Economic and Environmental Implications of Low-Carbon Transition in the Energy System: Case Studies on Lighting Technologies, Electricity System, and Direct Air Capture

This defense will be presented in person at Bren. Join us in Bren Hall 3526 (Pine Room) or watch online using this link and passcode energy

ABSTRACT

Decarbonization actions in the energy system play a fundamental role in global climate change mitigation efforts. In addition to their carbon mitigation potential, it is also important to evaluate other sustainability dimensions of these actions. In this dissertation, I evaluated the economic and environmental implications of energy system decarbonization actions by linking the relevant economic and environmental assessment methods with scenario analysis and/or system modeling approaches. This methodology integration makes it possible to capture the effects of system interaction and evolution on the performances of decarbonization actions.

In Chapter I, I quantified the demand for critical rare earth elements (REE) in the lighting sector as it transitions to more energy-efficient lighting technologies, and I also studied the availability and economic feasibility of recycling REE from end-of-life lightbulbs. In Chapter II, I estimated the total system cost of transitioning the U.S. electric power system to zero carbon emission by 2050 using an electricity system optimization model. In Chapter III, I evaluated the prospective environmental impacts of direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) by considering the effects of long-term electricity system decarbonization and technology learning of DACCS. This dissertation provides robust and reliable insights about the potential trade-offs of low-carbon transition in the energy system by evaluating relevant actions in dynamic system contexts.

BIO

Yang Qiu earned his BS Degree from Beijing Forestry University, and two MS Degrees in Environmental Science and Applied Statistics from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University, respectively. During his PhD, Yang was selected as a research fellow to visit RWTH Aachen University at Germany under the UCSB Acal-IRES program. He worked as a graduate intern at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He has also been serving as a teaching assistant and graduate mentor at UCSB. Starting from July 2022, Yang will join the Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as a Postdoc Researcher.