Background - Climate Change and Energy Supply and Use - page 5

Table 1. Energy sector vulnerability to climate change (World Bank, 2011) Table 1. Energy sector vulnerability to climate change (World Bank, 2011)

Relevant climate impacts Impacts on the

energy sector General Speciic Additional

Hydropower Runof Quantity (+/-) Erosion Reduced irm energy

Seasonal lows, Siltation Increased variability

high & low lows Increased uncertainty

Wind power Wind ield Changes in density, Changes in vegetation Increased uncertainty

characteristics, changes wind speed (might change roughness

in wind resource Increased wind variability and available wind)

Biofuels Crop response to Crop yield Pests Increased uncertainty

climate change Agro-ecological zones Water demand Increased frequency

shift Drought, frost, ires, storms of extreme events

Solar power Atmospheric Water content Pollution/dust and Positive or

transmissivity Cloudiness humidity absorb part negative impacts

Cloud characteristics of the solar spectrum

Wave and Ocean climate Wind ield Strong nonlinearity Increased uncertainty

tidal energy characteristics between wind speed Increased frequency

No efect on tides and wave power of extreme events

Hydropower Water availability Water resource Impact on the grid Increased uncertainty

and seasonality variability Wasting excessive Revision of system

Increased uncertainty of generation reliability

expected output Extreme events Revision of

transmission needs

Wind power Alteration in wind speed Increased uncertainty Short life span reduces Increased uncertainty

frequency distribution of expected energy output risk associated with on energy output

climate change
Extreme events

Biofuels Reduced transformation High temperatures Extreme events Reduced energy

eiciency reduce thermal generation generated

eiciency Increased uncertainty

Solar power Reduced solar cell Solar cell eiciency Extreme events Reduced energy

eiciency reduced by higher generated

temperatures Increased uncertainty

Thermal Generation cycle Reduced eiciency Extreme events Reduced energy

power plants eiciency Increased water needs, generated

Cooling water for example, during heat

availability waves