Energy Transition

Although most people are aware of the value of developing new energy technologies, the importance of assessing such technologies is only just beginning to be recognized in full. This book, illustrated by real-life examples, fulfils two main objectives. Firstly, it provides an in-depth summary of energy system evaluation methods, the result of decades of work in this area, for the use of researchers, engineers and anybody else interested in the energy sector. Secondly, the vicious cycle of neglect towards in situ evaluation is broken. This neglect is due to its unjust reputation for being “thankless work”: longwinded, expensive, difficult to exploit and undervalued. By scientifically organizing experience acquired over more than 30 years, Energy Transition highlights the considerable usefulness of the approach, not only economically, but also from a human standpoint.

Table of Contents:
Foreword xi Preface xv Acknowledgments xvii Part 1. The Context of Case Study Feedback (CSF) 1 Chapter 1. Energy Transition 3 1.1. The global energy system and its evolution 3 1.2. The necessary transformation of the global energy system 5 1.2.1. Fossil fuels: planned scarcity upstream and environmental problem downstream 6 1.2.2. Nuclear energy: environmental and accessibility issues 6 1.2.3. An overall inefficient system 7 1.2.4. A productive and simple-energy vision 8 1.2.5. Energy transition 9 1.3. The three concordances 10 1.3.1. Form concordance 11 1.3.2. Place concordance 12 1.3.3. Time concordance 12 1.3.4. Economic, social and environmental constraints 12 Chapter 2. Energy Systems and Technological Systems 15 2.1. Transformers and concordances 16 2.1.1. Form converters 17 2.1.2. Storage 17 2.1.3. Transport 18 2.2. From the transformer to the energy system 18 2.3. Effectiveness of resources and effectiveness of results 22 Chapter 3. The Innovation Process 27 3.1. A well-defined process 27 3.2. Limit of these curves in the context of energy systems 33 3.3. Operation and use 36 Chapter 4. Case Study Feedback, the Basis of Learning by Using 39 4.1. Innovation in energy systems 39 4.2. Case study feedback 42 4.2.1. CSF classification test 43 4.2.2. CSF content 45 Part 2. CSF Tools: Operation and Envisaged Uses 47 Chapter 5. The Human Context 49 5.1. Why the human aspects? 49 5.1.1. In vivo rather than in vitro 49 5.1.2. The importance of objective information in the field of innovative energy systems 50 5.2. Who are the actors involved and how are they involved? 51 5.2.1. Actors involved in the innovation process 51 5.2.2. Actors related to the particular energy system 51 5.2.3. Actors involved in the implementation of CSF 54 5.3. How to take into account human aspects in CSF 55 5.3.1. The perimeter 55 5.3.2. The objectives of the CSF 56 5.3.3. The resources 57 5.3.4. The team’s experience 57 5.3.5. The follow-up group 58 Chapter 6. The Energy Context and the Sankey Diagram 59 6.1. A drawing is better than a long speech 59 6.2. Design, development and operation 63 6.2.1. The importance of precise terminology 63 6.2.2. Balance failure 66 6.2.3. To avoid having a chilling effect 67 6.2.4. Shape: graphic rules 69 6.3. Uses 72 Chapter 7. From System to Experimental Concept 77 7.1. The importance and difficulties of a quantitative quality assessment 77 7.2. From the energy system to be evaluated to the measurement concept 78 7.2.1. From objectives to a breakdown into subsystems and components 80 7.2.2. Developing the measurement system 84 7.2.3. Some properties of the sensors and their use 91 7.2.4. Some remarks on the measurement of primary energies 93 7.3. Link to other phases of the evaluation 96 Chapter 8. Data Observation and Global Indicators 99 8.1. Observing and feeling 99 8.2. Energy indicators 101 Chapter 9. Input/Output and Signature Relationships: the Operation in Use 107 9.1. Convenient visualization of an expected relationship 108 9.2. Search for a global relationship 111 9.3. Signatures as simple management tools 114 9.4. The signature as the basis for adjustment 115 9.5. The signature as the basis for a standard 116 Chapter 10. Modeling 119 10.1. Why model? 119 10.2. Analytical and systemic approaches 121 10.3. Modeling and approximate knowledge 123 10.4. Modeling in the context of approximate knowledge of CSF 124 10.5. The steps of the modeling and the necessary validation 126 10.6. Some component modeling carried out in CSF 128 10.6.1. Integrating dynamic aspects to check the proper functioning of a component 128 10.6.2. Developing a more explicit but simple model 132 10.7. Simulation of energy systems 135 Chapter 11. Conducting the Evaluation 137 11.1. Publication 137 11.2. Summary of the CSF process 140 Part 3. The Practice of CSF 143 Chapter 12. Challenges of Innovation: Summer Overheating in an Administrative Building 145 12.1. Background information 145 12.2. Description of the building 147 12.3. The measurement concept and initial findings 147 12.4. Overheating indicators: strict application of the standard 149 12.4.1. Proof of need according to standards 150 12.4.2. Use of the standard by the design office when defining the concept 151 12.4.3. Comparison with the real situation 152 12.5. Building consensus 153 12.5.1. Is the indoor humidity in the offices too high? 153 12.5.2. Is the ventilation through the windows as predicted? 153 12.5.3. Is the ventilation, even in accordance with predictions and properly used, sufficient? 155 12.5.4. Do occupants use night cooling as intended? 156 12.5.5. Is the false ceiling an inconvenience? 156 12.6. Conclusions 157 Chapter 13. Audits or Implementation of Knowledge: Transformation of Valère Castle to a Museum 159 13.1. The context of the study 159 13.2. The Aymon CSF 161 13.2.1. Measures and preliminary findings 163 13.2.2. System modeling 167 13.3. Return to Valère 172 13.3.1. The building 173 13.3.2. The building’s relationship with the weather 173 13.3.3. The building’s relationship with the operation of the future museum 174 13.3.4. The building’s relationship with the technical installations 174 13.3.5. The resulting indoor climate 174 13.4. Modeling and scenarios: proposal of the concept based on the “Aymon system” 175 13.4.1. Real in situ simulation of the new use 175 13.4.2. Virtual simulation of the new use 179 13.4.3. Results of scenarios and proposals 181 13.5. Implementation of the concept and commissioning by the Valais engineering school (now HES-SO Valais) 182 13.6. Conclusion 186 Chapter 14. CSF to Evaluate and Improve the Appropriation of Innovation: the Case of Buildings 187 14.1. Context: from the catalogue of solutions to real practice 187 14.2. Increased complexity of construction and systems techniques well-highlighted by the Sankey diagram 190 14.3. The importance of use and human aspects that are difficult to quantify 199 14.4. The problem of the “performance gap”: modeling to account for the difference in performance 203 14.5. A surprising invariant in the functioning of the “building” system: the relevance of I/O relationships and signatures 208 14.5.1. Modeling the thermal demand of buildings 212 14.5.2. Investment for infrastructure development and reimbursement from the energy used 212 Part 4. Towards Involved Research? 217 Chapter 15. CSF and Learning Through Use 219 15.1. Expertise or contested innovation 220 15.2. Auditing or putting innovation into practice 221 15.3. Feedback: in situ evaluation of the appropriation of an innovation 223 15.4. Big Data and CSF 224 15.5. The different learning experiences 225 15.6. CSF and learning by use 230 Chapter 16. CSF, Energy Transition and Involved Research 233 16.1. Current limitations and potential of CSF 233 16.1.1. The impact of CSF 233 16.1.2. An evolution over time 234 16.1.3. Supporting the trial-and-error approach 235 16.1.4. The exemplarity of the objects studied 236 16.1.5. Energy context and opportunism 237 16.2. Feedback and energy transition: towards involved research? 240 References 243 Index 249

About the Author :
Bernard Lachal is a former Professor of the University of Geneva's Faculty of Science, where he led the "Energy Systems" group for over 20 years. His research focuses on the observation and improvement of practices in the energy systems field.