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The Impact of Climate Change on Swiss Hydropower

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas Savelsberg

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, FoNEW, SCCER-CREST, University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland)

  • Moritz Schillinger

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, FoNEW, SCCER-CREST, University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland)

  • Ingmar Schlecht

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, FoNEW, SCCER-CREST, University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland)

  • Hannes Weigt

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, FoNEW, SCCER-CREST, University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland)

Abstract

Hydropower represents an important pillar of electricity systems in many countries. It not only plays an important role in mitigating climate change, but is also subject to climate-change impacts. In this paper, we use the Swiss electricity market model Swissmod to study the effects of changes in water availability due to climate change on Swiss hydropower. Swissmod is an electricity dispatch model with a plant-level representation of 96% of Swiss hydropower plants and their interrelations within cascade structures. Using this detailed model in combination with spatially disaggregated climate-change runoff projections for Switzerland, we show that climate change has ambiguous impacts on hydropower and on the overall electricity system. Electricity prices and overall system costs increase under dry conditions and decrease under average or wet conditions. While the change of seasonal patterns, with a shift to higher winter runoff, has positive impacts, the overall yearly inflow varies under hydrological conditions. While average and wet years yield an increase in inflows and revenues, dry years become drier, resulting in the opposite effect. Even though different in magnitude, the direction of impacts persists when applying the same changes in inflows to the 2050 electricity system.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Savelsberg & Moritz Schillinger & Ingmar Schlecht & Hannes Weigt, 2018. "The Impact of Climate Change on Swiss Hydropower," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2541-:d:158913
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    3. Francesco Di Maio & Pietro Tonicello & Enrico Zio, 2022. "A Modeling and Analysis Framework for Integrated Energy Systems Exposed to Climate Change-Induced NaTech Accidental Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Elke Kellner, 2019. "Social Acceptance of a Multi-Purpose Reservoir in a Recently Deglaciated Landscape in the Swiss Alps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-22, July.
    5. Bartlett, Stuart & Dujardin, Jérôme & Kahl, Annelen & Kruyt, Bert & Manso, Pedro & Lehning, Michael, 2018. "Charting the course: A possible route to a fully renewable Swiss power system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 942-955.
    6. Mariusz Adynkiewicz-Piragas & Bartłomiej Miszuk, 2020. "Risk Analysis Related to Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Hydropower Production in the Lusatian Neisse River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-23, June.
    7. Plaga, Leonie Sara & Bertsch, Valentin, 2023. "Methods for assessing climate uncertainty in energy system models — A systematic literature review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    8. Gregory Giuliani & Elvire Egger & Julie Italiano & Charlotte Poussin & Jean-Philippe Richard & Bruno Chatenoux, 2020. "Essential Variables for Environmental Monitoring: What Are the Possible Contributions of Earth Observation Data Cubes?," Data, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-25, October.
    9. Roman Corobov & Antoaneta Ene & Ilya Trombitsky & Elena Zubcov, 2020. "The Prut River under Climate Change and Hydropower Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    10. Esteban Gil & Yerel Morales & Tomás Ochoa, 2021. "Addressing the Effects of Climate Change on Modeling Future Hydroelectric Energy Production in Chile," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-23, January.

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