O tema de mudanças climáticas vem sendo associado com a questão energética, em especial as energias renováveis, que são dependentes dos recursos naturais como água e vento, por exemplo. A relevância desta relação deve-se ao fato de, por um lado, as fontes renováveis de energia representarem uma das principais alternativas estratégicas para a mitigação da mudança do clima global. E, por outro lado, ao serem dependentes das condições climáticas, ficam potencialmente sujeitas a impactos do próprio fenômeno que pretendem evitar. No entanto, o segmento de geração de energia elétrica baseado em fontes não renováveis, especificamente das centrais termelétricas, também está sujeito aos impactos das mudanças climáticas, no que se refere ao recurso natural água. Os processos de geração das centrais térmicas são também dependentes das águas para suportar os sistemas de resfriamento. Neste contexto, o trabalho proposto tem como objetivo central estruturar uma revisão da literatura sobre o tema de impactos de mudanças climáticas sobre o setor de energia elétrica no segmento das hidrelétricas e das centrais térmicas, tendo como foco analítico o Brasil, os Estados Unidos e União Europeia, em função da diversidade econômica e da composição da matriz elétrica destas regiões.
No presente artigo fazemos uma análise comparativa entre o mercado das Empresas de Serviços Energéticos (ESCOs) no Brasil e no Reino Unido. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar o modelo de negócios das ESCOs. Constatamos que soluções de mercado que incentivam a eficiência energética ajudam a desenvolver o mercado das ESCOs.
O setor elétrico mundial está passando por profundas mudanças devido à difusão no mercado de novas tecnologias; processo este que pode ser caracterizado como o início de uma transição tecnológica. Em julho de 2000, a lei brasileira no. 9.991 criou o Programa de P&D do Setor Elétrico, que determina que 1% da receita operacional líquida (ROL) das empresas do setor elétrico deve ser investido em projetos de pesquisa e desenvolvimento (P&D). Quais foram os principais resultados atingidos pelo Programa? E como isso contribuiu (ou não) para o processo de transição em curso? Até o momento, nenhum estudo analisou esses aspectos de forma crítica e formal. Este artigo traz as primeiras percepções de um projeto de pesquisa em curso, cujo objetivo é endereçar essas questões e suprir esta lacuna na literatura. O estudo apresenta uma visão geral dos projetos de P&D desenvolvidos desde 2000, e propõe uma nova metodologia para avaliar, sob o ponto de vista quantitativo e qualitativo, os benefícios do programa. Esta metodologia considera quatro perspectivas: empresas do setor elétrico, o setor elétrico, o setor acadêmico e os fornecedores de sistemas e serviços. O trabalho também traz cenários a serem considerados para aprimorar o Programa de P&D.
The transmission network is the first link between large power generation facilities and electricity customers. It supplies energy at high voltages to substations, where the energy is distributed via the distribution network. The transmission network today operates with a high level of reliability, but presently a variety of technologies offers the possibility of great improvement in system performance.Sophisticated new monitoring systems may reduce the likelihood of system failures and disruptions that cause serious economic and social consequences. Emerging efficient technologies may also help to solve network expansion constraints, including difficulties to install new transmission lines and to incorporate growing participation of intermittent energy plants, like wind and solar. This paper starts presenting the status and perspectives of the Brazilian transmission sector showing the high level of investment planned until 2024 – 60% cumulative growth of line extensions and the same 60% rate for transformation capacity. In the second part the paper presents the emerging technologies and the potential opportunities it offer to increase, among other factors, the energy quality, O&M structure, availability and reduction of technical losses. These advantages impact not only for new assets but also for the existing ones. Considering the existing assets the paper starts a discussion about the regulatory framework ant the right economic signals to promote investment in innovation and automation. The paper then addresses the emerging regulatory of OFGEM in UK and the existing regulatory barriers that still exists internationally and in Brazil. The paper concludes by identifying an opportunity for developing a regulatory R&D project to deeply analyze this subject and to propose a new regulatory framework to promote an economical feasible innovation process for the Brazilian transmission sector. In the last part the paper presents the guidelines and structure of the project GESEL is starting to develop in the scope of the Brazilian ANEEL regulated R&D program.
O artigo insere-se no projeto de pesquisa “Impacto dos Recursos Energéticos Distribuídos sobre o Setor de Distribuição”, desenvolvido pelo GESEL, financiado pelo Grupo Energisa e vinculado ao Programa de P&D da Aneel. Os autores, Nivalde de Castro, Lorrane Câmara e Max Ramalho, tratam de assuntos debatidos no congresso Brasil Solar Power, no contexto do avanço acelerado da Energia Solar Fotovoltaica. O artigo aborda os temas “comercialização de excedentes”, “questão tributária” e “financiamento”.
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The article is part of the research project “Impact of Distributed Energy Resources on Distribution Sector”, developed by GESEL with Energisa Group and linked to Aneel’s Research and Development program. The authors, Nivalde Castro, Lorrane House and Max Ramalho, deal with issues discussed in Brazil Solar Power Congress in the context of accelerated advance of Photovoltaic Solar Energy. The article discusses the topics “marketing surplus,” “tax issue” and “financing”.
The work aims to analyze UK’s and Brazil’s wholesale electricity trading models. UK’s model, also known as New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA), can be considered a reference for the present day electricity markets. Recently UK has implemented a market reform that, while maintaining UK’s market structure, introduced several strong regulatory economic signals in order to foster new investments, both in thermal and in low carbon emission electricity generation. Brazil’s wholesale market model is also noteworthy as it managed to promote large scale investments in low carbon generation in a liberalized market environment. However, Brazil’s regulatory framework design proved fragile during a recent long draught period when short term financial obligations related to imbalance settlements soared and led to financial stress and, eventually to a market halt.
In 2004 came into force a new model for the Brazilian Electricity Sector (BES). This model was established based on three pillars: expansion of the installed capacity, reasonable tariffs and universalization of the access to electricity. The main change that took place was the resumption of the energy planning for the State’s responsibility, which had been transferred to private players in the previous liberal period. This resumption takes place through the creation of the Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE), whose purpose is the development of studies and researches to support the planning of the energy sector, guiding the government and industry players in their decision making process and guidelines establishment. Among the major studies carried out by EPE is the Plano Decenal de Expansão de Energia (PDE), that annually formulates forecasts for the expansion of the supply and demand of energy for a period of 10 years ahead, therefore becoming an important planning tool for the BES. Thus, the PDE indicates the future electricity mix for the sector. However, EPE’s planning is only indicative, making it essential to analyze whether their propositions occur in reality. Therefore, the procurement of installed capacity to be added to the BES and the sources that will compose this future mix need to be investigated. Moreover, with the new model, the procurement of new installed capacity starts to occur through energy auctions. In these auctions, the concession of new plants occurs and it is guaranteed the future supply to attend the demand anticipated by the distribution companies for the regulated consumers. The electricity auctions aim to contract energy with reasonable tariffs. In order for that to happen, the criterion used to define the winner is the lowest rate offered. Thus it is through the electricity auctions that the government coordinates the expansion of the generating capacity and the winner sources will compose the future electricity mix. The composition derived from the results of the auctions often differs from the projections of the PDE, making this differentiation the central object of analysis in this article. In that way, the question that arises is what are the causes that explain the differences between the results of these energy auctions and what it was projected and estimated by EPE in its ten-year planning. The article seeks to make a comparison of PDE’s projections since its first formulation in 2006, with the results of the new energy auctions held so far. Essentially, it seeks to answer if, through the indicative planning and the auctions, we are in fact moving towards a strategic electricity mix for the BES.
The electrical sector is in the eve of profound modifications due to the market diffusion of several related technologies. Some drivers of this transition are: the increasing support from society for reducing carbon emissions; the growing speed of development and cost reduction of renewable energy generation technologies; new energy storage devices; new automation spread all over the network; a dramatic increase of the computational capacity; and new regulations related to energy usage. Innovation will play a key role in the transition process of the electric sector, promoting changes and creating opportunities for new technology, products, system, regulation and business structures. Since July 2000, law 9.991 established the Brazilian Electric Sector R&D Program that states that 1% of the income of the electric companies must be invested in R&D (research and development) projects, 40% of this overall budget stay under the electric company discretion (the Program is coordinated by the Brazilian electric sector regulatory agency, ANEEL). As a result, BRL 13.5 Billion (approximately equivalent to USD 3.5 Billion) were invested in 4,300 projects from the year 2000 until 2014. What were the results achieved by the Program? And how has it contributed (or not) to the ongoing transition process? To date, no systematic and comprehensive study has looked at the whole period of the Program. This study introduces the first insights of a two-year research project that seeks to address these questions and to fill this gap. It presents an overview of the projects that have been carried out since 2000, and develops a unique methodology that will be used to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative historical benefits of the Program. The methodology considers four perspectives: electric companies, electric sector, academic sector and systems and services providers. It will also present scenarios that will be considered to improve the R&D Program and to inform related public policies and regulations that seek to stimulate Brazilian companies to invest in the electric sector innovation process, and ultimately contribute to the sector’s transition.
The transmission network is the first link between large power generation facilities and electricity customers. It supplies energy at high voltages to substations, where the energy is distributed via the distribution network. The transmission network today operates with a high level of reliability, but presently a variety of technologies offers the possibility of great improvement in system performance. Sophisticated new monitoring systems may reduce the likelihood of system failures and disruptions that cause serious economic and social consequences. Emerging efficient technologies may also help to solve network expansion constraints, including difficulties to install new transmission lines and to incorporate growing participation of intermittent energy plants, like wind and solar. This paper starts presenting the status and perspectives of the Brazilian transmission sector showing the high level of investment planned until 2024 – 60% cumulative growth of line extensions and the same 60% rate for transformation capacity. In the second part the paper presents the emerging technologies and the potential opportunities it offer to increase, among other factors, the energy quality, O&M structure, availability and reduction of technical losses. These advantages impact not only for new assets but also for the existing ones. Considering the existing assets the paper starts a discussion about the regulatory framework ant the right economic signals to promote investment in innovation and automation. The paper then addresses the emerging regulatory of OFGEM in UK and the existing regulatory barriers that still exists internationally and in Brazil. The paper concludes by identifying an opportunity for developing a regulatory R&D project to deeply analyze this subject and to propose a new regulatory framework to promote an economical feasible innovation process for the Brazilian transmission sector. In the last part the paper presents the guidelines and structure of the project GESEL is starting to develop in the scope of the Brazilian ANEEL regulated R&D program.
The promotion of a reliable and sustainable power system has as key drivers the development of smart grids associated with demand-side management schemes, diffusion of electric mobility, accommodation of larger shares of distributed generation, in particular microgeneration and the introduction of storage systems. In addition, these technological development vectors represent new business opportunities for several players (utilities, retailers, ESCOs, aggregator entities, etc.), which should be considered by regulatory guidelines accounting for technical efficiency, economic feasibility and tariff affordability. The technical and economic characteristics of the electricity sector (capital intensive, undifferentiated product, regulated tariffs, almost inelastic demand, need of instantaneous balance between supply and demand, etc.) do not induce that the process of technological innovation happens in an endogenous manner within the sector dynamics. Therefore, public policies have a role to play in this process. This communication presents an approach using Problem Structuring Methods to frame the problem of analyzing and evaluating technological innovations and associate incentive policies in the electricity sector. The results of this structuring phase using Soft Systems Methodology suggest a large number of issues that were organized as a hierarchy of objectives. These objectives will correspond to the criteria of a Multicriteria Decision Analysis methodology devoted to assessing the potential courses of action promoting technological innovation. This methodology should provide decision support to policy and decision makers to shape policies aimed at fostering more reliable and sustainable electricity systems.