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Researchers have begun to realize first-hand that the causes and effects of telework are much more complex than immediately apparent. While reduced commuting to work is widely beneficial (environment, economy, health, etc.), the impacts of telework are widespread (e.g., long-term urban planning considerations, home and office utilization, demand on communication networks, etc.). This paper aims to review and structure a large body of literature and emerging research from COVID-19-induced teleworking to address the complex relationships and energy impacts of telework on the four domains of homes, transportation, offices, and information and communication technologies (ICT). A systematic search was conducted on databases and the results were categorized. At the centre, we identified many relationships between homes and transportation, as teleworking gives teleworkers to have more flexibility in terms of location. Furthermore, the relationships between offices and homes are important since the operating costs of offices are on the teleworkers' side. Accordingly, cause and effect relationships were mapped out between and within domains. The outcome demonstrates that researchers and policymakers need to consider widespread implications of telework. As a result, it is essential to study items in each domain, intrarelationships in each domain, and most importantly the relationships between domains to capture and quantify the impacts of teleworking comprehensively. • Telework primarily impacts energy use in four domains of homes, offices, transportation, and ICT. • Comprehensive studies on telework should study four domains simultaneously. • Interrelationships between domains are important determinants of teleworking impacts. • There is a major literature gap on interrelationships between domains. • Teleworkers' behavior and decisions are a significant source of uncertainty for energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stop the spread of COVID-19, governments have implemented confinement measures unprecedented in modern society. One of the main consequences has been the paralysis of commercial and industrial sectors worldwide, primary electricity consumers. This paper examines the impact of these measures on the electricity sector through a literature review accompanied by fieldwork on the impact of COVID-19 in Ibero-America and its energy regulatory response. First, we will review the causes of the reduction in electricity demand due to the confinement measures and their technical and financial consequences in the electricity sector. Second, we will examine the impact of COVID-19 on the wind and solar PV energy sectors, mainly affected by the paralysis of production and export of materials and components. Third, we will revise the regulatory measures implemented by the countries to avoid the interruption of electricity supply to households. This paper will end by reviewing economic recovery plans and their relationship to the energy transition. Although there are no fundamental differences between developed and developing countries in their regulatory reaction to this crisis in the energy sector, there are significant differences in economic recovery planning. While developed countries aim for a green economic recovery and the creation of green jobs, developing countries are allocating least resources to social protection and general economic stimulus programs, postponing climate objectives. In Latin America, this adds to the high levels of debt faced by utilities and the possible resurgence of social crises that were stopped by the COVID-19 outbreak, making a green recovery even more difficult. [Display omitted] • The reduction in electricity demand has caused technical challenges in the grid. • Electric utilities are facing growing and long-term financial problems. • Renewable energy projects have been delayed and financially harmed. • The measure to ban disconnection for non-payment has been implemented worldwide. • Latin American social crisis tempered by COVID-19 could hinder economic recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stop the spread of COVID-19, governments have implemented confinement measures unprecedented in modern society. One of the main consequences has been the paralysis of commercial and industrial sectors worldwide, primary electricity consumers. This paper examines the impact of these measures on the electricity sector through a literature review accompanied by fieldwork on the impact of COVID-19 in Ibero-America and its energy regulatory response. First, we will review the causes of the reduction in electricity demand due to the confinement measures and their technical and financial consequences in the electricity sector. Second, we will examine the impact of COVID-19 on the wind and solar PV energy sectors, mainly affected by the paralysis of production and export of materials and components. Third, we will revise the regulatory measures implemented by the countries to avoid the interruption of electricity supply to households. This paper will end by reviewing economic recovery plans and their relationship to the energy transition. Although there are no fundamental differences between developed and developing countries in their regulatory reaction to this crisis in the energy sector, there are significant differences in economic recovery planning. While developed countries aim for a green economic recovery and the creation of green jobs, developing countries are allocating least resources to social protection and general economic stimulus programs, postponing climate objectives. In Latin America, this adds to the high levels of debt faced by utilities and the possible resurgence of social crises that were stopped by the COVID-19 outbreak, making a green recovery even more difficult. [Display omitted] • The reduction in electricity demand has caused technical challenges in the grid. • Electric utilities are facing growing and long-term financial problems. • Renewable energy projects have been delayed and financially harmed. • The measure to ban disconnection for non-payment has been implemented worldwide. • Latin American social crisis tempered by COVID-19 could hinder economic recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has slowed global economic growth and consequently impacted the environment as well. Parallelly, the environment also influences the transmission of this novel coronavirus through various factors. Every nation deals with varied population density and size; air quality and pollutants; the nature of land and water, which significantly impact the transmission of coronavirus. The WHO (Ziaeepour et al., 2008) [1] has recommended rapid reviews to provide timely evidence to the policymakers to respond to the emergency. The present study follows a rapid review along with a brief bibliometric analysis of 328 research papers, which synthesizes the evidence regarding the environmental concerns of COVID-19. The novel contribution of this rapid review is threefold. One, we take stock of the diverse findings as regards the transmission of the novel coronavirus in different types of environments for providing conclusive directions to the ongoing debate regarding the transmission of the virus. Two, our findings provide topical insights as well as methodological guidance for future researchers in the field. Three, we inform the policymakers on the efficacy of environmental measures for controlling the spread of COVID-19. • The study conducts a rapid review of 117 papers synthesizing the evidence regarding the environmental concerns of Covid-19. • We explore themes of meteorological- and non-meteorological factors, air qualities, water-based, and land-related factors. • Our review calls for maintaining a cleaner environment to reduce the mortality and morbidity cases during future pandemics. • Our study informs the body of knowledge in the field of pandemics, environment, and general science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered global energy consumption, particularly affecting investment in renewable energy projects. In India, strict shelter-in-place orders enforced during March 2020 have since led to a considerable change in public and private sector investments in planned renewable energy installations. In this paper, we attempt to highlight trends in energy consumption and installed renewable energy capacity noted in India during a period concurrent with the shelter-in-place orders. We discuss recent policy measures and additions to installed renewable energy capacity, and propose key policy recommendations that may help the sector adopt a growth trajectory similar to one noted pre-pandemic. This paper is organized into four main parts. In the first section, we draw focus to India's renewable energy policies and pay special emphasis on recent interventions and campaigns targeted towards achieving high growth rates in the sector. We briefly discuss the need for effective public-private partnerships in order to meet these targets. In the second part, we quantitatively characterise the growth of renewables in India. We present an overview of several mechanisms and missions the government has launched in line with their policy to mitigate the environmental impact of India's energy mix. In the third part, we analyse the decrease in electricity demand in India from 24 March to 30 June 2020, a period concurrent with shelter-at-home orders issued by the Government. We also characterise changes in installed renewable energy capacity between March to December 2016–2020 to provide causal evidence of the effect of the pandemic on the growth of renewables. In this section, we also compile and analyse data on state-wise stressed assets across renewable energy generators in the country. Lastly, in the fourth and final portion of this paper, we highlight policy recommendations that may help the sector overcome logistical and financial bottlenecks in the short-term. We do this with the hope of outlining key measures that decision makers may employ to achieve pre-COVID sectoral growth in the long term. Our recommendations cover three different policy instruments: investment subsidies, operational subsidies, and recommendations for DISCOMs. • The increase in Indian renewable energy capacity installations between February to May 2020 hasseen an increment of 0.75%. • Daily electricity demand has decreased by 18.8% after the announcement of the shelter at home orders. • Immediate effects of the pandemic on the Indian renewable energy sector have been quantified. • A 3 tier system may be adopted to regulate incentives among renewable energy power producers. • Key policy recommendations to improve the fitness of the renewable energy sector have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated productivity in an offshore wind project to understand the distribution of their value-adding and non-value-adding hours. A comprehensive literature review presented results on productivity in regular mega-projects, revealing a limited knowledge of offshore wind projects. From the first quarter of 2019 to the early second quarter of 2020, 62,447 realized activities, equaling 213,786 h, were sampled from a wind farm development project in the British sector of the North Sea. This data was then analyzed and presented through a descriptive statistic. The results showed a distribution of 21.21% value-adding (VA) and 50.09% non-value-adding (NVA) hours. With 20.9% of the total hours, the weather is the dominant cause of waiting time, followed by vessels and previous tasks. The findings further show the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on productivity. It supports and expands on existing knowledge of causes for waiting time in offshore wind projects, ultimately providing the industry with an understanding of areas that need development to enhance productivity. The paper contributes to current knowledge by providing an understanding of productivity in offshore wind projects. • Waiting is 50.09% the dominant activity in offshore wind projects. • Seventeen delaying factors lead to waiting. • COVID-19 disruptions negatively impact productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated productivity in an offshore wind project to understand the distribution of their value-adding and non-value-adding hours. A comprehensive literature review presented results on productivity in regular mega-projects, revealing a limited knowledge of offshore wind projects. From the first quarter of 2019 to the early second quarter of 2020, 62,447 realized activities, equaling 213,786 h, were sampled from a wind farm development project in the British sector of the North Sea. This data was then analyzed and presented through a descriptive statistic. The results showed a distribution of 21.21% value-adding (VA) and 50.09% non-value-adding (NVA) hours. With 20.9% of the total hours, the weather is the dominant cause of waiting time, followed by vessels and previous tasks. The findings further show the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on productivity. It supports and expands on existing knowledge of causes for waiting time in offshore wind projects, ultimately providing the industry with an understanding of areas that need development to enhance productivity. The paper contributes to current knowledge by providing an understanding of productivity in offshore wind projects. • Waiting is 50.09% the dominant activity in offshore wind projects. • Seventeen delaying factors lead to waiting. • COVID-19 disruptions negatively impact productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is highly detrimental, and its death distribution peculiarity has severely affected people's health and the operations of businesses. COVID-19 has wholly undermined the global economy, including inflicting significant damage to the ever-emerging biomass supply chain; its sustainability is disintegrating due to the coronavirus. The biomass supply chain must be sustainable and robust enough to adapt to the evolving and fluctuating risks of the market due to the coronavirus or any potential future pandemics. However, no such study has been performed so far. To address this issue, investigating how COVID-19 influences a biomass supply chain is vital. This paper presents a dynamic risk assessment methodological framework to model biomass supply chain risks due to COVID-19. Using a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) formalism, the impacts of COVID-19 on the performance of biomass supply chain risks have been studied. The proposed model has been applied to the biomass supply chain of a U.S.-based Mahoney Environmental® company in Washington, USA. The case study results show that it would take one year to recover from the maximum damage to the biomass supply chain due to COVID-19, while full recovery would require five years. Results indicate that biomass feedstock gate availability (FGA) is 2%, due to pandemic and lockdown conditions. Due to the availability of vaccination and gradual business reopenings, this availability increases to 92% in the second year. Results also indicate that the price of fossil-based fuel will gradually increase after one year of the pandemic; however, the market prices of fossil-based fuel will not revert to pre-coronavirus conditions even after nine years. K-fold cross-validation is used to validate the DBN. Results of validation indicate a model accuracy of 95%. It is concluded that the pandemic has caused risks to the sustainability of biomass feedstock, and the current study can help develop risk mitigation strategies. • Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on biomass supply chain is studied. • A case study of a US based biofuel company is presented. • A dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) model is developed to investigate the biomass supply chain's risk over ten years, considering pandemic and post-coronavirus situations. • The DBN model is able to predict risks and their behaviours under uncertainties. • Study identifies high preprocessing costs of biomass resource due to COVID-19. • Model validation indicates an accuracy of 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed our lives. While the global impacts of the pandemic are shocking, the implications for energy burdens, climate policy, and energy efficiency are salient. This study examines income differences in the acceptance of and willingness to pay for home energy management systems during the COVID-19 pandemic among 632 residents in New York. Additionally, this study examines energy profiles, energy burdens, climate change issues, risk perceptions, and social-psychological factors. Compared with low-income households, our findings suggest that high-income households use more energy, have higher utility bills during quarantine mandates, perceive a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, and perceive climate change issues to be better than before. Low-income households, however, experience the highest energy burdens. Regarding HEMS acceptance, high-income households are more willing to adopt energy and well-being-promoting features of HEMS and more willing to pay a higher monthly fee for all the features than other income groups. Overall, participants were more willing to pay a higher price for the energy features than the well-being-promoting features. Low-income households indicate lower social norms, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control over adopting HEMS; they also perceive HEMS to be more difficult to use and less useful. Higher-income households express a higher trust in utilities than low-income households. Surprisingly, cost concerns, technology anxiety, and cybersecurity concerns relating to HEMS do not differ across income groups. This paper addresses the interactions among technology attributes and social-psychological and demographic factors, and provides policy implications and insights for future research. • Adoption of home energy manage systems (HEMS) is different across income-levels. • Low-income households report lower social norms, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control over adopting HEMS. • Social-psychological and economic factors influence HEMS adoption and willingness to pay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicle development is critical to achieve the sustainable goals, while the hit of COVID-19 strikes the market and brings challenges to the whole industry. China, among one of the earliest regions affected by COVID-19 and takes a great part in the global electric vehicle market, is attracting growing attention on its post-pandemic trends in the electric vehicle industry. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 impacts on China's electric vehicle industry from both the demand side and the supply side. Both challenges and opportunities for China's electric vehicle development are revealed with emerging trend analysis. It is found that the COVID-19 outbreak has reduced electric vehicle sales in the short-term, but may also stimulate future electric vehicle demand especially for large electric cars with better performance. Meanwhile, travel restrictions caused by COVID-19 have interrupted electric vehicle material supplies that relying on imports, accelerating domestic substitute exploitation and inventory improvement for critical parts. Additionally, massive lockdowns for controlling COVID-19 have disrupted productions and operations, which tends to expel small brands out of the competitive market, concentrating China's electric vehicle industry to the leading brands. Finally, the social distancing trend after pandemic is bringing challenges to traditional EV distribution channels with dealers, pushing automakers to develop innovative online selling channels. These impacts are likely to lead to a reformation of China's electric vehicle industry towards a more advanced and reliable future. • Impacts of COVID-19 on China's EV market and supply chain are analyzed. • COVID-19 outbreak may shift consumer demand to large EVs with better performance. • Supply interruption by travel restrictions may promote domestic R&D and reserves. • Suspension caused by lockdown may expel SMEs and concentrate China's EV industry. • Post-pandemic social distancing may lead to innovative online EV selling models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Green Deal was published at the end of 2019 and represents EU's biggest action to reach climate neutrality. The European Recovery Fund was presented in July 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 crisis. This study looks at the role that photovoltaics could play to support the successful implementation of these initiatives, in particular in regard to the increased climate ambition. The European Commission proposal of September 2020 (55% emission reduction in 2030 compared to 1990) and the European Parliament proposal that followed soon after (−60%), have changed the level of greenhouse gas reduction ambitions. Energy system modelling shows that achieving the updated targets will require large quantities of renewables deployed at an unprecedented pace. Over the past 10 years solar PV has achieved the technological and market maturity to spearhead EU efforts to reach the energy and climate targets. The paper looks at future projections of solar PV deployment, also considering ongoing sectorial policies (e.g. the EU hydrogen strategy, the building renovation wave) and overarching aims for system integration and a just transition. • The European Green Deal increased climate ambition and the need for renewables. • Photovoltaics need to be deployed in high rates to reach the updated targets. • Until 2030, 21–22 GW of PV is needed annually in EU to decrease emissions by 55%. • PV deployment rates increase to 26–32 GW annually to reach −60% emissions. • Green Deal's initiatives (H2 strategy, renovation wave) may increase projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]