Browsing by Author "Kosomaa, Emmi"
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- Global nuclear power production and its economic outlook after the Fukushima accident
Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu | Bachelor's thesis(2018-04-22) Kosomaa, Emmi - Obstacles and solutions for low carbon investments in district heating
Sähkötekniikan korkeakoulu | Master's thesis(2021-03-15) Kosomaa, EmmiThe aim of this thesis was to understand the existing obstacles in low carbon district heating investments. In addition, the goal was to suggest solutions to the obstacles. The study was qualitative based on interviews with five energy companies, four consultants, three technology developers and two financers. The starting point was that Finland’s climate neutrality goal in 2035 pressure district heating companies to radically reduce their emissions in only 14 years. The setting has also changed remarkably in just a few years with the EUA price steadily increasing from below 10 €/tCO2 in 2017 to around 40€/tCO2 in 2021. However, emissions from district heating have not decreased as fast as have been seen in electricity. The interview results were analysed with the help of Porter’s five forces to emphasised changes in the heating market. The strongest change drivers are the customers and substitute products. District heating customers demand rapid decrease in emissions and different building specific heating solutions, especially ground source heat pumps, have managed to sell with a story about emission reductions. However, differences exist inside of Finland and customers in the capital area value environmental questions the most. The results were combined into a SWOT-matrix to emphasise strengths and opportunities in addition to weaknesses and threats. The positive side show that district heating can have a large role in a climate neutral society. The opportunities arise from advancing sector integration and technology development. Solutions were suggested based on the weaknesses and threats. The goal is to make threats, such as electrification, into opportunities by gaining experience from the new way of producing heat. District heating companies’ weaknesses are low innovativeness caused by low R&D budgets and monopolistic features of district heating. Also, district heating companies must improve communications to show the good progress to stakeholders.