Creating sustainable renewable energy futures with low climate risks (SUSRENEW)

SusRenew addresses the ongoing transition towards a future renewable and net-zero GHG emission energy system. More precisely, the project will investigate how to assess and reduce climate risk that may arise because of this transition. The project relies on comprehensive participation from stakeholders in the renewable energy sector, covering representatives from energy providers, public as well as private end-users of energy, and energy policy actors. The project will co-produce knowledge about compound climate events that may affect the energy system, i.e. various hazard events that can occur at the same time over different regions. A new generic climate risk model for presenting risk scenarios will be produced, and the implementation of knowledge emerging from this model will test various energy models currently in use within energy system decision making. The methodology of the project rests on the IPCC conceptualization and definitions of climate risk, which describes climate risks as the interaction between vulnerability, exposure, and climate hazards. Furthermore, the project will apply the Impact Chain framework to analyze such risks, a framework that places great emphasis on user involvement. Finally, the project will develop adaptation strategies for the renewable energy system based on the result of the modeling of climate risks. The primary objective is to lay the knowledge foundation for creating a sustainable future renewable energy system with the lowest possible climate risk.

Secondary objectives are:

(1) Assess climate risks facing a future renewable energy system.

(2) Develop strategies for how the Norwegian

renewable energy sector could contribute to Norway’s climate targets for 2050 and beyond while simultaneously reducing the sector’s climate risks.

(3) Get new knowledge on possible problems and benefits of different renewable energy development pathways towards 2050 and 2100 with respect to climate risks

Start date:
End date:
Financed by:
Norges Forskningsråd
In cooperation with:
NORCE
Univeristetet i Aalborg, Danmark
Institutt for energiteknikk
SINTEF
Høgskulen på Vestlandet
Brukerpartnere; Huseiernes landsforening, Norsk elbilforening, Deep Wind Offshore, Norsk Varmepumpeforening, Småkraftforeningen
Samfunnsbedriftene; Vestland Fylkeskommune, Statsforvaltar Vestland
Id:
6651
Project lead:
Research Professor
Project staff:
Researcher and PhD student
Senior Researcher and Group Leader