An Energy Production Technology Assessment for Small and Medium Sized Projects

Alexander Rabengruber

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

Abstract

Changing political conditions, stakeholder conflicts, emission limits and many more are issues to consider before a new energy production plant is erected, especially in the European Union. Pure economical assessments cannot sufficiently cover those challenges. The field of application for existing multi-dimensional assessment tools are primarily large-scale electricity production plants. However, the importance of decentralised systems with combined use of heat and power rise. Thus, those assessment criteria can deviate and the correct consideration of the different energy products are important. Additionally, the inclusion of the stakeholders and estimation of their risk should not be neglected. The challenges lead to a new developed multi-dimensional assessment method, named ELiAs. ELiAs bases on a multi-criteria decision analysis and uses criteria from the economical, ecological, technical and socio-political dimensions. A new developed stakeholder weighting enables a categorisation of the stakeholders depending on their probability of exertion of influence, suggestibility and impact of stakeholder. Out of them preventive actions are possible. The model was tested for a realised geothermal application. An old oil well was re-equipped to a single-hole heat exchanger (SHE) to expand the useful lifetime of the well. The SHE project was compared with common gas condensing boilers. The ELiAs model detected the strengths and weaknesses of SHE and thus the need of research and the advantages towards the gas condensing boiler. Additionally, the results show the view of the stakeholders on the project and their importance of the individual criteria. However, the new assessment method will not replace existing, in the society and in companies firmly established assessment methods, but it can support decision makers. ELiAs analyses energy production technologies and their location in detail and faces often ignored flaws of such models.
Translated title of the contributionEin Technologieassessment für kleine und mittelgroße Energieproduktionsanlagen
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDr.mont.
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Hofstätter, Herbert, Assessor A (internal)
  • Biedermann, Hubert, Supervisor (internal)
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Bibliographical note

no embargo

Keywords

  • Energy
  • Technology Assessment
  • Multicriteria Desicion Analysis
  • MCDA
  • Stakeholder
  • CHP
  • combined heat and power
  • geothermal heat
  • bottom-hole heat exchanger
  • economical
  • ecological
  • technical
  • socio-political

Cite this