Abstract
Arctic energy systems are primarily remote and off-grid with specific operational challenges related to Arctic conditions. Most of them are today powered by fossil fuels, but there is an increased interest for increasing the share of renewable energy production in the Arctic. This leads to new challenges both related to large seasonal variations and operation of renewable enegy technologies in a rough Arctic climate. The ZEESA project is building knowledge on how to design and operate renewable thermal-electrical integrated energy systems in the Arctic. These systems should be energy- and cost-efficient at same time as they ensure a high security of supply for arctic settlements. In ZEESA we are using meteorological measurements of solar irradiation and wind energy at Svalbard in combination with well-defined field studies of PV systems to provide new competence and expertise on the relationship between Arctic weather conditions and the production potential of renewable energy. Further by coupling the energy production potential to innovative solutions for energy storage and the use of heat recovery from hydrogen the feasibility of installing thermal-electric integrated energy systems for arctic settlements are evaluated. This is done by combining optimization models for investment and design analyses and dynamic simulations of multi-scale energy balancing to evaluate achievable and operational performance of these systems under harsh and varying conditions.