IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i4p1056-d501017.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Energy Systems and Electric Power Grids—A Review of the Challenges Ahead

Author

Listed:
  • Aviad Navon

    (Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, The Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Haifa 3200003, Israel)

  • Ram Machlev

    (Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, The Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Haifa 3200003, Israel)

  • David Carmon

    (Israel Electric Corporation, Adi 1794000, Israel)

  • Abiodun Emmanuel Onile

    (The Department of Software Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia Tee 15a, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia)

  • Juri Belikov

    (The Department of Software Science, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia Tee 15a, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia)

  • Yoash Levron

    (Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, The Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Haifa 3200003, Israel)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic represents not just a global health crisis, but may signal the beginning of a new era of economic activity, the potential consequences of which we currently do not fully understand. In this context, the mid-to-long-range impacts of the pandemic on the energy sector have been studied extensively in the last few months. Despite these efforts, the pandemic still raises many open questions concerning the long-term operation and planning of power systems. For instance, how will the pandemic affect the integration of renewable energy sources? Should current power system expansion plans change in light of the COVID-19 pandemic? What new tools should be provided to support system operators during global health crises? It is the purpose of this paper to better understand the many aspects of these open questions by reviewing the relevant recent literature and by analyzing measured data. We point out the main challenges that the pandemic introduced by presenting patterns of electricity generation and demand, frequency deviations, and load forecasting. Moreover, we suggest directions for future research that may assist in coping with the mentioned challenges. We hope that this paper will trigger fruitful discussions and encourage further research on these important emerging topics.

Suggested Citation

  • Aviad Navon & Ram Machlev & David Carmon & Abiodun Emmanuel Onile & Juri Belikov & Yoash Levron, 2021. "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Energy Systems and Electric Power Grids—A Review of the Challenges Ahead," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-14, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:4:p:1056-:d:501017
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/4/1056/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/4/1056/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexander Bick & Adam Blandin & Karel Mertens, 2023. "Work from Home before and after the COVID-19 Outbreak," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 1-39, October.
    2. Editorial, 2020. "Covid-19 and Climate Change," Journal, Review of Agrarian Studies, vol. 10(1), pages 5-6, January-J.
    3. López Prol, Javier & O, Sungmin, 2020. "Impact of COVID-19 measures on electricity consumption," MPRA Paper 101649, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Kentaka Aruga & Md. Monirul Islam & Arifa Jannat, 2020. "Effects of COVID-19 on Indian Energy Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Ettore Bompard & Carmelo Mosca & Pietro Colella & Georgios Antonopoulos & Gianluca Fulli & Marcelo Masera & Marta Poncela-Blanco & Silvia Vitiello, 2020. "The Immediate Impacts of COVID-19 on European Electricity Systems: A First Assessment and Lessons Learned," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, December.
    6. Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Fan, Yee Van & Tan, Raymond R. & Jiang, Peng, 2020. "Minimising the present and future plastic waste, energy and environmental footprints related to COVID-19," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    7. Jiang, Peng & Fan, Yee Van & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 on energy demand and consumption: Challenges, lessons and emerging opportunities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    8. Madurai Elavarasan, Rajvikram & Shafiullah, GM & Raju, Kannadasan & Mudgal, Vijay & Arif, M.T. & Jamal, Taskin & Subramanian, Senthilkumar & Sriraja Balaguru, V.S. & Reddy, K.S. & Subramaniam, Umashan, 2020. "COVID-19: Impact analysis and recommendations for power sector operation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    9. Michelle Graff & Sanya Carley, 2020. "COVID-19 assistance needs to target energy insecurity," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 5(5), pages 352-354, May.
    10. Emilio Ghiani & Marco Galici & Mario Mureddu & Fabrizio Pilo, 2020. "Impact on Electricity Consumption and Market Pricing of Energy and Ancillary Services during Pandemic of COVID-19 in Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-19, July.
    11. Santiago, I. & Moreno-Munoz, A. & Quintero-Jiménez, P. & Garcia-Torres, F. & Gonzalez-Redondo, M.J., 2021. "Electricity demand during pandemic times: The case of the COVID-19 in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Li Chen & Guang Zhang, 2022. "COVID-19 Effects on Arbitrage Trading in the Energy Market," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Andrei M. Tudose & Irina I. Picioroaga & Dorian O. Sidea & Constantin Bulac & Valentin A. Boicea, 2021. "Short-Term Load Forecasting Using Convolutional Neural Networks in COVID-19 Context: The Romanian Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Loizidis, Stylianos & Kyprianou, Andreas & Georghiou, George E., 2024. "Electricity market price forecasting using ELM and Bootstrap analysis: A case study of the German and Finnish Day-Ahead markets," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 363(C).
    4. Khan, Khalid & Su, Chi-Wei & Khurshid, Adnan & Umar, Muhammad, 2022. "COVID-19 impact on multifractality of energy prices: Asymmetric multifractality analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    5. Khan, Khalid & Su, Chi-Wei & Zhu, Meng Nan, 2022. "Examining the behaviour of energy prices to COVID-19 uncertainty: A quantile on quantile approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PE).
    6. Dogan, Eyup & Majeed, Muhammad Tariq & Luni, Tania, 2022. "Analyzing the nexus of COVID-19 and natural resources and commodities: Evidence from time-varying causality," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Constantin Anghelache & Madalina-Gabriela Anghel & Stefan Virgil Iacob, 2022. "Energy Resources Decrease And It Is Necessary To Conserve And Save Them," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 4, pages 158-164, August.
    8. Marek Ochowiak & Andżelika Krupińska & Sylwia Włodarczak & Magdalena Matuszak & Szymon Woziwodzki & Tomasz Szulc, 2021. "Analysis of the Possibility of Disinfecting Surfaces Using Portable Foggers in the Era of the SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-10, April.
    9. Bazzana, Davide & Cohen, Jed J. & Golinucci, Nicolò & Hafner, Manfred & Noussan, Michel & Reichl, Johannes & Rocco, Matteo Vincenzo & Sciullo, Alessandro & Vergalli, Sergio, 2022. "A multi-disciplinary approach to estimate the medium-term impact of COVID-19 on transport and energy: A case study for Italy," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PC).
    10. Constantin Anghelache & Mădălina-Gabriela Anghel & Ștefan Virgil Iacob & Mirela Panait & Irina Gabriela Rădulescu & Alina Gabriela Brezoi & Adrian Miron, 2022. "The Effects of Health Crisis on Economic Growth, Health and Movement of Population," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-22, April.
    11. Indre Siksnelyte-Butkiene, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic to the Sustainability of the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    12. Tomasz Wołowiec & Iuliia Myroshnychenko & Ihor Vakulenko & Sylwester Bogacki & Anna Maria Wiśniewska & Svitlana Kolosok & Vitaliy Yunger, 2022. "International Impact of COVID-19 on Energy Economics and Environmental Pollution: A Scoping Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-26, November.
    13. Ram, Manish & Gulagi, Ashish & Aghahosseini, Arman & Bogdanov, Dmitrii & Breyer, Christian, 2022. "Energy transition in megacities towards 100% renewable energy: A case for Delhi," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 578-589.
    14. Thongsavanh Keokhoungning & Wullapa Wongsinlatam & Tawun Remsungnen & Ariya Namvong & Sirote Khunkitti & Bounmy Inthakesone & Apirat Siritaratiwat & Suttichai Premrudeepreechacharn & Chayada Surawanit, 2023. "Challenge of Supplying Power with Renewable Energy Due to the Impact of COVID-19 on Power Demands in the Lao PDR: Analysis Using Metaheuristic Optimization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    15. Jacek Artur Strojny & Michał Stanisław Chwastek & Elżbieta Badach & Sławomir Jacek Lisek & Piotr Kacorzyk, 2022. "Impacts of COVID-19 on Energy Expenditures of Local Self-Government Units in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    16. Beata Bieszk-Stolorz & Iwona Markowicz, 2021. "Decline in Share Prices of Energy and Fuel Companies on the Warsaw Stock Exchange as a Reaction to the COVID-19 Pandemic," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, August.
    17. Ye, Wei & Chaiyapa, Warathida, 2024. "Impact of governance on resilience in the energy transition. An analysis of China and Germany," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    18. Emirmahmutoglu, Furkan & Denaux, Zulal & Topcu, Mert, 2021. "Time-varying causality between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and real output: Sectoral evidence from the United States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    19. Marta Moure-Garrido & Celeste Campo & Carlos Garcia-Rubio, 2022. "Entropy-Based Anomaly Detection in Household Electricity Consumption," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, March.
    20. Andrés Oviedo-Gómez & Sandra Milena Londoño-Hernández & Diego Fernando Manotas-Duque, 2021. "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Spot Price of Colombian Electricity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fatin Samara & Bassam A. Abu-Nabah & Waleed El-Damaty & Mayyada Al Bardan, 2022. "Assessment of the Impact of the Human Coronavirus (COVID-19) Lockdown on the Energy Sector: A Case Study of Sharjah, UAE," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Sławomir Bielecki & Tadeusz Skoczkowski & Lidia Sobczak & Janusz Buchoski & Łukasz Maciąg & Piotr Dukat, 2021. "Impact of the Lockdown during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Electricity Use by Residential Users," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-32, February.
    3. Micheli, Leonardo & Solas, Álvaro F. & Soria-Moya, Alberto & Almonacid, Florencia & Fernandez, Eduardo F., 2021. "Short-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Energy and Economic Performance of Photovoltaics in the Spanish Electricity Sector," MPRA Paper 107969, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Georgeta Soava & Anca Mehedintu & Mihaela Sterpu & Eugenia Grecu, 2021. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth in Romania," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-25, April.
    5. Cerqueira, Pedro André & Pereira da Silva, Patrícia, 2023. "Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on electricity consumption – Evidence from Portugal and Spain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    6. Abulibdeh, Ammar, 2021. "Spatiotemporal analysis of water-electricity consumption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic across six socioeconomic sectors in Doha City, Qatar," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    7. Lazo, Joaquín & Aguirre, Gerson & Watts, David, 2022. "An impact study of COVID-19 on the electricity sector: A comprehensive literature review and Ibero-American survey," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    8. Zhiang Zhang & Ali Cheshmehzangi & Saeid Pourroostaei Ardakani, 2021. "A Data-Driven Clustering Analysis for the Impact of COVID-19 on the Electricity Consumption Pattern of Zhejiang Province, China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, December.
    9. García, Sebastián & Parejo, Antonio & Personal, Enrique & Ignacio Guerrero, Juan & Biscarri, Félix & León, Carlos, 2021. "A retrospective analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on energy consumption at a disaggregated level," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    10. Andrés Oviedo-Gómez & Sandra Milena Londoño-Hernández & Diego Fernando Manotas-Duque, 2021. "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Spot Price of Colombian Electricity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, October.
    11. Chaofeng Tang & Kentaka Aruga, 2021. "Effects of the 2008 Financial Crisis and COVID-19 Pandemic on the Dynamic Relationship between the Chinese and International Fossil Fuel Markets," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-11, May.
    12. Wang, Qiang & Li, Shuyu & Zhang, Min & Li, Rongrong, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on oil consumption in the United States: A new estimation approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    13. Ai, Hongshan & Zhong, Tenglong & Zhou, Zhengqing, 2022. "The real economic costs of COVID-19: Insights from electricity consumption data in Hunan Province, China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    14. Şahin, Utkucan & Ballı, Serkan & Chen, Yan, 2021. "Forecasting seasonal electricity generation in European countries under Covid-19-induced lockdown using fractional grey prediction models and machine learning methods," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    15. Chen, Xiaoyuan & Chen, Yu & Zhang, Mingshun & Jiang, Shan & Gou, Huayu & Pang, Zhou & Shen, Boyang, 2021. "Hospital-oriented quad-generation (HOQG)—A combined cooling, heating, power and gas (CCHPG) system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 300(C).
    16. Marcin Malec & Grzegorz Kinelski & Marzena Czarnecka, 2021. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Electricity Demand Profiles: A Case Study of Selected Business Clients in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, August.
    17. Burleyson, Casey D. & Rahman, Aowabin & Rice, Jennie S. & Smith, Amanda D. & Voisin, Nathalie, 2021. "Multiscale effects masked the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on electricity demand in the United States," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    18. Mohannad Alkhraijah & Maad Alowaifeer & Mansour Alsaleh & Anas Alfaris & Daniel K. Molzahn, 2021. "The Effects of Social Distancing on Electricity Demand Considering Temperature Dependency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-14, January.
    19. Hoang, Anh Tuan & Sandro Nižetić, & Olcer, Aykut I. & Ong, Hwai Chyuan & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Chong, Cheng Tung & Thomas, Sabu & Bandh, Suhaib A. & Nguyen, Xuan Phuong, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the global energy system and the shift progress to renewable energy: Opportunities, challenges, and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Wenxiao Chu & Francesco Calise & Neven Duić & Poul Alberg Østergaard & Maria Vicidomini & Qiuwang Wang, 2020. "Recent Advances in Technology, Strategy and Application of Sustainable Energy Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-29, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:4:p:1056-:d:501017. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.