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This study explored the association between renewable energy uptake and digitalization in the sector by reviewing relevant literature (published 2010–2022), with the aim of identifying the existing utilization of digital technologies within the sector, challenges to adoption, and future prospects. Different search engines (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were used to locate relevant papers and documents. The results revealed the high significance of digital technologies in supporting the renewable energy sector, with high costs and security risks representing the key challenges. Most papers reviewed had a positive outlook, but recommended further research and development for effective energy transition and resilient infrastructure. The current drivers of the integration of digital technologies to support the diffusion of renewable energy sources appear to extend beyond energy demand and involve many aspects of sustainability and sustainable development. Compared with previous reviews, this work has unique scope and novelty since it considers the bigger picture of the coupling between digitalization and the renewable energy sector, with a greater focus on critical areas in these two interconnected bodies that need to be addressed. The relatively small sample of relevant papers (69 from 836 hits) located in the literature review confirms the need for more research covering the subject in greater depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen-powered mobility is believed to be crucial in the future, as hydrogen constitutes a promising solution to make up for the non-programmable character of the renewable energy sources. In this context, the hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine represents one of the suitable technical solutions for the future of sustainable mobility. As a matter of fact, hydrogen engines suffer from limitations in volumetric efficiency due to the very low density of the fuel. Consequently, hydrogen-fueled ICEs can reach sufficient torque and power density only if suitable supercharging solutions are developed. Moreover, gaseous-engine performance can be improved to a great extent if direct injection is applied. In this perspective, a remarkable know-how has been developed in the last two decades on NG engines, which can be successfully exploited in this context. The objective of this paper is twofold. In the first part, a feasibility study has been carried out with reference to a typical 2000cc SI engine by means of 1D simulations. This study was aimed at characterizing the performance on the full load curve with respect to a baseline PFI engine fueled by NG. In this phase, the turbocharging/supercharging device has not been included in the model in order to quantify the attainable benefits in the absence of any limitation coming from the turbocharger. In the second part of this paper, the conversion of a prototype 1400cc direct injection NG engine, running with stoichiometric mixture, to run on a lean hydrogen combustion mode has been investigated via 1D simulations. The matching between engine and turbocharger has been included in the model, and the effects of two different turbomatching choices have been presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources (RESs) offer key transformative potential from a societal point of view due to their modularity and ability to generate energy at the local level, allowing for the development of grassroots democratic and participatory initiatives. The paper aims to share insights into the processes of creating RES cooperatives in Poland. One of the first cooperatives to be established in the Upper Silesian region in Poland was the energy cooperative (EC) "Our Energy". This study presents an in-depth empirical analysis of a community-based renewable energy cooperative. The study employed a case study methodology, including a SWOT analysis framework, to describe the research subject and identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Key findings indicate that members benefit from stable energy prices and full recovery of the energy produced, and the cooperative is at the forefront of energy-sharing practices that minimize costs through direct transactions with the local municipality. The strategic goals of the EC focus on expanding membership, increasing the number of photovoltaic installations, implementing energy balancing, combating energy poverty, and reducing emissions. Challenges such as financial constraints and a lack of real-time monitoring of energy distribution are acknowledged, and carbon footprint reduction innovations and stakeholder engagement are highlighted as forward-looking approaches. The study highlights the role of cooperatives as a model for community-led sustainable energy initiatives. However, the study acknowledges the limitations of its small sample size, suggesting the need for broader research to understand the impact of collaborative energy on decarbonization. Future research directions are proposed, focusing on the long-term sustainability and socioeconomic impacts of energy cooperatives. This study contributes to the scholarly discourse on renewable energy cooperatives by offering insight into their potential to bridge the gap between energy producers and consumers and support sustainable community development. The main novelty of this paper lies in its detailed examination of a specific renewable energy cooperative, incorporating SWOT analysis, stakeholder perspectives, quantitative assessments, and a forward-thinking approach. This multifaceted analysis contributes to the existing literature on renewable energy initiatives, providing a valuable reference for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the changing impact of renewable energy and green innovation on the carbon footprint of eight MENA nations between 2000 and 2020. We investigate this by using the panel Q-ARDL model for the first time, and we find that, with various impacts across different quantiles, a rise in green innovation and renewable energy greatly boosts environmental sustainability in the short run. In the long run, this effect becomes increasingly more noticeable. According to our analysis, the chosen MENA countries quickly embraced energy storage, solar hydrogen, and other technology pathways to diversify their energy mix, which was a turning point in the fight against climate change. Although these factors have been separately examined in different studies, our research merges them into a single non-parametric model. This research is significant as it provides empirical evidence on the efficiency of green innovation and renewable energy policies, and it will guide policymakers and energy stakeholders in developing strategies to achieve sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals is to "Ensure access to affordable, sustainable, and clean energy for all." Additionally, the growing concerns about climate change and energy security have heightened the importance of exploring alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuels. The utilisation of agricultural waste for bioenergy production has acquired significant attention due to its potential to mitigate environmental impacts and provide renewable energy sources. However, the major obstacle to producing bioenergy is managing the supply chain while considering economic, environmental, and social factors in an optimal way. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the literature on the management of agriculture waste supply chains, specifically related to the use of modelling and optimisation techniques for planning. The first section describes different stages of the supply chain and various technologies for converting biomass to bioenergy. This is followed by a synopsis of the literature reviewed based on decision levels, objective functions, modelling methodologies, and optimisation approaches. Finally, the review highlights limitations and gaps in current research and the areas with potential for further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the urgent global need to limit warming to 2 °C as well as a localized need in our case study to address rising energy demand amid electrical and thermal network limitations, a critical examination of demand-side energy reductions and the concept of energy sufficiency is needed. This paper contributes to the sparse literature on bottom-up analysis by utilizing Iceland—a leader in renewable energy generation—as a case study to explore the socio-economic factors influencing energy footprints. Our findings reveal significant energy footprints across various consumption domains, particularly housing and mobility, influenced by income levels, urbanization, and lifestyle choices. The study highlights the paradox of a high renewable energy supply leading to potential misconceptions regarding abundant and low-cost energy, resulting in substantial energy consumption-related environmental impacts. Using detailed household consumption survey data, this research provides insights crucial for developing sustainable energy policies that not only target technological advancements but also address the need for a reduction in energy demand and a shift towards energy sufficiency. This work marks a contribution to the literature through the provision of a case study of low income inequality and high energy footprints in a highly renewable energy system context. Further, this work is useful for Icelandic and international policymakers to understand in such high-demand contexts which consumption domains would be most relevant for sufficiency policies. This comprehensive analysis opens pathways for future research to further explore the intersections of energy consumption, socio-economic factors, and well-being, offering a nuanced understanding necessary for crafting sufficiency and demand-side policies aimed at a sustainable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global transition toward sustainable energy gains momentum, integrating electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage, and renewable energy sources has become a pivotal strategy. This paper analyses the interplay between EVs, energy storage, and renewable energy integration with Indonesia's grid as a test case. A comprehensive energy system modeling approach using PLEXOS is presented, using historical data on electricity generation, hourly demand, and renewable energy, and multiple scenarios of charging patterns and EV adoption. Through a series of scenarios, we evaluate the impact of different charging strategies and EV penetration levels on generation capacity, battery storage requirements, total system cost, renewable energy penetration, and emissions reduction. The findings reveal that optimized charging patterns and higher EV adoption rates, compared to no EVs adoption, led to substantial improvements in renewable energy utilization (+4%), emissions reduction (−12.8%), and overall system cost (−9%). While EVs contribute to reduced emissions compared to conventional vehicles, non-optimized charging behavior may lead to higher total emissions when compared to scenarios without EVs. The research also found the potential of vehicle to grid (V2G) to reduce the need for battery storage compared to zero EV (−84%), to reduce emissions significantly (−23.7%), and boost penetration of renewable energy (+10%). This research offers valuable insights for policymakers, energy planners, and stakeholders seeking to leverage the synergies between EVs and renewable energy integration to pursue a sustainable energy future for Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mozambique is experiencing the consequences of a severe energy crisis with economic and social impacts. Its strict dependence on hydroelectric sources is being severely tested by recent droughts that have drastically reduced water levels in dams. However, Mozambique is addressing energy poverty by exploring renewable energy sources thanks to investments in the sector by the European Union. The research concerns an energy analysis profile of the country and the penetration of renewable energy, presenting an energy upgrading scope through a semi-automatic calculation methodology in a Building Information Modeling (BIM) environment. The building under study, located in Maputo, is the Natural History Museum, which plays an important role in biodiversity conservation. Therefore, this paper proposes a BIM methodology for sizing an environmental control system tailored to serve the museum. The proposed system replaces the previous one and includes a photovoltaic system that not only meets the museum's load but also supplies electricity to the surrounding area. Energy production from renewable sources with a surplus of 30% has been achieved. The proposed digital methodology has identified a maximum gap of 1.5% between the dimensions of the BIM duct and those of a traditional plant design, meeting ASHRAE requirements for environmental control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at systematically reviewing the literature on the interface of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), Industry 4.0 and renewable energy. The aims of this review are to ascertain current state of the art in GSCM practices, to critically examine the role of industry 4.0 technologies in GSCM adoption, to examine sustainability and supply chain issues within the renewable energy sector, and to critically discuss tackling these issues using industry 4.0 driven GSCM. A total of 215 review and empirical papers from 2004 to 2023 gathered from three databases (ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science) were reviewed. This research found several GSCM practices and succinctly categorized those based on their respective positions along any given value chain. The practices were categorized as related to: procurement and sourcing, product design, corporate relationship, organizational structure/strategy, logistics and transportation, waste and pollution management and manufacturing. We have found that the ten most mentioned GSCM practices are: Green purchasing, Eco-design, Cooperation with customers, Internal Environmental Management, Reverse logistics, Investment recovery, Green manufacturing, Green design, Collaboration with suppliers and Remanufacturing. Various Industry 4.0 technologies including blockchain, Internet of Things, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence were identified and their role in successful GSCM implementation is highlighted. Sustainability and supply chain related challenges within the renewable energy supply chain were found that include material sourcing and end-of-life management challenges. Finally, a perspective is given on the role of Industry 4.0 driven GSCM in tackling the renewable energy supply chain and sustainability challenges. This article concludes with a presentation of managerial implications and future research directions for managers within different sectors, especially the renewable energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) are encouraging sustainable energy sources due to their low cost, abundance, low maintenance, and eco-friendliness. However, despite significant efforts to optimize SCPP design, their efficiency and power generation capabilities remain limited. Researchers have explored modifications in plant geometry and hybridization to improve efficiency. Despite extensive work in this area, commercialization of SCPPs has not yet been achieved. Most of the research is numerical and may differ from real-world practical use. The number of experimental studies is also relatively small. To facilitate commercialization, further investigation with practical and feasible dimensions is required. This comprehensive review paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis of experimental approaches and advancements in the field of SCPPs. The paper begins with an introduction, highlighting the background, significance, and objectives of the review. It provides an overview of the plants, discussing their principles and operation as innovative renewable energy systems. The historical development and evolution of solar chimneys are explored, shedding light on their progression over time. Case studies of operational hybrid SCPPs are examined to showcase real-world applications and performance. The paper also addresses environmental impacts and sustainability considerations associated with SCPPs. Furthermore, recommendations for future research and development in this field are provided to guide researchers and industry professionals. This study focuses on the possibility of commercialization of both standalone and hybrid SCPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lingering COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine have wreaked havoc on the global oil supply chain. The current disruption of the oil supply chain and the rapidly growing energy demand created unprecedented oil shortages and raised the oil price beyond the affordable level. As worldwide oil price hikes continue, there is an urgent need for developing alternative energy sources, such as smart rural energy. Despite its enormous potential as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based energy sources, smart rural energy has never been fully utilized in society. The limited use of smart rural energy may be related to its lack of commercialization, which could have created more eco-friendly and cost-efficient alternative energy sources. This paper assesses the eco-friendliness and cost-efficiency of smart rural energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower for the first time. This paper is also one of the first studies that intends to develop viable strategic plans for commercializing smart rural energy using strategy maps, which subsequently helps increase public awareness of renewable energy by creating visual communication tools that convey the benefits of smart rural energy commercialization to multiple stakeholders, including government entities, business communities, and energy consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers unique capabilities in terms of design freedom and customization, contributing to sustainable manufacturing. However, energy efficiency remains a challenge in the widespread adoption of AM processes. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of the current research on energy efficiency in AM, addressing challenges, opportunities, and future directions. Our analysis reveals a lack of standardization in the measurement and reporting of energy consumption, making it difficult to evaluate and compare the energy performance of various systems. We propose a holistic framework to address energy efficiency throughout the entire life cycle of the AM process, highlighting the importance of design optimization, material selection, advanced control systems, and energy management strategies. The paper also emphasizes the need for further research on the interactions between process parameters, along with the potential of integrating renewable energy sources into AM systems. This review offers valuable insights for both academics and industry professionals, calling for standardized methodologies and a focus on energy management to optimize energy efficiency in AM processes, ultimately enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in modern manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combustion of fossil fuels constitutes a significant catalyst for climate change, resulting in the annual release of about two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). The increase in CO2 emission is directly linked to a heightened occurrence of natural calamities and health-related issues. The substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is a fundamental approach to reduce the negative impacts caused by consumption of these nonrenewable energy resources. The utilisation of biological methodologies to produce environmentally friendly energy from renewable sources holds significant potential for the sustainable production of fuel. However, the cultivation of first- and second-generation biofuel crops presents a challenge, since they compete for limited cropland, hence constraining their overall viability. In contrast, photosynthetic microorganisms such as algae and cyanobacteria exhibit significant potential as third-generation biofuel catalysts, devoid of the limitations associated with contemporary biofuels. Cyanobacteria, a type of photosynthetic prokaryotes, exhibit significant potential for the direct conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into biofuels, chemicals, and various other valuable compounds. There has been a growing interest in the concept of utilising biological processes to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals. The introduction of a limited number of heterologous genes has the potential to confer upon cyanobacteria the capability to convert particular central metabolites into a diverse range of end products. The progress in the field of synthetic biology and genetic manipulation has enabled the manipulation of cyanobacteria to synthesise compounds that are not generally produced by these organisms in their natural environment. This study focuses on recent papers that employ various methodologies to engineer cyanobacteria for the purpose of producing high-value compounds, such as biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable heat and power supply are among the basic household needs nowadays. It is especially topical in rural or distant locations that may be cut off from the energy grid due to extreme weather or other events. Nonetheless, the sustainability of our power production systems has to be considered to sustain our planet's long-term abilities to provide energy resources and a viable environment. Renewable energy resources must be prioritized in rural and remote areas, simultaneously strengthening distributed production ability and self-sufficiency. In this context, the use of the Stirling engine for heat to power generation in households, on the scale of small communities, and by using only renewable resources is becoming increasingly topical. Therefore, this research aims to identify the current state-of-the-art for Stirling engine applications using biomass as a renewable energy source, in the context of sustainability and energy security. The paper summarizes the current research tendencies at the household level in the use of biomass-based Stirling engines for renewable heat and power generation in decentralized energy systems. The methodology applied is a structured literature review and content analysis. The research results corroborate the progress towards the use of renewable resources and towards increased energy efficiency because the keyword and overlay analysis showed more frequent publishing in these areas. The content analysis on two more specific sub-directions of interest, i.e., biomass-fuelled Stirling engine use in households and Stirling engine implications on energy security, showed that though research activity in these directions has increased lately, more profound research is needed, especially on aspects of energy security and independence. The content analysis revealed a lack of in-depth analysis on the effects of Stirling engine use on energy security or energy independence, which is suggested as a topical subject for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exponential growth of population and industries has brought about an increase in energy consumption, causing severe climatic and environmental problems. Therefore, the move towards green renewable energy is being ever more intensified. This study aims at estimating the rooftop solar power production for Tehran, the capital city of Iran, using a Geospatial Information System (GIS) to assess the big data of city building parcels. Tehran is faced with severe air pollution due to its excessive fossil fuel usage, and its electricity demand is increasing. As a result, this paper attempts to provide the quantified solar power potential of city roof tops for policymakers and authorities in order to facilitate decision-making in relation to integrating renewable energies into the power production infrastructure. The results shows that approximately 3000 GWh (more than 14% of the total electric energy consumption) of solar power can be produced by the rooftop PV installations in Tehran. The potential nominal power of rooftop PV installations is estimated to be more than 2000 MW, which is four times the current installed PV capacity of the whole country. The findings of the study suggest that there is great potential hidden on the rooftops of the city, which can be utilized to assist the power systems of the city in the longer run for a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generating electricity from renewable energy instead of fossil fuels brings great benefits to the environment and sustainable development. Thus, assessing the potential of wind and solar energy in agricultural coastal areas can identify sustainable energy solutions for meeting energy demand and producing fresh water for agricultural applications and domestic use. However, it is difficult to accurately assess the wind and solar energy potential in Libya due to the civil war, lack of measured data, and its limited availability. Consequently, this concise work is unique because it is the first to use daily measurement data from Az-Zāwiyah, Libya, for evaluating wind and solar energy based on one year of measured data for 2022. Moreover, the present study aims to investigate the potential of wind and solar energy as promising renewable sources for meeting energy demand in coastal agricultural regions in Libya using multiple datasets for the first time. In this paper, five satellite products (TerraClimate, ERA5, ERA5-Land, MERRA-2, and CFSR) were assessed and compared against measured data for January 2022–December 2022 to understand their suitability, accuracy, and reliability. The results showed that CFSR and ERA5-Land demonstrate the most favorable performance for assessing the wind resource, while all satellite products can be utilized for preliminary solar resource assessment. Then, the assessment of wind and solar resources was evaluated in five agricultural coastal regions (Aljmail, Az-Zāwiyah, Castelverde, Msallatah, and Sabratah) based on the best satellite product for the period of 2000–2022. Furthermore, the performance of the wind and solar power systems was investigated for typical farms, which were chosen to estimate the required energy demand according to daily electrical consumption. The results show that the positive outcomes of implementing these systems were highlighted, with an emphasis on their potential benefits to the entire Libyan agricultural sector. Accordingly, scaling up and generalizing the proposed systems and generalizing them to include all farms in Libya could have a significant impact on national electricity generation, mitigate greenhouse gases, and contribute to the development of the agricultural sector and the country's economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective self-consumption is called to be a crucial part of the current energy transition. In addition to the advantages of individual self-consumption, the possibility of improving economic feasibility exists. This paper shows how matching production and consumption loads increase the rate of self-consumption. Still, how the electricity is distributed among a renewable energy community's prosumers would reduce the total costs of self-consumed energy. Possible criteria for the allocation of the generated electricity among shareholders are analysed. The study also evaluates the use of static and dynamic distribution coefficients, observing their results and applicability and sorting them to maximise self-consumption participants' savings. The results are questioned against them and a reference scenario without shared self-consumption installation. As the exploitation of renewable energy for self-consumption is closely linked to the energy market and regulations, the analysis is based on a territorial case study. It is shown that the highest savings occur when electricity is allocated following distribution coefficients that consider the customer's energy consumption better than investment participation or contracted power, even when the compensation of surpluses is added. These criteria can accomplish technical and economic objectives and are introduced in regulations that foster the requested changes in consumers' behaviour and prosumers for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the determinants of environmental sustainability has become a very attractive and popular area of research in response to the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs) and COP26 targets. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to explore the effects of renewable energy, technological innovation, and the insurance market on environmental sustainability in the United States (US). This work contributes to the extant body of knowledge by exploring the effect of the insurance market on the load capacity factor (LC), specifically regarding the US. The LC tracks a certain ecological threshold by simultaneously comparing biocapacity and ecological footprint (EF), thereby providing a comprehensive empirical analysis of ecological sustainability determinants. However, this proxy includes the combined attributes of the demand and supply sides of ecological sustainability. Using the recently developed autoregressive distributed lag method, this research reveals that the insurance market adversely affects the LC in the US. The overall outcomes highlight the positive role of renewable energy, technological innovation, and the insurance market in achieving the SDGs and COP26 targets. Policy recommendations for policymakers concerning promoting renewable energy, green innovation activities, the green insurance market, and ecological regulations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy research plays a vital role in the possibility of the success story of wind energy as one of the most promising sustainable energy sources. This continuous process has been achieved from the era of small wind turbines to the current Multi-WM standard and beyond. In this editorial paper, the progress and future outlook of wind energy research in two main aspects are discussed. The first aspect is in the area of wind turbine design and computations which covers engineering modeling and high-fidelity approaches. The second part of the paper discusses the usage of data-driven approaches in wind energy research. The paper compiles and presents the key findings of several recent studies in these two areas of research. The discussion of the paper is focused on the technical aspects of wind energy modeling. The main aim is to provide an overview about the direction of current research and its importance to meet future expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By considering a panel dataset between 1995 and 2019 including several countries in South America and methodologically using the fixed effect and GMM methods in first differences, the authors sought to empirically determine the relationship between traditional energy consumption, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth. The results show that the two main variables studied (fossil energy consumption and renewable energy consumption) are statistically significant and contribute to economic growth per capita in all nine South American countries studied. Furthermore, it should be noted that this significance persists in the four models discussed in this study, demonstrating a link between the positive economic impact of reducing traditional energy consumption and increasing renewable energy consumption in the South American countries studied. This article also contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the fundamental role of gross capital formation, labor force participation, and tertiary school enrollment in the economic growth of these countries. Two rather small effects on the aforementioned growth are the corruption perception index and domestic lending to the private sector by banks. This paper calls on policymakers to reconsider increasing energy production using renewable sources and to promote measures for its consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With little time left for humanity to reduce climate change to a tolerable level, a highly scalable and rapidly deployable solution is needed that can be implemented by any country. Offshore wind energy in international waters is an underused resource and could even be harnessed by landlocked countries. In this paper, the use of sailing wind turbines operating autonomously in high seas to harvest energy is proposed. The electrical energy that is generated by the wind turbine is converted to a renewable fuel and stored onboard. Later, the fuel will be transferred to shore or to other destinations of use. The presented idea is explored at the system level, where the basic subsystems necessary are identified and defined, such as energy conversion and storage as well as propulsion subsystems. Moreover, various operating possibilities are investigated, including a comparison of different sailing strategies and fuels for storage. Existing ideas are also briefly addressed and an example concept is suggested as well. In this paper, the proposed sailing renewable energy conversion system is explored at a higher level of abstraction. Following up on this conceptual study, more detailed investigations are necessary to determine whether the development of such a sailing renewable energy conversion system is viable from an engineering, economic, and environmental point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional energy source in cement industries is fossil fuels, mainly coal, which has a high environmental footprint. On average, energy expenditures account for 40% of the overall production costs per ton of cement. Reducing both the environmental impact and economic expenditure involves incorporating alternative energy sources (fuels) such as biomass, solid-derived fuel (SDF), refuse-derived fuel (RDF) etc. However, within cement plants, the substitution of conventional fossil fuels with alternative fuels poses several challenges due to the difficulty in incorporating additional fuel-saving techniques. Typically, an additional 3000 MJ of electricity per ton of clinker is required. One of the most effective solutions to this is thermal optimization through co-processing and pre-processing, which makes it possible to implement additional fossil-fuel-saving techniques. In developing nations such as Togo, waste-management systems rely on co-processing in cement factories through a waste-to-energy relationship. Also, there are some old cement plants with low-efficiency, multi-stage preheaters without pre-calciners, reciprocating huge coolers, low-efficiency motors etc., which still operate and need to be made environmentally sustainable. However, compared to modern kilns which can have up to 95% of energy recovery from waste, an old suspension preheater kiln can recover only up to 60% of its heat energy depending on the cooler type, and due to the lack of a bypass and combustion chamber (pre-calciner). This research paper evaluated the performance of a cement plant incorporating AF and presents the procedures and recommendations to optimize AF substitution in cement plants. To achieve this, a comparative performance study was carried out by assessing the alternative fuel characteristics and the equipment performance before and after the incorporation of the alternative fuel. Data were collected on the optimum substitution ratio, pre-processing and co-processing performance, raw-meal design and economic analysis. Results indicated that the cost to be covered per ton of waste input is €10.9 for solid-derived fuel (SDF), €15 for refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and that the co-processing cost optimization for the cement plant could have a cost saving of up to 7.81€/GJ. In conclusion, it is recommended that appropriate kiln and alternative-fuel models be created for forecasting production based on various AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower is the most prevalent source of renewable energy production worldwide. As the global demand for robust and ecologically sustainable energy production increases, developing and enhancing the current energy production processes is essential. In the past decade, machine learning has contributed significantly to various fields, and hydropower is no exception. All three horizons of hydropower models could benefit from machine learning: short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Currently, dynamic programming is used in the majority of hydropower scheduling models. In this paper, we review the present state of the hydropower scheduling problem as well as the development of machine learning as a type of optimization problem and prediction tool. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey article that provides a comprehensive overview of machine learning and artificial intelligence applications in the hydroelectric power industry for scheduling, optimization, and prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An agent-based modeling framework is developed and employed to replicate the interactions among urban farms. The objectives are to efficiently manage an urban farm's food, energy, and water resources, decrease food waste, and increase the food availability for the local community. A case study of eleven farms was investigated in Vancouver, Canada to study the linkages between the resources in the urban food, energy, and water nexus. Each urban farm in the simulation belonged to a community microgrid generating electricity from solar and wind. The local farms aimed to provide fresh produce for their respective local communities. However, at some points, they lacked supply, and at other points, there was excess supply, leading to food waste. Food waste can be converted into fertilizers or bioenergy. However, an alternative solution must be employed due to the natural resources required for production, efficiently managing resources, and adhering to sustainability guidelines. In this paper, an optimization framework was integrated within the agent-based model to create a micro supply chain. The supply chain directly linked the producers with the consumers by severing the links involved in a traditional food supply. Each urban farm in the study collaborated to reduce food wastage and meet consumer demands, establishing farmer-to-farmer exchange in transitional agriculture. The optimization-based micro supply chain aimed to minimize costs and meet the equilibrium between food supply and demand. Regular communication between the farms reduced food waste by 96.9% over 16 weeks. As a result, the fresh food availability increased for the local community, as exemplified by the consumer purchases over the same period. Moreover, the simulation results indicated that the renewable energy generation at the community microgrids aided in the generation of 22,774 Mwh from solar and 2568 Mwh from wind. This has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in areas that heavily rely on non-renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is a promising commodity, a renewable secondary energy source, and feedstock alike, to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets and promote economic decarbonization. A common goal pursued by many countries, the hydrogen economy receives a blending of public and private capital. After European Green Deal, state members created national policies focused on green hydrogen. This paper presents a study of energy transition considering green hydrogen production to identify Portugal's current state and prospects. The analysis uses energy generation data, hydrogen production aspects, CO 2 emissions indicators and based costs. A comprehensive simulation estimates the total production of green hydrogen related to the ratio of renewable generation in two different scenarios. Then a comparison between EGP goals and Portugal's transport and energy generation prospects is made. Portugal has an essential renewable energy matrix that supports green hydrogen production and allows for meeting European green hydrogen 2030–2050 goals. Results suggest that promoting the conversion of buses and trucks into H 2 -based fuel is better for CO 2 reduction. On the other hand, given energy security, thermoelectric plants fueled by H 2 are the best option. The aggressive scenario implies at least 5% more costs than the moderate scenario, considering economic aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University campuses represent a heterogeneous ecosystem as to social, economic, energetic, and personal travel planning with a huge impact on hosting cities and territories. Sustainable policies are thus fundamental to reduce this impact and to adopt ecological behaviors. The measures for any University Sustainability Plan should be evaluated in terms of GHG emissions, as well as the overall impact of the university itself. Carbon footprint (CF) calculation is a relevant Decision Support tool that allows university organizations to measure and communicate the environmental effects of their activities. The aim of this paper is to present a carbon footprint methodology specifically designed to calculate the carbon footprint of large universities. The methodology was applied to calculate the CF of the University of Bologna by following international standards—i.e., the GHG protocol, the ISO 14064, and the ISO/TR 14069 guide—to understand the environmental impact caused by greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect university activities. The study was conducted upon the data available in 2020 and then was compared to the 2018 data, with the aim to recognize if the effect of the pandemic could have altered the results. In 2020, the University of Bologna emitted 16,467 tCO2e which became 15,753 tCO2e considering the offset and avoided emission provided by the internal production of energy from renewable sources. Comparison between 2020 and 2018 shows how, in 2018, most of the emissions came from transportation, representing 74% of the total emissions, while in 2020 almost 50% of total emissions derived by IT procurements. The case application demonstrates the way with which the methodology may be applied to assess environmental impact for complex university campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy accessibility, reliability and availability are key components of improved quality of life and human development in all spheres. As the United Nations' SDG 7 calls for access to electricity for all by 2030, Africa still has a wide gap to fill as the statistics show that 85% of the population that will not have access to electricity is in Africa. As the world tries to wean itself off non-renewable energy and transition to green through use of renewable energy sources, hydropower energy remains at the heart of Africa for this venture. With majority of the rural population in Africa lacking electricity, there is need for a low-tech system that utilizes river flow to generate just enough energy for normal operation in these regions. Micro-hydrokinetic river turbine technology (µ-HRT), which offers less intermittency, can potentially contribute to sustainably electrifying Africa rural areas. The technology has been adopted by few countries worldwide, with limited comprehensive study in Africa even though the technology seems viable for use in African rivers. This paper reviewed the status of the µ-HRT applications in Africa and some of the barriers to its development. The study found out that the technology has not been vastly developed in Africa. Despite numerous barriers, the technology is simply a low-tech technology that requires the use of local resources and capacity building for its sustainability in terms of construction, operation and maintenance requirements. It is therefore recommended that R&D and field trials be conducted for its possible adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, people all around the globe have seen its effects, including city closures, travel restrictions, and stringent security measures. However, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic extend beyond people's everyday lives. It impacts the air, water, soil, and carbon emissions as well. This article examines the effect of energy and the COVID-19 pandemic on China's carbon dioxide emissions in light of the aforementioned context, using the daily data from 20 January 2020 and ending on 20 April 2022. Using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model for empirical analysis, the findings indicate that COVID-19 pandemic confirmed cases and renewable energy advance environmental sustainability due to their negative effects on carbon dioxide emissions, whereas fossil fuel energy hinders environmental sustainability due to its positive effect on carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, these results are also supported by the results of the frequency domain causality test and the Markow switching regression. In light of these results, there are several policy implications, such as vaccination, renewable energy utilization, and non-renewable energy alternative policies, which have been proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global fossil fuel reserves are declining due to differential uses, especially for power generation. Everybody can help to do their bit for the environment by using solar energy. Geographically, Bangladesh is a potential zone for harnessing solar energy. In March 2021, the renewable generation capacity in Bangladesh amounted to 722.592 MW, including 67.6% from solar, 31.84% from hydro, and 0.55% from other energy sources, including wind, biogas, and biomass, where 488.662 MW of power originated from over 6 million installed solar power systems. Concurrently, over 42% of rural people still suffer from a lack of electricity, where solar energy can play a vital role. This paper highlights the present status of various forms of solar energy progress in Bangladesh, such as solar parks, solar rooftops, solar irrigation, solar charging stations, solar home systems, solar-powered telecoms, solar street lights, and solar drinking water, which can be viable alternative sources of energy. This review will help decision-makers and investors realize Bangladesh's up-to-date solar energy scenario and plan better for the development of a sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass use for energy and materials is, on the one hand, one of the key mitigation options to reach the 1.5 °C GMT target set in the Paris Agreement, as highlighted by the IPCC and many other key analyses. On the other hand, particularly in parts of the EU, a strong negative connotation has emerged in public debate and EC policy, with a particular emphasis on the (presumed) displacement effect in markets and land use. This is a remarkable contrast because the reasons to use sustainable biomass, on the one hand, and the possibilities and synergies for supplying sustainable biomass, on the other, are underpinned with strong evidence, also providing insights on how displacement issues can be avoided. Sustainable biomass supplies can contribute 20–30% of the future global and European energy supply, leading to reduced overall mitigation costs, including realizing the net CO2 removal from the atmosphere using BECCS concepts. This paper highlights which options, pathways and preconditions are key to achieving such a substantial contribution of sustainable biomass in future (2050) energy and material supply (with a focus on the European setting). By pinpointing how "biomass can be done right" and how important synergies can be achieved via better agricultural methods, the restoration of marginal and degraded lands and the adaptation of climate change, a different policy agenda emerges in sharp contrast to how a biobased economy has been framed in recent years. It is recommended that future policy priorities, particularly at the EU level, take a more integral view on the synergy between the role of biomass in the energy transition, climate adaptation and mitigation, better agriculture and the better use of land in general. Strategies to achieve such positive results typically require an alignment between renewable energy, and agricultural, environmental, mitigation and adaptation policies, which is a largely missing nexus in different policy arenas. Resolving this lack of alignment offers a major opportunity, globally, to contribute to the European Green deal and improve energy security. [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]

In today's socio-economic context where environmental protection and sustainable development are equally important, how renewable energy enterprises can achieve sustainable development has become a topic of academic interest in recent years. This paper investigates the link between sustainable growth (SG) of renewable energy firms, resource endowment (RE), and environmental regulatory (ERs) issues through a fixed-effects model and a GMM model. Through empirical analysis, it was found that economical environmental regulations have the greatest positive impact on sustainable growth, followed by legal environmental regulations and supervised environmental regulations. Resource endowment is positively related to sustainable growth for non-state-owned renewable energy enterprises, but the negative impact on sustainable growth reflects the effect the of "resource curse". In addition, resource endowment has a negative moderating effect on environmental regulations and sustainable growth. Thus, the most significant effect is on the relationship between economical environmental regulations and sustainable growth, followed by legal environmental regulations and supervised environmental regulations. Therefore, the flexible and concurrent application of multiple environmental policies is an important way to ensure effective regulations and promote sustainable business growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislative efforts for renewables-based energy decarbonisation hinge upon the support and commitment from different stakeholders holding often conflicting positions regarding disruptive processes of socio-technical transformation. However, the evolving acceptance of market actors on the policy-driven promotion of renewables over time remains under-scrutinised. Simultaneously, despite growing attention to power and politics in sustainability transitions, limited efforts remain invested for elucidating the political-economic nature of the market-based selection environments they are operationalised through, highlighting the need for a more systematic comprehension of the "politics of selection". To address these shortcomings, this paper provides a more refined understanding of the role of policy-driven markets and its participating agents in facilitating/hindering innovation diffusion and broader (system-wide) sustainability transitions. To do so, it showcases a longitudinal case study of the politics underlying Germany's evolving feed-in policy support framework for orchestrating a market-mediated diffusion of renewables (1980s–2020). Based on policy analysis and semi-structured interviews, the study traces the changing acceptance and ensuing strategic (re)actions of market actors to the emergence and evolution of Germany's market for electricity from renewable energy sources. Results show how different market participants effectively shape the selection environments they operate in by proactively contesting/deluding the design features of the support policies organising their economised relations (e.g., market entry conditions, exchange rules, remuneration levels, pricing schemes, etc.). Such efforts are undertaken through legal means and market framing strategies targeting the affordability of policy support costs, coupled with the strategic use of policy instrumentation as a vehicle to further expand/retain their market shares to the detriment of competing actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the extant literature, there are numerous discussions on China's environmental sustainability. However, few scholars have considered renewable energy consumption and trade policy simultaneously to debate environmental sustainability. Therefore, this paper attempts to examine how renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, bio-capacity, economic growth, and trade policy dynamically affect the ecological footprint (a proxy for environmental sustainability). Using the data from 1971 to 2017 and employing the auto-regressive distributed lag model to perform an empirical analysis, the results demonstrate that renewable energy consumption and trade policy are conducive to environmental sustainability because of their negative impacts on the ecological footprint. However, the results also indicate that bio-capacity, non-renewable energy consumption, and economic growth are putting increasing pressure on environmental sustainability due to their positive impacts on the ecological footprint. Moreover, to determine the direction of causality between the highlighted variables, the Yoda-Yamamoto causality test was conducted. The results suggest a two-way causal relationship between renewable energy consumption and ecological footprint, non-renewable energy consumption and ecological footprint, and economic growth and ecological footprint. Conversely, the results also suggest a one-way causal relationship running from bio-capacity and trade policy to the ecological footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution caused by gas flaring is hazardous to the health of flora, fauna, and humans settled around the flaring site. Gas flaring also incurs economic loss as natural gas, an energy source, is wasted in flares. Furthermore, the unreliable electrical infrastructure is a roadblock for oil and gas companies attempting to achieve their production targets. This paper presents a framework to design hybrid energy systems (HES) which utilize the gas flare waste along with the locally available renewable energy sources to generate electricity. A novel dispatch strategy to suit the requirements of the oil and gas fields has been used for real-time simulations and optimization of the HES. As a test case, six different hybrid energy configurations, modelled for two gas flaring sites, Lakwa and Geleky in Assam—India, were analyzed and compared on the basis of economic and environmental factors. The best suitable configuration comprised 2000 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) panel sets, one 200 kW gas microturbine, two 30 kW gas microturbines, and grid connection. The proposed system economically outperformed the existing power system in the area by 35.52% in terms of the net present cost. Moreover, it could save 850 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, and it has a renewable fraction of 93.7% in the total energy generation. Owing to these merits, the presented technique would be a promising option for generation of electricity from flare gas waste and to mitigate pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in the application of microgrids around the world because of their potential for achieving a flexible, reliable, efficient and smart electrical grid system and supplying energy to off-grid communities, including their economic benefits. Several research studies have examined the application issues of microgrids. However, a lack of in-depth considerations for the enabling planning conditions has been identified as a major reason why microgrids fail in several off-grid communities. This development requires research efforts that consider better strategies and framework for sustainable microgrids in remote communities. This paper first presents a comprehensive review of microgrid technologies and their applications. It then proposes the STEEP model to examine critically the failure factors based on the social, technical, economic, environmental and policy (STEEP) perspectives. The model details the key dimensions and actions necessary for addressing the challenge of microgrid failure in remote communities. The study uses remote communities within Nigeria, West Africa, as case studies and demonstrates the need for the STEEP approach for better understanding of microgrid planning and development. Better insights into microgrid systems are expected to address the drawbacks and improve the situation that can lead to widespread and sustainable applications in off-grid communities around the world in the future. The paper introduces the sustainable planning framework (SPF) based on the STEEP model, which can form a general basis for planning microgrids in any remote location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles reduce pollution only if a high percentage of the electricity mix comes from renewable sources and if the battery manufacturing takes place at a site far from the vehicle use region. Industries developed due to increased electric vehicle adoption may also cause additional air pollution. The Indian government has committed to solving New Delhi's air pollution issues through an ambitious policy of switching 100% of the light duty consumer vehicles to electric vehicles by 2030. This policy is based on vehicle grid interaction and relies on shared mobility through the electric vehicle fleet. There are several human behavioral changes necessary to achieve 100% adoption of electric vehicles. This paper reviews different steps in the lifecycle of an electric vehicle (EV), their impact on environmental emissions, and recommends policies suitable for different socio-economic group that are relevant to the Indian market. To reduce air pollution through adoption of electric vehicles, the Indian government needs to adopt policies that increase sale of electric vehicles, increase percentage of renewable energy in the electricity mix, and prevent air pollution caused from battery manufacturing. The recommended policies can be customized for any market globally for reducing air pollution through increased adoption of electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any geothermal resource assessment requires consistent and widely accepted terminology, methods, and reporting schemes that facilitate the comparison of geothermal resource estimates. This paper reviews common resource assessment methods, as well as reporting codes and terminology. Based on a rigorous analysis of the portrayed concepts and methods, it discusses the appropriateness of the existing reporting codes for sustainable utilization of geothermal resources in Germany. Since the last quantitative geothermal resource assessment in Germany was done 15 years ago, a revised report is overdue. Unlike fossil energy commodities, geothermal energy replenishes naturally and heat recuperation increases in created heat sinks. This replenishment process offers the opportunity for sustainable reservoir management in the case of moderate production rates or cyclic operation. Existing reporting codes, however, regard geothermal resources in a similar way to fossil resources or focus too much on field development rather than on the whole assessment process. In order to emphasize the renewability of geothermal energy, we propose the reporting of geothermal capacities (per doublet or per km2) instead of recoverable heat energy which depends very much on project lifetime and other factors. As a first step, a new classification scheme for geothermal resources and reserves is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While biomass has been recognized as an important renewable energy source which has a range of positive impacts on the economy, environment, and society, the existence of feedstock seasonality and risk of service disruptions at collection facilities potentially compromises the efficiency and reliability of the energy supply system. In this paper, we consider reliable supply chain design for biomass collection against feedstock seasonality and time-varying disruption risks. We optimize facility location, inventory, biomass quantity, and shipment decisions in a multi-period planning horizon setting. A real-world case in Hubei, China is studied to offer managerial insights. Our computational results show that: (1) the disruption risk significantly affects both the optimal facility locations and the supply chain cost; (2) no matter how the failure probability changes, setting backup facilities can significantly decrease the total cost; and (3) the feedstock seasonality does not affect locations of the collection facilities, but it affects the allocations of collection facilities and brings higher inventory cost for the biomass supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exposes the many flaws in the article "Through the Eye of a Needle: An Eco-heterodox Perspective on the Renewable Energy Transition, authored by Siebert and Rees and recently published in Energies as a Review. Our intention in submitting this critique is to expose and rectify the original article's non-scientific approach to the review process that includes selective (and hence biased) screening of the literature focusing on the challenges related to renewable energies, without discussing any of the well-documented solutions. In so doing, we also provide a rigorous refutation of several statements made by a Seibert–Rees paper, which often appear to be unsubstantiated personal opinions and not based on a balanced review of the available literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that more than half of the world's population today lives in cities and consumes about 80% of the world's energy and that there is a problem with drinking water supply, this paper presents a way to solve the problem of the sustainability of cities by enabling their complete independence from external sources of energy and drinking water. The proposed solution entails the use of Seawater Steam Engine (SSE) technology to supply cities with electricity, thermal energy and drinking water. The system would involve the seasonal storage of electricity and thermal energy, supported by geothermal heat pumps. The strategy of the distribution network would be based on the original concept of the "loop". In cities that do not have enough space, SSE collectors would be placed above the lower parts of the city like "canopies". The city of Zagreb (Croatia) was selected as a case study due to its size, climate and vulnerability to natural disasters. The results show that Zagreb could become sustainable in 30 years with the allocation of less than 2% of GDP and could become a paradigm of sustainability for cities worldwide. This paper encourages the development of the "Philosophy of Sustainability" because the stated goals cannot be achieved without a change in consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of consumption modernization can be expressed by adopting the principles of sustainable development within the sphere of consumption. It should be emphasized that the implementation of a sustainable consumption model becomes especially important when considering the fact that not only various types of enterprises but also consumers participate in the excessive consumption of natural resources. The processes of sustainable consumption that are related to its humanization and the formation of a responsible society are a response to the overconsumption of goods and services, which is not determined by actual human needs and does not consider social and ecological costs. The aim of the paper is to present a process of consumption modernization in Poland in the context of the functioning of the renewable energy market. Special attention is paid to behaviours that are consistent with the sustainable consumption model, as well as with the motives for using renewable energy sources by Polish consumers and the perception of barriers to increasing the use of renewable energy sources in Poland. This paper is based on literature studies, as well as on the results of an empirical study of quantitative character that was performed in 2021 on a nationwide representative sample of 1020 people. The contribution of the article is represented by showing the motivation of Polish consumers to use renewable energy sources and by indicating barriers to the development of the use of renewable energy sources by consumers in Poland. The analysis of the research results shows that the aspect of saving money plays a significant role among the motives for using renewable energy sources. At the same time, high investment costs in devices that enable the use of renewable energy sources are the main factor that is limiting the increase in the use of renewable energy sources in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify a bibliometric profile, presenting the results of research and debates in social media on renewable energy sources (RES). It analyses current scientific publications (2019–2021) and tweets posted in July 2021 by international Twitter users. The subject of the study is an analysis of key words in articles, the results of research, and the content of tweets (hashtags #renewables) related to renewable energy (RE) as well as an assessment of the morphology of content and the degree of its differentiation in the analysed data resources. The conducted analysis facilitates an assessment of similarities of key words in scientific papers and the content of debates in social media—on Twitter, a global platform. In its methodological dimension, the work is based on a bibliometric analysis (articles in both bases) and the analysis of Twitter data. This methodological approach allows for identifying the main trend, profile, and bibliometric characteristics of scientific papers representing two streams of information: articles in bases and the content (hashtags) of authentic and unguided international debates on Twitter. The focus on this platform results from a great popularity of social media as a platform for social debate, expressing comments and opinions and providing an opportunity to gain understanding of social, cultural, and environmental issues related to renewable energy sources from the perspective of social media participants. The objective of the paper and the proposed methodological approach relates to a knowledge gap in the area of renewable energy, and, more specifically, climate change and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to identify the latest trends in research on renewable energy, sustainability and the environment. A total of 92,873 publications from 123 Scopus sources for 2020–2021 are compared using the scoping review method. The results show that the most cited works in this sample are those by authors from the Asian region. The research of these authors focuses on the security, efficiency and reliability of separate elements in energy systems. Besides, the paper considers the problems regarding COVID disease along with the renewable energy sources, perovskite and organic solar panels, nanostructured materials and high energy density. Finally, the paper analyses applications of computer science methods in research on renewable energy, sustainability and the environment. The findings evidently show that recent advancements in computer science methods were not extensively used in the discussed research domain and give a great room for novel strategies of prognosing, simulation and processes optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifting from fossil to renewable energy sources is a major global challenge, and in this context, the European Union has promoted sustainable and environmentally friendly growth as early as the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. To date, European institutions have promulgated a series of environmental regulations and directives aimed at promoting and imposing adoption by member states of internal regulations. This paper is focused on Western Europe, and it explores, for each state under analysis, energy policies adopted, the results achieved and recommendations for the future growth of renewable energy. The results show that in countries where energy policy is not fragmented, the yield in renewable energies has been higher, and also in the states where more and various forms of subsidies are foreseen, growth seems to be greater. Finally, the paper provides useful recommendations and future policy implications for states that have not met the 2020 targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying objective of the paper is to identify and evaluate in the research process vital factors that impact the development of design and construction enterprises of photovoltaic farms on the energy markets, in particular narrowed down to renewable energy sources (RES) markets, including energy coming from photovoltaic sources. The first part of the paper, the epistemological one, introduces a scientific discourse pertaining to conditionings and restrictions related to RES markets in the dimensions of sustainable development. This has been done with the use of literature query, legislative and administrative acts, and reports drawn up for the European Commission. In this reference, we summarized the EU's essential measures aimed at promoting the idea of sustainability. The second part of the paper, the empirical one, presents a summary of the results obtained within the research pertaining to "opportunities and threats in managing projects of photovoltaic farms in production enterprises of energy appliances". The research was conducted in a group of 24 design and construction enterprises of photovoltaic farms. The concentration of the research, in the context of the underlying objective of this paper, pertained to the aggregation and evaluation of selected factors that stimulate the development and competitiveness of construction projects and the implementation of photovoltaic farms. We considered the hierarchy of strategic objectives of the investigated enterprises and selected threats to their market position. Two primary criteria were adopted to aggregate and evaluate vital factors that impact the development of design and construction enterprises of PV farms. The first of them is the qualitative one—top scores, weighted averages of respondent evaluations on the five-point Likert scale. The second one is the quantitative criterion—number of indications N ≥ 22 of the respondents (over 90%). A measurable value of the paper is the scientific discourse pertaining to dimensions of competitiveness of the investigated and analyzed enterprises on the RES market, in particular narrowed down to photovoltaic farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study described in this paper uses direct evidence from processes applied for the developing economy of Indonesia, as it defines the trajectory for its future energy policy and energy research agenda. The paper addresses the research gap to make explicit the process undertaken by key stakeholders in assessing and determining the suitability, feasibility, and dynamics of the renewable energy sector. Barriers and enablers that are key in selecting the most suitable renewable energy sources for developing economies for the renewable energy development have been identified from extensive analyses of research documents alongside qualitative data from the Focus Group Discussions (FGD). The selected FGD participants encompass the collective views that cut across the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental aspects of renewable energy development in Indonesia. The information gained from the FGD gives insights into the outlook and challenges that are central to energy transition within the country, alongside the perceptions of renewable energy development from the influential stakeholders contributing to the process. It is notable that the biggest barriers to transition are centred on planning and implementation aspects, as it is also evident that many in the community do not adhere to the same vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continually using fossil fuels as the main source for producing electricity is one of the main factors causing global warming. Through the past years, several efforts have been made, looking for sustainable, environmentally friendly, and clean energy alternatives. Harvesting geothermal energy from roadway pavement is one of the alternatives that have been developed and investigated recently. Herein, a systematic review and bibliometric analysis were conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of the potentials of harvesting thermal energy from asphalt pavement and to assess the level of achievement being attained towards developed technologies. A total of 713 articles were initially collected, considering the period between 2006 and 2021; later, a series of filtration processes were performed to reach 47 publications. The thermal energy harvesting technologies were categorized into three main sectors, at which their basics and principles were discussed. In addition, a detailed description of the systems' configurations, materials, and efficiency was presented and described. Finally, gaps and future directions were summarized at the end of this paper. The fundamental knowledge introduced herein can inspire researchers to detect research gaps and serve as a wake-up call to motivate them to explore the high potentials of utilizing pavements as a clean and sustainable energy source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable Energy Sources (RES) have taken on an increasingly important role in the energy mix in the last few years, and it has been forecasted that this trend will continue in the future. The energy production from these sources is not dispatchable, and the increasing penetration of RES in energy mixes may therefore lead to a progressive loss of generation control and predictability. It has become clear that, to reach higher RES penetration levels, it is essential to increase power system flexibility in order to ensure stable operations are maintained. An ICT (Information and Communication Technology) tool that may be used to manage and optimize the flexibility offered by energy storage and conversion systems is described in this paper with specific reference to the Decision Support System (DSS) developed within the H2020 PLANET (PLAnning and operational tools for optimizing energy flows and synergies between energy NETworks) project. The paper focuses on how the PLANET DSS tool evaluates, manages, and dispatches the flexibility of Power to Gas/Heat (P2X) technologies. Moreover, the tool has been used to analyze a realistic case in order to show how the PLANET DSS tool could be used to evaluate the energy and economic benefits of taking advantage of the flexibility of P2X technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overcoming of the issues on energy crisis and inequality have become the priorities as far developing as developed countries are concerned. Moreover, energy inequality has increased due to the shortage of natural gas and rising energy prices in retaliation to the economic recovery affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to verify the linkage between the growth of renewable energy consumption and the country's economic advancement. In this context, this paper determines the main driving forces of renewable energy consumption in European countries during 2000–2018. The annual data for panel regression analysis are retrieved from the OECD. Stat and World Bank Open Data. This empirical analysis employed a set of estimation procedures such as the panel unit root test (Levin, Lin & Chu; Im, Pesaran, Shin W-Stat; ADF-Fisher Chi-square; and PP-Fisher Chi-square methods), the Pearson correlation, fixed- and random-effects models, generalized method of moments (GMM), Hausman and the robustness tests. The results from the Hausman test ratified that the fixed-effects regression model is more suitable for involved panel balanced data. The results of fixed-effects regression and GMM identified the statistically significant and positive relationship between the share of renewable energy consumption of total final energy consumption, GDP per capita, and CO2 emissions per capita for the overall sample. In turn, the total labor force, the gross capital formation, and production-based CO2 intensity are inversely related to renewable energy consumption. The identified effects could provide some insights for policymakers to improve the renewable energy sector towards gaining sustainable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]