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RAP experts keep their finger on the pulse of the energy sector and provide timely analysis of topics impacting stakeholders TODAY.
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October 29, 2024
How Many EVs Participate in Utility-Managed Charging Programs: the Minnesota PUC’s Solution
Most utility regulators understand that managed charging for light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) is really important. Instead of EVs charging at high-use times when serving customers is more expensive, charging can readily be moved to other times of the day when… View Summary +
August 15, 2024
Getting Heat Pump Incentives Right: Another Look at the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act
- Matt Malinowski
In December 2023, RAP and CLASP published “Accelerating Heat Pump Adoption through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Complementary Policies.” Using a modified U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) model, the authors analyzed the impacts of incentives on heat… View Summary +
August 12, 2024
建筑节能箭在弦上,供热物理“外挂”势在必行
建筑是中国能源消耗和碳排放的主要领域之一。中国既有建筑总量大,能耗和碳排放强度高。中国宏观经济研究院发布的《中国能源转型展望2022》报告中,提出了一条在合理成本和可行技术下实现“双碳”目标的途径。在该碳中和情景下,建筑和供热行业都需要加速电气化。研究表明,建筑领域将主要通过提高分布式和集中供暖的热泵使用率实现电气化、减少化石能源消耗,到2035年,建筑供暖的终端能源消费应该基本实现无煤化,并在2060年完全停止直接消耗煤炭和天然气(详见图 4-33,CNS2情景)。尽管其他研究对实现“双碳”目标的路径会有所不同,但几乎可以确定的是,随着未来建筑能耗的进一步增长,建筑领域需要采取多种措施大幅减少化石能源的直接或间接使用。 近年来,得益于国家与市政的支持和推广,中国热泵行业取得了显著进展。然而,推广热泵的应用仍然面临挑战,其中高昂的初装和运营成本是经常被提及的主要障碍,但实际上,从产品的寿命周期来看,热泵的高效能可以持续降低电费,使得用户不出几年便可回收成本。 本文旨在探讨如何有效提升居民和商业用户的供暖水平,在满足民生需求的同时最大化的降低费用成本。除了安装高效节能的供暖产品,提高建筑物自身能效,也是非常重要的工作。对于既有建筑,通过加强建筑围护结构的改造可以减少运行时的能量损失和供暖费用,并在安装或更换供暖设备时让用户可以选择容量更小、更便宜的热泵来满足供暖或制冷需求;对于新建筑,通过超低能耗设计也能实现同样的效果,进一步降低热泵初装和运营成本。若在建筑的整个寿命周期内尽早进行全面的节能改造,则能够获得最大的成本节约效果。虽然建筑围护结构的节能改造已是老生常谈,但将其作为热泵的“外挂”,实现热泵和围护结构一体化,能达到1+1>2的效果,丰富政策设计和资源调度。… View Summary +
July 26, 2024
How to drive industrial electrification for climate and strategic independence
Electrification is the name of the game Heat is a crucial element in almost every manufacturing process, whether it is in the heavy stuff of melting glass and steel or firing ceramics at scorching temperatures (800°C-1,500°C), producing chemicals (100°C-500 °C),… View Summary +
July 2, 2024
Treat the cause, not the symptom: Preparing for megawatt truck charging uptake in Europe
Unbalanced charging could put unnecessary stress on distribution grids The European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which entered into force mid-April 2024, requires Member States to scale up the buildout of truck charging capacity and density starting in 2025. View Summary +
June 20, 2024
优化季节电价,推动电气化供暖
近年来,热泵的推广和应用在我国发展较快,与其他国家一样,要实现清洁供暖的目标仍然任重道远,在采购供暖设备时,许多用户与供热商仍存在犹豫,其中认为热泵运行成本较高是主要因素之一。本文将简要探讨可能解决此问题的路径之一,进一步完善分时电价机制中的季节性差异,即季节性电价–通过调节季节性电价来降低用户电费,有助于缓解对运行成本的担忧,促进热泵的使用率,从建筑电气化层面来支持我国实现双碳目标。 2021年7月26日,国家发改委印发了《关于进一步完善分时电价机制的通知》(发改价格〔2021〕1093号),倡导“进一步建立健全季节性电价机制”,为用户提供更明确的价格信号。更针对电采暖,提出了“季节性电采暖电价“政策指导,降低用电成本的同时更进一步推动热泵部署。自2021年来,许多省份已经响应号召,实施了季节性分时电价。随着更多的大规模可再生能源并入电网,提高建筑终端用能电气化水平可以有助于消纳电量,另外,制定季节性电价可以降低清洁采暖成本,保障民生供暖需求。因此,有必要考虑如何建立健全季节性电价机制。 与适用于… View Summary +
May 31, 2024
What’s the Buzz? Ground-Truthing Cold-Climate Heat Pump Performance
I live in Missoula, Montana, a small college town tucked into the Rocky Mountains. We’re known for our outdoor access, not for our burgeoning restaurant scene. So when a new spot opens, there’s usually a lot of buzz. It’s exciting… View Summary +
May 24, 2024
Heat pumps gained European market share in 2023 despite falling sales
Following several years of strong growth, heat pump markets slowed in Europe in 2023. In previous articles for Carbon Brief, we discussed this initial surge in 2021 and explored the impact of the energy crisis in 2022. Yet, despite… View Summary +
May 9, 2024
Cold-Climate Heat Pumps Pass the Ultimate Test: a Maine Winter
Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat, making them an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. In 2019, the state of Maine made residential heat pumps a core piece of its climate strategy and set a goal… View Summary +
April 11, 2024
The History of Heat Pumps: Technology Advances to Meet the Cold-Climate Challenge
- Vivian Cox
Heat pumps — all-electric, super-efficient temperature control appliances that can both heat and cool indoor spaces — are a key to decarbonizing heating, especially as the grid is served increasingly by carbon-free resources. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the… View Summary +