Value quantification of multiple energy storage to low-carbon combined heat and power system

As the proportion of renewable energy gradually increases, it brings challenges to the stable operation of the combined heat and power (CHP) system. As an important flexible resource, energy storage (ES) has attracted more and more attention. However, the profit of energy storage can't make up for the investment and operation cost, and there is a lack of measurement system for multiple values, which seriously hinders the development of energy storage industry. Based on this, this paper makes a quantitative analysis on the system value of multiple energy storage in CHP. Firstly, the uncertain output of renewable energy is characterized by Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, and a two-level dispatching model is constructed based on the distributionally robust optimization method, so as to study the optimal operation strategy of the ES-CHP system. Secondly, based on the system value theory, this paper analyzes the system value of multiple energy storage, including internal value and external value, and constructs the value quantitative model, respectively. Finally, in a typical ES-CHP system, the system value of multiple energy storage is quantified. The effectiveness of the two-level model constructed in this paper can be seen from the simulation results, and the influence of different electricity prices on the system value of multiple energy storage is further analyzed.

Deliberative Q-method: A combined method for understanding the ecological value of urban ecosystem services and disservices

There is a need, in the ecosystem valuation literature to compliment the economic methods with sociocultural valuation methods that capture and facilitate a better understanding nuanced social and cultural values that are difficult to measure. Yet, sociocultural valuation methods are often critiqued for their lack of structured and replicable procedures and for often maintaining limited internal research validity. Accordingly, this paper demonstrates the development and application of a mixed-methods valuation approach to better recognize non-use social and cultural values by integrating the triad of deliberation, local ecological knowledge, and value quantification. We operationalized this method in Amman, Jordan where we analyzed how local experts value, based on their local ecological knowledge, the ecosystem services supplied by the City's urban water features (fountains, ponds, and streams).•We combine the conventional Q-method and focus group to yield a group deliberative Q-method.•The deliberative Q-method facilitates a structured valuation framework.•The deliberative Q-method method produces rich qualitative data.•The rigorous statistical analysis of deliberative Q-method improves internal validity and streamlines qualitative data coding.•The rigorous statistical analysis of deliberative Q-method weighs competing values to better understand polarized and consensus views.