The article examines the relationship between CO2 equivalent emissions and agricultural production, taking into account additional economic and social variables that correct the considered relationship for the six Central and Eastern European countries over the period 1992−2017. The aim of the article was to confirm or negate the occurrence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Countries that experienced a political transformation and were subsequently admitted to the European Union (EU) undergoing a preparatory period were included. The topic is timely as all EU countries are required to monitor their emissions under the EU Climate Monitoring Mechanism. The discussed problem is significant due to the changes taking place in the common agricultural policy, the choice of actions to be taken by individual countries in their national policies, and the choice of instruments to support the transformation of agriculture. Agriculture has a pa... [more]

The purpose of the “Made in China 2025” strategy is to enhance the innovation capabilities of the local manufacturing industry and achieve green and sustainable development. The role of innovation in the development of manufacturing is a hotspot in academic research, though only a few studies have analyzed the interaction between green technology manufacturing efficiency and its external innovation capabilities. This study used the 2011−2017 Chinese A-share listed manufacturing companies as samples to discuss whether regional innovation capabilities can promote the improvement of green technology manufacturing efficiency. The results showed that a significant spatial correlation between regional innovation capability and green technology manufacturing efficiency was prevalent within spatial heterogeneous bounds. In addition, regional innovation capability directly promoted the effective manufacturing of green technology efficiency, which was strongest in the eastern region of the count... [more]

“Israeli Hope in Academia” is a program, designed by the president of the state of Israel, Reuven Rivlin. The program is based on the perception that Israeli society is changing, from having a clear majority and several minorities to a society comprised of four principal sectors that are roughly similar in size: secular Jews, religious Jews, Haredi (ultra-orthodox) Jews and Arabs. The program acts to encourage a more diverse and culturally competent higher education system that promotes partnership. One of the means to achieve that goal is to create meaningful educational interactions between people from academia and the younger generation of these sectors. Over the past year, students from various faculties in the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) took part in a course called “Green Ambassadors”, which corresponds with the “Israeli Hope” program. This course was considered an action learning course, which is a course that combines academic learning and social involvement that has an... [more]

This study analyzes the road freight sector of São Paulo state to identify the best options to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and local pollutants, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons. Additionally, the investment cost of each vehicle is also analyzed. Results show that electric options, including hybrid, battery, and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles represent the best options to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases emissions concomitantly, but considerable barriers for their deployment are still in place. With little long-term planning on the state level, electrification of the transport system, in combination with increased renewable electricity generation, would require considerable financial support to achieve the desired emissions reductions without increasing energy insecurity.

The performance of three different confluent jets ventilation (CJV) supply devices was evaluated in a classroom environment concerning thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy efficiency. The CJV supply devices have the acronyms: high-momentum confluent jets (HMCJ), low-momentum confluent jets (LMCJ) and low-momentum confluent jets modified by varying airflow direction (LMCJ-M). A mixing ventilation (MV) slot jet (SJ) supply device was used as a benchmark. Comparisons were made with identical set-up conditions in five cases with different supply temperatures (TS) (16−18 °C), airflow rates (2.2−6.3 ACH) and heat loads (17−47 W/m2). Performances were evaluated based on DR (draft rating), PMV (predicted mean vote), ACE (air change effectiveness) and heat removal effectiveness (HRE). The results show that CJV had higher HRE and IAQ than MV and LMCJ/LMCJ-M had higher ACE than HMCJ. The main effects of lower Ts were higher velocities, DR (HMCJ particularly) and HRE in the occupie... [more]

The impact of N2 and CO2 atmospheres on the interaction between Eucalyptus pilularis biomass and a ternary molten carbonate eutectic (Li2CO3: Na2CO3: K2CO3) has been investigated at 600 °C and 900 °C. For lower temperature conversion under CO2, prevention of volatile release in the eutectic treated biomass is slightly higher than under N2 injection; however, similar bubble-shaped morphology of the remnant char is observed under both carrier gases. By increasing the temperature to 900 °C under CO2, the reverse Boudouard reaction begins to consume carbon fuel, while molten carbonate gasification also accelerates the reaction to a lower temperature set point (shifted from ~735 °C to ~640 °C). The mass loss of carbonate under CO2 and N2 at 900 °C is 0 (negligible) and 18 wt.%, respectively. In the absence of carbon particles, the decomposition of carbonate to M2O (l) and CO2 (g), as well as molten salt vaporization, are the sole potential routes of weight loss in an inert gas. Previous obs... [more]

Taking climate and geopolitical issues into account, we must shift our thinking towards “eco” and focus on renewable energy. The accessible solar energy represents 400 times the amount of consumption, while its potential represents 10,000 times the amount of demand. The paper aims to analyze recycled, customized polyvinyl butyral (PVB) with high purity (more than 98%) concerning its physicochemical and mechanical properties and its possible applicability in the photovoltaic industry as an encapsulating material. The detailed investigation on polyvinyl butyral starting from characterizations, homogenization, and moulding process to tensile tests and used exposure testing in laboratory apparatus are performed. Samples of recycled polyvinyl butyral were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the value 0.76 W.m−2.nm−1 at 340 nm, water spray, drying at 50 °C and condensation for 320 h when the radiation was turned off. The results obtained were more controlled in a laboratory environment... [more]

Compared with limestone-based wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD), magnesia-based WFGD has many advantages, but it is not popular in China, due to the lack of good wastewater treatment schemes. This paper proposes the wastewater treatment scheme of selling magnesium sulfate concentrate, and makes thermal and economic analysis for different concentration systems in the scheme. Comparisons of different concentration systems for 300 MW power plant were made to determine which system is the best. The results show that the parallel-feed benchmark system is better than the forward-feed benchmark system, and the parallel-feed optimization system with the 7-process is better than other parallel-feed optimization systems. Analyses of the parallel-feed optimization system with 7-process were made in 300, 600, and 1000 MW power plants. The results show that the annual profit of concentration system for a 300, 600, and 1000 MW power plant is about 2.58 million, 5.35 million, and 7.89 million Chine... [more]

Automatic peer-to-peer energy trading can be defined as a Markov decision process and designed using deep reinforcement learning. We consider prosumer as an entity that consumes and produces electric energy with an energy storage system, and define the prosumer’s objective as maximizing the profit through participation in peer-to-peer energy trading, similar to that of the agents in stock trading. In this paper, we propose an automatic peer-to-peer energy trading model by adopting a deep Q-network-based automatic trading algorithm originally designed for stock trading. Unlike in stock trading, the assets held by a prosumer may change owing to factors such as the consumption and generation of energy by the prosumer in addition to the changes from trading activities. Therefore, we propose a new trading evaluation criterion that considers these factors by defining profit as the sum of the gains from four components: electricity bill, trading, electric energy stored in the energy storage s... [more]

Increasing the efficiency of anaerobic digesters and improving sludge breakdown is vital to reducing the cost of biogas production and reducing the environmental consequences of sludge disposal. The performance of two unheated anaerobic digestion systems, one exposed to sound at <20 kHz by waterproofed speakers and one acting as a control, were compared for over a year. The digester systems were both composed of primary (11.4 m3) and secondary (3.8 m3) anaerobic tanks, facultative tertiary (3.0 m3) tanks and an aerobic holding tank from which effluent was mixed with feed and recirculated back to the system. Exposure of the gas saturated digestate to a low frequency sine wave induced numerous bubble harmonics up to, and presumably beyond, ultrasonic range, showing that sonification of a highly gaseous liquid might be used to accomplish low power ultrasonication of digestate at greater distances than is possible with conventional ultrasonic technology. Through the summer of 2019, the... [more]

This study assesses the bioenergy generation potential of crop residues in Ukraine for the year 2030. Projections of agricultural development are made based on the Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) and verified against available Agricultural Member State Modeling (AGMEMOD) results in regard to the six main crops cultivated in Ukraine (wheat, barley, corn, sunflower, rape and soya). Two agricultural development scenarios are assessed (traditional and innovative), facilitating the projection of future crop production volumes and yields for the selected crops. To improve precision in defining agro-environmental limitations (the share of crop residues necessary to be kept on the fields to maintain soil fertility for the continuous cultivation of crops), yield-dependent residue-to-product ratios (RPRs) were applied and the levels of available soil nutrients for regions of Ukraine (in regard to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and humus) were estimated. The results reveal the econom... [more]

The development of tidal energy in Australia is still a challenge with few studies performed on the characterisation of the resource, due to the difficulty to acquire data and uncertainties about the influence of this anthropogenic activity on the marine environment. Changes in flow could lead to alterations in sediment transport and have further influence on the marine habitat. A case study in a promising area, Banks Strait (Australia), was created using high resolution 2D and 3D models validated against in situ data to investigate changes to hydrodynamic conditions with two scenarios of tidal farms (100 and 300 turbines). Comparison between 2D and 3D is performed to find the best compromise between model accuracy and computational time for preliminary assessment. Changes to current speed and bed shear stress over a 35 day period were found to be localised around the tidal farms and did not extent more than 7 km from the farm (300 turbines) for both 2D and 3D. The results showed that... [more]

Energy efficiency and low-carbon energy systems are increasingly taken into account in seaports, due to climate change challenges and the evolution of environmental regulations. Thus, technological breakthroughs must be brought to numerous systems in harbors, such as harbor cranes, seaport vehicles, or the power supply of berthed vessels. These aspects may require the establishment of a microgrid in the harbor area. Microgrids have been subjected to a wide development on the mainland and islands, mostly for domestic loads. However, these are still scarce in harbor areas. Their development in such places faces several challenges, such as high power requirements, monitoring and management of a wide range of loads, energy policy framework, etc. Moreover, the establishment of a microgrid involves a study of sizing and of energy management, to avoid prohibitive costs and to verify load requirements. This paper provides a literature survey related to the development of microgrids in seaport... [more]

Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world has pledged to “leaving no one behind”. Responding to goal No. 7 on the agenda, efforts to provide modern energy to all the world population must be pushed forward. This is important because electrification in the rural area can indirectly support opportunities for social and economic development resulting in an acceleration of the eradication of poverty. The research goal of this study is to contribute insights about the scale of energy demand in unelectrified villages in the Southeast Asian countries and to discuss some factors that might influence the energy demand growth. This is done by making projections based on surveys and interviews, including a time-use survey, in three off-grid villages located in Myanmar, Indonesia, and Laos. Our analysis presented the living condition, highlight the types of energy sources, how, and in what rhythms people use energy on a daily basis in those villages. The demands in each case study... [more]

Approximately 40% of the total U.S. office floor space of 1.5 billion sq.m (16 billion sq.ft.) is leased space occupied by tenants. Tenant fit-out presents a key opportunity to incorporate energy efficiency within the real estate business cycle. We designed a package of energy efficiency measures tailored to the scope of a tenant fit-out. This tenant fit-out package (TFP) includes advanced lighting and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls as core measures, with ceiling fans, automated shading, and plug load controls as additional optional measures. We conducted laboratory testing of six configurations of the package to evaluate energy savings, indoor environmental quality, and identify installation, commissioning, and operational issues. Combined savings for HVAC, lighting, and plug loads ranged from 33−40%. Lighting savings ranged from 69−83%, and HVAC savings from 20−40%. The laboratory testing also revealed some minor but tractable challenges with installation a... [more]

Using a panel cointegration model developed based on the data extracted from the World Bank indicators, this study quantified the relationship between carbon emissions, energy consumption, economic growth, and trade openness in sub-Saharan African countries. It discovered from our analysis that there exists a long-run causality association amongst CO2 emissions, energy consumption, economic growth, and trade openness. The study noted the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in the panel using the square term for trade openness; it was found to have a negative impact, thus trade in the long run will somewhat decrease the environmental pollution in this region. The study results imply that there should be stringent policies and rigorous enforcement in sub-Saharan African to ensure sustainable growth without associative environmental issues.

The analyzed research issue provides a model for Carbon Footprint estimation at an early design stage. In the context of climate neutrality, it is important to introduce regenerative design practices in the architect’s design process, especially in early design phases when the possibility of modifying the design is usually high. The research method was based on separate consecutive research works−partial tasks: Developing regenerative design guidelines for simulation purposes and for parametric modeling; generating a training set and a testing set of building designs with calculated total Carbon Footprint; using the pre-generated set to train a Machine Learning Model; applying the Machine Learning Model to predict optimal building features; prototyping an application for a quick estimation of the Total Carbon Footprint in the case of other projects in early design phases; updating the prototyped application with additional features; urban layout analysis; preparing a new approach based... [more]

The green building rating system within the sustainability framework of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pearl Rating System (PRS), similar to most international rating systems such as LEED, considers several strategies, regulations, and policies to improve the energy and water performance in buildings. However, the applicability of considering water as part of energy or the fact that the utilization of energy mandates the usage of water seems unexplored and is not yet included in any of the existing building rating systems. A unified approach of water and energy resources is thus vital for future considerations in energy policy, planning, and the inclusion of the same in the sustainability rating systems. This paper investigated, as a case study, the prospects of water−energy nexus in the prevailing UAE green building rating system—PRS—to uncover whether any water conservation strategy has an adverse effect on energy and vice versa. The review revealed that the major shortcomings o... [more]

Global deposits of concentrated phosphates, which are a necessary source for the production of phosphate fertilizers, are limited. These reserves keep getting thinner, and every day, large amounts of phosphorus end up in watercourses. In this study, we verified that modified biochar (saturated with FeCl3 solution and then neutralized with NaOH solution) can adsorb significant amounts of phosphorus from wastewater. Moreover, the agrochemical qualities of sludge water from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, struvite, phosphorus-saturated biochar, and iron(III) phosphate from a reused biochar filter were tested in this study. We determined the amount of mobile phosphorus as well as the amount of extractable phosphorus and its five fractions. It was found that modified biochar can hold one-third of the phosphorus amount contained in the commonly used agricultural fertilizer simple superphosphate (1 × 105 g of modified biochar captures up to 2.79 × 103 g of P). Moreover, plants can mor... [more]

A screening Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of tall oil-based bio-polyols suitable for rigid polyurethane (PU) foams has been carried out. The goal was to identify the hot-spots and data gaps. The system under investigation is three different tall oil fatty acids (TOFA)-based bio-polyol synthesis with a cradle-to-gate approach, from the production of raw materials to the synthesis of TOFA based bio-polyols at a pilot-scale reactor. The synthesis steps that give the most significant environmental footprint hot-spots were identified. The results showed the bio-based feedstock was the main environmental hot-spot in the bio-polyol production process. Future research directions have been highlighted.

A miniature gas turbine (MGT) is proposed as a promising future energy source. Increasingly stringent requirements related to harmful combustible gas emissions and a trend towards improved energy generation efficiency drive the quest for new MGT technologies. Variable geometry systems are promising due to enhanced heat management and flow control. Variable combustor cooling and dilution holes together with the variable area nozzle (VAN) system allow for the improvement of gas turbine performance and reduction in pollutant emissions. The proposed systems are based on hot-section geometry changes, in which the size of the combustion chamber holes and turbine nozzle angle can be adjusted. Component and module experimental research were performed at the Warsaw University of Technology, on an MGT test stand. A significant decrease in fuel consumption (up to 47% reduction) and harmful nitrogen oxide emission reduction (NO−by 78% and NO2−by 82%) were achieved. These results are related to com... [more]

Since refrigerants applied to vehicle air conditioning systems exacerbate global warming, many studies have been conducted to supplement them. However, most studies have attempted to maximize the efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of the refrigerant, and thus, an air conditioning system without refrigerant is required. The vortex tube is a temperature separation system capable of separating air at low and high temperatures using compressed air. When applied to an air conditioning system, it is possible to construct an eco-friendly system that does not use a refrigerant. In this paper, various temperature changes and characteristics of a vortex tube were identified and applied to an air conditioning system simulation device. Additionally, an air conditioning system simulation device using indirect heat exchange and direct heat exchange methods was constructed to test the low-temperature air flow rate (yc), according to the temperature and pressure. As a result of the exper... [more]

As data centers have become increasingly important in recent years their operational management must attain higher efficiency and reliability. Moreover, the power consumption of a data center is extremely large, and it is anticipated that it will continue to increase, so energy saving has become an urgent issue concerning data centers. In the meantime, the environment of the server rooms in data centers has become complicated owing to the introduction of virtualization technology, the installation of high-heat density information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and racks, and the diversification of cooling methods. It is very difficult to manage a server room in the case of such a complicated environment. When energy-saving measures are implemented in a server room with such a complicated environment, it is important to evaluate “temperature risks” in advance and calculate the energy-saving effect after the measures are taken. Under those circumstances, in this study, two... [more]

Food Waste (FW) because of its composition is considered as an ideal feedstock for the production of biofuels and in particular bioethanol. The production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic materials has been studied over a long time. The process consists of the stages of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and product recovery. However, the legal framework regarding biofuels has established specific environmental criteria for their production which are regularly updated. The most common tool for the assessment of the environmental performance of a process or product is the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). In the present review, the results of LCA studies on the production of bioethanol from food waste are presented. Significant differences are observed among the studies in terms of the methodological choices made. Despite the high heterogeneity observed which does not allow a direct comparison among them, there is strong evidence that the production of bioethanol from food wast... [more]

To meet the political goals regarding renewable energy production, offshore wind keeps expanding to waters with larger depths and harsher conditions, while the turbine size continues to grow and ever-larger foundation structures are required. This development can only be successful if further cuts in the levelized cost of energy are established. Regarding the design of the foundation structures, a particular challenge in this respect relates to the reduction of the total computational time required for the design. For both practical and commercial reasons, the decoupled modelling of offshore wind support structures finds a common application, especially during the preliminary design stage. This modelling approach aims at capturing the relevant characteristics of the different environment-structure interactions, while reducing the complexity as much as possible. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art modelling approaches of environmental interactions with off... [more]