The consequences of climate change are an important point of contention in the current policy debate on the sustainability of economic development and growth. Climate change contributes to many socio-economic disadvantages and risks. The primary objective of global policy 2050 is to fully understand the negative externalities of environmental change. Goal and methodology: the main goal of the study is to examine convergence to the steady green growth state for a sample of 130 countries from 1990 to 2019. Setting up an efficient and consistent policy to fight climate change demands empirical knowledge on green growth. Using log (t) test methodology, we investigate convergence in green growth indicators for selected samples based on available country data. Findings: our assumptions are: (1) economies are not motivated and eager to foster energy transition; instead, they accept it as a random policy goal and (2) economies want to foster energy transition, but they are limited by a signifi... [more]

Quantifying the wider benefits of energy efficient building retrofits is crucial to incentivise householder retrofit investments. This research recognises the value of key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing and demonstrating retrofitting benefits and provides an assessment of KPIs for evaluating retrofits. An integrated framework for evaluating retrofits using a set of economic, social, and environmental KPIs is proposed. This KPI framework is then applied in a pre- and post-retrofit assessment of five case study dwellings located in Ireland, revealing its usefulness in demonstrating the wider benefits of retrofitting to householders, with a view to driving retrofit investment. Three of these case study dwellings had state-of-the-art retrofit technologies installed as part of the works, including heat pumps and solar PV systems. In addition to demonstrating the wider benefits of retrofitting, the framework allowed for the identification of potential causes for differences in p... [more]

The purpose of this study is to explain the determinants of the process of investing in renewable energy sources (RES) from the perspective of enterprises, with particular emphasis on the strength of their orientation on such strategic issues as sustainable development, orientation towards innovation, as well as the level of maturity of their partnership with the client. The research method was carried out on a sample of 157 industrial enterprises in the food industry. The research process was conducted with the consideration of making these decisions dependent on the strength of companies’ commitment to several strategic issues: sustainable development, innovation orientation, and the maturity of their partnership with the customer. The results of the data analysis collected during the quantitative research show a strong correlation between the level of openness of the organization of the IR 4.0 era to RES and (a) orientation towards sustainable development, (b) orientation towards in... [more]

The overcoming of the issues on energy crisis and inequality have become the priorities as far developing as developed countries are concerned. Moreover, energy inequality has increased due to the shortage of natural gas and rising energy prices in retaliation to the economic recovery affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to verify the linkage between the growth of renewable energy consumption and the country’s economic advancement. In this context, this paper determines the main driving forces of renewable energy consumption in European countries during 2000−2018. The annual data for panel regression analysis are retrieved from the OECD. Stat and World Bank Open Data. This empirical analysis employed a set of estimation procedures such as the panel unit root test (Levin, Lin & Chu; Im, Pesaran, Shin W-Stat; ADF-Fisher Chi-square; and PP-Fisher Chi-square methods), the Pearson correlation, fixed- and random-effects models, generalized method of moments (GMM), Hausman and t... [more]

In recent years, wind power in Brazil has emerged as an alternative to diversify the country′s energy mix and minimize the emission of pollutants derived from fossil fuels. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the Brazilian Northeast, has considerable potential for the generation of wind energy due to the occurrence of strong winds in many areas along the coast and in the interior of the state, in places with higher altitudes. However, wind energy, despite being considered clean and renewable, can cause environmental impacts in those places. Thus, the present study analyzed the perception of environmental impacts caused by the installation of wind farms in the agricultural areas of Northeast Brazil. The study was carried out in the municipality of Serra do Mel, in the western region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, based on a survey of local farmers. The study concluded that farmers live without major problems and without apparent conflicts with wind farms but have little knowledge... [more]

Energy policy affects the functioning of the economic and financial systems of countries worldwide. This paper provides a theoretical overview of the economy−energy nexus and discusses the particular cases of the energy policy dynamics amid the sustainability goals. This paper integrates multiple perspectives on the energy−economy nexus, with a particular focus on the energy trilemma, 4As of energy security and PESTEL approach. This allows the development of a comprehensive framework for the analysis of energy security and the sustainability interaction. A review of manifestations of the different dimensions of energy security and sustainability is carried out to identify the most topical facets of the issue. Then, the cases of the selected European Union countries (Ireland, Greece, Denmark and Lithuania) are presented to highlight the effects and features of the recent energy policy changes there. Indeed, these countries apply a PSO levy mechanism on electricity tariffs and are divers... [more]

The greatest challenge in accelerating the realisation of a sustainable and competitive bioeconomy is to demonstrate that enshrining sustainability principles at the very heart of a production line can generate value and improve its overall system. Strategies for reducing emissions, pollutants, indirect land use change or soil depreciation are all perceived as costs or necessary inconveniences to comply with stringent, climate change-focused policy frameworks. System dynamics modelling and competitive priorities are tools that can accurately and intelligently expand on the cross-value chain approach, which integrates both technical and environmental performances, to address the issue of harmonising sustainability and technical operations as one overall dimension of performance. A stock-and-flow model is developed to map a full biofuel value chain and quantitatively and coherently integrate factors of emissions, carbon, land, production, and technology. As such, environmental and operat... [more]

Currently, in conditions of Industry 4.0, the use of cyber-physical systems in various fields is becoming widespread. This article is devoted to the problem of estimating CPS sustainability in the context of modern challenges faced by decision makers and IT developers in order to ensure effective proactive business process management using this innovative technology. The purpose of the research is to propose and substantiate a methodology for estimating CPS sustainability to ensure the reliability and strength of its elements, their interrelationships and interaction, as well as the effective functioning and development of this system in conditions of high dynamism and uncertainty of the external environment. In this study, we used methods of integral evaluation, synthesis, expert assessments, dynamic analysis, and systematic approach, and coined the term ‘CPS sustainability’. Our study showed that negative risks, external and internal threats may have a significant adverse impact on C... [more]

Countries with limited natural resources and high energy prices, such as Jordan, face significant challenges concerning energy consumption and energy efficiency, particularly in the context of climate change. Residential buildings are the most energy-consuming sector in Jordan. Photovoltaic (PV) systems on the rooftops of residential buildings can solve the problem of increasing electricity demands and address the need for more sustainable energy systems. This study calculated the potential electricity production from PV systems installed on the available rooftops of residential buildings and compared this production with current and future electricity consumption for residential households. A simulation tool using PV*SOL 2021 was used to estimate electricity production and a comparative method was used to compare electricity production and consumption. The results indicated that electricity production from PV systems installed on single houses and villas can cover, depending on the ti... [more]

Sustainability has become of great interest in many fields, especially in production systems due to the continual increase in the scarcity of raw materials and environmental awareness. Recent literature has given significant attention to considering the three sustainability pillars (i.e., environmental, economic, and social sustainability) in solving production planning problems. Therefore, the present study conducts a review of the literature on sustainable production planning to analyze the relationships among different production planning problems (e.g., scheduling, lot sizing, aggregate planning, etc.) and the three sustainability pillars. In addition, we analyze the identified studies based on the indicators that define each pillar. The results show that the literature most frequently addresses production scheduling problems while it lacks studies on aggregate production planning problems that consider the sustainability pillars. In addition, there is a growing trend towards obtai... [more]

Due to the growing number of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in use in industry, as well as the increasing demand for limited raw materials, such as lithium for electric vehicles (EV), a more sustainable solution for mobile energy storage in AGVs is being sought. This paper presents a dual energy storage system (DESS) concept, based on a combination of an electrical (supercapacitors) and an electro-chemical energy storage system (battery), used separately depending on the required transport distance. Each energy storage unit (ESU) in this DESS is capable of supplying the AGV completely. The concept takes into account requirements for a complex material flow as well as minimizing the energy storage capacity required for the operation of the AGV. An energy flow analysis is performed and further used as a basis to derive three possible circuit concepts for the technical realization. The circuit concepts are compared to other approaches from related work, differentiating the functionality... [more]

This study focused on developing a sustainability project carried out in 11 Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Goiás (IFG) campuses wherein energy efficiency and distributed generation actions were developed. Energy consumption was optimized by retrofitting the lighting system, installing a photovoltaic (PV) generation system, quantifying the building efficiency, energy monitoring, training, and qualification, and focusing on the efficient use of electric energy. We first present the Brazilian legislation that regulates the Research and Development Program in the electric energy sector. Then, we describe the case study that was applied to the educational institution. In the lighting system, 18,377 inefficient lamps were replaced by lamps with more efficient technology, with an energy saving of 867.9 MWh/year and a peak demand reduction of 309.6 kW. The proposed generation system aimed to install 3076 PV modules on the roofs of selected campus buildings, totaling... [more]

Universal access to energy is a global challenge for sustainable development that requires granting last-mile access to energy services to rural and isolated communities. However, achieving access is not sufficient: it must be done affordably, reliably and with an adequate quality. Universal access to energy goes beyond the mere selection of a technical solution or infrastructure; it demands being able to design management models for projects aiming to guarantee that households may access energy services in a sustainable way. This study analyzes the main elements (i.e., governance, technological and business models) of management models in universal access to energy projects and their impact on the different dimensions of sustainability (i.e., social, environmental, and economic). The study then presents three case studies of rural electrification projects having different configurations of the management model, with special focus on the differences in the business model, and it analyz... [more]

Continually using fossil fuels as the main source for producing electricity is one of the main factors causing global warming. Through the past years, several efforts have been made, looking for sustainable, environmentally friendly, and clean energy alternatives. Harvesting geothermal energy from roadway pavement is one of the alternatives that have been developed and investigated recently. Herein, a systematic review and bibliometric analysis were conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of the potentials of harvesting thermal energy from asphalt pavement and to assess the level of achievement being attained towards developed technologies. A total of 713 articles were initially collected, considering the period between 2006 and 2021; later, a series of filtration processes were performed to reach 47 publications. The thermal energy harvesting technologies were categorized into three main sectors, at which their basics and principles were discussed. In addition, a detailed descri... [more]

The shift from an industrial to a post-industrial economic system encourages an alternative to the globalized food chains—short food supply chain initiatives, which come alongside the servitization concept and are often discussed in the context of sustainability. However, short food supply chain literature is mainly focused on the aspects typical of the industrial economic system and neglects new important business drivers arising in the post-industrial era. This research aims to discuss the evolution of short food supply chain theory and practice in the context of three paradigm innovations that emerged in the post-industrial economic system and suggest new paths for sustainable agri-food system building. All three paradigm innovations are closely related to each other, but each changes a certain dimension of the mental model concerning the food production and delivery system. The article examines the organizational model of the alternative local food market in Lithuania that has been... [more]

The current energy prices do not include the environmental, social, and economic short and long-term external effects. There is a gap in the literature on the decision-making model for the energy transition. True Cost Accounting (TCA) is an accounting management model supporting the decision-making process. This study investigates the challenges and explores how big data, AI, or blockchain could ease the TCA calculation and indirectly contribute to the transition towards more sustainable energy production. The research question addressed is: How can IT help TCA applications in the energy sector in Europe? The study uses qualitative interpretive methodology and is performed in the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland. The findings indicate the technical feasibilities of a big data infrastructure to cope with TCA challenges. The study contributes to the literature by identifying the challenges in TCA application for energy production, showing the readiness potential for big data, AI, and blo... [more]

This study explores Bangladesh’s present energy condition, renewable energy (RE) possibilities and designs an optimal 100% RE-based off-grid power system for St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh. The optimal size of a hybrid renewable microgrid based on photovoltaic (PV) cells, a battery energy storage system (BESS), fuel cells (FC), and an electrolysis plant (EP) is proposed. Advanced direct load control (ADLC) and rooftop PV meet the energy demand at the lowest cost, and profits are maximized by selling chemical products produced by seawater electrolysis. Four cases are explored with the mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) optimization technique using MATLAB® software to demonstrate the efficacy of the suggested power system. The system cost in case 1 is lower than in the other cases, but there is no chance of profiting. Cases 2, 3, and 4 have greater installation costs, which may be repaid in 8.17, 7.72, and 8.01 years, respectively, by the profits. Though the revenue in case 3 is 6.... [more]

3D concrete printing has gained tremendous popularity as a promising technique with the potential to remarkably push the boundaries of conventional concrete technology. Enormous research efforts have been directed towards improving the material properties and structural safety of 3D printed concrete (3DPC) over the last decade. In contrast, little attention has been accorded to its sustainability performance in the built environment. This study compares the energy efficiency, operational carbon emission, and thermal comfort of air cavity 3DPC building envelopes against insulated models. Four insulations, namely expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane foam (PUF), and fiberglass (FG), are iteratively paired with three different 3DPC mix designs, and their resulting performances are reported. A numerical optimization analysis is performed to obtain combinations of 3DPC building models and insulation with the least energy expenditure, carbon production, and the... [more]

This paper exposes the many flaws in the article “Through the Eye of a Needle: An Eco-heterodox Perspective on the Renewable Energy Transition, authored by Siebert and Rees and recently published in Energies as a Review. Our intention in submitting this critique is to expose and rectify the original article’s non-scientific approach to the review process that includes selective (and hence biased) screening of the literature focusing on the challenges related to renewable energies, without discussing any of the well-documented solutions. In so doing, we also provide a rigorous refutation of several statements made by a Seibert−Rees paper, which often appear to be unsubstantiated personal opinions and not based on a balanced review of the available literature.

Environmental pollution damages public health and affects economic development. Environmental regulation is the main way for the government to solve environmental pollution. So what type of environmental regulation works better for public health and economic development? Can environmental regulation have an influence on economic development through public health? To solve these problems, this research uses China’s provincial panel data from 2013 to 2017 to divide environmental regulation into command-control policy tools and economic incentive policy tools and uses the mediating effect model to examine the relationship among environmental regulation, public health and economic development. The results show that: (1) There is a positive correlation between economic incentive policy tools and economic development; while no significant relationship between command-control policy tools and economic development is founded; (2) The relationship between command-control policy tools and public... [more]

This article attempts to identify the key forces driving the successful digitalization of the energy sector, ensuring improvements in the energy triangle including sustainability, stability, and economic performance. The article sheds light on the diverse energy priorities at supra-, national, and managerial levels, and the role of digitalization in achieving these objectives. Catching up economies (such as Poland), being post-socialist EU member states, in order to transform its energetic sector, must overcome a number of infrastructural and social shortcomings retained as a legacy of the socialist economy. As such, sustainability (as the core priority at EU energy agenda) may not be the leading objective at both national and company level in the energy sector transformation. This article presents the results of empirical research carried out through distribution of e-questionnaire addressed to Polish managers from the energy sector. The results were analyzed using the fsQCA method. T... [more]

Globally, around half a million tonnes of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) will be in dry or wet storage by around 2050. Continued storage is not sustainable, and this SNF must eventually either be disposed (the open nuclear fuel cycle) or recycled (the closed fuel cycle). Many international studies have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of these options. To inform this debate, a detailed survey of the available literature related to environmental assessments of closed and open cycles has been undertaken. Environmental impacts are one of the three pillars that, alongside economic and societal impacts, must be considered for sustainable development. The aims are to provide a critical review of the open literature in order to determine what generic conclusions can be drawn from the broad base of international studies. This review covers the results of life cycle assessments and studies on waste arisings, showing how the management of spent fuels in the open and closed cycles impact the... [more]

In this work, a comparative numerical analysis between the performance of a conventional specialized orchard tractor and those of three different hybrid electric tractor configurations is presented. The aim was to compare several powertrain configurations in the same working scenarios derived from field measurements. Peak power capabilities and endurance were numerically tested with specific load scenarios involving both transportation mission profiles and field activities with external implements powered through the power take off of the tractor. The proposed hybrid architectures were configured with the same battery-based energy storage system to perform the comparison with the same energy storage capabilities. Two parallel, two series and one electro-hydraulic hybrid configuration were modeled and tested through simulations. The parallel ones excelled in peak power performance, whereas the series configurations had the highest fuel savings. The electro-hydraulic configuration was pr... [more]

Autonomous energy management is becoming a significant mechanism for attaining sustainability in energy management. This resulted in this research paper, which aimed to apply deep reinforcement learning algorithms for an autonomous energy management system of a microgrid. This paper proposed a novel microgrid model that consisted of a combustion set of a household load, renewable energy, an energy storage system, and a generator, which were connected to the main grid. The proposed autonomous energy management system was designed to cooperate with the various flexible sources and loads by defining the priority resources, loads, and electricity prices. The system was implemented by using deep reinforcement learning algorithms that worked effectively in order to control the power storage, solar panels, generator, and main grid. The system model could achieve the optimal performance with near-optimal policies. As a result, this method could save 13.19% in the cost compared to conducting ma... [more]

Exergy and energy analyses of two biodiesel production processes that integrate solar energy as the main energy source were developed to determine the process with the higher efficiency from an energy and exergy approach. The biodiesel production processes were simulated in ASPEN PLUS®, and the solar energy supply was studied in TRNSYS®, using EXCEL® simultaneously for the exergetic analysis. The solar thermal energy collection system can supply 81% of the energy required by the alkali process in the Flash separation equipment. For the supercritical process, solar thermal energy can supply 74.5% of the energy in the preheating and separation stages. The energy efficiency of the supercritical process is higher; nevertheless, the exergetic efficiency of the alkaline process is higher than the supercritical one. Solar collection systems contribute from 85% to 93% of the exergy destroyed by the global process for both cases. The alkaline biodiesel production process has the highest advanta... [more]