GC047-04
Energy Resource Modelling and Analysis for Assessment of Renewable Energy Impacts on Isolated Micro-Scale Food-Energy-Water Systems using Energy-Water, Energy-Food, and Sustainable Energy Indices: Examples from Remote Alaska Communities

Wednesday, 9 December 2020: 16:12
Virtual
Richard Wies Jr1, Justus Karenzi2, Erin W Whitney2, Daisy Huang1, Jennifer Schmidt3, Daniel Sambor4, Henry Huntington5, Srijan Aggarwal1 and Michelle Wilber6, (1)University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, United States, (2)University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, United States, (3)University of Alaska Anchorage, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Anchorage, AK, United States, (4)Stanford University, Stanford, United States, (5)Self Employed, Washington, United States, (6)University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Center for Energy and Power, Fairbanks, United States
Recorded Presentation
Abstract:
Observations and analysis of energy resource data from remote Alaska communities have shown that energy is the main driver for these isolated micro-scale food-energy-water (FEW) systems. In these communities, water treatment, septic, and food production and cold storage systems depend heavily on the energy supply, with diesel fuel as the primary source of electric power and heat. Consequently, energy comes at a high cost due to the transportation logistics associated with importing fuel by barge or aircraft. As a means of leveling energy costs and improving the sustainability and reliability of these isolated FEW systems, some communities have either already integrated or are considering the integration of renewable energy resources. In order to plan for additional or new renewable energy integration, the impacts of the renewable energy resources on these isolated FEW systems need to be quantified.

This research investigates how energy resource data can be used in energy distribution models to assess the impacts of renewable energy on community level water and food infrastructure system loads (public water systems, greenhouses, cold storage units, and seafood processing plants) in remote Alaska communities. Energy-Water (EW), Energy-Food (EF), and Sustainable Energy (SE) indices are used to quantify the impacts of renewable energy on these micro-scale FEW systems. The EW index (kWh/L) is the ratio of the amount of total energy required to treat and supply water to the minimum volume of water required by the community. The EF index is defined in two ways: 1) the ratio of the total energy required to grow food inside a greenhouse to the space required (kWh/m2) and 2) the ratio of energy required to refrigerate food to the total volume required (kWh/m3). The SE index is the ratio of energy provided by renewables to the total energy provided to the water and food related loads. These indices are applied to results from renewable energy scenarios implemented using an energy distribution modelling approach based on examples from four remote Alaska communities. The results demonstrate how different energy indices can be utilized to quantify the impacts of renewable energy resources on micro-scale FEW systems in remote communities.

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