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Over the coming years, the world is projected to witness an upsurge in "drop-in" aviation biofuel production as part of the renewable energy and bioeconomy developments. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the current status of biojet fuel development and uptake in global commercial aviation industry, including state-of-the-art certified technologies (i.e. Fischer-Tropsch (FT); hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA); alcohol-to-jet (ATJ); and hydroprocessing of fermented sugars (HFS)); potential feedstock that can be deployed; a comparison of techno-economic and environmental performances of biojet fuel production routes; airlines' commitment in promoting higher biofuel uptake; and global initiatives and policies. This review shows that the HEFA route using oil-based crops is best performing in terms of lowest production cost and greenhouse gas emissions, however it is in competition with the existing road transport biofuel market. Lignocellulosic biomass and waste feedstock should be promoted in view of replacing food/feed crops which have high indirect land use change emissions. Therefore, further improvement should be focused on FT, ATJ and HFS routes to enhance the cost effectiveness of biojet fuel production and promote commercialisation of these technologies. The selection of feedstock and technologies for SAF production should be justified based on production cost and environmental footprint, while avoiding competition with the existing road transport biofuel market. The shortcomings in the SAF policies such as blending mandate and multiplier in RED II should be addressed to reduce the negative impacts of feedstock competition between the road and aviation biofuel sectors and to meet the decarbonisation targets. • Waste and residue feedstock should be deployed for biojet fuel production. • Non-oil based routes require further improvement on cost competitiveness. • Imposing a blending mandate is more effective than voluntary approach. • Multi-stakeholder collaboration promotes uptake of sustainable aviation fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is an effective technology for power generation from temperatures of up to 400 °C and for capacities of up to 10 MW el. The use of solar irradiation for driving an ORC is a promising renewable energy-based technology due to the high compatibility between the operating temperatures of solar thermal collector technologies and the temperature needs of the cycle. The objective of this review paper is to present and discuss the operation principles of solar-ORC technology and the wide range of solar-ORC systems that have been studied in the literature. Various solar thermal technologies that can drive the ORC are investigated, such as the flat plate collector, evacuated tube collector, compound parabolic collector, parabolic trough collector, linear Fresnel reflectors, dish concentrators and solar towers. Both simulation studies and experimental investigations are included in the study. Hybrid systems and different thermal storage techniques are also examined in detail. Moreover, systems with ORC which produce many useful outputs such as cooling, heating and fresh water are studied because they present high sustainability indexes. The limitations of the technology are also highlighted, along with critical suggestions aimed at steering future research in this field. The final conclusions indicate that the development of trigeneration and polygeneration systems with ORC sub-systems is a promising avenue, not only for the future development of solar-ORC technology but also for the development of renewable and sustainable energy systems in a broader context. • Solar driven organic Rankine cycles are summarized and discussed in detail. • Concentrating and non-concentrating solar thermal systems are included. • Parabolic trough collector is the best solar technology for power production. • The use of solar organic Rankine cycles in polygeneration is a promising idea. • There is a need for conducting future experimental studies in a great scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agro-processing industries can play a critical role in the development of sustainable and clean energy systems. The lack of knowledge about the technical and economic viability of agro-waste to energy is a major barrier to the successful implementation of such energy systems in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa countries. This paper presents the techno-economic-environmental assessment of a cluster of rice mills located in Abakaliki, Nigeria, as a provider of clean energy. The cluster of rice mills can sustainably fulfil its energy needs through the application of organic Rankine cycle based combined heat and power plant fired by rice husks. Three scenarios of the plant were proposed and investigated for complete information. The rice husk from the cluster can provide daily 20–30 MWh and 4–91 MWh of electrical power and thermal power, respectively, at 14.5–21% efficiency. A tonne of rice husk can provide 0.45–0.65 MWh of electricity; that the unit cost of electricity from the proposed system is between 0.12 and 0.159$/kWh, which is better than 0.947 US$/kWh for the diesel generator currently in use. About 270–483 kg of CO 2 /MWh can be saved by the proposed combined heat and power system in relation to the current use of Lister diesel generators. The proposed plant has the potentials to support the Nigerian Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement. The work also presents an appropriate business model and policy pathway for sustainable cottage rice processing industries. • Assessment of rice husk potential for cleaner energy generation. • Proposed three CHP ORC rice husk fired plants. • Techno-economic-environmental analyses of CHP ORC. • Appropriate sustainable business and energy model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the last two decades, global electricity production has more than doubled and electricity demand is rising rapidly around the world as economic development spreads to emerging economies. Not only has electricity demand increased significantly, it is the fastest growing end-use of energy. Therefore, technical, economic and environmental benefits of hydroelectric power make it an important contributor to the future world energy mix, particularly in the developing countries. This paper deals with policies to meet increasing energy and electricity demand for sustainable energy development in Turkey. Turkey has a total gross hydropower potential of 433GWh/year, but only 125GWh/year of the total hydroelectric potential of Turkey can be economically used. By the commissioning of new hydropower plants, which are under construction, 36% of the economically usable potential of the country would be tapped. Turkey''s total economically usable small hydropower potential is 3.75GWh/year. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Renewable energy sources (RES) have a large potential to contribute to the sustainable development (SD) of specific territories by providing them with a wide variety of socioeconomic and environmental benefits. However, the existing literature has put much emphasis on the environmental benefits (including the reduction of global and local pollutants), while socioeconomic impacts have not received a comparable attention. These include diversification of energy supply, enhanced regional and rural development opportunities, creation of a domestic industry and employment opportunities. With the exception of the diversification and security of energy supply, these benefits have usually been mentioned, but their analysis has been too general (i.e., mostly at the national level) and a focus on the regional and, even more so, the local level, has been lacking. At most, studies provide scattered evidence of some of those regional and local benefits, but without an integrated conceptual framework to analyse them. This paper tries to make a contribution in this regard by developing an integrated theoretical framework which allows a comprehensive analysis of the impact of renewable energy on local sustainability and which can be empirically applied to identify these benefits in different territories. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the keystones for obtaining sustainable development is the use of exergy analysis. The present study deals with the assessment of energy and exergy utilization efficiencies in the industrial sector. Attempts have also been made at understanding the effect of varying dead (reference) state temperatures on these efficiencies. In this context, the methodology used is presented first. It is then applied to Turkey, which is selected as an application country, based on the actual data for 2003. Finally, the results obtained are evaluated and discussed. The Turkish industrial sector (TIS) considered includes iron–steel, chemical–petrochemical, petrochemical–feedstock, cement, fertilizer, sugar, non-iron metal industry and others such as textile and yarn, glass and glassware production, paper, beverage and cigarette, food, wood, leather, etc. All activities in this sector are produced by using electricity and heat energy. Parametric expressions of energy and exergy efficiencies are developed as a function of the dead-state temperature. The energy and exergy efficiency values for the TIS are found to vary from 51.95% to 80.82% and 25.30% to 29.50% at the dead-state temperature variations between 0 and 25°C, respectively. It is expected that this study will be very beneficial in developing energy policies of countries from the exergy management point of view. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a methodology for analyzing the sustainability of using wastes in the Brazilian power industry. It will describe projects, both completed and under development by coordination of the post-graduation programs in engineering (COPPE) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), for generating energy from wastes. The results of these projects were included in a doctoral thesis [Oliveira LB. Aproveitamento energético de lixo e biodiesel no Brasil (energy use of garbage and biodiesel in Brazil). Dissertation (doctoral), COPPE/UFRJ, 2004, p. 204, http://www.ppe.ufrj.br/ppe/production/tesis/lboliveira.pdf] defended in 2004 at the Energy Planning Program of the COPPE at the UFRJ—PPE/COPPE/UFRJ. The study encompasses an analysis of sustainability using a methodology developed for the above-mentioned dissertation, taking two existing methodologies into account: sustainability analysis and data envelopment analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Apart from contributing to the mitigation of GHG emissions, the deployment of renewable electricity Clean Development Mechanism projects (RE-CDM) may provide substantial local economic, social and environmental sustainability benefits to host countries. However, in spite of these advantages, a wide array of barriers prevents the realisation of these projects. They compete with other CDM options which lead to cheaper GHG emissions reductions but which do not provide as much opportunities for sustainable development in developing countries. Taking into account that, in contrast to GHG benefits, sustainability benefits are not valued in the market place and that article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol envisages two objectives for the CDM (cost-effective emissions reductions and contribution to sustainability), this market mechanism might be leading to a “market failure” in RE-CDM projects. This paper explores the different barriers affecting the implementation of RE-CDM projects and proposes and analyses several policies and measures that could be implemented to encourage their deployment by tackling those obstacles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Historical contribution to climate change is useful for future commitments to the burden share based on common but differentiated responsibilities as presented by the Brazilian Proposal [UNFCCC. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate. Implementation of the Berlin Mandate: Additional proposals from Parties, Addendum, Note by the secretariat; 30 May 1997.] according to Equity principle adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; 1992.]. This paper presents some results of historical greenhouse gases emissions inventories (CO2 from energy and land use change sectors, CH4 from enteric fermentation and N2O from animal waste manure management). It is discussed the differences among historical emissions in terms of development patterns and it is suggested some proposals for climate policy based on the concepts of equity and sustainable development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reducing emissions of CO2 and other GHGs is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing the European Union as it strives for sustainable development. If that challenge is to be met, domestic energy consumption must be controlled: it currently accounts for 40% of the total, making it one of the biggest sources of emissions. EU Directives 93/76 and 2002/91 make it compulsory for energy rating systems to be set up to report on consumption in buildings. This paper looks at the various rating systems now up and running, with varying levels of success, in EU countries. However, Denmark''s is the only system that can be considered as providing a full energy rating in the sense of awarding a graded score to buildings rather than a simple pass/fail rating, and proposing ways of improving the score obtained. Indeed, many regulations on energy saving in the residential sector are extremely recent, and it is too soon to assess their results. In some States they may also be modified by reforms currently being studied or processed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Achieving sustainable development is a target that is now widely seen as important to worldwide public opinion. In this regard, the utilization of renewable energy resources, such as solar, geothermal, and wind energy, appears to be one of the most efficient and effective ways in achieving this target. Recently, wind power as a potential energy has grown at an impressive rate in Turkey.This paper reviews the development of wind energy in the country as of the end of October 2003, including its history, studies conducted on wind energy, restructuring of the Turkish electricity market and wind energy applications.Turkey’s total theoretically available potential for wind power may be around 88,000 MW annually, with particularly attractive areas for wind located along Turkey’s west coast and in southeastern Anatolia. Electricity generation through wind energy for general use was first realized in Izmir, Turkey in 1986 with a 55 kW nominal wind energy capacity. However, the utilization of wind energy in Turkey has increased since 1998 when the first wind power plant with a total capacity of 1.5 MW was installed. Up to date, three wind power plants were installed with a total capacity of 18.9 MW, while a wind power plant with a total capacity of 1.2 MW will be commissioned in November 2003.Present applications have shown that wind energy in Turkey is a promising alternative and the strong development of wind energy is expected to continue in the coming years following restructuring of the Turkish electricity market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The local biomass resources have been used in rural China for quite a long time, which has a close connection with and will inevitably affect the environment. In recent years, China has experienced rapid economic growth and equally rapid increases in energy use, especially commercial energy, in rural areas. As a result, energy induced environmental degradation has also increased in rural China. This paper discusses the relationship between China’s rural energy and its sustainable development. It brings forward the index system for appraising the sustainable development of rural energy (SDRE), calculates the weighing of each index with analytic hierarchy process (AHP), puts forward the quantification method and provides the basis for the research of the rural energy for sustainable development in different areas and periods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Three E’s are the national energy policy drivers of any country of the world, Energy security, Economic growth and Environmental protection. A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that produces electricity by electrochemically combining fuel (hydrogen) and oxidant (oxygen from the air) gases through electrodes and across an ion conducting electrolyte. The principal characteristic of a fuel cell is its ability to convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy giving much higher conversion efficiencies than any conventional thermo-mechanical system thus extracting more electricity from the same amount of fuel, operate without combustion so they are virtually pollution free and have quieter operation since there are no moving parts. The emission of fuel cells running on hydrogen derived from a renewable source will be nothing but water vapour. Fuel cells are presently under development for a variety of power generation applications in response to the critical need for a cleaner energy technology. This paper reviews the existing or emerging fuel cells technologies, their design and operation, their limitations and their benefits in connection with energy, environment and sustainable development relationship. Few potential applications of fuel cell will be discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of power production and its consumption have become a major concern for humanity. This qualitative research identifies contemporary tendencies, specifically biomass among other energy sources. Specialists' opinions were juxtaposed against statistical data and hypotheses. This paper's prospective nature involves qualitative arguments to foresee long-term tendencies. It compares alternative energy sources, ecological policies and geopolitical facts. Two key patterns were found: the fossil-fuel use prevalence and the strengthening of alternative power sources, leading towards achieving sustainable development goals. • Despite global warming concern, interest on renewables lies on oil & gas reserves. • Bioenergy does not play competing return yet states fund crops for biofuels & tech. • Developing green fuels compels efforts to cut costs and economic competitiveness. • Green activists will stimulate the development of new renewable energy sources. • Groups' interests are contrasted: government energy security versus global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous studies of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), the evidence is still inconclusive and little has been done to capture the issue of environmental sustainability and welfare aspects of growth in the EKC relationship. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate the environment-development linkage under a sustainability-oriented EKC framework in 20 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries for the period from 1990 to 2015. The Common Correlated Effects version of Pooled Mean Group Estimator (CCE-PMG) in the context of error-correction based panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model augmented with cross-sectional averages was employed as a preferred estimation technique. The study also used an appropriate U test to check the presence of genuine inverted U-shaped EKC relationship. The results confirm the existence of a modified EKC hypothesis in SSA, but the linkage depends on the extent of endowment of natural resources. Among the growth-related factors, energy consumption and trade openness are found to have a long run detrimental effect on the environment. The study suggests that country's effort for economic development needs to be accompanied by appropriate policy options to ensure environmental sustainability. • Modified EKC = baseline EKC + Sustainability. • An appropriate U-test was employed to check the presence of genuinely inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis. • The findings support a modified EKC hypothesis for resource-intensive SSA countries. • A monotonically increasing relationship is found in non-resource intensive SSA countries. • Economic development can be seen as a solution to environmental degradation. • Country's growth efforts need to be supplemented with pro-environmental measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general perception of small run-of-river hydropower plants as renewable energy sources with little or no environmental impacts has led to a global proliferation of this hydropower technology. However, such hydropower schemes may alter the natural flow regime and impair the fluvial ecosystem at different trophic levels. This paper presents a global-scale analysis of the major ecological impacts of three main small run-of-river hydropower types: dam-toe, diversion weir, and pondage schemes. This review's main objective is to provide an extensive overview of how changing the natural flow regime due to hydropower operation may affect various aspects of the fluvial ecosystem. Ultimately, it will inform decision-makers in water resources and ecosystem conservation for better planning and management. This review analyses data on ecological impacts from 33 countries in five regions, considering the last forty years' most relevant publications, a total of 146 peer-reviewed publications. The analysis was focused on impacts in biota, water quality, hydrologic alteration, and geomorphology. The results show, notably, the diversion weir and the pondage hydropower schemes are less eco-friendly; the opposite was concluded for the dam-toe hydropower scheme. Although there was conflicting information from different countries and sources, the most common impacts are: water depletion downstream of the diversion, water quality deterioration, loss of longitudinal connectivity, habitat degradation, and simplification of the biota community composition. A set of potential non-structural and structural mitigation measures was recommended to mitigate several ecological impacts such as connectivity loss, fish injuries, and aquatic habitat degradation. Among mitigation measures, environmental flows are fundamental for fluvial ecosystem conservation. The main research gaps and some of the pressing future research needs were highlighted, as well. Finally, interdisciplinary research progress involving different stakeholders is crucial to harmonize conflicting interests and enable the sustainable development of small run-of-river hydropower plants. [Display omitted] • Eco-friendliness of run-of-river hydropower plants is questionable when it is intensively developed. • Periodic water depletion degrades fluvial habitats and reduces connectivity. • Environmental flows remain overlooked in run-of-river hydropower plants. • Pondage hydropower scheme induces the highest ecological impacts. • Run-of-river hydropower plants do not always have a direct impact on fluvial ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable energy development is a complex multi-dimensional concept that can vary in meaning based on the context it is applied in and the perspective of the user. The role of energy in achieving sustainable development was recognized when the concept was first put forward in 1987. However, what that role consisted of was not made clear. Since then, the concept of sustainable energy development has developed to become a prominent policy objective on the international agenda, as evidenced by the introduction of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 on energy. This paper presents an overview of the history of the concept as well as its emerging themes. Through a citation analysis, the most cited open-access publications relevant to the concept were identified. A thematic analysis of these most cited publications led to the identification of four interrelated themes of sustainable energy development; access to affordable modern energy services, sustainable energy supply, sustainable energy consumption, and energy security. The overarching goal of sustainable energy development was defined as furthering sustainability. Equitable access to affordable and reliable modern energy services is integral to sustainable development. A transformation of the current energy system is necessary to reduce its harmful impacts, both on the supply and demand side. This transformation is not possible unless it is economically viable through, for instance, cost-competitive technologies and changes in energy pricing to reflect the external costs of energy. • Sustainable energy development is a young multi-dimensional concept. • Common themes of sustainable energy development are identified. • Access to modern energy services for all is essential to further sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coming decades, a large portion of the world population is expected to embrace urbanization. The demand for thermal comfort in populous and congested urban centres, especially in developing countries across the globe, is expected to rise many folds. Alternates to conventional air-cooling systems are water-based evaporation cooling. Recently introduced efficient multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling using the Maisotsenko(M)-Cycle has shown success with improved performance by theoretically reaching the dew-point of the incoming air. However, the impact of large-scale use of such cooling devices shall inadvertently leave huge strains on the urban useable water resources. On the other hand, cooling, as usual, is not sustainable with the global demand for air cooling units shall grow many folds up to 5.0 billion units over the next decade compared to currently 1.3 billion in service units. Alternates of high electricity consuming air cooling, such as Maisotsenko cycle based devices are part of the solution only if the water impact can be brought to minimal in an efficient manner. A key development in this regard is the utilization of water recovery systems from waste air streams leaving air coolers. A few studies and models have shown their successful working and predictions. This paper initially analyzes the global impacts of air-cooling devices using the commercially available product designed to work on the Maisotsenko cycle. Moreover, the impact of these devices on the global scale in terms of utility as well as their water footprints are estimated. The results produce a grim picture since most favourable zones/regions in the globe for indirect evaporative cooling are also labelled as high on the water stress index. Secondly, global assessment of water recovery unit in terms of reduction in water footprint and combined cooling and recovery system Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) are also assessed. Based on the assessments and predictions of global economic parameters, a wholesome Levelized Cost of Electricity of combined air cooling and water recovery system is estimated for each zone across the globe favourable for the Maisotsenko cycle based air cooler. The hypothesis postulate that the global projections of the energy-efficiency-ratio should be improved while diminishing its water footprints at a lower Levelized cost. The prime purpose of the research is to evaluate the technological advancement presented in the commercial M50 air cooler for energetic, economical, and water-related indicators with the consideration of global projections in similitude to the social contexts of the region. Our hypothesis is verified with our assessment and the principal results have suggested that recovering the water from M-50 cooler, a commercially available device working on M-Cycle, yields in the reduction of specific water usage per ton of air cooling by ~63% while the EER improved by ~26% as compared to the conventional air cooling and the Levelized Cost of energy is 0.014 USD/kWh which is much lower than the conventional air conditioning systems. The findings of this article have concluded that proposed technological advancement has better performance indicators, suiting the complicated local context, and it is suggested/recommended to the governments (especially the Middle East, South Asian, Central Asian, North African, and Australia) to include such natural air coolers (particularly M-Cycle machines) in the national energy efficiency plans to meet the global sustainability targets of United Nations. Image 1 • Maisotsenko air cooler can be a possible sustainable and futuristic air-cooling device. • Global and mass scaling of these machines can generate water-energy nexus. • An energetically-efficient method to decrease the water footprints is demonstrated. • Global projection of thermoeconomics and water footprints are plotted. • The findings can help policy-making bodies to decide the sustainable future of air-conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the latest advances regarding water/steam addition to liquid-fuel combustion systems for the development of sustainable energy through NOx reduction. The review focuses on applications of steam injection to achieve environmentally safe recycling of liquid combustible waste in conjunction with energy production. The basic information regarding the theory of combustion and gasification with steam is presented. A brief overview of current NOx control methods is included. Steam supply in liquid-fuel combustion systems (diesel engines, water-fuel emulsions, burners) is considered in detail, with a particular focus on reducing toxic emissions and improving efficiency. The main mechanisms of NOx reduction upon steam injection in liquid-fuel burners are analysed. The benefits of using steam to create low-NOx waste-to-energy conversion technologies, as well as the knowledge gaps in this area, are discussed. Further research requirements are discussed for the environmentally safe use of substandard fuels and waste as alternative fuels, for the development of new sustainable energy technologies. Image 1 • Water/steam addition to liquid-fuel combustion systems is reviewed. • Current NOx control methods are briefly reviewed. • Mechanisms of NOx reduction upon steam injection in liquid-fuel combustion systems are analysed. • The benefits of using steam for prospective waste-to-energy technologies are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development and sustainability have been the targets of policy making on every level and the focus of multi-national agreements. However, both notions are vaguely defined and no concrete methodological guidance is offered on how to achieve them. One methodology that is increasingly being used to measure sustainability is Data Envelopment Analysis. The purpose of the current paper is to review the literature from 2017 until 2020 and investigate how researchers have used Data Envelopment Analysis to measure sustainability. Building also from the conclusions of previous reviews, results indicate that the social dimension of sustainability is still underrepresented. Furthermore, proxy indices are used as a substitute for sustainability. Despite their important merits, such measures do not fully capture the multi-dimensional structure of sustainability and sustainable development. Finally, the review illustrates that the majority of applications concerns Asian nations or Chinese regions, while the study on European areas and/or nations appears to be lagging considerably. • The traditional three-dimensional structure of sustainability is still dominant. • The social dimension of sustainability is underrepresented, despite continuous efforts to incorporate it. • Recent efforts focus on including new dimensions in sustainability like technology. • The study of sustainability has shifted towards urban environments. • The lack of a unified definition of sustainability persists in current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norway is a major renewable energy developer in Europe, mainly through its development of hydropower. Research has shown that solar energy also has potential in Norway, however, the cumulative installed photovoltaic capacity was only 120 MW at the end of 2019, representing 4.1% of the total electricity generation. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the main barriers to diffusing photovoltaics for residential buildings from the public sector, private sector, and the people's perspectives in Norway. Furthermore, it analyzes solar development, policies, and models in different countries, and proposes a potential model and solutions to overcome barriers. The results show that the high initial costs of photovoltaics and limited information and awareness of the possible benefits are the main barriers for the people. For the private sector, limited funding and few pilot projects to learn from, as well as risk uncertainty are the main barriers. The main concern in the public sector is the low application of existing incentives. Public-private-people partnerships (PPPP) have a big potential to overcome these barriers by dividing the high initial costs into more affordable sums, facilitating the information flow among different sectors, and involving all three sectors to create new incentives. In addition, Norway is well-suited for PPPP, as the citizens pay much attention to sustainable development, and there is already a close collaboration between the public and private sectors in the energy sector. Finally, three concrete solutions using PPPP are proposed: design a co-investment solution, provide information sharing platforms, and create new incentives. • Barriers to diffusing PV in Norway from people, public, and private are identified. • The main barriers are few pilot cases and low electricity prices due to hydropower. • Public-private-people partnerships have potential to overcome identified barriers. • Co-investment, information sharing, and new incentives with PPPP are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare Earth Magnets (REM), especially the NdFeB type, are essential components in high-performance electric motors and wind turbines, playing an important role in the shift towards a low-carbon energy matrix. However, little work has been done to understand how the production of REM can be in line with the global sustainable transition. To overcome this lack and help with future research, as well as decision-making, this paper provides a literature overview of which aspects of sustainability are being investigated in the REM supply chain, and how each of them contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This research is developed through a consistent analysis of 44 peer-reviewed publications, followed by an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Four main subjects of studies were identified: environmental impact; social impact; economic aspects and circular economy. Most of the studies focus on computing the environmental impact through life cycle assessment and discussing techniques towards exploring the circular economy concept. In addition to contributing to a greener economy, the majors identified strengths of REM are the great potential of its supply chain in reducing primary resource extraction, since REM recovery and recycling seem to be viable, and the promising techniques to minimize environmental impacts along the rare earth elements production chain. • The contribution of NdFeB magnets in achieving SDGs was evaluated through a SWOT analysis. • The need for more efficient processes and the lack of updated data were identified as weaknesses. • Negative social impacts and REE supply risks were identified as threats. • The REM supply chain needs to explore CE holistically, and recycling needs to be profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Virtual Special Issue contains extensions of some of the papers presented at the 22nd Conference of Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES′19) in Crete, Greece on the 20 to 23 October 2019 related to the scope of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. The works are not limited to review articles; most of them have significant contributions to knowledge development in the field of sustainable energy. The energy recovery and intensification section discusses nano-enhanced phase change materials and fluids, heat exchanger network synthesis and heat pump integration in industrial processes. Bio-based renewable energy covers biomass from algae, seaweed, municipal solid waste and food waste, which are converted into valuable products by anaerobic digestion, co-cracking, incineration and fermentation. The articles in the energy system management section focus on batteries, energy efficiency rating, low carbon transitions and wave energy integration technology screening. Lastly, the data-driven energy management section includes a few reviews on the implementation of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 for the chemical industry from system to equipment levels. These developments have the same ultimate goal to bridge the gaps for achieving the average global temperatures rise target set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the establishment of a robust framework for the assessment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in businesses, using the construction industry as an example and with the primary focus on combating climate change (SDG 13). We provide a critical analysis of a selection of relatively widely used SDG impact assessment tools, combined with a case study from the construction industry to explore how a meaningful SDG assessment can be framed with linkages between SDG 13 and other related SDGs. Our analysis points towards the importance of framing SDG assessments in a way that discourages "Greenwashing". Any SDG assessment that relates to climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement should identify the processes and activities that can be expected to be particularly challenging in terms of their abatement. In our road construction work case, we identify four such hard-to-abate activities: 1) introducing biomass for renewable transportation fuels for use in construction equipment and heavy transport; 2) electrification of transport and industrial processes; 3) substitution as part of transitioning from fossil fuel use; and 4) applying carbon capture and storage technologies in the production of basic materials, such as cement and steel. The approach applied will avoid that businesses only focus on SDGs in situations where they are already performing well or can apply low-cost measures or that they only relate to the part of the supply chain that pertains to their own business (Scope 1 emissions). For an SDG assessment to provide basis for informed decisions regarding real change towards more sustainable and equitable corporate practices it should: (i) identify and include concrete measures to align with the terms of the Paris Agreement; (ii) include relevant value chains; and (iii) consider both the short-term and long-term effects of strategic choices. • Businesses should avoid "Greenwashing"-use of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). • Any SDG assessment should include both long-term and short-term considerations. • Any SDG assessment should be transparent on how long-term climate target is handled. • An approach is presented for a thorough – "non Grenwashing"- way of an SDG assessment. • A thorough application of an SDG assessment can help minimizing future business risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of sustainable technologies for energy generation should necessarily undergo sustainability assessment. A well-recognized, valuable tool to accomplish this task is the life cycle assessment. In particular, prospective life cycle assessment can provide the useful methodological framework to calculate eco-profiles of third-generation photovoltaic technologies with a future-oriented perspective. In this paper, we present the life cycle assessment of a real semi-industrial production process of dye-sensitized solar modules performed by the Italian Dyepower consortium. Due to the unique availability of primary data at the semi-industrial scale, an extensive inventory is built and a long-term approach is implemented based on predictive scenarios featuring technological development and energy mix evolution. The aim is to evaluate of the potential of this technology from an environmental sustainability perspective as a renewable source for electricity generation in the future European energy market, namely, for building integrated applications. The results demonstrate the well-performing environmental footprint of the device and its pre-industrial fabrication process that, coupled with architectural versatility and remarkable performance in low intensity and diffuse light, make this technology suitable for different niches of the energy market. This analysis also highlights challenges in the fabrication process and identifies the technological improvements, alternative materials and engineering solutions that would further improve the environmental footprint of dye sensitized solar modules. Finally, the proposed life cycle assessment approach, provided that detailed and robust primary data are available, is valid for the investigation of the eco-profile of third generation photovoltaic technologies in terms of environmental sustainability in the European context. • Prospective LCA is implemented with long-term technological-energy mix scenarios. • Case study is focused on DSSC technology due to pre-industrial primary data inventory. • Direct energy (35% of global CED) is a crucial issue for industrial optimization. • Consumption of raw materials accounts for 90% of impact on ILCD 2011 + categories. • Small metal quantities, improved PV performance and lifetime give best eco-profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector accounts for 40% of the total energy consumption in the EU. It faces great challenges to meet the goal of transforming the existing building stocks into near zero-energy buildings by 2050. The development of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) schemes in the EU provides a powerful and comprehensive information tool to quantitatively predict annual energy demand from the building stock, creating a demand-driven market for energy-effective buildings. Properties with improved energy rating have had a positive impact on property investments and rental return because of the reduced energy bills. In addition, the EPC databases have been applied to energy planning and building renovations. However, it should be mentioned that the current evaluation system faces problems, such as not being fully implemented, delivering low quality and insufficient information to stimulate renovation, therefore requiring improvements to be made. This paper provides a review of the current EPC situations in the EU and discusses the direction of future improvements. The next generation EPC should rely on BIM technology, benefit from big data techniques and use building smart-readiness indicators to create a more reliable, affordable, comprehensive and customer-tailored instrument, which could better represent energy efficiency, together with occupants' perceived comfort, and air quality. Improved EPC schemes are expected to play an active role in monitoring building performance, future energy planning and quantifying building renovation rates, promoting energy conservation and sustainability. • Presentation of a brief review of the EPC-related directives. • Review and comparison of the development of the EPC in EU member states. • Discussion on the utilization of the EPC at the urban scale. • Identification of the existing issues and shortcomings in the current EPC. • Proposal of future improvements for the EPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]