Investigating the Causalities for Cleaner and Affordable Electricity Production Mix: A System Dynamics Methodological Approach

• Main Authors: C. Tziogas, P. Georgiadis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2013-09-01
• Series: Chemical Engineering Transactions
• Online Access: https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/6057

Nowadays, environmental awareness and cleaner energy production are among the highest priorities of the European Union’s (EU) sustainable energy policy agenda. Electricity sector, in particular, has a large share in the EU’s energy roadmap 2050. Cleaner electricity production is highly depended on the generated energy balance. The latter is influenced by the penetration of renewable energy sources and the CO2 emission directives. On the other hand, there is a major technological shift in the usage of energy sources for effective electricity generation. In such a setting, electricity price is becoming a factor which reflects the social acceptability of investments on cleaner production with a direct influence on demand and production levels. So far, the determination of price in a steady state condition has been widely investigated under production mix, environmental, social and technological influences. However, the absence of dynamic strategic tools which can consider the causal influences as endogenous consequences of the embedded feedbacks is remarkable. From this central point, the objective of this paper is to propose a System Dynamics based methodological approach for examining the interrelations. This approach is illustrated through the aspect of social acceptability. This can be achieved by integrating the systems thinking approach and the simulation discipline into a holistic dynamic consideration of the cleaner and affordable electricity system.