NETEP · European-Brazilian Network on Energy Planning

NETEP—European-Brazilian Network on Energy Planning

The European-Brazilian Network on Energy Planning (NETEP) addresses the need for interdisciplinary research and knowledge transfer for the development of sustainable energy planning strategies to support future decision making. The project set out from the premises that the recent evolution of energy market conditions and policies and the ever-increasing concerns with sustainable development have brought about profound changes in the required approach to the energy decision-making process and the assignment of priorities during the energy planning process. Sustainable energy planning should now be seen as a multidisciplinary process, where economic, environmental and social impacts must be simultaneously taken into consideration across different scales of analysis−from the local to the global level. Against this background, NETEP has brought together partners with different types of expertise in the field of energy analysis from four countries −Portugal, UK, Spain and Brazil− with markedly different energetic metabolic patterns and different energy market structures. Staff exchange has enabled project partners to share and broaden their knowledge on models and methodologies and adapt and implement them to different energy systems in specific local situations. The complementary experiences of the researchers have contributed to the creation of a solid, multidisciplinary team that is able to address and handle these new challenges in the field of sustainable energy planning using novel inputs and knowledge. The specific objectives that have been pursued by the network of researchers during the project duration can be summarized as follows: • To analyse energy planning models and methodologies used in different countries, in different research groups and real industrial settings, e.g. factories, creating new frameworks and methodologies and recognizing the multidisciplinary characteristics of the theme. • To transfer knowledge between partners creating synergies between the participants with complementary research expertise, developing long term collaboration. • To promote early-career researchers training on energy planning and sustainable energy decision making. • To propose measures and tools that can contribute to the reduction of the negative impacts of energy-related activities. The work performed during the course of the project has focused on these four objectives through the execution of the corresponding work packages and the secondments of ER and ESR from Europe to Brazil and vice versa. Following the original NETEP work plan different models and methodologies for dealing with sustainable energy planning were analysed and tested in both European and Brazilian contexts. A cross-country assessment of energy and environmental indicators was conducted including Brazil and European countries. Recognizing the uncertainty of long-term energy decisions frequently driven by external factors, risk and uncertainty models were studied for inclusion in energy planning and energy project analysis. The challenges of sustainable supply chains and sustainable manufacturing capabilities of local Brazilian companies to support the deployment of specific energy technologies in Brazil were studied. The social dimension of energy decisions requiring multi-criteria analysis and models integrating the perspectives of different social actors was studied. The novel methodological approach Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to analyse energy metabolism and scenarios was tested and implemented for different economically and socially relevant cases in Brazil, including favelas in Rio de Janeiro. The collaborative research has been productive and resulted in several joint publications demonstrating the effective knowledge sharing, the joint participation in relevant conferences and seminars, the organization of courses and workshops to promote knowledge exchange among researchers from the European and Brazilian partners, and the participation in academic and scientific events of the partner institution during the secondment periods. NETEP knowledge sharing has provided relevant socio-economic impacts throughout the entire energy value chain, and contributes to the objectives of greenhouse gas emission reductions, and energy efficiency and renewable share increase. In the long term both scientific and political impacts can be foreseen at local, national and global levels. Indeed, the exchange between the partner countries is of considerable relevance for the European Research Area (ERA) insofar as it enables European researchers to access the research networks and expertise of a strategically important partner in Brazil. The Brazilian team has also acted as a hub for dissemination of research and networking into the larger Brazilian and Latin American research communities. Major socio-economic impacts included building closer relations between European research organizations for science and technology cooperation and between European and Brazilian research institutions. This has given rise to an effective research network opening avenues for a collaborative environment between the institutions engaged in this project and for future joint research projects. In addition, the exchange program has provided both early-stage and experienced researchers with valuable research opportunities and cultural experiences that contribute to the building and consolidation of successful personal careers.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union