en
Scientific article
English

Climate change impacts on hydropower in the Swiss and Italian Alps

Published inScience of the total environment, vol. 493, p. 1211-1221
Publication date2014
Abstract

This paper provides a synthesis and comparison of methodologies and results obtained in several studies devoted to the impact of climate change on hydropower. By putting into perspective various case studies, we provide a broader context and improved understanding of climate changes on energy production. We also underline the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used as far as technical, physical and economical aspects are concerned. Although the catchments under investigation are located close to each other in geographic terms (Swiss and Italian Alps), they represent a wide variety of situations which may be affected by differing evolutions for instance in terms of annual runoff. In this study, we also differentiate between run-of-river, storage and pumping-storage power plants. By integrating and comparing various analyses carried out in the framework of the EU-FP7 ACQWA project, this paper discusses the complexity as well as current and future issues of hydropow- er management in the entire Alpine region.

Keywords
  • Climate change
  • Hydropower management
  • Electricity market
  • Alps
  • Mountain area
Funding
  • European Commission - Assessment of climatic change and impacts on the quantity and quality of water [212250]
Citation (ISO format)
GAUDARD, Ludovic et al. Climate change impacts on hydropower in the Swiss and Italian Alps. In: Science of the total environment, 2014, vol. 493, p. 1211–1221. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.10.012
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
accessLevelRestricted
Identifiers
ISSN of the journal0048-9697
548views
3downloads

Technical informations

Creation2015/09/28 11:12:00
First validation2015/09/28 11:12:00
Update time2023/03/14 23:38:43
Status update2023/03/14 23:38:42
Last indexation2024/01/16 19:00:01
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack