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Extended-Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs) are intended to improve the range of battery electric vehicles and thus eliminate drivers' concerns about running out of energy before reaching the desired destination. This paper gives an insight into EREV's performance operating according to the proposed control strategy over various driving cycles, including the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Test Cycle Class 3b (WLTC 3b), Federal Test Procedure (FTP-75), and China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC-P). Simulation runs were performed in Matlab-Simulink® for different cases of drive range, electricity mix, and vehicle mass. The control strategy goal was to aim at a specified value of battery state of charge at the targeted range value. The obtained test results included: pure electric drive range, acceleration times, EREV range tests, control strategy range errors, Range Extender (REX) utilization metric and distribution of its engagement instances, fuel consumption, total equivalent CO2 emission, powertrain efficiency, and specific energy consumption. The control strategy operated on average with a range error of −1.04% and a range mean square error of 2.13%. Fuel consumption (in range extension mode) varied between 1.37 dm3/100 km (FTP-75) and 6.85 dm3/100 km (WLTC 3b Extra-High 3). CO2eq emission was 95.3–244.2 g/km for Poland, 31.0–160.5 g/km for EU-27, and 1.2–147.6 g/km for Sweden. This paper is a valuable source of information for scientists and engineers seeking to learn the advantages and shortcomings of EREV drives with a proposed control strategy, based on various sets of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of electricity-charged thermochemical energy storage (TCES) using high-temperature solid cycles would benefit the energy system by enabling the absorption of variable renewable energy (VRE) and its conversion into dispatchable heat and power. Using a Swedish case study, this paper presents a process for TCES-integrated district heating (DH) production, assesses its technical suitability, and discusses some practical implications and additional implementation options. The mass and energy flows of a biomass plant retrofitted with an iron-based redox loop are calculated for nine specific scenarios that exemplify its operation under electricity generation mixes that differ with respect to variability and price. In addition, the use of two types of electrolyzers (low-temperature and high-temperature versions) is investigated. The results show that for the Swedish case, the proposed scheme is technically feasible and capable of covering the national DH demand by making use of the existing DH plants, with an estimated process energy efficiency (electricity to heat) of 90%. The results also show that for a retrofit of the entire Swedish DH fleet, the required inventories of iron are approximately 2.8 Mt for the intermediate scenario, which represents 0.3% and 11.0% of the national reserves and annual metallurgical production rates of the national industry, respectively. In addition to the dispatchable heat, the process generates a significant amount of nondispatchable heat, especially for the case that employs low-temperature electrolyzers. This added generation capacity allows the process to cover the heat demand while decreasing the maximum capacity of the charging side computed herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved energy efficiency has become a strategic issue and represents a priority for European competitiveness. Countries adopt various energy policies on local and national levels where energy audit programs are the most common energy end-use efficiency policy for industrial small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, studies indicate that cost-efficient energy conservation measures are not always implemented, which can be explained by the existence of barriers to energy efficiency. This paper investigates how Swedish municipalities can support local micro- and small-sized enterprises with improved energy efficiency and the existence of different barriers to the implementation of energy efficiency. Relating this empirical case study to the theoretical barriers outlined in the text, this study found that the major explanatory factors related to non-implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures among micro- and small-sized industrial enterprises were bounded rationality (lack of time and/or other priorities), split incentives (having other priorities for capital investments), and imperfect information (slim organization and lack of technical skill). This study also found that information in the form of a report was the main thing that companies gained from working on the project "Energy-Driven Business". Notably, the study involved companies that had participated in a local energy program and, still, companies face major barriers inhibiting implementation, indicating a need to further study other alternative policy models and how knowledge transfer can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar can be useful to overcome several environmental challenges in different sectors of energy, industry, and agriculture. However, there are currently only a limited number of studies with the employment of biochar for various applications and their environmental impacts. This study develops an LCA framework to evaluate the climate impacts of biochar production and its applications in soil enhancement and as a substitute for coal-based fuels in steel industries and then compares it with conventional biomass usage for energy production for Sweden, Italy, and Poland. Various pyrolysis operating temperatures are also considered to determine the optimal conditions for each location. The results show that biomass pyrolysis with biochar usage in the agricultural sector has the least environmental impact with the most significant potential in Poland followed by Italy. lower temperatures (around 350 °C) are more favorable for Sweden in terms of CO2 emissions, due to the country's renewable energy-based electrical system. Low to moderate temperatures (350–500 °C) are found to be optimal for pyrolysis temperature in Italy, while higher temperatures (around 650 °C) yield the highest GHG reduction for both biochar applications in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusion of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) in the renovation of the single-family housing stock can unlock the potential for much-needed energy efficiency to tackle climate change. Energy renovation (ER) in single-family houses is often promoted as an aggregate process, and EEMs are treated homogenously without sufficient attention to their differences. This study applies a comparative analysis on common EEMs using chi-square test to investigate the influence of factors already found affecting the implementation of ER. This paper addresses the "personal" and "house-related" factors influencing the adoption of EEMs regardless of motives or barriers leading the adopters' decisions. This strategy is useful to highlight the contexts leading to an increase in the adoption rate of different EEMs. The analysis is based on a questionnaire survey mailed in spring 2017 to 1550 single-family homeowners in the northern region of Sweden. Approximately 60% of respondents showed interest in adopting at least one EEM if they implement a major renovation. About 46% of respondents stated to have at least one indoor environmental problem (IEP) in their houses, and IEPs are found to have significant relations with homeowners' interest to adopt several different EEMs. The policy implications related to different EEMs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal energy systems in the northern regions of Finland, Norway, and Sweden face multiple challenges: large-scale industries, cold climate, and a high share of electric heating characterize energy consumption and cause significant peak electricity demand. Local authorities are committed in contributing to national goals on CO2 emission reductions by improving energy efficiency and investing in local renewable electricity generation, while considering their own objectives for economic development, increased energy self-sufficiency, and affordable energy costs. This paper formulates a multi-objective optimization problem about these goals that is solved by interfacing the energy systems simulation tool EnergyPLAN with a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm implemented in Matlab. A sensitivity analysis on some key economic parameters is also performed. In this way, optimal alternatives are identified for the integrated electricity and heating sectors and valuable insights are offered to decision-makers in local authorities. Piteå (Norrbotten, Sweden) is used as a case study that is representative of Nordic municipalities, and results show that CO2 emissions can be reduced by 60% without a considerable increase in total costs and that peak electricity import can be reduced by a maximum of 38%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building energy simulation (BES) models rely on a variety of different input data, and the more accurate the input data are, the more accurate the model will be in predicting energy use. The objective of this paper is to show a method for obtaining higher accuracy in building energy simulations of existing buildings by combining time diaries with data from logged measurements, and also to show that more variety is needed in template values of user input data in different kinds of buildings. The case studied in this article is a retirement home in Linköping, Sweden. Results from time diaries and interviews were combined with logged measurements of electricity, temperature, and CO2 levels to create detailed occupant behavior schedules for use in BES models. Two BES models were compared, one with highly detailed schedules of occupancy, electricity use, and airing, and one using standardized input data of occupant behavior. The largest differences between the models could be seen in energy losses due to airing and in household electricity use, where the one with standardized user input data had a higher amount of electricity use and less losses due to airing of 39% and 99%, respectively. Time diaries and interviews, together with logged measurements, can be great tools to detect behavior that affects energy use in buildings. They can also be used to create detailed schedules and behavioral models, and to help develop standardized user input data for more types of buildings. This will help improve the accuracy of BES models so the energy efficiency gap can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even if flat glass is 100% recyclable, only 1% is currently handled in circular or closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs) in Sweden. This has an unnecessary environmental impact, indicating not only the potential for more energy-efficient solutions but also the challenges that need to be understood. The purpose of this article is to increase the knowledge of challenges in applying different types of more or less energy-efficient CLSCs for flat glass. Through a literature review, an overview of CLSC types, together with challenges in different areas, is provided. The CLSC types and challenges are corroborated in a flat glass context, including focus groups and expert interviews. Four CLSC types—two CLSCs based on remanufacturing, one on reconditioning, and one on reuse—are identified. A framework provides implications for both literature and practice. It contains 19 challenges—such as lack of large-scale actors, lack of material knowledge, lack of knowledge of customers' behavior, lack of promotion of flat glass CLSCs at many levels in society—in terms of both legislation and cost—and lack of business models—structured in four areas—material characteristics and quality, inefficient logistics systems, demand and supply, and means of control and costs. The least-applied CLSC includes almost every challenge and has a large upscaling potential, indicating the necessity of mitigating challenges. The framework identifies challenges not included in earlier flat glass literature. CLSC types are related to different challenge set-ups and different energy efficiency potentials, leading to expanded CLSC knowledge. One additional implication is that practitioners can identify potential CLSC types and understand their challenges from the perspective of several stakeholders. The participatory research methodology fills a methodological research gap within CLSC literature and provides important insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries' emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement have significant implications for lifestyles. National planning to meet emission targets is based on modelling and analysis specific to individual countries, whereas global integrated assessment models provide scenario projections in a consistent framework but with less granular output. We contribute a novel methodology for translating global scenarios into lifestyle implications at the national and household levels, which is generalisable to any service or country and versatile to work with any model or scenario. Our 5Ds method post-processes Integrated Assessment Model projections of sectoral energy demand for the global region to derive energy-service-specific lifestyle change at the household level. We illustrate the methodology for two energy services (mobility, heating) in two countries (UK, Sweden), showing how effort to reach zero carbon targets varies between countries and households. Our method creates an analytical bridge between global model output and information that can be used at national and local levels, making clear the lifestyle implications of climate targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

12.9% of the energy use in the EU originates from the commercial and public sector. It has therefore become a priority to optimize energy efficiency in these buildings. The purpose of this study has been to explore how energy demand in a new office building is affected by different internal heat gains, location, orientation, and façade design, and also to see how different indicators can change perspective on energy efficiency. The study was performed with simulations in IDA-ICE with different façade design and changes in internal heat gains (IHG), orientation, and location. Energy demand was then compared to two different indicators. Using a façade designed to lower solar heat gains had little effect on energy demand in the north of Sweden, but slightly more effect further south. The amount of internal heat gains had significant effect on energy demand. Making deeper studies on design and internal heat gains should therefore be prioritized in the beginning of new building projects so the most energy-efficient design can be chosen. When the indicator kWh/m2 was used, the cases with low internal heat gains were perceived as the most energy efficient, while when kWh/(m2 × hpers) (hpers = hours of use) was used, the cases with high occupancy and low electricity use were considered to be the most energy efficient. Therefore, revising the standardized indicator is of great importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweden has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero by 2045. Around 20% of Sweden's annual CO2 emissions arise from manufacturing, transporting, and processing of construction materials for construction and refurbishment of buildings and infrastructure. In this study, material and energy flows for building and transport infrastructure construction is outlined, together with a roadmap detailing how the flows change depending on different technical and strategical choices. By matching short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions, these pathways make it possible to identify key decision points and potential synergies, competing goals, and lock-in effects. The results show that it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions associated with construction of buildings and transport infrastructure by 50% to 2030 applying already available measures, and reach close to zero emissions by 2045, while indicating that strategic choices with respect to process technologies and energy carriers may have different implications on energy use and CO2 emissions over time. The results also illustrate the importance of intensifying efforts to identify and manage both soft and hard barriers and the importance of simultaneously acting now by implementing available measures (e.g., material efficiency and material/fuel substitution measures), while actively planning for long-term measures (low-CO2 steel or cement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency (EE) improvement is one of the most crucial elements in the decarbonization of industry. EE potential within industries largely remains untapped due to the lack of information regarding potential EE measures (EEM), knowledge regarding energy use, and due to the existence of some inconsistencies in the evaluation of energy use. Classification of energy end-using processes would increase the understanding of energy use, which in turn would increase the detection and deployment of EEMs. The study presents a novel taxonomy with hierarchical levels for energy end-use in manufacturing operations for the engineering industry, analyzes processes in terms of energy end-use (EEU) and CO2 emissions, and scrutinizes energy performance indicators (EnPIs), as well as proposing potential new EnPIs that are suitable for the engineering industry. Even though the study has been conducted with a focus on the Swedish engineering industry, the study may be generalizable to the engineering industry beyond Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to assess how different renovation scenarios affect the environmental and economic impacts of a multi-dwelling building in a Nordic climate, how these aspects are correlated and how different energy carriers affect different environmental impact categories. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union has set an agenda in order to reduce energy use in buildings. New buildings on the European market have a low replacement rate, which makes building renovation an important factor for achieving the European Union goals. In this study, eight renovation strategies were analyzed following the European Committee for Standardization standards for life cycle assessment and life cycle costs of buildings. This study covers all life cycle steps from cradle to grave. The renovation scenarios include combinations of photovoltaics, geothermal heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation and improved building envelopes. Results show that, depending on the energy carrier, reductions in global warming potential can be achieved at the expense of an increased nuclear waste disposal. It also shows that for the investigated renovation strategies in Sweden there is no correlation between the economic and the environmental performance of the building. Changing energy carriers in Sweden in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can be a good alternative, but it makes the system more dependent on nuclear power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]