 370% by 2040 relative to 2010, with the carbon intensity per MWh rising 100%.
Abstract: Brazil’s status as a rapidly developing country is visible in its need for more energy, including electricity. While the current electricity generation mix is primarily hydropower based, high-quality dam sites are diminishing and diversification to other sources is likely. We combined life-cycle data for electricity production with scenarios developed using the IAEA’s MESSAGE model to examine environmental impacts of future electricity generation under a baseline case and four side cases, using a Monte-Carlo approach to incorporate uncertainty in power plant performance and LCA impacts. Our results show that, under the cost-optimal base case scenario, Brazil’s GHGs from electricity (excluding hydroelectric reservoir emissions) rise 370% by 2040 relative to 2010, with the carbon intensity per MWh rising 100%. This rise would make Brazil’s carbon emissions targets difficult to meet without demand-side programs. Our results show a future electricity mix dominated by environmental tradeoffs in the use of large-scale renewables, questioning the use tropical hydropower and highlighting the need for additional work to assess and include ecosystem and social impacts, where information is currently sparse.
27 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate which key long-term drivers have led to Brazil's unique emissions profile and the implications of these drivers for Brazil's national policies, and show that Brazil's emissions are growing mainly due to increasing individual standards of living, exports and population size, and that this growth is so far unchallenged by technological and structural improvements toward lower emissions intensities and more efficient production structures.
Abstract: Brazil’s economic development has been underpinned by a diverse and – in a global comparison – unusual set of energy carriers, notably hydroelectricity and ethanol from sugar cane. Its energy mix makes Brazil one of the least energy-related carbon-intensive economies worldwide. Given that the country is fast becoming one of the world’s economic powerhouses, decision-makers need to understand the drivers underlying past and current carbon dioxide emissions trends. We therefore investigate a) which key long-term drivers have led to Brazil’s unique emissions profile, and b) the implications of these drivers for Brazil’s national policies. We show that Brazil’s emissions are growing mainly due to increasing individual standards of living, exports and population size, and that this growth is so far unchallenged by technological and structural improvements toward lower emissions intensities and more efficient production structures. As these trends are likely to continue amidst growing international pressure on key economies to reduce their carbon emissions, a decoupling of drivers from emissions is needed to simultaneously meet development and environmental goals.
25 citations
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation1, World Bank2, Met Office3, Électricité de France4, Monash University5, Technical University of Denmark6, National Center for Atmospheric Research7, Royal Meteorological Institute8, European Space Agency9, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro10, German Aerospace Center11, China Meteorological Administration12, University of Melbourne13
TL;DR: The 2011 International Conference Energy and Meteorology (ICEM) as discussed by the authors was held in Queensland, Australia to provide a dedicated forum where scientists, engineers, economists, policy makers and other specialists and practitioners involved in research or implementation activities at the intersection between weather, climate, and energy could discuss recent research findings and emerging practices ranging from operational activities to longterm investment planning and to policy making.
Abstract: T he growing body of knowledge and experience in weather and climate risk management in the energy industry has spurred a rapidly growing research interest at the nexus between weather, climate, and energy (Troccoli 2010; Troccoli et al. 2010; Ebinger and Vergara 2011; Marquis 2011). Although this increased attention has been stimulated by a renewed and fervent interest in renewable energy sources, weather and climate information is also critical to managing the energy supply from other energy sectors (e.g., offshore oil operations) as well as understanding and estimating energy demand. Until recently, such applied research was discussed in specialized sessions during conferences organized by industry-specific organizations related to wind energy (e.g., American Wind Energy Association), solar energy [e.g., Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems (SolarPACES)], and meteorology (e.g., European Meteorological Society). To take advantage of the substantial overlap between these energy activities and their use of weather and climate information, the International Conference Energy and Meteorology (ICEM) 2011 (www.icem2011.org/) was convened in Queensland, Australia. The objective was to provide a dedicated forum where scientists, engineers, economists, policy makers, and other specialists and practitioners involved in research or implementation activities at the intersection between weather, climate, and energy could discuss recent research findings and emerging practices ranging from operational activities to longterm investment planning and to policy making. Such discussions were framed within the context of all energy sector uses, including climate change mitigation and weather/climate risk management practices. The four expected outcomes of this conference were as follows:
9 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that the assessment of emissions reductions from CO 2 capture is critically dependent on the choice of multi-gas equivalency metric and climate impact time horizon.
8 citations