The smart city (SC) concept is currently one of the leading ideas in the field of management. It has also become important for Polish cities in terms of sustainable development. Therefore, it is important to determine the priority in urban development; and the areas that need investment to make cities smart. Based on the literature review, it can be stated that there are many available concepts of SCs since the level of development of many cities in the world is different and the priorities of the developed areas vary. The identified SC management models present common parts, resulting from the defining basis, as well as additional aspects important for an SC, stemming from their specificity and the approach of their managers. Thus, the aim of the article is to propose the author’s model of resilient smart city development in Poland. To achieve the objective, a systematic literature review was applied, and the analysis of existing SC management models in the world was carried out in or... [more]

The goal of this paper is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature about the sustainability of digitalization in the energy sector in order to capture the main challenges and trends in the transition towards it. The bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature was carried out by interrogating the Scopus database, using a set of keywords considered relevant for the analyzed field and for the goal of the proposed research. The purpose of the study was, on the one hand, the depth of the research into these topics during the 2013−2021 period, in terms of the number of scientific papers, the topic, abstract and keywords associated, the geographical area of origin and the authors’ affiliation and on the other hand, an analysis of the existence of possible links between these topics formulated through three hypotheses. The results obtained reveal the researchers’ concerns for digitalization in the energy sector, the existing correlations between the keywords analy... [more]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a bridging point between the old, neoclassical, growth-based model of the economy and newer, emerging paradigms, such as the well-being economy. The importance of growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is recognized within the SDGs, however, in addition, Target 19 of Goal 17 advocates the adoption of alternative measures of economic well-being. The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) has been found to be the indicator of alternative economic well-being most aligned with the SDGs. On the basis that increased, high-quality energy use leads to expanded macro-economic activity, as measured by GDP, this study conducts a conceptual exploration of the extent to which the pursuit of sustainable energy development (SED) can enhance GPI outcomes. Based on a recent Icelandic GPI study, a total of 46 SED themes were found to be linkable to 16 of its 39 sub-indicators, including 8 cost deductions and 7 benefit additions. The frequency of these was as... [more]

In this paper, a review of the adoption status of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies is presented, specific to US residential buildings. Various technologies are reviewed and categorized as either their relative “higher adoption” or “lower adoption” rates within the US housing stock. More importantly, the review analysis investigates the main factors associated with their high or low adoption rates. Specifically, the paper provides a background of the historical progression of energy efficiency programs as well as sustainability certifications and standards for buildings. The review then analyzes specific building energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies applied to US residential buildings and their adoption rates. The review analysis indicates that building technologies are more frequently adopted for multiple reasons including requirements by codes and standards, incentives through green certifications, low implementation costs, and acceptance and populari... [more]

The high dependence on imported fuels, the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the need to develop a low-carbon economy are reasons for the development of the renewable energy market in Poland. The wider use of biofuels can be a method for reducing oil dependence and reducing CO2 emission. Opportunities to reduce emissions and meet international requirements in the field of environmental protection are seen, among others, in the development of the production and greater use of biocomponents, including bioethanol. This article presents the current state of development in the area of bioethanol production in Poland. An outline of legal regulations in the examined area and statistical data, as well as the largest producers and their production capacity, are presented. The basic time range of analyses covered the years 2015−2019. According to the analyses, liquid biofuels in Poland are used on a small scale, although over 2015−2019, the production of bioethanol as a biocompon... [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 which can be considered now in the framework of sustainable development and the three pillars of: economic, environmental and societal impacts. To inform this debate, a detailed survey of the available literature related to economic assessments of closed and open cycles has been undertaken—this complements an earlier review on environmental impacts. Results of economic assessments showing how the management of spent fuels in the open and closed cycles impacts the costs of the nuclear fuel cycle, are usually presented in terms of the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE). It is clear that the costs of the back end of the fuel cycle are a... [more]

Over the years, the innovation and development of electrical and electronic equipment have been on a steep rise. Millions of electronics are being sold or discarded every year in the form of waste. Sustainable IT (Green IT or Circular Computing) is one of the most environment-friendly methods of reusing discarded or waste user electronics. The remanufacturing of a computer refers to the disassembly, repair, and upgrade of the original computer to give it a new life, along with a warranty that is as good as a new product. The goal of this work includes studying and assessing the total environmental impact of refurbishing a computer using life cycle assessment (LCA) integrated with discrete event simulation (DES), to compare two business models: (1) a case of centralized remanufacturing where the plants are in the Middle East, which is the hub for receiving waste electronics and distributing remanufactured goods; (2) a case of decentralized remanufacturing where the plants are situated i... [more]

This work deals with controlling the solar radiation reception rate (SRRR) (ratio of the incident solar radiation on tilted panel to the global incident solar radiation). Controlling the SRRR will permit the amount of the received solar energy on solar panels to be adjusted. This SRRR control is very useful for several technological applications such as solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies in extremely sunny regions around the world, such as the case of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Thus, the sustainability of the cities and villages, located in such regions, is promoted. A novel design proposing a poly-tilted segmented panel (PTSP) is proposed as an original techno-logical solution enabling the control of the SRRR. Design technical details are clearly explained. The proposed design presents a cheap, simple and effective alternative to conventional sun tracking systems. The SRRR on the proposed PTSP is mathematically modeled. The influence of the combinations “number of segment/tilt ang... [more]

This article reviews the accomplishments of studies in which optimization tools were used to develop energy-efficient and sustainable construction schedules. With the increase in global awareness of environmental issues, the construction industry has been forced to explore innovative techniques to make the building process more energy-efficient and sustainable. Project managers can use optimization tools in their scheduling procedures to address these issues in the early stages of the project. Therefore, this paper examines different optimization-based construction scheduling methods and their impact on schedule energy efficiency and the three key sustainability goals: economic viability, social equity, and environmental protection. Such a review has not yet been conducted to the best of our knowledge. This research aims to fill the gap and contribute to understanding advanced optimization tools that can pave the way to energy-efficient and sustainable scheduling practices. After a bri... [more]

There is a growing research interest in studying microgrids as a way to overcome the lack of access to energy. These microgrids could be the key to global energy access because of their many advantages related to flexibility, efficiency, and reliability. Despite all these qualities, microgrids remain challenging to implement in a sustainable and resilient way without a clear consensus on what causes these failures. To this end, this work proposes a new paradigm to make a multidisciplinary and comprehensive review of the operation of microgrids. By reconciling the different fields inherent to microgrids, this review enables the study of microgrids within a unified framework. Microgrids will be presented through energy, information, financial, and social fields to provide the necessary elements for their systemic understanding. Each field will be presented with its internal elements, architecture, and significant issues. By elaborating on this new vision of microgrids, this article hopes... [more]

Air pollution is a major concern, particularly in developing countries. Road transport and mobile sources are considered the root causes of air pollutants. With the implementation of zero-carbon and zero-energy concepts at the district scale, cities can make great strides towards sustainable development. Urban planning schemes are moving from mere building solutions to the larger positive energy district (PED) scale. Alongside other technology systems in PEDs, increased uptake of electro-mobility solutions can play an important role in CO2 mitigation at the district level. This paper aims to quantify the exhaust emissions of six conventional and two fully hybrid vehicles using a portable emission measurement system (PEMS) in real driving conditions. The fuel consumption and exhaust pollutants of the conventional and hybrid vehicles were compared in four different urban and highway driving routes during autumn 2019 in Iran. The results showed that hybrid vehicles presented lower fuel co... [more]

Buildings worldwide use a large amount of energy and, hence, contribute to increasing the level of greenhouse gases emission (GHG). It was realized that most electrical energy is used in buildings for heating, cooling, and ventilation purposes. To deal with environmental issues, the concepts of renewable energies and clean or green energy sources have been a part of academic discussions. A review of the literature unveils that most of the prior research in the GHG domain focused on the production side of producing renewable energy by opting for different cleaner energy sources (for example, solar energy). Although such studies have contributed significantly to advancing the field, it is also important to change the energy consumption behavior at the level of individuals for decarbonization. However, such a debate to promote the pro-environmental behavior (PEB) of employees from the perspective of energy consumption remains an understudied area. Against this backdrop, this research was... [more]

The rational use of energy systems is one of the main discussions in sustainability in the 21st century. Water pumping systems are one of the most significant consumers of electricity in urban systems, whether for urban water supply, sewage, or use in vertical buildings. Thus, this work aims to present Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies applied in buildings’ water pumping systems, focusing on energy efficiency, supervision, and control of the pumping system. The work involves four steps: (i) identifying the existing I4.0 technologies and (ii) mapping the possibilities of applying Industry 4.0 technologies in building pumping systems. The study includes the analysis of (16) articles published in journals between 2018 and June 2021 to identify I4.0 technologies cited in the publications. It identified and grouped eighteen (18) technologies based on twenty-two (22) terms observed in the papers. The study classified the identified technologies into three possible applications in a building w... [more]

Urban e-mobility, seen as a part of complex and multidimensional European Green Deal plan, is essential for cities. However, it cannot be implemented without a common social commitment accompanied by a shared, strong belief in its advantages. Even if urban authorities and central governments would encourage their citizens to buy or share an electric vehicle (EV), the shift to EV will not be significant without people convinced that the idea of becoming zero-emission is economically viable and rational to them privately. This is especially true and important in countries like Poland—which is classified as an “EV readiness straggler”. The main purpose of this study is to develop a robust forecasting model with the aid of advanced machine learning methods. Based on the survey conducted, we identified factors useful for predicting consumer behaviour in terms of willingness to purchase an EV. The proposed machine-learning tool (specifically, the Random Forest algorithm) will allow automotiv... [more]

Worldwide, around 998 million tons of agricultural waste are generated yearly, including livestock wastes, which create several critical environmental issues if not properly treated. In this study, a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based model to locate and quantify both the yearly amount of livestock waste, i.e., sheep wool, and the territorial distribution of sheep farms, was carried out and applied within the selected study area. The aim was to identify those territorial areas most suitable for localizing new shared wool collection centers to sustainably manage the reuse of this waste as potential green building material. Data related to both sheep farms and sheep number and the related sheep shared wool (SSW) yearly production were acquired and applied in GIS. By GIS-based model results, two collection centers have been identified within the provinces of Agrigento and Enna. Then, to develop a sustainable reuse in terms of reducing environmental impact due to the SSW logistics... [more]

Passive small direct alcohol fuel cells (PS-DAFCs) are compact, standalone devices capable of electrochemically converting the chemical energy in the fuel/alcohol into electricity, with low pollutant emissions and high energy density. Thus, PS-DAFCs are extremely attractive as sustainable/green off-grid low-power sources (milliwatts to watts), considered as alternatives to batteries for small/portable electric and electronic devices. PS-DAFCs benefit from long life operation and low cost, assuring an efficient and stable supply of inherent non-polluting electricity. This review aims to assess innovations on PS-DAFC technology, as well as discuss the challenges and R&D needs covered on practical examples reported in the scientific literature, since 2018. Hence, this compilation intends to be a guidance tool to researchers, in order to help PS-DAFCs overcome the barriers to a broad market introduction and consequently become prime renewable energy converters and autonomous micropower gen... [more]

Morocco has resolutely committed to the green transition of its economy by opting for industry decarbonation, which now imposes itself as an essential access criterion to foreign markets. Intending to include energy efficiency in the leading players in energy-intensive industries, this paper has the main objective of contributing to a better understanding of the decarbonation plans potential impact, taking the example of solar energy integrating opportunities as an action for a thrifty, sustainable, and low carbon Moroccan industry. Indeed, the paper focuses on the industrial textile sector, such as the energy-intensive industry. This sector is the first employer and the most important industrial activity; it is also an icon and the oldest industry in Morocco. This study examines the energy, economic and environmental fallout, evaluating the productions, the investment and the CO2 emissions limit. Besides, the energy industrial sector is characterized by a strong dependence on fossil i... [more]

During supply chain redesign processes, many environmental initiatives at facilities and their surrounding regions are affected by the closing, opening, or even broadening of facilities. These initiatives may be about the surplus renewable energies that the facility generates for its region, the renewable energy sources that are available in the area for the facility, or the ecological relationships between facilities and their surrounding regions in general. The implications of these ecological relationships for the supply chain redesign problem were considered in this study in order to minimize the negative outcomes while minimizing the process’s related expenses. Thus, to minimize the unwanted effects, an objective function is defined in addition to the cost objective, which results in a bi-objective problem. Although small cases can be solved by exact methods such as AUGMECON, for larger scales, a matheuristic algorithm needs to be developed. The efficiency of the developed algorit... [more]

The aim of the study is to identify, map and assess the maturity and impact level of the specific energy-oriented economy and other SMART management concepts and social, technological, finance (economical), environmental, and communication (S.T.F.E.C.) trends which arose from the dynamic development and spread of the Industry 4.0 revolution on processes of effective competitiveness and the creation of modern enterprises. The article presents data and information obtained thanks to an in-depth review of the literature (extensive desk research), as well as that obtained as part of the conducted CAWI pilot study. The authors aim to search for answers to three specific research questions, concluding that recently, special attention is paid to such issues as co-creation and co-production, energy-oriented and circular economy, eco-energy, and sustainability. The findings of this study clearly show that in the SMART WORLD era, there is a growing interest in cooperation, co-creation, co-produc... [more]

Circular economy is a tool based on the inclusion of environmental, social, and governance performance (ESG) in decision-making to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG). In recent years, it has become clear that business-as-usual has nothing to do with sustainability, and alternative business models, primarily on technological grounds, must be implemented to mitigate the damage caused by significant and unpredictable effects of climate change. The current situation requires unprecedented and urgent changes to policies and business development models. The current research aimed to target on industrial symbiosis as one of the business models of the circular economy. It evaluated the benefits of symbiosis and the fostering of cooperation between industries and, consequently, has a major impact on resource efficiency ratios. The research is based on quantitative and qualitative research methods, including a literature review, assessment, and application of the triangulation method. A... [more]

Recently, due to the industrial and e-commerce revolution, the freight transport sector has grown rapidly and has become one of the key factors for economic development. Coupled with the growth of this sector, significant energy and environmental problems have arisen. Therefore, a huge effort has been made around the world in order to develop some solutions that could mitigate these problems. One of these promising solutions is electrifying the urban freight transport sector including the trucks and freight commercial vehicles fleets. In Palestine, as in other developing countries, the implications of this solution are still unquantified and the efficiency of the application is unpredicted. Therefore, this has necessitated a comprehensive study that considers all the relevant factors, such as the source of the electricity (renewable energy, oils, natural gas, etc.), fuel rates, and electricity rates. In this study, a prediction model has been developed using the historical data for the... [more]

In the present study, experimental analyses were conducted by using biodiesel derived from second-generation feedstock. In terms of cost and accessibility, second-generation feedstock has gained more attention due to its environmental approach. Waste-cooking-oil-derived methyl ester was produced through a transesterification reaction in the presence of a synthesized magnesium zirconate (Mg2Zr5O12) heterogeneous catalyst. This trans-esterified waste cooking oil (WCO) was used as biodiesel and was blended with diesel in 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% by volume ratio for further analysis. The fuel properties of pure and blended biodiesel were investigated in terms of flash point, density, kinematic viscosity, and lower heating value as per the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-6751 standards. For each blended fuel, the engine performance and gaseous emissions trend with engine loads of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 kg were measured on a Kirloskar TV1 IC engine. The results indicated t... [more]

This paper presents the assessment of the European Union member states in terms of the circular economy (CE) targets, using a combination of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and factor analysis. This approach fills in the existing knowledge gap by providing an innovative methodology of an objectivised comparative evaluation of the degree of implementation of the CE principles by the EU countries. Assessing countries’ performance in achieving the goals of the circular economy is a challenge due to the lack of a generally accepted methodology, the multitude of indicators, and the insufficient data. Countries may be compared in a narrow way, according to single indicators, but a more holistic synthetic assessment of countries is also needed to determine their position against each other. In such cases, DEA may be successfully used. The study resulted in the identification of two clusters of countries with similar profiles of relative efficiency in the CE goals’ implementation. I... [more]

With little time left for humanity to reduce climate change to a tolerable level, a highly scalable and rapidly deployable solution is needed that can be implemented by any country. Offshore wind energy in international waters is an underused resource and could even be harnessed by landlocked countries. In this paper, the use of sailing wind turbines operating autonomously in high seas to harvest energy is proposed. The electrical energy that is generated by the wind turbine is converted to a renewable fuel and stored onboard. Later, the fuel will be transferred to shore or to other destinations of use. The presented idea is explored at the system level, where the basic subsystems necessary are identified and defined, such as energy conversion and storage as well as propulsion subsystems. Moreover, various operating possibilities are investigated, including a comparison of different sailing strategies and fuels for storage. Existing ideas are also briefly addressed and an example conce... [more]

Global energy consumption has reached unprecedented levels over the last century due to population growth and economic growth. There have been significant changes in the global energy economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Due to this trend, many countries around the world are promoting electric technologies as fuel-saving alternatives. The Israeli energy industry integrates renewable sources into its supply system and streamlines consumption. Nevertheless, Israelis know too little about smart meters, energy storage systems, and other modern power grid technology, which enables a decentralized approach to energy management referred to as distributed energy systems (DES). Using distributed energy systems to generate energy on-site and manage loads can reduce costs, improve reliability, and secure revenue. An effective public education program can help prepare public opinion and reduce barriers to smart use and energy efficiency in the home. By educating schoolchi... [more]