Low carbon technology performance vs infrastructure vulnerability: analysis through the local and global properties...

Area of Science:

• Engineering and Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy Systems

Background:

• Renewable energy adoption is key for low-carbon infrastructure and meeting climate goals.
• Current technology development often overlooks broader system impacts, focusing solely on performance.
• This gap risks jeopardizing long-term infrastructure transitions and strategic goals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a methodology for simultaneously assessing local (technology) and global (infrastructure) performance.
• To evaluate technological interventions based on their impact on wider infrastructure system vulnerability.
• To demonstrate a method for assessing the combined criticality of multiple materials for specific technologies.

Main Methods:

• Developed a methodology to assess local and global performance impacts concurrently.
• Utilized critical material supply disruption (criticality) as a metric for low-carbon infrastructure vulnerability.
• Analyzed local performance changes and extended the approach to assess combined material criticality.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that analyzing interventions at different levels (material vs. technology) can yield divergent conclusions on vulnerability.
• Showcased a case study of wind turbines, examining criticality at both magnet and generator levels.
• Highlighted the importance of multilevel analysis for accurate vulnerability assessment.

Conclusions:

• Infrastructure design requires a systemic, multilevel approach to accurately assess vulnerability.
• Ignoring these multilevel considerations can jeopardize strategic low-carbon goals.
• Adopting a systemic perspective is essential for successful long-term infrastructure transitions.