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The pedagogical itineraries stimulate the experiential learning of geographic knowledge from direct observation, putting into practice of theoretical knowledge, environmental awareness, and the management of cartographic skills. Despite constituting a tool with indisputable didactic potential, it has certain limitations in its real applicability such as: the lack of budget, the limited number of dates, weather conditions, the bureaucratic tasks when working with minors age, the presence of some type of disability/mobility problems between the students, and connectivity problems with the site to be studied (among others). At present, the irruption of different geomatic applications in the field of geography gives us the opportunity to adapt this prestigious pedagogical methodology to the virtual field, thus breaking with the limitations of its face-to-face modality. In this sense, the present work constitutes a methodological proposal supported by the Google Earth Studio tool and taking as an example an itinerary developed in the Sierra del Naranco (Oviedo). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an extensive examination of the interconnectedness between energy and water in island regions, particularly those heavily reliant on tourism, as exemplified by the present case. This study explores the present state and trends of research in this field with the objective of attaining a sustainable system in future scenarios. Specifically, this analysis delves into the water–energy–CO2 nexus of the Colombian island of San Andrés. Currently, there is no energy generation from the water sector, with 76.18% of water consumption directed towards the cooling of thermal power plants and a mere 1.54% of the energy employed for water extraction, desalination, and purification. In 2019, the island's total energy consumption reached 138 ktoe (kilotons of oil equivalent), and renewable energies have yet to contribute to the system. These findings emphasize the necessity for the island to implement measures that will bolster its sustainability, self-sufficiency, and resilience. This entails mitigating and managing the intensity of resource consumption, particularly in areas experiencing economic growth. According to the Sankey diagram obtained, some political implications and recommendations have been listed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, focused on a highly humanized territory of the Central Mountain of Asturias, shows the stable presence of the Iberian wolf in an area where it had been absent for decades. We used phototrap combined with the analysis of excrements, the search for other evidence of the presence of wolves, and the collection of information related to wolf sightings and livestock damage. The data was entered into a geographic information system. This method enabled to identify the presence of Iberian wolf and to delve into its mobility patterns, showing the high adaptive capacity of wolves to adjust to the human presence in their present-day expansion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated water and energy microgrids (IWEMGs) serve as vital solutions for enhancing the well-being of remote and rural communities, particularly in areas where water and energy resources are scarce. This has spurred research into the interdependence between the water and energy sectors (water–energy nexus), a field that has grown in response to technological advancements. Through a systematic optimization framework, this review critically evaluates the integration of various technologies within IWEMGs, encompassing infrastructure, management, and strategic planning, while considering economic and social impacts. IWEMGs incorporate diverse technologies for the infrastructure, management, and strategic planning of water and energy resources, integrating economic and social considerations to inform decisions that affect both immediate and long-term sustainability and reliability. This article presents an exhaustive review of the literature on IWEMG management, employing an approach that synthesizes existing studies to enhance the understanding of strategic IWEMG management and planning. It introduces a structured taxonomy for organizing research trends and tackling unresolved challenges within the field. Notably, the review identifies critical gaps, such as the lack of comprehensive data on water demand in isolated locations, and underscores the emerging role of game theory and machine learning in enriching IWEMG management frameworks. Ultimately, this review outlines essential indicators for forthcoming research, focusing on the optimization, management, and strategic planning of IWEMG resources and infrastructure, thereby setting a direction for future technological and methodological advancements in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the ageing of [Eu(bphen)(tta) 3 ]/PMMA down-shifters (DS) placed on top of photovoltaic (PV) modules exposed to extreme outdoor conditions is reported for first time. The PV modules have been placed in a defined location in Tenerife, Canary Island, where extreme outdoor conditions exist. The [Eu(bphen)(tta) 3 ]/ PMMA DSs have been directly exposed to the outdoor conditions or covered with a low iron glass. The results reveal an improvement of the total power of the modules with [Eu(bphen)(tta) 3 ]/PMMA down-shifters, 7.06% for the DS directly exposed to outdoor conditions, and a 3.95% for the encapsulated DS during the first operation day, in comparison with a reference module. However, the improvement vanishes after 20 days when the DS is not encapsulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero tailpipe emission vehicles are seen as a promising route to reduce the carbon footprint of transport sector. Therefore, there is a global movement at customer, industry and administration levels to accelerate their adoption. This paper explores the effect of electric vehicles on the combined emissions reduction from passenger vehicles and power-generation in the island of Tenerife, representative of a small-to-medium isolated system. In order to understand the system response to mass adoption of plug-ins, a high level model of the island's power-generation system have been developed. Modeling results evidence that projections for future plug-ins selling shares together with current estimation of renewable energy penetration do not bring any benefit to reduce both CO 2 and fuel dependence in the short term with respect to measures focused on fleet fuel economy improvements. An additional exercise, exploring the effectiveness under a scenario where Government targets for renewable energy penetration are met, has been carried out. Simulation results show that optimized charging strategies and significantly larger power and storage capacities are required. Under these conditions, an electrification focus scenario provides a slightly larger overall CO 2 abatement, 4% higher than the scenarios focused on fuel efficiency improvement. • Evaluation of mass EVs adoption potential to reduce emissions and fuel dependence. • Current renewable energy projections are insufficient to cover the additional demand. • Measures based on fleet fuel savings provide better benefits in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canary Island of Tenerife is supplied by an insular power system which relies mainly on conventional thermal power plants. However Tenerife has reached grid parity in photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy. The Spanish government has just approved a new legislation to stimulate the deployment of new PV and wind energy systems in all Spanish insular systems mainly to reduce the cost of these systems. This paper analyses the current electric power system and energy production in Tenerife, especially PV and wind energy, and investigates the consequences of this new legislation and the planning initially approved by the government of the Canary Islands to substantially increase the share of both technologies in the horizon 2020. This paper shows that the Tenerife power system is technically capable of managing the ramps expected to occur in the defined near term scenarios. However, the cost per MWh will increase because of the curtailment of renewable energy generation and the operation of the thermal power system in suboptimal conditions. Some regulatory recommendations are included as conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First study of EQE by DS encapsulated on PV modules by standard industrial procedures. • Standard mc-Si module used to avoid any influence of the intrinsic solar cell EQE. • EQE improvement also attributed to reduction of DS photons scattered out of the cell. • Encapsulation reduces the degradation of luminescent properties due to UV radiation. For the first time to our knowledge, a study about the increase in external quantum efficiency (EQE) by down-shifters (DS) encapsulated by industrial procedures on photovoltaic (PV) modules is presented. EQE improves substantially in the UV range not only because of the optical path optimization for photons reaching the solar cell, but also it is attributed to the substantial reduction of DS photons scattered out of the solar cell when the outermost surface of the DS layer is embedded in ethyl-vinyl-acetate. Consequently, a proper encapsulation of DS layers is required for the optimal characterization of EQE. Moreover, the encapsulation of the DS layer substantially reduces the degradation of its luminescent properties due to UV radiation. However, the reduction of the EQE under UV radiation for the encapsulated DS layer is still high and should be substantially reduced for the integration of down-shifting properties in the lamination process of PV modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater pumping systems using photovoltaic (PV) energy are increasingly being implemented around the world and, to a greater extent, in rural and electrically isolated areas. Over time, the cost of these systems has decreased, providing greater accessibility to freshwater in areas far from urban centers and power grids. This paper proposes a novel sustainability analysis of the groundwater pumping systems in Tenerife Island as an example of a medium-size isolated system, analyzing the current status and the business-as-usual projection to 2030, considering the water reservoirs available and the final use of water. The 2030 projection focused on the PV deployment, evaluation of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and the availability of the groundwater resource. HOMER software was used to analyze the LCOE, and ArcGIS software was used for the visual modeling of water resources. As a result, the average LCOE for a purely PV installation supplying electricity to a pumping system in Tenerife is 0.2430 €/kWh, but the location and characteristic of each pumping system directly affect the performance and costs, mostly due to the solar availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The snowstorms that affected the Cantabrian Mountains in the winter of 1888 caused unprecedented damage, and the absence of a "resilient approach" to this episode had several consequences worth further consideration. In this study, we explored interconnections between and among memory, social learning, and resilience by surveying the affected landscapes, conducting interviews with current residents, and reviewing historical sources such as press archives. The mixed method has enabled us to examine the construction and transmission of respondents' memories and to link those narratives to our reading of the presence or absence of risk mitigation actions—especially against snow avalanches. Our analysis has established that the 1888 snowstorms are remembered down the decades in ways that downplay risk, neglect social learning and changes to community practices and capacities to cope with uncertainties, and fail to shape preventive measures against future disasters. These insights have relevance for those interested in how archival research, field observations, and contemporaneous interviews can aid understandings of inherited memory, social learning, and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this rebuttal letter is to provide a critical analysis of the article entitled “Spatial planning to estimate the offshore wind energy potential in coastal regions and islands. Practical case: The Canary Islands” [Energy 143 (2018) 91–103], mainly in relation to its methodology, suitable marine areas and electricity production costs. The absence of basic considerations about the characteristics of the insular power grids, the composition of the electricity costs in the Canary Islands, and the lack of rigor in some assumptions related to visibility constraints, offshore costs, integration costs, the mixing of data from different time periods and the references used, provides unrealistic and useless results for a necessary debate about the potential of offshore wind energy in the Canary Islands. In this rebuttal letter we will also demonstrate that the potential offshore wind capacity calculated by the authors is much lower. Moreover, the assertion that the electricity cost from offshore wind calculated by the authors is lower than the current electricity cost is wrong and, in fact, the cost of electricity from offshore wind is higher in the time period when the analysis was made, and also at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have compiled our research on lanthanide-based luminescent materials for use as down-shifter layers in photovoltaic (PV) mini-modules. The complexes we have prepared (C1–17), with formulas [Eu2(phen)2(bz)6] (C1), [Eu2(bphen)2(bz)6] (C2), [Eu(tta)3bphen] (C3), [Eu(bta)3pyz-phen] (C4), [Eu(tta)3pyz-phen] (C5), [Eu(bta)3me-phen] (C6), [Er(bta)3me-phen] (C7), [Yb(bta)3me-phen] (C8), [Gd(bta)3me-phen] (C9), [Yb(bta)3pyz-phen] (C10), [Er(tta)3pyz-phen] (C11), [Eu2(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (C12), [Gd2(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (C13), [EuTb(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (C14), [EuGd(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (C15), [Eu1.2Gd0.8(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (C16), and [Eu1.6Gd0.4(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (C17), can be grouped into three families based on their composition: Complexes C1–6 were synthesized using Eu3+ ions and phenanthroline derivatives as the neutral ligands and fluorinated β-diketonates as the anionic ligands. Complexes C7–11 were prepared with ligands similar to those of complexes C1–6 but were synthesized with Er3+, Yb3+, or Gd3+ ions. Complexes C12–17 have the general formula [M1M2(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2], where M1 and M2 can be Eu3+, Gd3+, or Tb3+ ions, and the ligands were benzoate (bz–), 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (tta–), and 1,10–phenanthroline (phen). Most of the complexes were characterized using X-ray techniques, and their photoluminescent properties were studied. We then assessed the impact of complexes in the C1–6 and C12–17 series on the EQE of PV mini-modules and examined the durability of one of the complexes (C6) in a climate chamber when embedded in PMMA and EVA films. This study emphasizes the methodology employed and the key findings, including enhanced mini-module efficiency. Additionally, we present promising results on the application of complex C6 in a bifacial solar cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new mixed-ligand bimetallic complexes [Eu2(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (1), [Gd2(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (2), [EuTb(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (3), [EuGd(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (4), [Eu1,2Gd0,8(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (5) and [Eu1,6Gd0,4(bz)4(tta)2(phen)2] (6) have been prepared with the Eu3+, Gd3+ and Tb3+ ions and the benzoate (bz−), 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (tta−) and the 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligands. The compounds combine highly efficient antennas to obtain highly luminescent complexes to enhance solar cell efficiency. The benzoate ligand has been chosen to take its advantage as a bridging ligand to end up with bimetallic complexes to study the effect of combining two metal ions in the luminescent molecule. The structure of 1 was obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and 1–6 were found to be isostructural by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The photophysical properties were studied by the absorbance and emission spectra and emission lifetimes. The magnetic properties of 2 were studied, and we found intramolecular antiferromagnetic interactions between the Gd3+ ions. We prepared luminescent down-shifting layers (LDSL) with the 1, 3–6 complexes embedded in ethylene–vinyl–acetate and studied their effect in the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and intensity–voltage (I–V) plots of a solar mini-module. We found that LDSL containing the bimetallic complexes 3 and 6 enhance the efficiency of the solar mini-module from 11.26(3)% to 11.76(4)% (+0.52%) and to 11.44(2)% (+0.21%), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of [Eu(bta) 3 me-phen] downshifters (DS) encapsulated by industrial procedures on photovoltaic (PV) modules is presented. The samples have been laminated using the DS layers faced-up and faced-down. The results obtained for the DS layers present an EQE enhancement of 1.2 % for the faced-up samples and 0.8 % for the faced-down samples. A climate chamber was used to evaluate the EQE performance during the ageing process; a temperature of 22 °C and relative humidity of 30 % was fixed. Several time cycles have been used to achieve a total UV dose of 454.94 kWh. After a 136.51 kWh dose, the increment of the EQE for the faced-up samples vanishes. In contrast, after a dose of 454.94 kWh, the EQE enhancement for samples with the DS layer faced down remains unaltered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the chemical and optical characterization of a cost effective down-converter polymeric film based on an Eu(III) complex embedded in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) which placed on conventional photovoltaic (PV) glass, used for module assembly, produces an increase in the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of a reference Si-based solar cell. Our results show that the best location of the down-converter is on the front surface of the glass. The UV absorption of the down-converter protects and enhances the stability of the PMMA film. This increase in EQE is further enlarged by placing a light trap on the device, collecting most of the down-converted photons, which are isotropically emitted. Additional increases in EQE are expected after a proper encapsulation of the solar cell and the glass. Thermogravimetric measurements show that the down-converter active specie is stable up to 275 °C and the PMMA film is stable up to 225 °C, consequently, it can be applied in any step of the lamination process in the production of PV modules. Thereby, the down-converter can be profitably applied in Si-based solar cells and modules, particularly in concentrated PV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plug-in vehicles are seen as a promising path to reduce the road transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the singularities of small isolated power systems in terms of the high dependence of fossil fuel-based generation and the relative short distances travelled do require a particular analysis to evaluate the potential emission reduction. This paper describes a simulation study for estimating the energy consumption and the corresponding Well-to-Wheels GHG emissions of different light-duty powertrain architectures subjected to real-world driving conditions, taking the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) as a test case. The simulations have been carried out with a high-level vehicle powertrain system analysis tool, capable to estimate second-by-second vehicle energy consumption. Road gradient, GHG grid intensity and battery capacity impact on the GHG emission reduction were analysed in detail. Based on the results, the current high carbon content of the grid and the additional weight of the large battery packs limit the potential benefit of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) with respect to hybrid architectures (HEV). The simulations also reveal that Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) currently offer a great potential to reduce the GHG emissions. Unlike other geographical areas, the high Utility Factors derived from the short distances travelled ensure the proper use of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of neoglacial advances in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) is not yet well constrained. Accurate temporal reconstruction of Neoglaciation in the AP is needed to better understand past glacial responses and regional and global teleconnections during the Holocene. Here, we examine all available information about neoglacial advances in the South Shetland Islands (SSI) as well as in the broader geographical context of the AP region and Antarctic continent. In order to shed light on the contrasting chronologies existing for neoglacial advances in these regions, we focused on a case study where a detailed picture of the Holocene deglaciation was already available. Lake sediments revealed that Byers Peninsula, west of Livingston Island (SSI), was fully deglaciated during the Holocene Thermal Maximum. To complement this approach, we identified glacially polished bedrock surfaces, erratic boulders and a moraine ridge near the present front of the glacier in the SE corner. We applied cosmogenic ray exposure (CRE) dating using in situ 36Cl for basalt rocks and 10Be for granitic rocks in: (i) 8 samples from glacial erratic and ice-rafted boulders, (ii) 2 samples from moraine boulders, (iii) 2 samples from polished bedrock surfaces, and (iv) 1 sample from an erratic boulder deposited on one of these surfaces. The CRE dates indicate that the onset of deglaciation started around 9.9 ± 1.2 ka, with two phases of glacier expansion during the Mid-Late Holocene forming moraines at ∼4.1 ± 0.5 and ∼1.0 ± 0.2 ka, respectively. The main neoglacial advances in the AP and the SSI were mostly synchronous and coincided with cold periods, as shown by other records (e.g. glacio-isostatic marine terraces, marine and lake sediments). In addition, these periods of glacial expansion show a similar timing to those recorded in the Arctic. These results suggest that Neoglaciation was driven by global climate forcing in both polar areas despite temporal variations at regional and local scale. • The timing of neoglacial advances in the Antarctic Peninsula. • Study case: Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. • We applied cosmogenic ray exposure using 36Cl and 10Be isotopes. • Deglaciation started around 9.9 ± 1.2 ka. • Glacier expansion at ∼4.1 ± 0.5 and ∼1.0 ± 0.2 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]