Energy self-supply estimation in intermediate cities

Abstract

Cities are responsible for more than three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions due to their intensive use of fossil resources. Hence, proposals to modify the current urban energy model have been established. The comprehensive inclusion of renewable energies in the urban area of the intermediate city of Cuenca will be analysed. In previous studies, it was established that five renewable technologies have the greatest opportunities for implementation in the city. Therefore, this research proposes a methodological approach to establish the impact of the inclusion of each of these technologies, and the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) model is used to establish the urban energy balance. Through the construction of scenarios and the evaluation of energy balances, it is concluded that it is possible to reduce the energy flows that enter the city by applying these five energy sources. The results indicate a self-supply potential of up to 33.9% of the total urban consumption; however, due to the type of local energy matrix, only 13% of this energy could be consumed under current conditions, and the remained would be surplus power. Photovoltaic (PV) technology has a significantly higher potential than the other technologies as it exceeds the electricity demand 3.19-fold. The conclusion is that the conversion of currently fuel-powered services to electrical power is necessary to maximize clean self-generation.