Search

Abstract: This paper provides an overview analysis of fuelwood utilization in the commercial cooking sector. Cultural, market and logistic factors that may weaken the explanatory power of the energy ladder hypothesis are highlighted. Additionally, gender issues and health and environmental aspects related to fuelwood use in cities are explored. The analysis is developed as from the viewpoint of the use of different fuels for cooking in urban areas, focusing on commercial establishments. Evidences were observed in the pizza market in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, demonstrating that consumer expectations, expressed by means of classical market pressure mechanisms, can markedly influence this commercial cooking niche and consist in an important driving force for its energy choice. The city has the second largest pizza market in the world, characterized by the commercialization of 40 million units of the product per month in over 5000 commercial establishments. Interviews conducted in 270 of these establishments reveal that 88% use fuelwood ovens despite its lower practicality and wide availability of modern energy options such as electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The work validates the fuel stacking model, according to which energy diversification – and not substitution –, results from economic development, urbanization and/or a population income growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Worldwide environmental policies demand each time more biofuel consumption and less emission. In this context, this work presents a 2G ethanol study as a mean to increase bioethanol production and availability. Currently, technologies use sugarcane bagasse for lignocellulosic ethanol production, which may unbalance the ethanol and sugar mill energy matrix, since bagasse and straw are the main fuel for power and steam generation. A possible solution is using biogas produced from vinasse biodigestion as a fuel instead of using biomass, enabling to shift a fraction of the sugarcane bagasse to 2G ethanol production and, at the same time, keeping power and steam production constant. This paper assesses that energy shift by analyzing ten different scenarios for power generation, comparing the amount of bagasse shifted, the increase in straw consumption, the increase in ethanol production and the reduction of environmental emissions in each scenario. The results show that, at least from the technical and environmental perspective, a combined cycle operating at a high pressure is the best alternative. It is possible to shift from 56.5% to 100% of the available bagasse using the combined cycle technology, which is also followed by an increase in straw consumption. In addition to that, the ethanol availability increase ranges from 28.5 to 50.4%. Moreover, the organic load disposal to the ground also decreases more than 90% compared to the conventional process due to the introduction of vinasse biodigestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]