This is a review of the literature on community energy. We analyze more than 250 studies that appeared in the academic literature in the period 1997-2018. We investigate the timing regarding the appearance of these studies, the geographical orientation of the research, and the journals in which the articles appeared. We also analyse the keywords used to identify the research. Further, we relate the articles to the theoretical perspectives employed. We also analyse keywords used by the authors in relation to the particular approaches employed and reflect on the country specifics of the case studies. We find that the majority of studies on community energy did appear in the last couple of years. Especially the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands are being investigated. Energy Policy published most of the studies. Different theoretical perspectives study community energy, especially Governance, Sociology, Economics, Planning, Technology, and Transition. We conclude that the study of community energy is still in its infancy as there is little commonality in the terminology and key concepts used. Studying community energy requires further improvement in order to better integrate the different theoretical perspectives and to ground policy decisions.
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Snel nadat duidelijk werd dat Barack Obama de Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen gewonnen had, hield hij in Chicago zijn overwinningstoespraak. Was dit de historische toespraak waar Amerika op zat te wachten? Hoe goed was de speech eigenlijk? Ik zal hier een korte analyse presenteren van Obama's victory speech om aan te tonen dat deze retorisch goed in elkaar steekt.
De noodzaak om duurzame energie voor langere tijd op te slaan en weer beschikbaar te maken tijdens momenten wanneer er geen zonne- en/of windenergie beschikbaar is , wordt steeds groter. Opslaan van energie kan in de vorm van waterstof. Waterstof kan gebruikt worden in brandstofcellen voor de opwekking van elektriciteit of gebruikt worden voor verwarming of als grondstof in de chemische industrie. Omdat waterstof een steeds belangrijkere rol gaat innemen in de energietransitie is het belangrijk deze kennis , kunde en technologie zo breed mogelijk te delen en onder de aandacht te brengen.
In the course of the “energie transitie” hydrogen is likely to become a very important energy carrier. The production of hydrogen (and oxygen) by water electrolysis using electricity from sun or wind is the only sustainable option. Water electrolysis is a well-developed technique, however the production costs of hydrogen by electrolysis are still more expensive than the conventional (not sustainable) production by steam reforming. One challenge towards the large scale application of water electrolysis is the fabrication of stable and cheap (noble metal free) electrodes. In this project we propose to develop fabrication methods for working electrodes and membrane electrode stack (MEAs) that can be used to implement new (noble metal free) electrocatalysts in water electrolysers.
In Gelderland at industriepark Kleefsewaard, a prominent knowledge hub for hydrogen technology has been developed, featuring key industry players and research groups contributing to innovative and cost-effective hydrogen technologies. However, the region faces a challenge in the lack of available test equipment for hydrogen innovations. In Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) technology, a route to follow is to create hydrogen more efficiently with stacks that can operate under high pressure (50 bar – 200 bar). This results in compact hydrogen storage. Research must be done to understand crossover effects which become more apparent at these high pressure conditions. The overall goal is to design a Balanced of Plant (BOP) system, incorporating Process Flow Diagram (PFD) and Piping & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) elements, alongside hydrogen purification systems and gas-liquid separators, for a test setup operating AEM stacks at 200 bar. De Nooij Stainless contributes by designing and fabricating a gas liquid separator, addressing challenges such as compatibility, elevated temperatures, and hydrogen safety. ON2Quest collaborates in supporting the design of a hydrogen purification system and the Balance of Plant (BoP), ensuring flexibility for testing future stacks and hydrogen purification components. HyET E-Trol specializes in high pressure (up to 200 bar) AEM electrolyser stacks and is responsible for providing problem statements and engineering challenges related to the (Balanced of Plant) BoP of AEM systems, and contributes in solving them. Subsequent projects will feature test sequences centered on other stacks, allowing for testing stacks from other companies. The resulting framework will provide a foundation for ongoing advancements, with contributions from each partner playing a crucial role in achieving the project's goals.
Production of hydrogen from renewable power sources requires dynamic operation of electrolysers. A dedicated research activity is proposed to explore and study the impact of variable operation on electrolyser performance and the electricity grid. In addition optimal control strategies will be developed with the goal to improve overall operational efficiency. It is expected that by applying advanced control strategies 2 to 3% operational efficiency gain can be achieved. The research proposed in this project is aimed to explore, validate and demonstrate this potential efficiency gain on the PEM unit.