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Intermunicipalities and the energy transition? À clever mix of innovation and institutional recycling at work in the production of renewable energies. Local authorities in France have recently been granted competence to pursue action in the domain of renewable energy. They move into an interdependent group of actors regarding the administrative power and financing opportunities. In this article, we discuss the strategies and projects implemented by a diverse set of local authority groupings in France and highlight the different ways in which they have appropriated the issues and challenges of renewable energy. These intermunicipal entities (Établissement public de coopération intercommunale, EPCI) have different sociocultural and geographic configurations, and our study shows that their local public action is driven by different motivations. Renewable energy is a vector for development that can be utilized in various ways, sometimes to legitimate public energy policy in the territory, and in other instances to bring in revenue. The politics of territorial energy strategy are often narrowly bounded by the scope of the intermunicipal structure. This restricted focus makes it difficult to develop strategies spanning several territories, and in the long term could lead neighbouring territories to compete to attract investment. Some of the intermunicipal entities seek to widen their fields of action thanks to the consultation with other types of actors. The challenge is then to relate with different energy stakeholders in an multiscalar framework to govern their energy transition. © 2023 Lavoisier, Paris. Tous droits réservés [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) that are variable and not "dispatchable", may weaken the power system supply-demand balance. Nuclear power plants (NPP) contribute in part to this daily and seasonal balance thanks to the "load-following" mode in France for example, but there are still limits to their use. These limits prevent a nuclear power modulation as efficient and quickly as the conventional thermal power plants. The need in terms of power ramps for nuclear in a constrained power system has been quantified in previous studies. Nuclear may compensate for the removal of thermal power plants, in order to fulfill energetic strategies of CO2 reduction. The possibility that nuclear reactors can achieve power ramps of significant values (>5%Pn/min) is put forward and could make possible to replace the services currently provided by thermal power plants. The objective of the study is then to use these power system requirements as the main input parameter for the modelling of a current simplified nuclear reactor capable of responding to frequency control within a specific hypothesis framework. In this paper, a French 1300 MW pressurized water reactor is modelled. Parametric studies are carried out in order to reveal technical and technological constraints when increasing electric power ramp. The study explores ways of design, which may influence reactor flexibility, such as the neutron parameter, Doppler coefficient, or the thermohydraulic parameter, delay in the primary loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multicriteria comparison of technical solutions for residential heat production. • Energy, exergy, economic, exergoeconomic and environmental indicators. • Sensitivity study on solar matching, LCOE and exergy destruction cost. • Extended qualitative discussion including more technical and operational criteria. • Some grid-driven solutions are competitive (efficient, de-carbonized French grid). The French energy market is highly reliant on nuclear power. Several factors pressure for a phase-out of this technology, but finding an environmentally and economically competitive substitute is not easy. Renewable sources are a candidate, and a full deployment in the residential sector could significantly reduce nuclear-based electricity production in France. In this paper, we assess multicriteria competitiveness of renewable energies for residential heat production in a French dwelling. A total of 9 solutions combining the following systems are compared: boilers (electric, biomass or gas-fired), heat pumps (air-source or ground-source) and solar panels (solar thermal or photovoltaic). Global performance is analyzed for each solution through energy, exergy, economic, exergoeconomic and environmental (5E) multi-criteria analysis considering energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, Levelized Cost Of Energy, exergy destruction cost and CO 2 mitigation. Sensitivity of selected indicators is analyzed with respect to the heat load, the investment cost and the fuel cost. The ground-source heat pump and the biomass boiler are found to be the most competitive solutions. It is also found that temporal mismatch between production and consumption is the major drawback of solar-driven solutions, especially for solar thermal collectors. One of the innovations of this study is comparing various residential heat production systems through various performance criteria. The other innovation is applying the study in the French context, which has a very high share of non-carbon electricity. Results from this study can be generalized to other OECD countries in future conditions, i.e. when their shares of non-carbon electricity become very high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When it comes to the construction of an index, one of the main problems is determining the weights that each variable carries. In this article, through models based on the Structural Equation Modelling methodology, an index for the measurement of the evolution of renewable energies is developed, and applied for a group of countries in the European Union. The results show that, in Europe, there are two groups clearly differentiated in terms of their level of development in renewable energy. In the first group, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy stand out while the second group is led by the United Kingdom, and includes countries like Portugal, Finland, and Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world dominated by oil, each country has to design its own energy policy to cope with increasingly scarce stocks of this fossil fuel. Particularly, the United States, France and Germany engaged into significantly different paths coping with challenging constraints such as ensuring economic growth, security of energy supply, and respect of the environment. The impact of these energy policies on the development of renewable energies has been assessed by analyzing each national policy from the economic, political, and technological standpoints. The results of this study provides some explanations of tactical moves made by these energy hungry economies to cope with the increasing pressure put on the oil supply market and to prepare for a future where green energies are bound to play an increasingly important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The intention behind the current analysis is to join the debate over the main factors to consider in the global fight against climate change. Thereby, the Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) approach is applied to assess the impacts of nuclear energy, fossil fuels, income, and trade on carbon emissions in France from 1980 to 2020. In addition, the relevance of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) presumption is tested. The main results stipulate that nuclear energy lessens CO2 emissions in France. However, fossil fuels and trade openness enhance these emissions. On the other hand, the current analysis confirms the presence of an inverted U-shaped curve relating economic growth to carbon emissions. Therefore, the EKC hypothesis is supported in our case. Indeed, by calculating the turning point, it is possible to extract the turning year corresponding to 2008. Furthermore, an asymmetric causality test is performed in order to identify the possible non-linear causal links between the potential drivers of carbon emissions. First, the causal linkage between CO2 emissions and GDP is bidirectional. Furthermore, a unidirectional causal link between CO2 emissions and non-renewable energies and a dual directional causal link between pollutant emissions and trade are identified. These empirical results are intended to guide the French government in the implementation of relevant energy and trade-related strategies in order to attain the ambitious targets of carbon emissions reduction. In fact, France should reduce imports of fossil fuels to curtail the positive effect of trade on carbon emissions. In addition, it is recommended to substitute fossil energies with renewable energies gradually by using adequate instruments and boosting research and innovation to mitigate the adverse influences of non-renewable energies on environmental quality. Finally, our findings confirm the positive role played by nuclear energy in the fight against climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of renewable energies has the potential to decarbonize the electricity supply. This is more challenging in difficult-to-electrify sectors. The use of hydrogen provides a massive potential for this issue. However, expanding hydrogen production increases electricity demand while providing additional flexibility to the electricity market. This paper mainly aims to analyze the economic effects of this sector coupling between the European electricity and national hydrogen markets. The developed energy market model jointly considers both markets to reach an overall welfare optimum. A novel modeling approach allows the interaction of these markets without the need for several iterative optimization runs. This allows for a detailed analysis of various market participants' changes in consumer and producer surpluses. The optimization is conducted in 13 connected Central European countries to account for various power plant fleets, generation mixes, and electricity prices. Results show an overall welfare increase of EUR 4 to 28 billion in 2030 and an EUR 5 to 158 billion increase in 2040. However, there is a surplus shift from consumers to producers. The consumer surplus is reduced by up to EUR 44 billion in 2030 and EUR 60 billion while producers benefit to achieve the overall welfare benefits. The reduction of consumer surplus changes if significant price peaks occur. Fuel cell applications can avoid these price peaks, resulting in a surplus shift from thermal power plants to consumers. Hence, consumer surplus can increase by up to EUR 146 billion in the respective 2040 scenarios. Pink hydrogen accounts for a sizable portion of total hydrogen production, up to 58 percent in 2030 and up to 30 percent in 2040. As a result, nuclear power plants that are nearly entirely allocated in France stand to benefit greatly from this sector coupling. Additional efforts could be made to address the link between hydrogen and natural gas prices. Furthermore, the potential for cross-border hydrogen trade and the implementation of national legal and regulatory frameworks could be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying decarbonization strategies at the district level is increasingly necessary to align the development of urban projects with European climate neutrality objectives. It is well known that district heating and cooling networks are an attractive energy system solution because they permit the integration of renewable energies and local excess of hot or cold sources. The detailed design and optimization of network infrastructures are essential to achieve the full potential of this energy system. The authors conducted an attributional life cycle assessment to compare the environmental profile of five distribution network infrastructures (i.e., pipes, heat carrier fluid, trenches, heat exchangers, valves, and water pumps) based on a study case in Marseille, France. The work aims to put into perspective the environmental profile of subsystems comprising a district heating infrastructure, and compare pipe typologies that can be used to guide decision-making in eco-design processing. Rigid and flexible piping systems were compared separately. The results show that the main impact source is the pipe subsystem, followed by the trench works for most impact categories. The authors underlined the importance of pipe typology choice, which can reduce emissions by up to 80% and 77% for rigid and flexible systems, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impacts of four French scenarios of electricity production systems are compared. They propose a variable part of nuclear which is essentially replaced by wind and solar energy. The paper proposes a comparison of these scenarios based on a Life Cycle Assessments. The systems with a large part of intermittent wind and solar sources need a higher installed power. In addition, for the same installed power, renewable energies require more building materials than nuclear ones. Therefore, the environmental impacts of infrastructures increase with the part of renewable energy. During the use phase, the environmental impacts of fossil fuels, especially coal, are significant. Consequently, the best systems must use the least fossil fuels and need the lower installed power. Finally, if we exclude the risk of nuclear disaster and if we consider that nuclear wastes are well managed, the electricity production systems that achieve the lowest environmental impacts, with the same availability for the electricity to end users, are those that have a large part of nuclear power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of cities are interested in deep geothermal energy in order to increase the share of renewable energies in their district heating networks. To reduce the risks related to deep geothermal energy operations, reliable digital models are needed: they make it possible to predict the depth of aquifers away from borehole locations, and their thermal and hydrological evolution by supporting detailed water and heat flow simulations. This paper presents a 3D geomodel developed for this purpose in the southern Paris Basin of France in the Orléans area. The 3D geomodel integrates various data such as reprocessed and interpreted seismic lines, well data, and a pre-existing larger-scale and lower-resolution 3D geological model. The resulting 3D geomodel gives a new and reliable representation of the main aquifers underlying the study area. Within the framework of the project, hydrological and thermal simulations were then performed based on this 3D geomodel. Other environmental investigations (e.g. CO2 storage) and teaching/communication activities could also benefit from the dataset. Measurement(s) geological features Technology Type(s) 3D geomodelling integration Sample Characteristic - Location Southern Paris Basin (France) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power represents a promising source of renewable energies. Precise forecasting of wind power generation is crucial to mitigate the challenges of balancing supply and demand in the smart grid. Nevertheless, the major difficulty in wind power is its high fluctuation and intermittent nature, making it challenging to forecast. This study aims to develop efficient data-driven models to accurately forecast wind power generation. Crucially, the main contributions of this work are listed in the following major elements. Firstly, we investigate the performance of enhanced machine learning models to forecast univariate wind power time-series data. Specifically, we employed Bayesian optimization (BO) to optimally tune hyperparameters of the Gaussian process regression (GPR), Support Vector Regression (SVR) with different kernels, and ensemble learning (ES) models (i.e., Boosted trees and Bagged trees) and investigated their forecasting performance. Secondly, dynamic information has been incorporated in their construction to further enhance the forecasting performance of the investigated models. Specifically, we introduce lagged measurements to enable capturing time evolution into the design of the considered models. Furthermore, more input variables (e.g., wind speed and wind direction) are used to further improve wind prediction performance. Actual measurements from three wind turbines in France, Turkey, and Kaggle are used to verify the efficiency of the considered models. The results reveal the benefit of considering lagged data and input variables to better forecast wind power. The results also showed that the optimized GPR and ensemble models outperformed the other machine learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study examines the causal links among renewable energy consumption (REC) and non‐renewable energy consumption (NREC) and economic growth in Germany, the UK and France between 1980 and 2019. To this purpose, we use two different approaches: Toda and Yamamoto (Journal of Econometrics, 66, 1995, 225) time causality test and Lemmens et al. (International Journal of Forecasting, 24, 2008, 414) frequency causality test. For UK and France, the results show no significant causality between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and REC, which supports the neutrality hypothesis. Regarding NREC, similar findings are obtained. However, for Germany, the time approach indicates bi‐directional causality between REC and GDP, while the frequency approach shows uni‐directional causality from REC to GDP in the long‐run. Therefore, there is a consensus on the growth hypothesis in Germany. Furthermore, the frequency analysis displays also one way causal nexus running from Germany's GDP to NREC in long horizons. The policymakers in UK and France should take into account that renewables and energy conservation policies are neutral in respect to economic growth. As for Germany, measures of reducing NREC would not significantly damage GDP, and renewable energies promotion plan would be beneficial for economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

France's response to the climate crisis includes an ambitious policy to make hydrogen a major component of the energy mix. One of the challenges that must be overcome to achieve this goal is to find a practicable and socially acceptable way of storing hydrogen. The present study investigated potential resistance to hydrogen use in France by examining social representations of hydrogen and its underground storage in salt caverns. To this end, we investigate how distance from the object (knowledge, experience, involvement) affects dimensions that contribute to people's perceptions of, and therefore the social acceptability of, hydrogen as a renewable energy. Results provide valuable insights into French people's perceptions of hydrogen and its underground storage in salt caverns. They also highlight the individual processes, and their intertwining within the social context, that help to shape public opposition to projects aimed at accomplishing the widely accepted need to switch to renewable energies. • French people are in favour of hydrogen but have reservations about its underground storage. • Knowledge has a positive impact on perceptions of underground hydrogen storage. • Experience has a positive impact on perceptions of underground hydrogen storage. • Positive attitudes do not predict positive behavioural intentions toward hydrogen storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Irrigation & Drainage is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As variable renewable energies are developing, their impacts on the electric system are growing. To anticipate these impacts, prospective studies may use wind power production simulations in the form of 1 h or 30 min time series that are often based on reanalysis wind-speed data. The purpose of this study is to assess how several wind-speed datasets are performing when used to simulate wind-power production at the local scale, when no observation is available to use bias correction methods. The study evaluates two global reanalysis (MERRA-2 from NASA and ERA5 from ECMWF), two high-resolution models (COSMO-REA6 reanalysis from DWD, AROME NWP model from Météo-France) and the New European Wind Atlas mesoscale data. The study is conducted over continental France. In a first part, wind-speed measurements (between 55 and 100 m above ground) at eight locations are directly compared to modelled wind speeds. In a second part, 30 min wind-power productions are simulated for every wind farm in France and compared to two open datasets of observed production published by the distribution and transmission system operators, either at the local scale in terms of annual bias, or aggregated at the regional scale, in terms of bias, correlations and diurnal cycles. ERA5 is very skilled, despite its low resolution compared to the regional models, but it underestimates wind speeds, especially in mountainous areas. AROME and COSMO-REA6 have better skills in complex areas and have generally low biases. MERRA-2 and NEWA have large biases and overestimate wind speeds especially at night. Several problems affecting diurnal cycles are detected in ERA5 and COSMO-REA6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the factors that motivate local energy production and transition and opposing lock-ins, within the context of urban municipal energy managment, in France. A new conceptual framework, local and domestic geopolitics, is mobilized to shed light on the conflictuality of this process, the political resources activated by local authorities in front of national operators, the links between energy control and power at the local level, ultimately refocusing questions of energy justice. We present an in-depth case study of the border city of Metz, which inherited a municipal energy company founded during the German annexation. It revealed the reasons and the means by which, since the beginning of the twentieth century, energy became a local resource and its production was expanded, in spite of a centralized energy system. Local energy was found to be a political construction, serving to reinforce local authority. In the context of energy transition, it is becoming a new energy resource, local actors intending it to progressively take the place of centralized energies, a focal point of a new geopolitics of energy. Within this geopolitical landscape, the power and benefits conferred by the control of energy production is found to be a central dimension of energy justice. In Metz, this power and benefits has not been better shared than at the national level, whether in procedural, distributive, or recognition terms, serving the career of a mayor and the local finances, rather than democratization of energy choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue d'Économie Régionale & urbaine is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The introduction of renewable energy paid off-market disrupts the demand-price relationship in wholesale electricity markets. Drawing on 2015 hourly data from France's electricity transmission network operator (RTE) and the French dayahead spot market, this paper attempts to quantify the disturbance observed and the transfers of revenues among consumers, producers and providers. This study calculates, through a modeling of the day-ahead market, the impact on conventional electricity producers in France in terms of the loss of economic value owing to the introduction of renewable energies. In the same time consumers benefit from lower electricity prices but have to pay for feed-in tariffs. Renewable electricity producers and electricity providers are also the winners. An estimation of the cross-subsidies induced by the injection of renewable electricity is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concentrates on the funding of green transition policies implemented in France during the 2010s. Instead of examining the emerging European Investor State through its "new" public investment policies, such as loans, equity, investment banks, and funds, this article examines the transformations of "older" public investment policies, specifically investment subsidies. We contend that the European Investor State is currently marked by a paradox: while public resources for investment, particularly for green transition investments, are increasing, the means to distribute these resources are diminishing. Austerity measures and new public management policies are undermining territorial administrations, thereby limiting their ability to accurately identify and support beneficiaries. This bureaucratic weakness within the European Investor State significantly affects the effective distribution of subsidies, because they tend to be increasingly concentrated among larger communities and companies, as well as a broad spectrum of private intermediaries. Consequently, the European Investor State appears multifaceted and occasionally contradictory, lacking long-term continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the potential benefits of anaerobic digestion in the context of climate change and the need to move towards energy transition, there is a lot of resistance to biogas projects. Using a contingent valuation method, we test the extent to which the socio-economic characteristics of populations influence the environmental effort that people are willing to make for the deployment of biogas in a French region. Our results show that young people and people familiar with the biogas process are more inclined to develop biogas. We also highlight that the educational and location aspects should not be neglected in order to increase environmental effort and promote the adoption and development of biogas., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In the literature, it is well known that there is a bidirectional causality between economic growth and energy consumption. This is why it is crucial to forecast energy consumption. In this study, four deep learning models, i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), stacked LSTM, bidirectional LSTM, and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), were used to forecast energy consumption in Brazil, Canada, and France. After a training test period, the performance evaluation criterion, i.e., R2, mean square error, root mean square error, mean absolute error, and mean absolute percentage error, was performed for the performance measure. It showed that GRU is the best model for Canada and France, while LSTM is the best model for Brazil. Therefore, the energy consumption prediction was made for the 12 months of the year 2017 using LSTM for Brazil and GRU for Canada and France. Based on the selected model, it was projected that the energy consumption in Brazil was 38 597.14–38 092.88, 63 900–4 800 000 GWh in Canada, and 50 999.72–32 747.01 GWh in France in 2017. The projected consumption in Canada was very high due to the country's higher industrialization. The results obtained in this study confirmed that the nature of energy production will impact the complexity of the deep learning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms underlying bat and bird activity peaks (attraction) or losses (avoidance) near wind turbines remain unknown. Yet, understanding them would be a major lever to limit the resulting habitat loss and fatalities. Given that bat activity is strongly related to airflows, we hypothesized that airflow disturbances generated leeward (downwind) of operating wind turbines–via the so-called wake effect–make this area less favorable for bats, due to increased flight costs, decreased maneuverability and possibly lower prey abundance. To test this hypothesis, we quantified Pipistrellus pipistrellus activity acoustically at 361 site-nights in western France in June on a longitudinal distance gradient from the wind turbine and on a circular azimuth gradient of wind incidence angle, calculated from the prevailing wind direction of the night. We show that P. pipistrellus avoid the wake area, as less activity was detected leeward of turbines than windward (upwind) at relatively moderate and high wind speeds. Furthermore, we found that P. pipistrellus response to wind turbine (attraction and avoidance) depended on the angle from the wake area. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in airflows around operating wind turbines can strongly impact the way bats use habitats up to at least 1500 m from the turbines, and thus should prompt the consideration of prevailing winds in wind energy planning. Based on the evidence we present here, we strongly recommend avoiding configurations involving the installation of a turbine between the origin of prevailing winds and important habitats for bats, such as hedgerows, water or woodlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve its energy transition, the French government is planning to install floating wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Lion. In order to study the effects of such installations on the ecosystem, A trophicmodel was developed to study the evolution of biomass and ecological network indicators (ENA). Four scenarios were designed in order to simulate 1/the "reef effect" caused by the new hard substrate created by the wind farm structure, 2/the association of the reef effect with the reserve effect caused by the closure of the wind farm to fishing, 3/the impact of regular harvesting of sessile organisms from the hard substrate by fishermen and, 4/ the impact of the transfer of these organisms to the seafloor. Our study suggests changes in the ecosystem structure and functioning after the introduction of a wind farm, where low trophic level groups became more important in the functioning of the trophic web, the ecosystem maturity decreased, and the overall activity and diversity increased. The biomass of some pelagic and demersal groups increased. Overall, the introduction of large wind farm platforms will transform the local ecosystem, enhancing the overall production which will likely provide benefits to local fisheries focused on higher trophic level groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decarbonization and decentralization of district heating networks lead to the shared use of on-site resources by multiple stakeholders. The optimal design of prospective equipment in such contexts should take into account the preferences and objectives of each stakeholder. This article focuses on the adaptation of a 4E multicriteria model (the criteria being energy, exergy, economic, and exergoeconomic) to include and compare the stakeholders' performance criteria around the technical design. In addition, two graphical supports are proposed that represent and cross-analyze the different stakeholders' preferred optima. A preliminary implementation of the methodology is illustrated through a study case in France, which features waste heat recovery for district heating utilization. After presenting the results, a discussion is offered on how to complete the methodology with an iterative negotiation procedure to determine the most suitable design. It was concluded, among other considerations, that the relaxation of the stakeholders' optimality requirements can greatly enable the project's feasibility. Such a relaxation could be implemented in the form of a joint consortium. In addition, the results showed that stakeholder relaxations of requirements can lead to new solutions that may outperform the best solutions pre-relaxation. Lastly, perspectives are suggested toward verifying whether relaxed requirements from upstream stakeholders might be more impactful than those of downstream stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reach climate mitigation goals, the share of wind power in the electricity production is going to increase substantially in France. In winter, low wind days are challenging for the electricity system if compounded with cold days that are associated with peak electricity demand. The scope of this study is to characterize the evolution of compound low wind and cold events in winter over the 1950–2022 period in France. Compound events are identified at the daily scale using a bottom-up approach based on two indices that are relevant to the French energy sector, derived from temperature and wind observations. The frequency of compound events shows high interannual variability, with some winters having no event and others having up to 13, and a decrease over the 1950–2022 period. Based on a k-means unsupervised classification technique, four weather types are identified, highlighting the diversity of synoptic situations leading to the occurrence of compound events. The weather type associated with the highest frequency of compound events presents pronounced positive sea-level pressure anomalies over Iceland and negative anomalies west of Portugal, limiting the entrance of the westerlies and inducing a north-easterly flow bringing cold air over France and Europe generally. We further show that the atmospheric circulation and its internal variability are likely to play a role in the observed reduction in cold days, suggesting that this negative trend may not be entirely be driven by anthropogenic forcings. Despite this suggested role for cold days, the observed decrease in compound events does not seem to be strongly influenced by the regional atmospheric circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public policies such as feed-in tariffs have been widely introduced to stimulate the development of renewable energies, and sustain a decarbonisation of the electricity sector. Proponents argue that these governance instruments safeguard public goods such as the climate – yet they are accused of creating political markets, and political prices, here understood as market distortion. This paper studies the ‘politics’ of pricing by following the adoption of the first feed-in tariff in France. Pricing as a way of achieving non-economic ends, such as climate mitigation, brings the values of several public goods into play, all the while prompting a translation of these values into a single price. Following the struggles over the pricing of wind power in the early 2000s, the study illustrates that rather than a pollution of the market sphere by that of politics, a politics of pricing can be observed in four distinct struggles: namely the framing of the public interest; valuation as the articulation of the future; the possible agencies of governance; and role of valuation methods and calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the research and development for energy transition in relation to climate change. It cites on the significance of reducing atmospheric release of carbon dioxide and reducing fossil energies usage in industries. The article also discusses the energy transition policy in France targeting greenhouse gas emissions through reducing the use of high-carbon energies.

The circular economy is a decisive strategy for reconciling economic development and the environment. In France, the CE was introduced into the law in 2015 with the objective of closing the loop. The legislation also delegates energy policy towards the French regions by granting them the jurisdiction to directly plan the energy–climate issues on their territory and to develop local energy resources. Thereby, the SUD PACA region has redefined its objectives and targeted carbon neutrality and the transition to a CE by 2050. To study this transition, we developed a TIMESPACA optimization model. The results show that following a CE perspective to develop a local energy system could contribute to reducing CO2 emissions by 50% in final energy consumption and reaching almost free electricity production. To obtain greater reductions, the development of the regional energy systems should follow a careful policy design favoring the transition to low energy-consuming behavior and the strategical allocation of resources across the different sectors. Biomethane should be allocated to the buildings and industrial sector, while hydrogen should be deployed for buses and freight transport vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the worldwide development of the solar energy sector, the need for reliable surface shortwave downward radiation (SWD) forecasts has significantly increased in recent years. SWD forecasts of a few hours to a few days based on numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are essential to facilitate the incorporation of solar energy into the electric grid and ensure network stability. However, SWD errors in NWP models can be substantial. In order to characterize the performances of AROME in detail, the operational NWP model of the French weather service Météo-France, a full year of hourly AROME forecasts is compared to corresponding in situ SWD measurements from 168 high-quality pyranometers covering France. In addition, to classify cloud scenes at high temporal frequency and over the whole territory, cloud products derived from the Satellite Application Facility for Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting (SAF NWC) from geostationary satellites are also used. The 2020 mean bias is positive, with a value of 18 W m -2 , meaning that AROME on average overestimates the SWD. The root-mean-square error is 98 W m -2. The situations that contribute the most to the bias correspond to cloudy skies in the model and in the observations, situations that are very frequent (66 %) and characterized by an annual bias of 24 W m -2. Part of this positive bias probably comes from an underestimation of cloud fraction in AROME, although this is not fully addressed in this study due to the lack of consistent observations at kilometer resolution. The other situations have less impact on SWD errors. Missed cloudy situations and erroneously predicted clouds, which generally correspond to clouds with a low impact on the SWD, also have low occurrence (4 % and 11 %). Likewise, well-predicted clear-sky conditions are characterized by a low bias (3 W m -2). When limited to overcast situations in the model, the bias in cloudy skies is small (1 W m -2) but results from large compensating errors. Indeed, further investigation shows that high clouds are systematically associated with a SWD positive bias, while low clouds are associated with a negative bias. This detailed analysis shows that the errors result from a combination of incorrect cloud optical properties and cloud fraction errors, highlighting the need for a more detailed evaluation of cloud properties. This study also provides valuable insights into the potential improvement of AROME physical parametrizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the obligations for owners to climate-proof buildings in France. The country aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is legally challenging to force owners to renovate their buildings due to strong property rights protections. Instead, the French legislator indirectly influences owners through conditions for new buildings and renovations, as well as administrative requirements for building permits. The law also creates positive obligations and incentives for owners to climate-proof their buildings, but enforcement mechanisms are limited. The article emphasizes the need for a balance between climate obligations and property rights, suggesting that more ambitious obligations may require further restrictions on property rights in the general interest. [Extracted from the article]

Forecasts and scenarios calculated by energy system models are ubiquitous in energy debates. They are used by a wide range of public and private actors to make investment decisions, identify problems, and support or criticise specific forms of political intervention. The article presents an analytical framework for studying such entanglements between predictive practices and policy-making. Drawing on work in STS and the anthropology of politics, energy policy is conceptualised as a field of contention, populated by competing predictive policy assemblages. This concept is applied to a historical study on German and French energy policy-making, focusing on two periods. In the post-WWII decades, energy forecasts contributed to the structuring of 'energy policy' as an autonomous policy domain concerned with choosing between different energy supply options. This dominant paradigm was challenged in the 1970s and 1980s, when new modelling techniques forged by civil society groups brought energy demand and renewable energies to the fore politically and helped structure new political alliances. The article concludes by arguing that new ways of 'assembling' energy systems in models and forecasts can contribute to policy change, if they successfully 'perform' energy policy along three dimensions: by instituting alternative future-visions; by enabling new forms of political intervention; and by contributing to the formation of new 'predictive policy assemblages'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To the best of our knowledge, there is no econometric study on the causal relationship between renewable or fossil energies and terrorism, nor on terrorism in France. This paper tries to fill this gap and considers other variables as economic growth and trade openness. The autoregressive distributed lag approach and Granger causality are used for annual data on France covering the period 1980–2015. The Wald test confirms the existence of long-run relationships between the considered variables. Granger causality reveals long-run bidirectional causalities between all the variables. Interestingly, in the short-run, there are unidirectional causalities running from renewable energy to terrorism, and from terrorism to trade openness, and there is bidirectional causality between terrorism and economic growth. Long-run parameter estimates show that more renewable energy consumption and more trade increase both terrorism and economic growth. However, economic growth reduces terrorism in the long-run and appears as a powerful tool to combat terrorism in France. In addition, France is recommended to continue encouraging the use of renewable energies, and at the same time, to make more diplomatic efforts to resolve political and military conflicts in the world, and particularly in the Middle East. Highlights • There is long-run bidirectional causality between renewable energy and terrorism. • There is long-run bidirectional causality between fossil energy and terrorism. • There is short-run unidirectional causality running from renewable energy to terrorism. • In the long run, renewables increase terrorism and economic growth. • In the long run, economic growth reduces terrorism and increases renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Renewable development can be leveraged through a variety of energy carriers. The aim of this paper is to assess the potential of producing low-carbon hydrogen from electricity surplus considering the French case for the timeframe of 2035. The analysis is conducted on a regional basis, in order to investigate the potential locations for electrolyser placements. To do so, it builds on an assessment of the land and ocean eligibility to identify a precise geographic distribution of the renewable energies (photovoltaics, and onshore and offshore wind) across France. The surplus energy is assessed regionally using a dispatch model showing that little energy is actually available to produce hydrogen when only considering the renewable curtailments. Using the nuclear available energy allows to enhance the hydrogen production potential while respecting the low carbon footprint criteria. Highlights • Hydrogen is a promising enabler for a multi-sectorial decarbonisation. • Hydrogen production potential using the electricity surplus in France is studied in this paper. • Renewable curtailment is not sufficient in 2035 for an economic electrolysis operation. • Electrolysis from available nuclear energy is economically feasible and increases the utilization of nuclear power plant. • The electricity interconnections can strongly affect the surplus amounts allowing to bring flexibility to the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The production of dehydrated alfalfa for animal feed requires substantial energy-consuming processes, which raises questions about the environmental sustainability of this sector; less energy-intensive processes and a transition to renewable energy are needed. In this study, we quantified the environmental footprint of dehydrated alfalfa production in France and its evolution over time using data collected over two periods (2006–2009 and 2016 to 2019). This study was based on twelve production units spread throughout the main alfalfa production areas in France, which represent more than 50% of the national production of dehydrated alfalfa. A life cycle assessment was performed for the three steps of this production: production in the field, transportation from the field to the factory and the dehydration process. The results showed that the adaptation and renewal of the production tools between the two time periods allowed a reduction in the consumption of nonrenewable energy per ton of dehydrated alfalfa: lignite and coal decreased from an average of 352.3 kg t−1 dehydrated alfalfa in 2006–2007 to an average of 100.6 kg t−1 dehydrated alfalfa in 2018–2019. At the same time, the introduction of biomass as an energy source represented 127.4 kg biomass t−1 dehydrated alfalfa in 2018–2019. The decrease in the moisture content of fodder due to climate change and a longer time in the field before plant transport also significantly decreased the energy needed for dehydration at the factory level. Consequently, the French production sector reduced its impact on the "climate change" impact category from 1.150 kg CO 2 -eq. kg−1 dry matter of dehydrated alfalfa (first period) to 0.494 kg CO 2 -eq. kg−1 dry matter of dehydrated alfalfa (second period). Among the eight environmental impact categories studied, only the "land competition" criterion increased from 0.840 to 1.222 m2.y between the two periods due to the substitution of fossil energies with renewable energies from wood and energy crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel energy management approach (imitation-Q-learning) based on imitation learning (IL) and reinforcement learning (RL). The proposed approach reinforces a decision-making agent based on a modified Q-learning algorithm to mimic an expert demonstration to solve a microgrid (MG) energy management problem. Those demonstrations are derived from solving a set of linear programming (LP) problems. Consequently, the imitation-Q-learning algorithm learns by interacting with the MG simulator and imitating the LP demonstrations to make decisions in real time that minimize the MG energy costs without prior knowledge of uncertainties related to photovoltaic (PV) production, load consumption, and electricity prices. A real-scale MG at the Lille Catholic University in France was used as a case study to conduct experiments. The proposed approach was compared to the expert performances, which are the LP algorithm and the conventional Q-learning algorithm in different test scenarios. It was approximately 80 times faster than conventional Q-learning and achieved the same performance as LP. In order to test the robustness of the proposed approach, a PV inverter crush and load shedding were also simulated. Preliminary results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to research different strategies for developing the green economy in shrinking cities. Considering urban shrinkage and the green economy as two extended concepts, a French town in post-Fordist transition and a Mexican post-mining town are selected as the most diverse/similar systems to indicate different strategies for sustainable development in shrinking cities. Embedded into different national backgrounds, including urban dynamics and support schemes for the green economy, the selected cases share the objectives of greening and regrowing strategies relying on other sectors of the green economy. The methodology applied is qualitative, including fieldwork, semi-structured interview techniques, carried out in person or remotely, and questionnaires. Findings show some positive results regarding sustainability and ecological transition in the French case, while regrowth trends were reached in the Mexican case. However, the analysis leads to uncertain scenarios for positive long-term impacts, especially due to uncertainty around future supporting policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability at national and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The closing of the aging nuclear power plant of Fessenheim was eventually concretized in June 2020 after many years of controversy, reflecting the sensibility of closing nuclear power plants in France, the world's second largest producer of nuclear power. This paper provides insight into how this highly policy vexed issue was discussed on the local level during 2017, a period when the decision regarding the shutdown was still at stake. Here, I examine the discursive strategies mobilized by key actors lobbying for the shutdown or maintenance of the nuclear power plant to enhance their argumentations. Using political discourse analyses combined with the logics approach, the article shows that the argumentation of proponents and advocates of a shutdown is structured around the same concept of sustainability. However, economic growth, social prosperity, and environmental "cautiousness" are not articulated with the same chain of equivalence and do not activate the same fantasmatic logics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart charging is a means of monitoring and actively controlling EV chargers to optimize the distribution and consumption of energy with a focus on peak-load avoidance. This paper describes the most important requirements that have influenced the design and implementation of the "Smart Charging System" (SCS). It presents the architecture and main functional building blocks of the SCS, which have been realized in an iterative development process as an extension component of the already existing open-source solution "Open e-Mobility". We also provide details on the functionality of the core smart charging algorithm within SCS and show how various data sources can be utilized by the system to increase the safety and efficiency of EV charging processes. Furthermore, we describe our iterative approach to developing the system, introduce the real-world testbed at SAP Labs France in Mougins/France, and share evaluation results and experiences gathered over a three-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In France, sustainable development policy is a public policy falling under the authority of the State which has made commitments to French citizens and international organizations. It is also often he who sets the strategic objectives and the way of planning them. These policies are implemented at the territorial level and in particular the region and the intermunicipalities. Sustainable development policies are more effective when they are territorialized. To properly carry out the process, the territories will first carry out a diagnosis of their vulnerability in the three pillars. They can then take the necessary measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (PVCS) have received extensive attention recently due to the complementary relationship of PV energy and electric vehicles. This paper proposes a methodology aimed at assisting a Charging Point Operator (CPO) in determining the size of the main components of such PVCS. The modular structure of the method gives flexibility for possible use on a new sizing problem by modifying key parameters such as the EV charging demand (i.e., arrival/departure times and energy needed to fill the battery), the EV charging strategy or the business model, independently from each other. It is of particular interest for a CPO that sizes many PVCS operated in the same environment (for example, a car park at a workplace). In that case, the CPO first has to apply the method on a representative charging station. Next, he can re-use parts of the obtained results to drastically speed up (from weeks to hours) the sizing of the other charging stations. The proposed method has been applied to the EVCS of an industrial research complex in southern France. The input dataset used to apply the method consists of more than 32,000 charging transactions spanning over 6 years with 350 EV users and 80 charging points. Three charging strategies with different levels of complexity are investigated, including Mean Power, Plug and Charge, and Solar Smart Charging. The considered business model is based on the maximization of the self-production rate. The numerical findings reveal that employing a straightforward charging strategy, such as Mean Power, leads to a substantial reduction of nearly half in the required size of the PV plant compared to the basic Plug and Charge mode. In addition, our analysis demonstrates that Solar Smart Charging has the potential to decrease the PV plant size by nearly three times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind resource assessment is a crucial step for the development of offshore wind energy. It relies on the installation of measurement devices, whose placement is an open challenge for developers. Indeed, the optimal sensor placement for field reconstruction is an open challenge in the field of sparse sampling. As for the application to offshore wind field reconstruction, no similar study was found, and standard strategies are based on semi-empirical choices. In this paper, a sparse sampling method using a Gaussian mixture model on numerical weather prediction data is developed for offshore wind reconstruction. It is applied to France's main offshore wind energy development areas: Normandy, southern Brittany and the Mediterranean Sea. The study is based on 3 years of Météo-France AROME's data, available through the MeteoNet data set. Using a Gaussian mixture model for data clustering, it leads to optimal sensor locations with regards to wind field reconstruction error. The proposed workflow is described and compared to state-of-the-art methods for sparse sampling. It constitutes a robust yet simple method for the definition of optimal sensor siting for offshore wind field reconstruction. The described method applied to the study area output sensor arrays of respectively seven, four and four sensors for Normandy, southern Brittany and the Mediterranean Sea. Those sensor arrays perform approximately 20% better than the median Monte Carlo case and more than 30% better than state-of-the-art methods with regards to wind field reconstruction error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of electromobility is placing ever higher demands on new electric motor designs. This results in a gradual reduction in weight with a simultaneous increase in maximum torque. As a result, unfavorable phenomena, such as vibration and noise, can become apparent in the drivetrain. Modeling and evaluation of the acoustic noise sources of a traction motor are particularly important when it is used, for example, as the traction drive of an electric bus, where too high noise levels can have a negative impact on passengers. This article describes methods for analyzing and evaluating the root causes of noise that occurs in permanent magnet traction motors with a rotor in which the magnets have been placed inside the rotor (PMSM IPM). This paper presents an analysis of acoustic noise and forces acting in the air gap of a 240 kW motor with 60 stator slots and 2p = 10 (s60p20) as the number of pole pairs designed for bus and truck drives. To determine the dominant noise sources and evaluate their value, the forces acting in the air gap and their effect on the deflection of the outer surface of the stator yoke were calculated. The natural frequencies of the machine, their frequencies for the entire rotor speed range, and the frequency of vibration of the motor stator were calculated. Based on these data, the sound power level (A-SWL) was calculated at varying motor speeds. MANATEE software (EOMYS, 9, avenue de la Créativité, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq—FRANCE) from EOMYS was used to perform vibroacoustic calculations. The analysis results were also subjected to verification on a laboratory bench. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]