Exploring the value-stacking opportunities of batteries providing frequency containment reserve services in different regulatory environments

The security and reliability of the European power system network that is used to transmit electricity from producers to consumers is under increasing pressure. The penetration of renewable energy resources that have a variable and unpredictable energy output and the rising cost of the operation of fossil-based power generators are negatively...

Designing a Future District Heating Network for Rotterdam South

The city of Rotterdam must find a way to transition away from natural gas for heating the built environment before 2050. Among the alternatives for future spatial heating is district heating, as residual heat is abundantly available in the Rotterdam harbour. Currently, a small part of the Rotterdam South area is covered by the district heating...

David and the vegetable factory: A Two-stage Optimization Model for Generating a Vegetable Factory's Facility Layout Using the Gradient Descent Approach

In this thesis a two-stage model is proposed, combining the idea of a two-stage model from Anjos and Vieira [1] with a gradient descent approach, much like proposed in Sikaroudi and Shahanaghi [42], in order to solve the facility layout problem for problems consisting of 8 and 12 departments . This method was chosen after analyzing the criteria...

Regional electricity distribution systems: Designing the future electricity grids of the Netherlands

During the next few decades, a significant increase in the use of intermittent renewable energy sources is expected in the Netherlands as well as a general increase in electricity consumption. Due to the increased demand as well as a more uncertain, volatile supply, substantial upgrades and redesign of the current Dutch electricity grids are...

The effects of online shopping on the retail real estate market

In the period following the start of the economic crisis retail vacancy has steadily increased in many countries around the world. A frequently mentioned cause of the increase in retail vacancy is the growing popularity of online shopping. In various scientific publications, scholars have addressed the possible future implications of online...

Model-free reinforcement learning for minimizing grid interaction of solar energy generation and heat pump loads in net Zero-Energy Buildings

This study applies model-free reinforcement learning (RL) on a case study based in Utrecht province in the Netherlands to optimize for on-site renewable energy. This aims at reducing the interaction of net zero-energy buildings with the grid as a result of an increase of heat pump installations and renewable energy systems (RES) integration. It...

Analysis of container shippers' freight transport mode choice behavior: Application of UTA-type methods and their comparison with discrete choice modeling

Towards a cost-optimal European power system for a renewable future: An assessment of the best planning scale, complementary options and policy implications

Climate Change and Economic Growth: Production Based versus Consumption Based Evidence on the Decoupling of CO2 Emissions from Economic Growth

Of all the issues the world is facing today, Climate Change is the most threatening. The atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases has increased significantly after industrial revolution and the vast majority of scientists now agree that most of the observed warming in the Earth’s climate system has been caused by these anthropogenic...

Gap Analysis for Energy Network Design: A Socio Technical Perspective

Energy network infrastructures form an integral part of continuous, stable and uninterrupted energy supply and transmission. These structures are complex and mostly consist of wired or pipeline networks. Some examples of these networked infrastructures can be oil and natural gas lines, electricity (grids), heat pipelines, biogas and green gas...

Non-deterministic networked infrastructure design of multiple sources and multiple sinks

Networked infrastructures such as gas and water pipelines, roads, railroads or power grids provide essential utilities and services to society. Common characteristics of such infrastructures include high capital costs, generally long lifetimes and irreversibility once the construction of such networks have finished. In the design of these...

Advancing the roll-out of energy networks by embedding cost differentiation in modeling approaches which minimize assessed construction costs

This thesis aims to be a contribution to the roll-out of new energy networks by presenting and discussing ways to minimize assessed construction costs associated with these networks. It does this by providing an extension of already existing methods to estimate building costs.

The application process of fusionbonded epoxy as field joint coating

Allseas is one of the leading offshore pipeline installation contractors in the business. For the installation of pipes, it uses the so called S-lay method, a method where pipe sections are assembled into a continuous pipeline at the _ring line, on- board the pipe lay vessel. Subsequent stations perform welding, non-destructive testing and...

Development of a system for 'Sustainable Fuel from Digested Manure' Financial feasibility study for the Salland region

A financial feasibility study into the development of a 'sustainable fuel from digested manure' system for the Salland region within the Province of Overijssel in the Netherlands. This is a specific variant of a green gas hub system, which produces sustainable fuel as end product. To deal with challenges and uncertainties in the development the ...

Local sustainable energy companies and municipal involvement: Designing a framework for municipal involvement

How can municipalities be helped in choosing their level of involvement in a local sustainable energy company? This research investigates how municipalities can be helped in choosing their level of involvement in a local sustainable energy company. It aims to know which different choices municipalities can make in deciding on their involvement...

Measuring Innovation and the Propensity to Patent

Patents are often taken as an indicator to measure innovativeness, because they are a lot easier to obtain than most others. There is a complication though, which is that patents are not a direct measure of innovativeness: the fit between patents and innovativeness is biased by differing propensities to patent. The propensity to patent was...

Group preference profiles for use in the dutch national risk assessement