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In order to mitigate global climate change and air pollution, the Chinese government has assigned high priority to expanding low-carbon power generation in China. Recent studies have shown that wind power is one of the most promising renewable energy option in China. Although many studies have estimated the generation potential of onshore wind power, their results vary widely from 1783 TWh to 39,000 TWh. Therefore, we examine the different assumptions in these papers and identify three main factors influencing the results. The three influencing factors are: weather data set, land utilisation factor, and wind turbine configuration. For our model-based analysis, we define a reference scenario which is used to compare the results. Our analysis shows using a different weather data set increases the generation potential to roughly 35,000 TWh. This is 54% higher than the generation potential of the reference scenario. The land utilisation factor also has a large influence, ranging between −10% and −51%. The studies' assumptions and data should be subjected to careful scrutiny, as the calculated wind power potentials are widely used to develop decarbonisation strategies for the energy system.

In the framework of the Paris Agreement, the European Union (EU) will have to firmly set decarbonization targets to 2050. However, the viability on these targets is an ongoing discussion. The European Commission has made several propositions for energy and climate ""roadmaps"". In this regard, this paper contributes by analyzing alternative pathways derived in a unique modelling process. As part of the SET-Nav project, we defined four pathways to a clean, secure and efficient energy system-taking different routes. Two key uncertainties shape the SET-Nav pathways: the level of cooperation (i.e. cooperation versus entrenchment) and the level of decentralization (i.e. decentralization versus path dependency). All four pathways achieve an 85-95% emissions reduction by 2050. We include a broad portfolio of options under distinct framework conditions by comprehensively analyzing all energy-consuming and energy-providing sectors as well as the general economic conditions. We do this by applying a unique suite of linked models developed in the SET-Nav project. By linking more than ten models, we overcome the traditional limitation of models that cover one single sector while at the same time having access to detail sectoral data and expertise. In this paper, we focus on the implications for the energy demand sectors (buildings, transport, and industry) and the electricity supply mix in Europe and compare our insights of the electricity sector to the scenarios of the recent European Commission (2018a) report ""A clean Planet for all"".

Increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the electricity sector (RES-E) contributes to achieving the European energy and climate targets including a 27% share of renewables in final energy consumption by 2030. We assess the future costs of the power sector for different RES-target levels and support schemes including generation costs, system operation costs and transmission grid development costs based on three power sector models. The results show similar power system costs for different target levels. RES-E shares below 70% involve limited infrastructure costs that are below 2.6% of the overall system costs. The impacts of the modelled RES-E policies, an EU quota and national feed-in premiums on transmission costs are ambiguous: Contrary to expectations, the costs of transmission network development under quota obligations are lower than under technology-specific feed-in premiums for RES-E penetration levels up to 50%. The drivers of transmission costs include not only a concentration of renewable capacity, but also the exact location of RES-E capacity with respect to existing power plants and the strength of the existing infrastructure. Quota obligations lead to higher grid costs than feed-in premiums if the RES-E share amounts to 70% due to the stronger regional concentration of RES power plants.

Reducing CO2 emissions, as targeted by the European Union, requires the substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energies. This reduces the CO2 intensity of electricity generation and this low carbon electricity can then be used in other sectors, e.g. to decarbonize heating. Besides contributing to emission savings, this so-called sector coupling provides additional flexibility in the electricity sector and fosters the integration of renewable energies. We assess how heat pumps in district heating grids contribute to renewable electricity integration. We analyze different scenarios using the Enertile model, which optimizes capacities and dispatch of electricity and heat generation simultaneously. The results show that, the higher the achieved levels of decarbonization and renewable electricity, the more competitive heat pumps become in heating grids. Keywords: European energy system, Optimization model, Renewable electricity integration, Sector coupling, District heating grid, Heat pump

Decarbonizing the energy supply by substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy sources (RES) is a key task for the coming decades in order to achieve the EU's ambitious climate protection targets. Information about the possible development and marketability of RES in the electricity sector is essential for assessing future funding needs. However, rising shares of fluctuating RES generation in the energy system reduce the average market prices and increase price volatility. Balancing price variations requires a considerable degree of flexibility. Additional flexibility in the electricity market through closer interconnection between the electricity sector and other demand sectors makes it possible to keep the market values of RES closer to the general market price level, irrespective of their shares. Such sector coupling can thus contribute to a cost-efficient transition to a low-carbon energy system. This paper examines the impact of efficient sector coupling on the market values of RES in a European energy system with ambitious decarbonization. We analyze different scenarios by applying the Enertile model, which uses an integrated cost optimization approach with flexibility options due to sector coupling and provides a detailed future development of RES. In our analysis, we examine three flexibility options: smart charging of electric vehicles, decentralized heat pumps in buildings, and multivalent district heating grids. We show that the flexible use of electricity in district heating has a significant impact on market values, while the impact of both flexible electric vehicle charging and flexible heating with heat pumps is rather small. Short-term flexibility due to load shifting of the charging or heating process shows only a limited effect on market values. Fuel switching in district heating, however, offers the possibility to change the absolute demand for electricity in direct response to RES feed-in and drastically reduces the curtailment of RES.

The German electricity market for private consumption is characterized by increasing prices and low participation of the consumers. This prompts us to investigate the interdependencies between the customers’ engagement in the market and the suppliers’ pricing strategies. Based on an analysis of the German retail market, an agent-based simulation model is developed. Whereas the behaviour of private customers is calibrated on field data, the suppliers learn to maximize profits with a feedback-learning heuristic. The simulation results show a tendency of rising prices, which are created without the assumption of tacit collusion among suppliers. We conclude that in Germany the current market pressure of private customers may not be a sufficient incentive for suppliers to lower electricity prices.