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The aim of this paper is to assess the environmental impact of electricity production from one of the best available gas-fired power plants and to compare it with the current mix of electricity and the supply of electricity from a typical gas plant. The scope of the paper includes gas field exploration, natural gas processing, pipeline transportation, and electricity generation as well as construction and decommissioning of the plant. The influence of efficiency of the plant and natural gas supply from different countries on the results is explored within the sensitivity analysis. The findings indicate that the global warming potential is estimated at 388 g CO2 eq./kWh. The natural gas system described offers major improvements in all considered environmental impacts compared to the typical natural gas electricity generation system, ranging from 4.9% for abiotic depletion potential to 82.1% for acidification potential. Increasing the contribution of natural gas in the electricity mix would reduce only eutrophication, human toxicity, freshwater, and marine aqua ecotoxicity potentials. The lower environmental impacts in this paper are due to the different gas composition, relatively high efficiency assumed as well as the proximity of Turkey to Azerbaijan which reduces transport distances. The results of this study would be of benefit to the future energy market, as natural gas is one of the electricity-producing plants promoted in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, renewable energy and power technologies have become an important part of development. Pakistan has good potential in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydroelectricity. Only a few public and private companies have started to develop renewable energy technology (RET) developments in the rural areas of Pakistan. The present study is exploratory based on RETs and new development policy implementations for the rural areas of Pakistan. The analysis shows the relationship among fossil fuel energy, clean energy, and population in rural areas, energy potential, national policies, and international policies to recover the off-grid areas in Pakistan. The outcome shows that households in urban areas have more consumption of electricity than rural areas while maximum income comes from the agriculture sector. It is therefore suggested that government should provide renewable energy projects in rural areas to boost the e\mployment, living standard and economy. The presence of electricity consuming appliances always contributes little to fulfill the needs of households and commercial. Thus, to control or reduce the demand for electricity, the use of renewable energy technologies must be increased and the government should implement best policies such as China and the US. Some related policies insights that energy supply, technology improvement, hydroelectricity, solar, wind, wave, geothermal, and tidal power resources are more efficient instead of prime energy sources such as oil, coal, and gas in rural areas of Pakistan. Abbreviations: RE: Renewable Energy; FFC: Fossil fuel Cost; EPC: Environmental performance costs; EAPI: Energy architecture performance index; REPG: Renewable Energy power generation; RES: Renewable energy policies; GCISC: Global Change Impact Studies Centre; ES: Energy System [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on representative firm-level survey data for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, this study systematically analyses the relevance and drivers of barriers to green product innovation using the example of green energy technologies. 'Low willingness to pay', 'high development costs', 'high commercial uncertainty', and 'lack of favourable political framework' are identified as the most important barriers. Moreover, we find that the firms' innovation experience is an important driver of the level of green innovation barriers. Green innovation barriers are more accentuated for firms with green innovation activity than for firms with no green innovation activity. However, experience from different fields of green innovation and experience from non-green innovation activities help to limit these barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public and private funding bodies make massive investments in research to address the grand challenges of the world. These require collective research efforts of a large number of partners to generate knowledge and ultimately create technologies to meet today's grand challenges. Surprisingly, little research is conducted on how to design the research consortia appropriately that actually result in the development of new technologies. This article argues that when organisational knowledge integrators are involved in large-scale projects, they ensure that the research findings of earlier technology development efforts in a project are pulled towards innovation outcomes through their own position in the innovation value chain. This article uses a data-set with 376 collaborative R&D projects within energy technologies. Most importantly, this article confirms the existence of organisational knowledge integrators and the positive effects on project outcomes. These results are discussed with implications drawn for both applicants and funding bodies for future projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In media coverage, the context of the German energy transition, also referred to asEnergiewende,casts a spotlight not only on various technology options (e.g. wind or coal power) but also on more abstract topics such as security of supply or electricity prices. Thereby, the public’s assessment of energy-related issues may greatly rely on perceived risks. Focusing on the quality of energy-related risk reporting, this contribution therefore is intended to explore the German print and TV media discourse on energy options or topics. In our sample, one in three articles connects an energy option or topic with an evident or potential unwanted event. Although the media’s effect on actual risk perception involves some controversies, researchers tend to criticize the media as being susceptible to framing and for failing to place unwanted events in perspective, e.g. by not presenting the corresponding likelihood of occurrence, which is necessary to define risk. If this critique holds true, accurate public risk assessment is partly hampered because media coverage impliesuncertaintyrather than providing all information available. We examined seven indicators of quality reporting derived from literature research: intensity, likelihood, controllability, desired uncertainty, sensationalism, emotional language, and type of unwanted event. Based on German energy media coverage in 2013, we found a relatively high occurrence of intensity and controllability, whereas likelihood and desired uncertainty were reported less often. By aggregating the indicators into a risk-reporting quality index, we did not observe a poor quality of risk reporting on energy issues. In contrast to previous research, the overall quality of energy-related risk reporting can be assessed as at least moderate, implying that the media depicts risks more precisely than assumed. The occurrence of quality indicators thereby significantly depends on the type of unwanted event rather than on the energy option considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many actions to reduce GHG emissions have wider impacts on health, the economy, and the environment, beyond their role in mitigating climate change. These ancillary impacts can be positive (co-benefits) or negative (conflicts). This article presents the first quantitative review of the wider impacts on health and the environment likely to arise from action to meet the UK's legally-binding carbon budgets. Impacts were assessed for climate measures directed at power generation, energy use in buildings, and industry, transport, and agriculture. The study considered a wide range of health and environmental impacts including air pollution, noise, the upstream impacts of fuel extraction, and the lifestyle benefits of active travel. It was not possible to quantify all impacts, but for those that were monetized the co-benefits of climate action (i.e. excluding climate benefits) significantly outweigh the negative impacts, with a net present value of more than £85 billion from 2008 to 2030. Substantial benefits arise from reduced congestion, pollution, noise, and road accidents as a result of avoided journeys. There is also a large health benefit as a result of increased exercise from walking and cycling instead of driving. Awareness of these benefits could strengthen the case for more ambitious climate mitigation action. Policy relevance This article demonstrates that actions to mitigate GHG emissions have significant wider benefits for health and the environment. Including these impacts in cost–benefit analysis would strengthen the case for the UK (and similar countries) to set ambitious emissions reduction targets. Understanding co-benefits and trade-offs will also improve coordination across policy areas and cut costs. In addition, co-benefits such as air quality improvements are often immediate and local, whereas climate benefits may occur on a longer timescale and mainly in a distant region, as well as being harder to demonstrate. Dissemination of the benefits, along with better anticipation of trade-offs, could therefore boost public support for climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]