The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) system, which can be used as a decision support tool for managing environmental sustainability, includes carbon footprint assessment as one of the available methodologies. In this study, a carbon footprint assessment was used to investigate seawater production systems of a desalination plant in Senok, Kelantan, Malaysia. Three stages of the desalination plant processing system were investigated and the inventory database was developed using the relevant model framework. Subsequently, measurements and interpretations were performed on several key indicators such as greenhouse gases, energy efficiency, acidic gases, smog, and toxic gases. Overall, the results of the study indicate that the Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology that is used in the desalination plant in the study area is one of the best options to meet the demands of the environmental sustainability agenda (SDGs). This is due to the lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, of about 3.5 × 10−2 kg of CO... [more]

Building more sustainable pavements for the future requires knowledge of alternative and innovative materials for utilization in future road construction and maintenance activities. Being mindful of this need, the present study investigates a Reacted and Activated Rubber (RAR) compound modifier with the aim of defining an optimal RAR percentage in Asphalt Concrete (AC) mixes. It is acknowledged that when this type of modifier is incorporated within an AC mix as an alternative for the bituminous binder material, the associated economic, environmental and social benefits are significant. Simply put, the use of RAR modifiers provides the potential to utilize a waste product (rubber tires) as a more sustainable alternative to bitumen within AC mixtures. However, it seems that the information about the overall performance of AC mixes modified with RAR is currently limited. On these grounds, the present study focuses on the surface course layer and evaluates (a) achieved physical characteris... [more]

The article presents the results of research related to the SDG7 sustainable development implementation analysis. The goal is to provide affordable and clean energy. Its implementation will allow for development that will simultaneously provide the possibility of economic growth and the achievement of an optimal level of citizens’ health and life. The research was conducted for the countries of the European Union EU-27. During the analysis, the indicators proposed by Eurostat were used. The research aimed to examine the progress in EU member states’ energy markets integration. In order to carry out the indispensable research, it was necessary to use a spatial information system. Cluster analysis, as well as TSA analysis, were applied. The conducted research made it possible to verify the posed hypotheses and showed that the energy transformation process of the EU-27 countries is so complicated and heterogeneous that it has given rise to new independent and unique clusters. The authors... [more]

In our research, we analyzed the energy and water consumption in diamond mining and laboratory synthesis operations. We used publicly available reports issued by two market leaders, DeBeers and ALROSA, to estimate water and energy use per carat of a rough diamond. The efficiency of the two most popular synthesis technologies for artificial diamonds—High-Pressure-High-Temperature (HPHT) and Microwave-assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (M-CVD)—was examined. We found that the modern HPHT presses, with open cooling circuits, consume about 36 kWh/ct when producing gem-quality and average-sized (near-) colorless diamonds. ALROSA and DeBeers use about 96 kWh/ct and 150 kWh/ct, respectively, including all energy required to mine. Energy consumption of M-CVD processes can be different and depends on technological conditions. Our M-CVD machine is the least energy-efficient, requiring about 215 kWh/ct in the single-crystal regime, using 2.45-GHz magnetron for the support synthesis. The M-CVD meth... [more]

This study presents pro-ecological activities focused on an analysis of the use of biofuels as an environmentally friendly fuel. The research objects were different concentration mixtures of diesel fuel and fatty acid methyl esters, that is, transesterified plant oils. The tests involved an assessment of the performance parameters of a drive unit in a vehicle powered by diesel fuel for different mixtures of diesel oil and fatty acid methyl esters in the following proportions: 10%, 30%, 50% and 50% with chemical additives. The tests were comparative and were conducted for ‘pure’ diesel (ON). The study presents test results of selected performance parameters of the analyzed power unit. The object of the tests was a self-injection engine with a maximum power of 81 kW. The main tests which were most important for assessment of the mixtures, from the point of view of their effect on the analyzed performance parameters, involved measuring power and torque, and the toxic components of exhaust... [more]

The radiation flux distributions produced by the concentrating solar systems used to produce thermal/electrical power are usually non-homogeneous. This results in non-uniform temperature distributions on the solar receivers, causing adverse effects on the system’s overall performance. An approach to better understand the problem is to study the surfaces around the focal zone where the radiation density is homogeneous (isosurfaces), generating them from experimental data. For this, it is necessary to superimpose built volumes of the different irradiance levels using parallel planes in different directions from the focal point of a concentrator. These volumes are known as effective volumes. This study presents the model used to generate effective volume produced by a point focus concentrator, comparing it with experimental results in a direction perpendicular to the focal axis. The effective volumes were developed considering a global optical error of the system of 2.8 mrad. The set of m... [more]

Disposal of municipal solid wastes (MSW) remains a challenge to minimize its impacts on the environment and human health. Landfilling, currently the most common method used for MSW disposal, occupies land space and leads to soil and air emissions. Gasification, an alternative MSW disposal method, can convert waste to energy, but can also lead to soil and air emissions and is a more extensive operation. In this study, life cycle assessments (LCA) of the two disposal methods (landfilling without energy recovery and gasification) were compared to understand impacts on environment and health. The LCA was conducted following the ISO 14040 standards with one ton of MSW as the functional unit. The life cycle inventory was obtained from published journals, technical reports, LandGEM, HELP and GREET database. The impact assessment was done using TRACI 2.1 and categorized into eight groups. The LCA revealed that landfilling is a higher contributor in global warming, acidification, smog formation... [more]

In this paper, the properties of ignition of mixed fuel pellets formed on the basis of fairly typical energy coal and wood industry waste in the form of cedar husks are experimentally established. The technical characteristics of the initial fuel components and the mixtures based on them, the ignition delay times for different mass concentrations of biomass in coal, and the composition of flue gases formed during the thermal decomposition of these mixed fuels and their base components were determined. Pellets of mixed fuels were made by a hydraulic press. The experiments were performed in an air environment at temperatures from 600 °C to 800 °C. Recording of the processes of pellet ignition and combustion was carried out using a high-speed video camera with an image format of 1024 × 1024 pixels, and a frame rate up to 500 frames per second. The analysis of the flue gas composition was performed using a Test-1 factory gas analyzer (BONER Co.). It was found that the increase in the share... [more]

This paper suggests that the efficiency of a system (decision-making unit) and its subsystem cannot be properly measured using a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model either in cooperative or non-cooperative evaluation. Indeed, the existing methods subjectively determine the status of the subsystems in the whole system. The two-stage DEA models, either cooperative game or non-cooperative game, are used to analyze the environmental efficiency. However, when the actual relationship between the two subsystems is inconsistent with the subjective relationship assumptions, the overall efficiency of the system and the efficiency of each subsystem will be biased. The conventional two-stage DEA models require predetermining the relationship between the subsystems within the system based on the subjective judgment of the decision-maker. Based on this, this paper proposes a three-step method to solve the two-stage DEA. First, the position relation among subsystems is determined accordin... [more]

Over the past decades, Southern European residential architecture has been typically associated with heavyweight hollow brick masonry and reinforced concrete construction systems; however, more industrialised alternative systems have been gaining a significant market share, such as the light steel framing (LSF). Regardless of the proliferation of LSF buildings, a lack of experimental research studies have been performed on this construction system in terms of the indoor thermal environment and thermal comfort in the Southern European climate context. Moreover, a research gap also exists regarding experimental comparisons with typical brick masonry buildings. The present study focused on this research gap by characterising and comparing the performance of these two construction systems. A long-term experimental campaign was carried out, involving the construction and monitoring of two identical test cells, differing only by construction system. The test cells were located in Portugal an... [more]

The usage of renewable resources has become inseparable from the further development of the world economy. To preserve a clean environment for future generations, the use of renewable resources is becoming inevitable even in less developed countries. Recently, the world is facing with challenges in securing green heat production. This situation allows the biomass energy sector to develop. Biomass extracted from waste enables to produce green energy, while contributing to the sustainable development of forestry. One of the major constraints on the usage of biomass is the complex and multifaceted supply chain involving different business subjects. Compatibility problems with different interests can be solved by operating in a cluster structure. Cluster activities allow for more efficient use of limited resources. It allows to create added value for the region and society. Due to the specificity of biomass energy, there is an opportunity to create regional business units that would involv... [more]

Microalgae have attracted significant attention worldwide as one of the most promising feedstock fossil fuel alternatives. However, there are a few challenges for algal fuels to compete with fossil fuels that need to be addressed. Therefore, this study reviews the R&D status of microalgae-based polyculture and biocrude oil production, along with wastewater treatment. Mixotrophic algae are free to some extent from light restrictions using organic matter and have the ability to grow well even in deep water-depth cultivation. It is proposed that integrating the mixotrophic microalgae polyculture and wastewater treatment process is the most promising and harmonizing means to simultaneously increase capacities of microalgae biomass production and wastewater treatment with a low land footprint and high robustness to perturbations. A large amount of mixotrophic algae biomass is harvested, concentrated, and dewatered by combining highly efficient sedimentation through flocculation and energy e... [more]

Resource recovery from biodegradable waste is essential in order to reach the goals of zero circular economy waste generation and zero greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector. Waste whose management is a real challenge is sewage sludge, mainly because of high concentrations of heavy metals. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of material stabilization during aerobic stabilization of two feedstocks with sewage sludge obtained from different sources, namely, digestate from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and digestate from a co-digestion process. Moreover, the goal of the experiment was to assess the quality of compost in terms of remediation potential. The composting process was carried out for four different mixtures consisting of the mentioned digestates, municipal solid waste, and grass. A better composting efficiency with digestate from the co-digestion process was observed. In that case, a higher temperature in the thermophilic phase (>55 °C) and a... [more]

Throughout the world, wind energy is widely distributed as one of the most universal energy sources in nature, containing a gigantic reserve of renewable and green energy. At present, the main way to capture wind energy is to use an electromagnetic generator (EMG), but this technology has many limitations; notably, energy conversion efficiency is relatively low in irregular environments or when there is only a gentle breeze. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which is based on the coupling effect of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction, has obvious advantages for mechanical energy conversion in some specific situations. This review focuses on wind energy harvesting by TENG. First, the basic principles of TENG and existing devices’ working modes are introduced. Second, the latest research into wind energy-related TENG is summarized from the perspectives of structure design, self-power sensors and systems. Then, the potential for large-scale application and hybridization w... [more]

Real-time monitoring of energetic-environmental parameters in wastewater treatment plants enables big-data analysis for a true representation of the operating condition of a system, being still frequently mismanaged through policies based on the analysis of static data (energy billing, periodic chemical−physical analysis of wastewater). Here we discuss the results of monitoring activities based on both offline (“static”) data on the main process variables, and on-line (“dynamic”) data collected through a monitoring system for energetic-environmental parameters (dissolved oxygen, wastewater pH and temperature, TSS intake and output). Static-data analysis relied on a description model that employed statistical normalization techniques (KPIs, operational indicators). Dynamic data were statistically processed to explore possible correlations between energetic-environmental parameters, establishing comparisons with static data. Overall, the system efficiently fulfilled its functions, althou... [more]

While extensive research has gone into demand response techniques in data centers, the energy consumed in edge computing systems and in network data transmission remains a significant part of the computing industry’s carbon footprint. The industry also has not fully leveraged the parallel trend of decentralized renewable energy generation, which creates new areas of opportunity for innovation in combined energy and computing systems. Through an interdisciplinary sociotechnical discussion of current energy, computer science and social studies of science and technology (STS) literature, we argue that a more comprehensive set of carbon response techniques needs to be developed that span the continuum of data centers, from the back-end cloud to the network edge. Such techniques need to address the combined needs of decentralized energy and computing systems, alongside the social power dynamics those combinations entail. We call this more comprehensive range “carbon-responsive computing,” a... [more]

In this article, we propose a mathematical model using the port-Hamiltonian formalism for a satellite’s three-axis attitude system comprising fluid rings. Fluid rings are an alternative to reaction wheels used for the same purpose, since, for the same mass, they can exert a greater torque than a reaction wheel as the fluid can circulate the periphery of the satellite. The port-Hamiltonian representation lays the foundation for a posterior controller that is feasible, stable, and robust based on the interconnection of the system to energy shaping and/or damping injection components, and by adding energy routing controllers. The torques exerted by the fluid rings are modeled using linear regression analysis on the experimental data got from a prototype of a fluid ring. Since the dynamics of turbulent flows is complex, the torques obtained by the prototype lead to a simpler first approach, leaving its uncertainties to a controller. Thus, the attitude system model could be tested in a futu... [more]

The issues of renewable energy, energy crisis, and carbon reduction have caught people’s attention all over the world, and governments have put forth greater effort to proactively solve these problems. Electric transportation not only benefits the environment, but can also utilize renewable energy to prevent an energy crisis. Based on previous theoretical strands of the literature, this research integrates the technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM) into the norm activation model (NAM) and proposes an integrated model denoted as TRA-NAM. It takes TRA-NAM as our theoretical foundation and aims to explore the effect of technology readiness and awareness of consequence on the intention toward using an electric scooter (ES). The results display that technology readiness positively influences perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use and further improves consumers’ intention toward adopting ES. In addition, personal norm mediates the relationship between awareness of consequen... [more]

Energy is crucial to economic development, but its production usually has a negative impact on the environment. This ambivalence leads to the need for methods to improve energy efficiency. Transportation is one of the largest global energy consumers. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of transportation is crucial for sustainable development. The aim of this article is to show the limitations of energy management in railways, resulting from the model of market regulation. The question in this context is whether only technological methods can be used in railways to steer its energy efficiency, as is suggested by the existing research. Critical analysis, desk research and a case study of Polish railway undertaking were used to find an answer to the research question. The discussion of the results shows that the European regulatory system leads to greater complications in the field of energy management than in other global regions, where railways are also important for the economy.... [more]

The abandonment of the built heritage, as a result of functional or technological obsolescence or as a consequence of cultural, social, and economic trends, is steadily increasing. This great number of buildings, worldwide spread, offers a huge opportunity to reduce the environmental impacts related to the construction industry. Nonetheless, the recovery and reuse interventions that require the implementation of residual technological performance, to accommodate new uses, are not always environmentally neutral. Therefore, a new design approach needs to be developed so as to improve the buildings’ technological performance and enhance resources and energy already incorporated in buildings. The circular economy principles in the building sector, performance-based building design together with downcycling and upcycling theories are applied to develop a methodology aiming to reduce the environmental impacts within the rehabilitation and refurbishment design process. Starting from the build... [more]

Consideration of sustainability in product development is becoming increasingly important and encompasses many aspects of product design. In this study, a bibliometric review of recent sustainable product design publications using Web of Science and VOSViewer is carried out. The review indicates that the majority of publications concerning sustainable product design is oriented towards environmental science-led subject areas and production-led journals. Analysis of author keyword co-occurrences reveals that circular economy, life cycle assessment, sustainable management, and optimization are the most popular topics in sustainable product design research. The analysis also reveals that the researchers fail to link sustainability research to activities in product design, which leads to the lack of access to relevant research that can make products more sustainable. Building on the findings, the authors propose four future research directions that aim to guide researchers to better correl... [more]

The analysis of the economic efficiency of agriculture has been the subject of numerous studies. An economically efficient agricultural sector is not always environmentally efficient. Agriculture is a large emitter of greenhouse gases. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that food production and agriculture are responsible for 21−37% of total global CO2 emissions. Due to the comprehensive assessment of the agricultural efficiency, it is worthwhile to apply to its measurement an integrated approach based on economic, energy and environmental aspects. These aspects were the main reasons for undertaking this research. The purpose of the study was to determine the economic, energy and environmental efficiency of agriculture in the EU Member States in 2019. The environmental analyses relate to the period 1990−2019. A total of 26 member states of the European Union (excluding Malta and Luxembourg) were selected for research. The sources of materials were Eurostat and the Eur... [more]

Although operators periodically measure the sludge volume index (SVI) to stabilize the bioreactor and solid−liquid separation during the wastewater treatment process, there is a problem of inconsistency attributed to the subjective judgment of the operator. This study aims to investigate the possibility of securing objective data by employing CdS (cadmium−sulfur) photoresistors for SVI measurements. The sedimentation velocity of settling sludge was measured using LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights at the same level as the installed CdS photoresistors. As a result of the experiment, the settling velocity of sludge in the CdS photoresistors’ installation position H1 to H8 (non-flocculent settling), H9 to H12 (discrete flocculent settling) and H13 to H18 (zone settling and compressive settling), was 0.594 mm/s, 0.180 mm/s and 0.056 mm/s, respectively. Through this study, it was confirmed that measuring sludge sedimentation using the CdS photoresistors is possible. If the measurement of sol... [more]

This study uses the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) method to prioritize contracting methods to determine the most suitable contract option for water and wastewater projects (WWP). Content analysis, a two-round Delphi survey technique, and a series of validation and reliability tests helped establish the 18 key criteria for FAHP analysis. Consequently, data collected from experts through a pairwise comparison questionnaire form the basis for the inputs for the FAHP analysis. Consequently, the final weightings were derived for each of the key criteria and available contracting methods. The results indicate that the bilateral, cooperative, and trilateral contracting methods are the most suitable for WWP in Iran, with the highest weighting. The study provides useful guidance for the top management of project firms in selecting the optimal contracting method for their projects and offers significant contributions from theoretical and practical perspectives.

It is important to effectively reduce carbon emissions and ensure the simultaneous adjustment of economic development and environmental protection. Therefore, we used Kaya identity to screen the factors influencing carbon emissions and conducted preliminary qualitative analyses, including grey relation analysis and linear regression analysis, on important variables to establish a vector autoregression (VAR) model based on their annual data to empirically analyze the influencing factors of carbon emissions. The results showed that economic growth effect, energy intensity effect and embodied carbon in foreign trade were the key factors affecting carbon emissions, among which the economic growth effect contributed the most. Accordingly, we propose countermeasures including technological innovation to reduce energy intensity, the development of new energy sources to improve energy structure, acceleration of industrial structure transfer, and optimization of trade structure.