Transcript Megaregions Energy Systems Megaregions + MetroProsperity Sustainable Economics for the Texas Triangle

Megaregions Energy Systems
Megaregions + MetroProsperity
Sustainable Economics for the Texas Triangle
September 24, 2009
Raymond L. Orbach
Director
Energy Institute
University of Texas at Austin
Just the Facts:
The Texas Triangle is not alone
• Over 50% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas.
• Approximately 2/3 of world primary energy is consumed by
cities.
• Energy use in cities is a key element in the fight against global
climate change.
• The global economic downturn has created a risk-averse
investment climate and strained public sector finances.
• With scarce resources and the need to achieve greater carbon
savings, improvements to urban energy systems will
increasingly require integrated solutions that deliver maximum
economic efficiency and multiple benefits through a
systematic, integrated approach to the design and operation of
urban energy systems.
How do we optimize urban energy systems?
• Application of quantitative holistic analysis
• Identification of achievable benefits:
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Economic
Energy efficiency
Environmental impact
Energy security
System resilience and robustness
Quality of life
• Identification of how benefits might be achieved
• Power of modern optimization techniques in the urban
context
What Do We Model in a City?
• How the space is organized:
– Built environment and its functions
– Transport system
• How people and systems use this space
• How resource demands vary in space and time
• What is the best resource interconversion technology
and flow network?
• What is the best engineering service network
Layout model with constraints: everyone is close to
needs, while closest to needs most often
[“Urban Energy Systems”, Imperial College, London]
•Combinatorial optimisation (cf. VLSI & chip design)
•Proxy for transport energy consumption and clustering benefit
•Ensures “well-connectedness” of cities and access to activities
•Can incorporate a wealth of constraints
•Solution can be starting point for urban designer
“Green Field” example: low density high density
(PE = primary education; SE = secondary education; Hi = high
density; Low = low density; H = health; C = commerce; Li = light
industry; L = leisure. Thicker the lines, more connectivity)
Sustainable Economics for the Texas Triangle
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Undertake a thorough review and critical appraisal of the state-of-the art
relating to urban energy systems analysis, modeling and implementation
appropriate for the Texas Triangle
Develop a conceptual framework for the characterization and modeling of
urban energy systems over a wide range of systems and networks
Characterize the interplay between urban infrastructures, people and
communities (and their needs), and business and service providers, in
particular seeking to understand the determinants of demand via consumer
behavior, and how innovation takes place in large, complex systems
Apply the research of these activities to the Texas Triangle
Perform first-cut urban systems optimization studies, in particular identifying
a hierarchy of steps that will improve the performance (economic, energy
efficiency, environmental impact) of urban energy systems
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The Texas Triangle urban layout model
The Texas Triangle transport-land use model
The Texas Triangle resource-technology network optimization model
The Texas Triangle energy service network model