The scientific and technical issues related to energy harvesting and conversion are inseparably bound to the issues of environmental protection. Energy conversion systems and devices that are applied for converting the chemical energy contained in different fuels into heat, electricity, and cold in industry and housing are sources of different gases and solid particle emissions. Thus, the development of different technologies for energy conversion and environmental protection that can be jointly applied to cover growing energy needs has become a crucial challenge for scientists and engineers around the world. Progress in the precise description, modeling, and optimization of physical and chemical phenomena related to these energy conversion systems is a key research and development field for the economy. Legal and social issues that are affecting key aspects and problems related to the energy conversion and power sector are also significant and worth investigating. The aim of Energy Pr... [more]

This paper investigates the sensitivity (resistance) of a quadcopter on-board gyroscope system for the observation and tracking of a moving ground target to changing parameters of its regulator under interference conditions. It was shown that the gain in matrix elements is most sensitive, and even their slightest deviation from optimal values can lead to reduced target tracking efficiency and even loss of control system stability. Furthermore, the authors studied the energy expenditure at various gyroscope system control parameter values, while homing a quadcopter onto a ground target. A Matlab/Simulink environment was used to conduct simulations of the controlled gyroscope system dynamics. Selected test results are shown in graphic form.

Windows, which have a U-value that is governed by an insulating glass unit (IGU) U-value, must be a building’s only enclosure element, which has no design value concept. The declared U-value, which is calculated or measured with 0 °C of external ambient temperature, is used instead of the design value. For most of a building’s elements, its thermal transmittance with a decrease in the external temperature diminishes a little, i.e., improves. However, for modern window IGUs with Low-E coatings, it is the opposite: the thermal transmittance with a lowering external temperature increases. Therefore, for calculating the peak power for the heating of buildings it is necessary to pay attention to this phenomenon and, therefore, it would be wise to introduce the concept of design U-value for windows, recalculation rules, or affix their declared U-values. This is especially the case in modern times with the prevailing architectural tendencies for enlargement of transparent building elements. F... [more]

Our industrialized world highly depends on fossil fuels to cover its energy needs. Although fossil fuels have been linked with economic growth, their use has also been found to have severe impacts on the environment. The linkages among carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and economic growth have been extensively examined in the current literature. The present study focuses on electricity production from fossil fuels, as well as from renewable sources and examines their linkages with CO2 emissions and economic growth in 119 world countries of different income levels, by assessing Granger causality. In addition, the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is tested, in order to evaluate whether economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions are linked with an inverse U-shaped relationship and with an N-shape relationship in higher income levels. The EKC hypothesis is confirmed for high income and upper-middle income countries, but not for lower-middle and low income levels an... [more]

Efficiency of circular economies is one of the most important areas of the improvement of economic growth in a circular way, that is, improving worldwide GDP. The issue of circular economies, namely their efficiency, is a current topic of evidence of many literary sources in the literature. This issue is solved in the conditions of the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The goal of the study is to compare the circular efficiency within the Visegrád Group and efficiency of Visegrád Group countries to the European Union 28 average. Data envelopment analysis slack-based models are implemented to evaluate the output efficiencies of the selected subjects. Truncated regression is used to measure the impact of selected indicators on circular efficiency. The Visegrád Group countries are not among the most advanced in terms of recycling and the use of the circular economy, which was confirmed by this research. However, developments suggest significant improvements. The significance o... [more]

The manuscript discusses the investigation of vehicle flow in a predesignated junction by an appropriate traffic flow management with an effort to minimize fuel consumption, the production of CO2, an essential greenhouse gas (hereinafter referred to as GHG), and related transport costs. The particular research study was undertaken in a frequented junction in the city of Celje, located in the eastern part of Slovenia. The results obtained summarize data on consumed fuel and produced CO2 amounts depending on the type of vehicle, traffic flow mixture, traffic light signal plan, and actual vehicle velocity. These values were calculated separately for three different conditions of traffic flow management. Amounts of fuel consumed were experimentally investigated in real traffic situations, whereas CO2 production was calculated by applying the actual European standard entitled EN 16258:2012 associated with a guideline for measuring emission values, as well as by examining specific traffic fl... [more]

Post-occupancy evaluations are common tools used to periodically assess Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in tertiary buildings. Although the large amount of data collected from surveys contain valuable information, the influence of building characteristics on IEQ considering the different uses of the rooms and different types of occupants is rarely considered in the evaluation. This study presents an analysis of the association between building characteristics and IEQ in different building rooms (classrooms and offices) and different occupants (students and lecturers) using a post occupancy evaluation survey to 1013 occupants in 26 higher educational buildings in Spain under a Mediterranean climate. This research demonstrated that building characteristics influence IEQ perceptions of the different rooms in tertiary education buildings. The possibility of controlling the lighting, shadows or heating, ventilation air or conditioning (HVAC) systems are the most influential factors when... [more]

Taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 and adopting the assessment optics of students from Generation Z currently entering the labor market, we have made the aim of this article to provide better insight into the relationship between Industry 4.0 and corporate social responsibility. The survey was conducted in the form of an online survey in two leading universities in Poland in the field of economic education. 646 students took part in the survey. The data were analyzed using logit regression models. The results of the study suggest that the increase in the use of management solutions supporting Industry 4.0 in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis will increase the importance of the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of corporate social responsibility. Pointing to the forecasted increase importance of corporate social responsibility, we suggest linking management solutions supporting Industry 4.0 with corporate social responsibility. However, we also draw attention to t... [more]

Infestation of interior walls of buildings with fungal mould is a reason for health concern which is exacerbated in energy-efficient buildings that limit air circulation. Both mycological and mycotoxicological studies are needed to determine the potential health hazards to residents. In this paper, a rare case of the occurrence of Stachybotrys chartarum in an apartment building in the Lubuskie Province in Poland has been described. Isolated as the major constituent of a mixed mycobiota, its specific health relevance still needs to be carefully analyzed as its biochemical aptitude for the synthesis of mycotoxins may be expressed at different levels. Therefore, ecotoxicological tests were performed using two bioindicators: Dugesia tigrina Girard and Daphnia magna Straus. D. tigrina was used for the first time to examine the toxicity of S. chartarum. The ecotoxicological tests showed that the analyzed strain belonged to the third and fourth toxicity classes according to Liebmann’s classif... [more]

One of the possibilities of removing heavy metals (HMs) from soil is the use of phytoremediation techniques supported with biosolids, which also allow for their disposal. Therefore, the objective of the research was the determination of the sewage sludge suitability after its application to urban soil in order to increase the phytoremediation efficiency of contaminated soil. A field experiment was established on lawns in Białystok (Poland) in two locations with different traffic. The research plots were fertilized with sludge in doses of 14.5 t DM/ha and 29 t DM/ha. A mixture of lawn grasses was sown on the prepared plots. During two years of experiment soil/plant samples were collected, and pH, organic matter, dehydrogenase and catalase activity (soil), the total content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg (soil/plant), and their fractions (soil) were determined. The HMs in soil were present mainly in residual and reducible fractions. Zn had the highest share in acid-soluble fractio... [more]

The Industry 4.0 Revolution that is taking place nowadays means that organizations face not only new opportunities, but also challenges related to the identification of their role in creating a modern smart world. The economies of many countries are under the significant and growing influence of various types of organizations, not only strong international business corporations, but also, more and more often, smaller but intelligent ones called smart organizations IR 4.0. Due to their unique characteristics, intelligent organizations are better able than others to cope with technological breakthroughs, social, and cultural problems as well as to compete effectively and develop in an environmentally sustainable way. With their growing potential, they are strengthening the economies of their countries of origin and daily operation. Their growing role is also visible in the processes of shaping competitiveness and achieving the sustainable development objectives of the European Union (EU)... [more]

The environmental concern has become central for many bus companies, but estimating pollutant emissions can be difficult for many reasons (little knowledge or underestimation of the problem; scarce know-how; reluctance to acknowledge the pollutant potential of bus fleets because either of small size or composed by too many old-generation vehicles). To facilitate this task, an integrated, user-friendly model, iGREEN, is presented. The paper describes the methodology for the development of this tool, which is specifically designed to help transit operators in assessing the pollutants emitted by fleets where the amount of old buses is not negligible. This is not a minor issue, given the large number of obsolete vehicles still circulating and the unsuitability of some models when calculating emissions in case of buses with protracted mileage. Results from two case studies are reported and commented, with the final aim to advance knowledge farther afield. This gives rise to a discussion on... [more]

Every year the interest in biofuels, including biomethane, grows in Poland. Biomethane, obtained from biogas, is widely used in the Polish economy; the most important two applications are as gas injected into the gas grid and as automotive fuel. The aim of this work is to determine the potential for the development of the biomethane sector in Poland. The following article presents the technological stages of biomethane extraction and purification. The investment process for biogas/biomethane installation is presented in the form of a Gannt chart; this process is extremely long in Poland, with a duration of three years. In the coming months, the Polish Oil Mining and Gas Extraction will begin to invest in biomethane, which will be connected to the gas grid, while the Polish oil refiner and petrol retailer, Orlen, will invest in biomethane to be used as automotive fuel. This article includes a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Tec... [more]

Building performance improvement through low-energy renovation traditionally involves building performance diagnostics of the existing building, technology evaluation, selection and implementation. Effective building performance diagnostics, post-retrofit assessment and user engagement are essential to deliver performance as well as achieving socio-economic and environmental benefits at every stage of the renovation project life cycle. User’s views are often ignored when renovating a building, causing sub-optimal energy performance, user comfort and wellbeing. This paper seeks to critically evaluate the low-energy renovation process and the role of user and stakeholder engagement in the strategic implementation of low-energy retrofit technologies for performance improvement of higher education buildings. The research focuses on renovation methodology, innovative materials/systems and end-user engagement throughout the renovation project phases (pre-renovation, the renovation process an... [more]

In this paper, we examine whether innovation and information and communication technology (ICT) contribute to reducing producer prices, thus promoting economic growth. We also check whether the contributions of ICT enhance environmental quality, leading to sustainable economic growth. To this end, we apply panel data techniques to the 27 EU countries over the period of recovery from the financial crisis. Our results suggest that technological progress leads to a significant reduction in producer prices. Moreover, controlling for some macroeconomics factors, ICT fosters per capita economic growth in the European countries. Finally, we found that the higher the ICT employment is, the lower greenhouse gas emissions are.

Marine microbial communities are an untapped reservoir of genetic and metabolic diversity and a valuable source for the discovery of new natural products of biotechnological interest. The newly discovered hydrothermal vent field of Santorini volcanic complex located in the Aegean Sea is gaining increasing interest for potential biotechnological exploitation. The conditions in these environments, i.e., high temperatures, low pH values and high concentration of heavy metals, often resemble harsh industrial settings. Thus, these environments may serve as pools of enzymes of enhanced catalytic properties that may provide benefits to biotechnology. Here, we screened 11 metagenomic libraries previously constructed from microbial mat samples covering the seafloor and the polymetallic chimneys of Kolumbo volcano as well as mat samples from Santorini caldera, to mine, in silico, genes associated with bioenergy applications. We particularly focused on genes encoding biomass hydrolysis enzymes su... [more]

Cyber−physical systems (CPSs) are an integral part of modern society; thus, enhancing these systems’ reliability and resilience is paramount. Cyber−physical testbeds (CPTs) are a safe way to test and explore the interplay between the cyber and physical domains and to cost-effectively enhance the reliability and resilience of CPSs. Here a review of CPT elements, broken down into physical components (simulators, emulators, and physical hardware), soft components (communication protocols, network timing protocols), and user interfaces (visualization-dashboard design considerations) is presented. Various methods used to validate CPS performance are reviewed and evaluated for potential applications in CPT performance validation. Last, initial simulated results for a CPT design, based on the IEEE 33 bus system, are presented, along with a brief discussion on how model-based testing and fault−injection-based testing (using scaling and ramp-type attacks) may be used to help validate CPT perfor... [more]

Although one of the most harmful factors to health is noise, it is often ignored in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. Most researches regarding noise inclusion in LCA focus on the problem of transport noise, and very few works consider the impact of noise emitted by other sources. This study addresses the effects of noise generated by cogeneration plants. The main objective is to assess the environmental performance of the noise reduction system by considering the health effects of noise due to steam discharge as well as to compare the environmental loss associated with the production and disposal of a steam silencer with the benefits resulting from its application for noise reduction. A method to determine midpoint and endpoint human health indicators for a composition of noise emitted by intermittent stationary source and background noise is developed. The results indicate that the health benefit due to noise reduction is six orders of magnitude greater than the environmental loss... [more]

This article discusses the problem of minimizing power loss in unbalanced distribution systems through phase-balancing. This problem is represented by a mixed-integer nonlinear-programming mathematical model, which is solved by applying a discretely encoded Vortex Search Algorithm (DVSA). The numerical results of simulations performed in IEEE 8-, 25-, and 37-node test systems demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology when compared with the classical Cuh & Beasley genetic algorithm. In addition, the computation times required by the algorithm to find the optimal solution are in the order of seconds, which makes the proposed DVSA a robust, reliable, and efficient tool. All computational implementations have been developed in the MATLAB® programming environment, and all the results have been evaluated in DigSILENT© software to verify the effectiveness and the proposed three-phase unbalanced power-flow method.

The article investigates nature−culture interrelation over the case studies of hydroelectric plants of the 20th century. In many cases, construction of these structures has evidently resulted in irreversible changes in natural and cultural environments. However, they have also supplied energy for the industrialization of civilizations. After approximately 100 years of existence, it is crucial to determine the future of these hydroelectric facilities, which are artifacts of industrial heritage approaching the end of their productive life spans. The article proposes an analytical approach aiming to sustain the integrity of nature and culture in the conservation of hydroelectric plants, presenting these energy facilities as cultural properties of industrial heritage, and discussing the impact of hydroelectric dams on natural and cultural environments, along with the effects of nature in the deterioration of these structures in order to pave the way to an optimized and sustainable future f... [more]

Among the super insulating materials, aerogel has interesting properties: very low thermal conductivity and density, resistance to high temperatures and transparency. It is a rather expensive material, but incentives in the field can improve its economic attractiveness. Starting from this, the thermal behavior of a test building entirely insulated with aerogel panels was investigated through an extended experimental campaign. A dynamic simulation model of a case study building was generated to better comprehend the energy savings obtained through aerogel in terms of energy demand over a whole year. The investigation was completed by computing the carbon and energy payback times of various retrofit strategies through a life cycle assessment approach, as well as by a cost-benefit analysis through a probabilistic financial framework. Compared to conventional insulation materials, aerogel is characterized by a higher energy and carbon payback time, but it guarantees better environmental pe... [more]

Conventional constant speed turbo air centrifugal compressor systems (TACCSs) consist of an electric motor driven at the constant speed and an inlet guide vane (IGV) for pressure control. TACCSs with an inverter for a variable speed drive (VSD) of the electric motor are more efficient than the conventional constant speed TACCS because they have a wide operating range and can minimize the power consumption. Therefore, this paper proposes a quadratic V/f control and VSD to reduce electrical and mechanical energy losses. To verify the energy saving effect of the TACCS with the proposed controls, this paper analyzes the performances of an electric motor drive system (EMDS) using the proposed quadratic V/f control considering load conditions of the turbo air centrifugal compressor (TACC) to reduce electrical energy losses. Furthermore, the performances of the conventional constant speed drive (CSD) using the IGV control and the proposed VSD were compared and analyzed in the test bench that... [more]

This study aims to overview the U.S. sustainable development by measuring the environmental performance of 50 states over the period of 2009−2018. To attain the objective, we employ data envelopment analysis for environmental assessment where we prioritize the minimization of CO2 emissions first and the maximization of gross state product later under the concept of managerial disposability (i.e., an environment-based performance measure). Then, we examine how the state-level environmental performance measures are associated with their political and spatial contexts. For the purpose, we conduct the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test across groups of states characterized by their political transitions in the presidential and gubernatorial elections and defined by the regions of the U.S. Economic Development Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. Based on our empirical results, we find that (a) overall environmental performance has gradually enhanced over time, (b) there are statis... [more]

Industrial symbiosis networks conventionally provide economic and environmental benefits to participating industries. However, most studies have failed to quantify waste management solutions and identify network connections in addition to methodological variation of assessments. This study provides a comprehensive model to conduct sustainable study of industrial symbiosis, which includes identification of network connections, life cycle assessment of materials, economic assessment, and environmental performance using standard guidelines from the literature. Additionally, a case study of industrial symbiosis network from Sodankylä region of Finland is implemented. Results projected an estimated life cycle cost of €115.20 million. The symbiotic environment would save €6.42 million in waste management cost to the business participants in addition to the projected environmental impact of 0.95 million tonne of CO2, 339.80 tonne of CH4, and 18.20 tonne of N2O. The potential of further cost s... [more]

This study aims to evaluate the economic and environmental efficiency of Asian and African economies. In the model proposed, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is considered as the desired output and Greenhouse Gases (GHG), like carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as the undesirable output. Capital, labor, fossil fuels, and renewable energy consumption are regarded as inputs, and the GDP/CO2 ratio is the output, by using a log-linear Translog production function and using data from 2005 until 2018, including 22 Asian and 22 African countries. Results evidence cross-countries heterogeneity among production inputs, namely labor, capital, and type of energy use and its efficiency. The models complement each other and are based on different distributional assumptions and estimation methods while providing a picture of Eco-efficiency in Asian and African economies. Labor and renewable energy share increase technical Eco-efficiency, while fixed capital decreases it under time-variant models. Technical... [more]