A master thesis from Aalborg University
Analysing the effects on the All-island electricity system in 2020 if Ireland increases policy support for heat pumps
Author(s)
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2014
Submitted on
2014-05-30
Pages
86 pages
Abstract
Under current European Union climate obligations Ireland has committed to producing 16% of gross final consumption from renewable sources in 2020. The target is split between three sectors; transport, heat and electricity. As with many other member states, Ireland’s electricity sector is on a good trajectory to fulfilling the renewable requirements but the other two sectors are not so well positioned. This paper analyses the effects of using a holistic approach in an attempt to reach the targets. Integrating the electricity and heat sectors through heat pumps is the main focus of this paper. To successfully achieve this, barriers to technological change need to be identified, which in this paper is completed via a literature review. A theoretical concept and framework are this implemented to address barriers, thus lowering their influence over technological uptake. Using a consumer choice heat model to identify different levels of technological uptake and a complex PLEXOS model of the All-island electricity system, analysis is carried out to highlight any effects of additional demand on the electricity system from the increased number of heat pumps in the sector. This paper finds that integrating the two sectors offers at least three benefits: 1) Increased levels of renewable heat; 2) Non-ETS emissions are lowered, a necessary requirement under an EU policy decision; and 3) More renewable capacity is facilitated onto the electricity system.
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