Papers by Nikolas Katsoulakos
Smart Grid and Renewable Energy, 2019
Among the Greek islands, 61 are based-currently-on autonomous electrical systems for covering the... more Among the Greek islands, 61 are based-currently-on autonomous electrical systems for covering the electrical energy demand and are characterized as Non-Interconnected Islands (NII). The average electricity production cost in the NII is 2.5 times higher than in areas with access to the main, interconnected electricity grid (IEG) of Greece. In this paper, an analytic overview of the autonomous electricity systems of Greek islands is provided, focusing on electricity consumption and production, as well as on the relative costs. For investigating possibilities for improving the situation, especially in small, remote islands, simulations for the energy system of Astypalea are conducted. It is proved that further use of renewables in combination with energy storage can lower the current, high energy costs. Expansion of the IEG is not economically viable for islands which are far away from the mainland and their peak loads are less than 10 ΜW.
In a period of intense economic crisis, one of the main issues,that Greek society faces is meetin... more In a period of intense economic crisis, one of the main issues,that Greek society faces is meeting energy demand. Due to the austerity measures, tax raises have led to a great increase in fuel prices. This factor, combined with the income reduction has led many households to lower energy consumption, sometimes even to the point that comfort conditions in the residences are not ensured. In many cases hazardous fuel are used for heating purposes and this leads to negative environmental impacts and health problems, even deaths due to poisonous gases emissions. Therefore, the Greek society is exposed to energy poverty and policy interventions are necessary, in order to avoid the serious social consequences of this situation. For the time being, the Greek Government has applied some basic measures, which can help towards energy poverty alleviation. Households can purchase heating oil at lower prices through a subsidy policy that has been implemented since 2011. Moreover, energy efficienc...
Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 2014
The utilization of underground space for the development of underground living environments is a ... more The utilization of underground space for the development of underground living environments is a practice yet to be commonly adopted from the general public. Although in the past there were examples of underground built space for residential use, such issue has been regarded as something uncommon, far from modern human design culture. The paper deals with the design of an earth sheltered residence in an Aegean island and emphasizes on the advantages of developing underground residences in terms of bioclimatic performance. The architectural aspects and the high quality of the interior of the living environment are presented in detail, followed by the assessment regarding the energy consumption of the residence. The latter is made through a direct comparative assessment between the proposed earth sheltered residence and an above ground structure of similar characteristics having state-of-the-art passive energy features. The findings show considerable lesser energy requirements in the case of the underground building with no apparent increase to the construction cost. Hence, the case presented shows a paradigm where the proposed construction offers a modern living environment with all the features of a green engineering design.
The present study investigates the possibilities of creating a biogas unit in Metsovo, which is a... more The present study investigates the possibilities of creating a biogas unit in Metsovo, which is a small mountainous town in Greece retaining important activity in the sectors of livestock breeding, cheese and wine production. These activities produce great quantities of residues, which currently are not being treated properly and cause organic pollution. The biogas unit contribute to the treatment of organic residues through anaerobic digestion and, at the same time, will produce heat and electricity. The special characteristic of the unit is that it will not operate with commercial criteria. The energy produced will cover the needs of municipal facilities. Firstly, the biogas potential was estimated, based on primary data, statistical data, as well as laboratory analyses. It is calculated that the organic residues in the area of Metsovo can support the operation of a biogas system producing up to 325 kW of electricity. By taking into account the biogas potential and the energy need...
Journal of Mountain Science, 2021
In an attempt to enhance knowledge on the energy poverty phenomenon in mountainous areas, a prima... more In an attempt to enhance knowledge on the energy poverty phenomenon in mountainous areas, a primary social survey was conducted in a typical mountainous town of Greece, Metsovo in the Region of Epirus. The survey recorded quantitative data of energy expenses and incomes of households and it also captured qualitative indicators related to energy poverty. The findings showed that nine out of ten households in Metsovo are exposed to energy poverty, based on the objective 10% index. The subjective indicators revealed other interesting aspects of the problem. Over one-third of the local population live in houses that are inadequately heated and/or present damp problems. Almost two-thirds of the local population have been forced to restrict other basic needs, in order to respond to high energy costs. Studying the relationships between variables of the survey also revealed some notable issues. Households inadequately heated present statistical significant correlation with the heating system used. The inadequately heated houses are also correlated with houses that presented damp-mould problems, as well as households that report arrears in energy bills. Moreover, reduction in hours of heating system operation is correlated with health problems. Current energy policy in Greece does not include specific strategies for mountainous areas, apart from some differentiations in heating oil subsidies. The great extent of energy poverty in mountainous Greece, highlighted by the present representative (with respect to mountainous Greece) study, may have irreversible social impacts. Hence, a need for specific and effective action is necessary, whose main axes should be an extensive upgrade of buildings’ energy efficiency in mountainous settlements and special fuel tariffs for mountainous areas.
Energies, 2021
The experience of operating an energy-related Living Lab (LL) in mountainous Greece is presented ... more The experience of operating an energy-related Living Lab (LL) in mountainous Greece is presented in this paper in an attempt to explore the dynamics of such initiatives to address energy vulnerability. The LL is situated in Metsovo, which is a typical mountainous town of Greece with increased vulnerability issues identified in previous studies. Since Greek mountainous societies have proved to be particularly exposed to energy poverty, the LL aimed to function as an exemplary case on how to tackle energy poverty issues in mountainous regions, mainly through reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency. The methodological context was based on a holistic LL approach consisting of various activities, such as conduction of energy cafés, questionnaire surveys, home visits from Energy Advisors, installation of monitoring equipment, ICT tools and processing, etc. In particular, the LL consisted of three independent rounds, each of which involved 50 households, with 30 of them...
Sustainability, 2020
In many European countries, energy poverty is measured on the basis of real energy bills, as theo... more In many European countries, energy poverty is measured on the basis of real energy bills, as theoretical energy costs are hard to calculate. The UK is an exception—the data inputs for the Low Income-High Cost (LIHC) indicator are based on reasonable energy costs, these data are collected through specially designed surveys, often an intensive and costly procedure. Approaches which calculate energy needs are valid when energy bill data are unreliable or where households restrict consumption. In this analysis, energy poverty levels are evaluated for Greece, the municipality of Évora (Portugal), and the Basque Country (Spain): energy bills are modeled based on building energy performance data and other energy uses, and adjusted according to socio-demographic variables. To this end, equivalization weights are calculated using socio-economic data from the aforementioned southern European countries/regions. Data are analyzed to compare measurements with actual versus modeled bills using th...
Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, 2019
The European Union, in an effort to boost the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in power gene... more The European Union, in an effort to boost the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in power generation, applies supportive tools consisting in financial motivation either as grants or as subsidies. According to welfare economics, a subsidy should reflect the external benefits; otherwise a distortion of competition takes place. The most widespread method to calculate externalities is the avoided cost approach, despite the fact that it encounters equally all the RES units leading to technological neutrality. In the present article, the avoided cost approach with the objective social justification of RES subsidies/feed in tariffs (FITs) in the case of Greece, for the year 2014, is applied. The results show a high gap between the current FITs and the suggested ones amounting to approximately 40%. This uncomfortable outcome indicates that, at least in the case of Greece, either the level of the current guaranteed tariffs is not socially justified, or the CO 2 value derived from the European carbon market does not reflect the real social cost, or that the avoided cost method, alone, is not adequate to explain the level of subsidies. In light of the foregoing, the need for the development of a concrete and integrated methodology for calculating all RES externalities emerges.
Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy, 2019
ABSTRACT Energy poverty is a widespread problem across Europe with serious socioeconomic, environ... more ABSTRACT Energy poverty is a widespread problem across Europe with serious socioeconomic, environmental, political and health implications. The primary contributing factors are related to low-income levels, high energy prices, and energy inefficient housing. However, household characteristics, political, and social circumstances, and other drivers such as severe weather conditions also play a vital role. Due to the complex nature of the problem, previous research efforts have usually focused on a limited number of factors. This paper comprises the first attempt to give a holistic picture of the problem of energy poverty, using Greece as a case study, by means of Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM). The FCM model provides an insight into the energy poverty system’s structure and function. Thus, it may prove useful to policy makers interested in developing and testing alternative measures for tackling energy poverty. There are, however, certain shortcomings and challenges, which should be taken into account for future work.
Journal of Mountain Science, 2018
parts of sustainable development strategies for mountainous areas.
Procedia Engineering, 2016
The inadequate coverage of energy needs in the residential sector, known as energy poverty, is a ... more The inadequate coverage of energy needs in the residential sector, known as energy poverty, is a primary socioeconomic problem, worldwide. Especially in Greece, under the pressure of the recent economic crisis, households face serious difficulties in meeting sufficiently their energy needs. We will show that one long-term way to minimize energy consumption, and therefore, tackle energy poverty, is the turn to underground constructions. Although underground built space can offer important benefits in terms of energy demand and consumption, underground residences have been largely regarded as unusual, far from the common residence type. However, in Greece and especially in Greek islands, underground residences have been often used in order to deal with extreme heat, during summer. Moreover, since 2012, underground constructions have been introduced as a special residence type by the Greek building regulation, thus facilitating the expansion of such practice. In this paper, the benefits of an underground residence in terms of energy poverty are being examined. More specifically, energy consumption required to achieve desired energy standards is calculated both for an earth-sheltered and an aboveground residence of similar characteristics in Greece. In this way, an indicative energy poverty ratio is calculated for the two residence types. The different climatic conditions throughout the country have been taken into consideration, by examining different Climatic zones. The findings show lower energy poverty ratios in the case of the underground residence at all climatic zones. In other words, a household living in an underground dwelling can more easily meet its energy needs compared to another one living in an aboveground dwelling. Hence, the analysis shows that modern architecture design should more systematically turn to underground constructions, incorporating the advantages of bioclimatic performance and energy savings.
Energy Policy, 2016
The influence of mountains' characteristics on energy planning was analyzed. Optimal energy solut... more The influence of mountains' characteristics on energy planning was analyzed. Optimal energy solutions present differentiations with respect to altitude. Greater socioeconomic benefits by energy optimization in mountainous areas. Remoteness favors the development of decentralized energy systems. The study is based on data from Greece.
Renewable energy utilization remains at the forefront of policies aiming at confronting climate c... more Renewable energy utilization remains at the forefront of policies aiming at confronting climate change and over-exploitation of natural resources. In addition, employment reinforcement caused by the installation, operation and maintenance of “green energy” units makes investments in renewables exemplary cases of sustainable development practices. The importance of mountainous areas for the planet has been broadly recognized and according to the UN, special care should be taken about the protection of mountain environment and the development of their local societies. Hence, renewable energy should be part of an integrated mountain development policy. The paper is dealing with the connection between renewable energy potential and mountainous areas. Initially, the specific conditions of high-altitude climate are analyzed, as well as the main geographical characteristics of mountainous regions. The positive influence of these parameters on renewable energy potential is presented, along ...
Objectives This paper aims at proposing a methodology for achieving optimum energy utilization of... more Objectives This paper aims at proposing a methodology for achieving optimum energy utilization of biomass in mountainous areas. Biomass is a significant renewable energy source available at high quantities in mountainous areas. The optimum solution is extracted by combining financial and environmental parameters. The use of renewable energy sources plays an essential role in the policy and actions confronting climate change. Mountainous areas are considered to be particularly affected by climate change and therefore, they should be an active part of the global efforts against it. Methodology Metsovo, a small town at the range of Pindos, in Greece, is used as a case study. Firstly the energy needs of the town are calculated, as far as the biomass potential. Three biomass utilization scenarios are formed. For each case, the total investment cost, the external benefits, the annual equivalent cost and the annual equivalent social cost are calculated. The annual equivalent social cost pe...
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Papers by Nikolas Katsoulakos