Abstract

Most sources for renewable energy can be deduced from solar radiation as the main natural income of society. Contrary to conventional fossil and radioactive energy resources that are mined or pumped out from central point sources, solar energy is a de-central resource that requires area for its conversion to useful products and services. This requires a new technological as well as logistical concept for energy systems where regions play a key role as providers of energy and goods. The contribution will provide the conceptual framework for renewable energy system generation on a regional level, taking into account the responsibility of regions to provide goods and services to the larger society and to support urban centres. It will show how optimal resource-technology-demand networks may be constructed, using process network synthesis approaches and how the ecological efficiency of such regional systems can be measured. Application of these methods to real life case studies (in particular the region of Muehlviertel in Austria) will on the one hand prove the versatility of the methods presented and on the other hand will provide insight into the scope of necessary change if society moves towards a low carbon sustainable energy system.