Pablo Benalcazar

I am an Assistant Professor in the Division of Energy Economics at the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. I earned my Ph.D. in the discipline of Environmental Engineering, Mining and Energy from the AGH University of Science and Technology.

Currently, my research is centered around the design, operation and modeling of power systems integrated with energy storage technologies. Additionally, I have a strong interest in mathematical modeling and forecasting within the field of Energy Economics.

If you have any questions or are interested in collaborating, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email.

news

Oct 23, 2023	Our project, where we have created a GIS-based tool to evaluate the economic aspects of utility-scale photovoltaic systems, has been showcased in pv magazine. The calculations were performed using the Ares supercomputer, which is located at the Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet AGH. Ares is renowned as one of the fastest high-performance computing (HPC) clusters in Poland.
Sep 27, 2023	Our work where we develop a GIS-based method for assessing the economics of utility-scale photovoltaic systems has been accepted for publication in Applied Energy.
Jan 25, 2023	Our work where we evaluate we examine the importance of computational tools for the energy transition of rural and remote communities has been accepted for publication in Energies.
Jan 1, 2023	Our paper where we evaluate the competitiveness and uncertainty of offshore wind-to-hydrogen production: A case study of Poland has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Nov 8, 2022	Our paper where we develop an integrated approach to long-term fuel supply planning in combined heat and power plants has been accepted for publication in Energies.
Feb 1, 2022	Our work on the techno-economic analysis and uncertainty assessment of green hydrogen production in future exporting countries has been accepted to SDEWES2022.
Jan 29, 2022	Our work that evaluates the spatial distribution of solar installations in Poland considering exclusion constraints has been accepted to SDEWES2022.
Dec 9, 2021	Excited to serve as Guest Editor to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of Energy Economics and Policy: “Opportunities and Challenges in Creating a Sustainable and Resilient Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Future”. My co-Guest Editors on the special issue are Dr. Cristian Stet and Prof. Dr. Jacek Kamiński
Dec 3, 2021	Our paper where we investigate the effects of uncertain energy and carbon prices on the operational patterns and economic results of CHP systems has been accepted for publication in Energies.
Dec 1, 2021	Our manuscript on the prospects of green hydrogen in Poland has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
Sep 30, 2021	Our manuscript on the optimal location-allocation of printing devices for energy saving using a novel MILP approach has been accepted for publication in Energies.
Jun 23, 2021	Our work on the techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen production in Poland using a Monte Carlo-based model has been accepted to SDEWES2021.
Dec 1, 2020	Our paper on the prospects of green hydrogen in Poland has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

selected publications

A GIS-based method for assessing the economics of utility-scale photovoltaic systems

Benalcazar, Pablo, Komorowska, Aleksandra, and Kamiński, Jacek

Applied Energy, 2024

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Solar photovoltaic capacities have experienced remarkable gains worldwide. The accelerated deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems has emphasized the need for methods and tools that can assist in planning and investment decisions of utility-scale photovoltaic systems to ensure a sustainable energy transition. This study bridges the gap between research and current solar PV project evaluation practices by proposing a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach for analyzing land eligibility and performing techno-economic assessments of utility-scale photovoltaic systems. To tackle the issue of country-specific cost elements, the model incorporates a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) breakdown often used by governmental and intergovernmental organizations. The proposed GIS-based model can assist in mapping the distribution of eligible land for utility-scale solar systems while considering exclusion constraints, estimating PV capacity and generation potentials, as well as determining the average LCOE of utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems at a spatial resolution of 100 m. The GIS-based approach is demonstrated through the case study of Poland. The model estimates that 3.61% of the total area of Poland is suitable for the installation of utility-scale solar PV systems. Implementing PV installations in these areas would result in solar capacities ranging from 394.64 to 563.77 GW. Furthermore, the findings of the case study indicate that the LCOE would range from €0.043/kWh to €0.049/kWh, with a national average of €0.045/kWh. The proposed approach can be utilized to develop national and regional strategies focused on large-scale PV installations, facilitating the attainment of renewable energy goals. The study fills a significant gap in the literature as it provides a GIS-based tool for planning the sustainable development of utility-scale PV systems at the regional scale. In addition, it is the first to comprehensively assess the capacity and generation potential of utility-scale solar photovoltaics in Poland at the NUTS-2 level.
Prospects of green hydrogen in Poland: A techno-economic analysis using a Monte Carlo approach

Benalcazar, Pablo, and Komorowska, Aleksandra

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2022

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The European Commission’s plan to decarbonize the economy using innovative energy carriers has brought into question whether the national targets for developing electrolysis technologies are sufficiently ambitious to establish a local hydrogen production industry. While several research works have explored the economic viability of individual green hydrogen production and storage facilities in the Western European Member States, only a few studies have examined the prospects of large-scale green hydrogen production units in Poland. In this study, a Monte Carlo-based model is proposed and developed to investigate the underlying economic and technical factors that may impact the success of the Polish green hydrogen strategy. Moreover, it analyzes the economics of renewable hydrogen at different stages of technological development and market adoption. This is achieved by characterizing the local meteorological conditions of Polish NUTS-2 regions and comparing the levelized cost of hydrogen in such regions in 2020, 2030, and 2050. The results show the geographical locations where the deployment of large-scale hydrogen production units will be most cost effective.
Assessing the Effects of Uncertain Energy and Carbon Prices on the Operational Patterns and Economic Results of CHP Systems

Benalcazar, Pablo, Kaszyński, Przemysław, and Kamiński, Jacek

Energies, 2021

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In the power and heat sectors, the uncertainty of energy and carbon prices plays a decisive role in the rationale for decommissioning/repurposing coal-fired CHP (combined heat and power) systems and on investment decisions of energy storage units. Therefore, there is a growing need for advanced methods that incorporate the stochastic disturbances of energy and carbon emission prices into the optimization process of an energy system. In this context, this paper proposes an integrated method for investigating the effects of uncertain energy and carbon prices on the operational patterns and financial results of CHP systems with thermal energy storage units. The approach combines mathematical programming and Monte Carlo simulation. The computational process generates feasible solutions for profit maximization considering the technical constraints of the CHP system and the variation of energy and carbon emission prices. Four scenarios are established to compare the operational patterns and economic performance of a CHP system in 2020 and 2030. Results show that in 2020, there is an 80% probability that the system’s annual profit will be less than or equal to €30.98 M. However, at the same probability level, the annual profit in 2030 could fall below €11.88 M. Furthermore, the scenarios indicate that the incorporation of a thermal energy storage unit leads to higher expected profits (€0.74 M in 2020 and €0.71 M in 2030). This research shows that coal-fired CHP plant operators will face costly risks and potentially greater challenges in the upcoming years with the increasing regulatory and financial pressure on CO2 emissions and the EU’s plan of phasing out fossil fuels from electricity and heat generation.
Optimal sizing of thermal energy storage systems for CHP plants considering specific investment costs: A case study

Benalcazar, Pablo

Energy, 2021

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In the next decades, energy storage technologies will play a major role in decarbonizing the European heating and cooling sector. In this regard, the deployment of complementary technologies is of paramount importance for the energy transformation of the Polish heating sector. This work addresses the challenge of sizing large-scale thermal energy storage (TES) systems for combined heat and power (CHP) plants connected to district heating networks and participating in day-ahead electricity markets. In this paper, a method based on a mixed-integer linear programming approach is proposed to find the optimal capacity of TES units connected to coal-fired CHP systems. The model considers the specific investment costs of the storage technology and optimizes the annual operation scheduling of the CHP-TES system. The model is applied to the case study of a coal-fired CHP system. Four scenarios are used to investigate the performance of the CHP system and evaluate the effects of rising carbon prices on the optimal capacity of the TES unit. The results reveal that the integration of the TES leads to a significant drop in the utilization of the heat-only boilers, helping mitigate fuel and environmental costs.
Sizing and optimizing the operation of thermal energy storage units in combined heat and power plants: An integrated modeling approach

Benalcazar, Pablo

Energy Conversion and Management, 2021

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Thermal energy storage technologies are of great importance for the power and heating sector. They have received much recent attention due to the essential role that combined heat and power plants with thermal stores will play in the transition from conventional district heating systems to 4th and 5th generation district heating systems. This paper presents a novel decision support method for sizing and optimizing the operation of thermal energy storage units in combined heat and power plants. To achieve this goal, the method in this paper comprises three steps. The first step provides an approximation of the storage capacity based on the characterization of the thermal load. The second step extends the applicability of the method by enabling the evaluation of the hourly operation of the combined heat and power plant with thermal storage. The third step evaluates the long-term economic effects of retrofitting the combined heat and power plant with a heat storage option. The applicability of the method is illustrated using the example of a coal-fired combined heat and power plant and the study of two scenarios. The analysis of the scenarios shows that the utilization of the energy storage enhances the operational flexibility of the system by increasing the number of hours in which the combined heat and power plant operates at its maximum electrical output and, at the same time, reduces the thermal contribution of the heat-only boilers. The method developed in this work can be applied to carry out the financial analysis of an energy storage project.
Chapter 14 - Optimizing CHP operational planning for participating in day-ahead power markets: The case of a coal-fired CHP system with thermal energy storage

Benalcazar, Pablo, and Kamiński, Jacek

2021

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Combined heat and power (CHP) have been internationally recognized as a low-carbon electricity technology that will transform the way future power systems operate. In the last two decades, technological advances in energy storage technologies have accelerated their integration with CHP plants and district heating systems. As the importance of energy storage becomes more apparent, and the prospects of new revenue streams for energy companies expand, several questions have been asked by relevant stakeholders regarding the potential economic and operational effects of integrating CHP plants and energy storage units. Furthermore, a major challenge in future decades is the decarbonization of heat production, one of the most energy-intensive sectors in the world. A potential solution for the mitigation of carbon emissions and air pollutants is the deployment of systems comprised of or integrated with combined heat and power technologies. This chapter presents a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) approach for solving the operation planning problem (commonly referred in the literature as “day plan”) of a coal-fired CHP system. The system comprises a CHP plant (equipped with an extraction-condensing steam turbine driven by two pulverized coal-fired boilers), two auxiliary boilers and a tank thermal energy storage. The objective of the mathematical model is the minimization of the operating costs of the CHP system considering the heat demand of a district heating network and the potential revenues from the sales of electricity in the local power market. An illustrative example based on a typical cogeneration system operating in Central and Eastern Europe is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach. Two scenarios are investigated to highlight the advantages of the model in dealing with the co-optimization of heat and power.