Flattening the Curve

The load profile of every country has peaks and valleys. The peak of a daily load profile also represents the high cost, and the valley represents the lower cost, also known as the base load. 

What makes the cost high is the high demand, the use of diesel engines and gas turbines utilizing expensive fuel (oil is used when gas is not enough), and the low efficiency technologies like solar. The intermittency also of renewable energy technologies requires the use of these peaking plants that can flexibly start, stop and change load fast. If the peak demand can be reduced, it follows that costs will then be reduced. 

Coal is commonly used as base load plant because it is not flexible but the fuel is cheap. So there goes the conflict with global warming. Geothermal, wind and water power generation technologies are limited by location, with the latter two themselves affected also by climate change. Nuclear power still has its political and social issues.

Now, let's try to make things simple...

So how do we change the graph to our advantage?

1. Intensify energy efficiency
    This will lower current overall energy demand with much less investment requirements.        We can accomplish this through stricter regulations and education, so that even children      can participate in the campaign.Controls can also be imposed for demand side                      management.
    
2. Storage
    Pumped hydro storage takes advantage of the lower cost of electricity during off peak            periods by acting as a pump to store water at high elevations, then act as a turbine                during peak periods, making it price competitive with diesel engines. Electricity for                batteries, hydrogen, compressed air and methane can be produced from intermittent            excess power generation by solar and wind energy.

3. Self-generating facilities
    Incentives must be given by the government to companies generating power for their            own internal consumption. Firstly, they operate off the grid, reducing even the base                demand. Secondly, their excess capacity can be exported during peak periods, as long        as they are not using expensive fuels like diesel. So the effect is two-way. This will also        help encourage small players to invest in power generation, so we don't have to wait for        the big investors take action.

4. Encourage night life
    This may entail health issues, but this will be helpful in demand shifting. Off peak periods      generally fall in late evening. Time-of-use (TOU) rates will make households do some            chores like washing clothes in the evening when price of electricity is cheaper. Some            companies can do their operation at nighttime if energy costs will be attractive.

5. Electric vehicles
    Although this one will rather increase overall demand, but it will encourage putting up            cheaper base load plants, instead of each vehicle individually using liquid fuels, which is        less efficient on a bigger picture and thus more polluting. so the curve will still flatten with      the rise of the "valleys". With a smart grid, cars can export their battery charge especially      during emergency situation when the electric grid is on yellow or red alert.

6. Bicycle-friendly roads
    Government must improve public transportation and road safety to encourage citizens          not to opt for private automobiles. This will dampen the effect of the increase in electric          vehicles in base load power generation, in addition to mass transportation means like            trains.

I will not consider the politics involved as I am only concerned on the engineering aspect. If you still got more ideas on how we can address energy poverty, please comment below.


The above post is brought to you by Jezreel Magbanua, who enjoys helping people MAKING things SIMPLE. Click here to get to know Jezreel Magbanua better. 

Electrifying Bills

Philippines is a poor country but with one of the most expensive electricity rates in Asia. Most of the reasons for this are political, but let's not delve much about it. They say it was all because of mismanagement by our government, from the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to the privatization of various sectors.

With the added pressure of fighting climate change, let's focus on realistic solutions.

Now, let's try to make things simple...

I think our country must give more attention to Energy Poverty and Energy Independence, rather than on the shift to renewables. A quarter of our energy mix is already composed of geothermal power and hydroelectricity (DOE). President Duterte already talked enough about climate justice. With this, I think the present administration is on the right track when it discontinued the Feed-in-tariff (FiT) for solar power.

"Yes, I am a converted skeptic. However, anybody today who is not a skeptic about the solutions being proposed is not thinking them through." - Richard Muller

Going for 100% renewable energy is not practical as of this moment. Intermittency and high costs are still yet to be solved. The carbon neutrality of solid biomass and liquid biofuels are still up for debate.I will discuss these things in another post.

So what's the solution?

We should focus on all our indigenous resources. This includes not only the solar shining and wind blowing on our land, but also the fossil fuels below our grounds and seas. Until the cost of renewables become competitive, then we will gradually stop using coal and oil, to realize the word "independence".

Modern coal plants have low emissions on SOx, NOx, carbon monoxide and particulates. Only carbon dioxide is the remaining issue.

On top of this, we should take a look our country's load profile, to specify more concrete actions to take. This will be discussed on my next post.


The above post is brought to you by Jezreel Magbanua, who enjoys helping people MAKING things SIMPLE. Click here to get to know Jezreel Magbanua better.