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Energy consumption has promoted a continuous development for economy and society, but it has also brought serious environmental pollution problems which endanger public health. In order to focus on the impact of PM 2.5 emissions from future energy consumption on human health better, this paper estimated PM 2.5 emissions caused by energy consumption in Beijing in 2020,2025 and 2030 by setting the baseline scenario, emission reduction scenario, intensified emission reduction scenario and the data of the base year 2015, which will be 162.6 thousand tons, 195.9 thousand tons and 235.9 thousand tons in the baseline scenario, 143.1 thousand tons, 151.8 thousand tons and 160.9 thousand tons under the emission reduction scenario, and 132.6 thousand tons, 130.2 thousand tons, 127.9 thousand tons under the intensified emission reduction scenario. Finally the paper measured the number of different health effect ends caused by PM 2.5 emissions and the economic loss. The results showed that there was a rapid increase, a mild increase and a moderate decrease in energy consumption and PM 2.5 emissions in Beijing under the three scenarios from 2015 to 2030. Besides, under the same scenario and the same concentration level baseline, the number of the internal medicine (over the age of 15) was the largest, and the economic loss caused by total death rate was the biggest. This article provides suggestions to reduce PM 2.5 emissions and public health effect ends for Beijing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first estimates the energy-related carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions and carbon intensity of China's 30 provinces from 2000 to 2015. By constructing a 4-variable Panel Vector Auto-regression (PVAR) model, the paper quantitatively analyzes the dynamic relationship among urbanization, industrial structure, energy and carbon intensity in China during urbanization and industrialization stage. The results show that urbanization process and the advancement of industrial structure are consistent with the optimization goals of energy and carbon intensity. In the long term, energy and carbon intensity will decline with the development of urbanization and the advancement of industrial structure. But urbanization process has an inverted U-shaped effect on energy and carbon intensity, while the influence of industrial structure advancement on energy and carbon intensity increases over time. In contrast, the positive impact of energy intensity on carbon intensity is mainly reflected in the short term. This paper confirms the importance of urbanization and upgrading of industrial structure in the goal of energy saving and emissions reduction. Thus, this paper suggests that each province should adopt the upgrading of industrial structure as one of the policy goals, and constantly promote new urbanization process, following their own development characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the regulatory policies, feed-in tariffs (FIT) and renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are the most popular to promote the development of renewable energy power industry. This paper uses system dynamics (SD) to establish models of long-term development of the renewable energy power industry under FIT and RPS schemes, and provides a case study of China's wind power industry by using scenario analysis method. The model, on the one hand, not only clearly shows the complex logical relationship between the factors but also reveals the process of coordination between the two policy tools in the development of the renewable energy power industry. On the other hand, it provides a reference for scholars to study similar problems in different countries, thereby facilitating an understanding of the renewable energy power's long-term sustainable development pattern under FIT and RPS schemes, and helping to provide references for policy-making institutions. The results show that the integrate implementation of FIT and RPS can promote long-term and rapid development of China's wind power industry given the constraints and actions of the mechanisms of RPS quota proportion, the tradable green certificates (TGC) valid period, and fines. In addition, in the period of the construction of the TGC market, RPS quota growth rate and fine have a no significant effect on industrial development, however, with TGC market game becoming more and more fierce, both of them have a significant positive impact on the long-term development of the industry. TGC valid period has little effect on industrial development in our study. At the end of the paper, policy implications are offered as references for the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting the growing electricity demand in many developing countries is a major challenge as there is a shortage in power generation. This paper proposes a novel strategy for mitigating the effect of weather intermittency on the scheduling power interruption of residential houses. The proposed method involves optimal scheduling strategy for the electricity supply of these houses in a distribution grid and weather temperature prediction using a probability paper plot is deployed. Data training is achieved through the Monte-Carlo Simulation, and the prediction model is validated through error analysis. Using this method, novel power interruption schedules, based on maximizing houses’ accessibility to electricity and considering consumers’ fairness of accessing electricity services on hourly basis, have been designed. The design considers two optimization problems, scheduling electricity supply and validating the schedule in the power distribution grid by ensuring no violations of grid operational requirements. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis has been conducted to investigate the effect of scaling up the demand from the house context on enabling electricity access to such houses. The effect of conservative voltage reduction schemes on energy consumption reduction has also been explored. The studied results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enabling electricity access of new regions accommodated in the grid by up to 47.6% which increases the profit of the power utility from residential electricity bill payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the reliability of electricity supplies have motivated researches to investigate the possibility of electrical consumers to take a more active role in the operations of the power system. The work in this paper looks into the potential of an industrial chemical plant to provide support to the electricity grid by means of demand-side response (DR) programs. To do so, this paper proposes a method to assess the flexibility of the plant to provide electrical power reserves while ensuring that the production demand is satisfied, as well as an economic analysis of the plant operations incorporating DR programs to quantify the incentives the plant should receive in order to participate in these programs. Therefore, the current study presents a novel optimization framework which integrates production scheduling with DR programs, with the aim to determine optimal decisions for the operating conditions within the plant while safely providing services to the electricity grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a diverse region characterized by rapid economic growth, demographic change and urbanization. The dominance of energy supply from non-renewable resources in the region means that the increasing energy demand has implications for energy security, as well as adverse local and global environmental effects. Climatic conditions in the region are favorable for renewable energy (RE) resources, especially but not only wind and solar technologies. ASEAN countries differ strongly in terms of their national policy frameworks and progress in renewable energy development; the overall target of 23% renewables by 2025 is very ambitious under current policy frameworks. This paper identifies a gap between these national policies and local governance, especially in urban areas, which requires attention to ensure future target fulfilment. By employing a new combined correlation and decomposition approach at country and city levels, we investigate the determinants of RE expansion and explore the trend drivers in ASEAN countries from 1995 to 2013. An Impact Matrix is developed to position and interpret the relative push (e.g. policy) and pull (e.g. market) impacts on RE development, and to derive policy recommendations for countries and sectors. The results highlight that urban areas should be the focus of RE policy and governance in addition to rural areas. The tremendous impact of economic growth creates a great impetus for renewable energy development, but urbanization is the second pull for renewable energy extensions. Since the two effects are located in the first quadrant of the Impact Matrix, if strategists affect these factors, they will create the most powerful incentive for renewable energy growth. This confirms that if the strategic aim is to promote renewable energy market development, through policy and governance measures, the focus should be on urban areas, non-electricity sectors and the demand side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reusable launchers have been studied under CNES contracts for more than 30 years, with early concepts such as STS-2000 or Oriflamme, more recently with very significant efforts devoted to Liquid Fly Back Boosters as with the Bargouzin project led with Tsniimash, TSTO with the Everest concept studied by Airbus-DS as prime contractor or the RFS Reusable First Stage concept of a large first stage associated to a cryotechnic second stage. These investigations, summarized in the first part of the paper, enabled CNES to identify clearly the technology requirements associated to reusability, as well as cost efficiency through detailed non-recurring costs and mission costs analysis. In parallel, CNES set in place development logic for sub-systems and equipment based on demonstrators, hardware test benches enabling maturation of technologies up to a TRL such that an actual development can be decided with limited risk. This philosophy has been applied so far to a large number of cases, such as TPTech and TPX for Hydrogen turbo pump, GGPX as demonstrator of innovative gas generator, HX demonstrator of modern cryotechnic upper stage with a dozen of different objectives (Thermal Protection, 20K Helium storage, measurements …). This virtuous approach, “learn as you test”, is currently applied in the phased approach towards scaled down reusable booster stage, whose possibility to be used as first stage of a microlaunch vehicle is under investigation. The selected technologies allow paving the way towards reusable booster stages for Ariane 6 evolutions or main reusable stage for a further generation of heavy launchers. The paper describes the logic behind this project, together with the demonstration objectives set for the various sub-systems as well as operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The penetration rates of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology have growth exponentially and are expected to continue growing. Consequently, in the medium term, the volume of PV panels to be decommissioned will also increase, thus creating a massive amount of waste with resulting negative environmental implications. Among the methodologies that tackle the challenges for reducing the use of non-renewable abiotic resources and the level of waste, the novel cradle-to-cradle (C2C) manufacturing approach states that we can maintain our current levels of economic growth without damaging the environment and promoting a shift in the concept of re-cycling. While the possibility of applying C2C principles within a closed-loop material cycle (CLMC) looks promising, it still requires further research and improvement, particularly to support robust business decisions and policy development. This paper first presents the main challenges and opportunities for C2C implementation for silicon-based solar PV modules, given the complexity of creating and maintaining a true CLMC system. It then calls for urgent development of a credible scientific framework for system modelling, based on thermodynamics and mathematics, in order to truly move from re-cycling to up-cycling. As an initial step, a conceptual model and a suitable time-space scale for the required C2C-CLMC system is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes the development of a simple hybrid desalination system of a Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) and an adsorption (AD) cycle operating at sub-atmospheric pressures and temperatures. By hybridizing the conventional MED with an AD cycle, there is a symbiotic enhancement of performances of both cycles. The performance enhancement is attributed to (i) the cascade of adsorbent’s regeneration temperature and this extended the usage of thermal energy emanating from the brine heater and (ii) the vapor extraction from the last MED stage by AD cycle which provides the effect of lowering saturation temperatures of all MED stages to the extent of 5°C, resulting in scavenging of heat leaks into the MED stages from the ambient. The combined effects of the hybrid cycles increase the water production capacity of the desalination plant by nearly twofolds. In this paper, we demonstrate a hybrid cycle by simulating an 8-stage MED cycle which is coupled to an adsorption cycle for direct vapor extraction from the last MED stage. The sorption properties of silica gel is utilized (acting as a mechanical vapor compressor) to reduce the saturation temperatures of MED stages. The modeling utilizes the adsorption isotherms and kinetics of the adsorbent+adsorbate (silica-gel+water) pair along with the governing equations of mass, energy and concentration. For a 8-stage MED and AD cycles operating at assorted temperatures of 65–90°C, the results show that the water production rate increases from 60% to twofolds when compared to the MED alone. The performance ratio (PR) and gain output ratio (GOR) also improve significantly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In March 2011, China’s central government set a new challenging target of reducing its energy intensity by 16% during 2011–2015, after it had achieved a reduction of 19.1% during 2006–2010. And this new target was assigned to provincial authorities in August 2011. However, China’s provincial energy-economic developments are unbalanced and different provinces have different key sectors for energy conservation. Most previous studies focused on provincial energy efficiency at the aggregate level, or the three-industry level (or one-digit level). However, whether for policy decision or academic research, it is necessary to further subdivide the sectors. In this paper, we use three indicators (Gini Coefficient, energy consumption share and energy intensity) to compare provincial energy conservation potentials at the two-digit sector level. To our knowledge, this paper is the first one to identify the keys for energy conversation across the 31 provinces×65 sectors. And the results are shown in visualized maps and matrix tables to help identify the key province×sectors for energy conservation easier. This also helps the central and provincial governments to distinguish key sectors when they monitor the energy conservation progress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: HCCI combustion can substantially reduce NOx and soot emissions of diesel engines. However it is hard for diesel HCCI to obtain the same level of fuel economy as traditional diesel engines. This paper presents a way to improve the fuel economy of diesel HCCI by adopting Integrated Starter Generator (ISG). A set of diesel parallel hybrid power system (in this article, we name it “hybrid engine”) is constructed by installing an ISG motor on a diesel engine, which applies HCCI–CI combined combustion. Based on a lot of investigation on diesel HCCI, this paper is focus on improving HCCI engine performance, especially the fuel economy, by adopting ISG motor assist control. The coordination control strategies of engine and ISG motor in HCCI transient states, HCCI–CI transition, engine quick start and braking energy regeneration are developed. The results of equivalent New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) tests show that, by using ISG assistance, the fuel consumption of the diesel HCCI engine is greatly reduced. Meanwhile the NOx and soot emission are also improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The main aim of this paper is to review of the current state of energy systems in the Western Balkans countries. The paper gives a review of the individual parameters relating to energy development, defines the current state of the achieved level of sustainable energy development as a whole and defines possible strategic directions for energy development in the region. The paper also examines the possibility for implementation of the adopted EU target of 20% RES energy production. The main characteristics in the region are high energy consumption, high values of carbon emission, fossil fuels import dependency, constant production and electric energy supply, and high potential but minimal RES energy production. Further development of regulation framework and market liberalization is are basic preconditions of demanding energy reform in all countries. Increasing energy the second energy development priority. The third long term strategic goal is increasing the amount of the energy obtained from hydro and transition to clean coal technologies. Intensifying RES production is currently the fourth strategic priority. The analysis shows that production of energy from wind is priority for the region, but currently it is constrained by too great investment requirements for developing countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rapid vehicle and powertrain development has become essential to for the design and implementation of vehicles that meet and exceed the fuel efficiency, cost, and performance targets expected by today’s consumer while keeping pace with reduced development cycle and more frequent product releases. Recently, advances in large-scale additive manufacturing have provided the means to bridge hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experimentation and preproduction mule chassis evaluation. This paper details the accelerated development of a printed range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, by paralleling hardware-in-the-loop development of the powertrain with rapid chassis prototyping using big area additive manufacturing (BAAM). BAAM’s ability to accelerate the mule vehicle development from computer-aided design to vehicle build is explored. The use of a hardware-in-the-loop laboratory is described as it is applied to the design of a range-extended electric powertrain to be installed in a printed prototype vehicle. The integration of the powertrain and the opportunities and challenges it presents are described in this work. A comparison of offline simulation, HIL and chassis rolls results is presented to validate the development process. Chassis dynamometer results for battery electric and range extender operation are analyzed to show the benefits of the architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipping is a major contributor to global CO 2 emissions. Various operational and technical measures have been proposed to reduce ship emissions. However, these emission reduction measures may not be all economically feasible to implement. Therefore, it is important to rank all these measures and select the most cost-effective measures for emissions reduction. Moreover, there are various uncertainties in evaluating emission reduction measures, such as uncertainties of implementation cost, fuel consumption, abatement potential and fuel price. These uncertainties may significantly influence the ranking of the emission reduction measures, which further result in an inappropriate selection of the measures for implementation. In this paper, a ranking algorithm with a new criterion is proposed to rank all the emission reduction measures by considering the preference between cost and abatement. Furthermore, a ranking under uncertainty method is developed which takes into account various uncertainties of the impact factors. This method can support policy makers in ranking and selecting emission reduction measures more appropriately by better quantifying and reflecting the uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The series hybrid electric tracked bulldozer (HETB)’s fuel economy heavily depends on its energy management strategy. This paper presents a model predictive controller (MPC) to solve the energy management problem in an HETB for the first time. A real typical working condition of the HETB is utilized to develop the MPC. The results are compared to two other strategies: a rule-based strategy and a dynamic programming (DP) based one. The latter is a global optimization approach used as a benchmark. The effect of the MPC’s parameters ( e . g . length of prediction horizon) is also studied. The comparison results demonstrate that the proposed approach has approximately a 6% improvement in fuel economy over the rule-based one, and it can achieve over 98% of the fuel optimality of DP in typical working conditions. To show the advantage of the proposed MPC and its robustness under large disturbances, 40% white noise has been added to the typical working condition. Simulation results show that an 8% improvement in fuel economy is obtained by the proposed approach compared to the rule-based one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar aided (coal fired) power generation (SAPG) is the synergy of solar thermal energy and fossil power plant technologies by using solar thermal energy to replace extraction steam to preheat feed water. SAPG combines environmental benefits of the former and large capacity, high efficiency and reliability of the latter. However, there are no appropriate criteria for evaluating the thermal performance of the system now. In this paper, a new evaluation method of SAPG system is proposed based on the exergy analysis and the characteristics of exergy flows crossing the boundary of the system. In the established evaluation method, a new ideal cycle is constructed in the perspective of external heat sources, and the difference of solar proportion among the exergy input, work output and exergy output in the same subsystem is considered. With the evaluation method, the contribution proportion of solar energy in a SAPG system can be determined. To illustrate applications of the new method, a parabolic trough solar field aided 600 MW coal-fired power generation system is discussed as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the impacts of active suspension with energy regeneration capability on the fuel economy of a power split Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). Models of HEV powertrain and suspension are established and, based on their interactions, unified. The impacts of control parameters on the suspension performance are synthetically analyzed. The analyses form a basis for the design of suspension controller. High-level supervisory controller and low-level sub-controllers for HEV powertrain and suspension are designed. Low-level sub-controllers can ensure the performance of each system, whose control parameters are updated by the supervisory controller. The equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS), superior in maintaining charge sustainability, is improved for better application in the proposed system. Simulation results under different conditions demonstrate that both HEV fuel economy and ride comfort are improved. Comparative analyses of various scenarios validate the positive effect of suspension energy regeneration on the energy conservation performance of power split HEV. Meanwhile, the improvement of HEV fuel economy can be highlighted by applying ECMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop a more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. The results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to systematically identify and assess critical factors, which foster or hinder the development of bottom-up initiatives in the diffusion of photovoltaics. Bottom-up initiatives are social innovations, which entail civil engagement in energy transition at a local or regional level, and are expected to play a growing role in the governance of local energy systems in Europe. A mixed design methodology is used to identify critical factors and assess their importance. This involves combining an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process. The findings indicate that successful initiatives are those which are able to draw upon substantial local public interest and trust in the new technology, and which manage to combine financial attractiveness with environmental concerns. The results make clear that the political context is also an extremely important success factor. Given the appropriate circumstances, such initiatives may make a significant contribution in the transition to a sustainable energy system, and thus prove useful in reaching European energy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage is a cutting edge front for renewable and sustainable energy research. In fact, a massive exploitation of intermittent renewable sources, such as wind and sun, requires the introduction of effective mechanical energy storage systems. In this paper we introduce the concept of a trigenerative energy storage based on a compressed air system. The plant in study is a simplified design of the adiabatic compressed air energy storage and accumulates mechanical and thermal (both hot and cold) energy at the same time. We envisage the possibility to realize a relatively small size trigenerative compressed air energy storage to be placed close to the energy demand, according to the distributed generation paradigm. Here, we describe the plant concept and we identify all the relevant parameters influencing its thermodynamic behavior. Their effects are dissected through an accurate thermodynamic model. The most relevant technological issues, such as the guidelines for a proper choice of the compressor, expander and heat exchangers are also addressed. Our results show that T-CAES may have an interesting potential as a distributed system that combines electricity storage with heat and cooling energy production. We also show that the performances are significantly influenced by some operating and design parameters, whose feasibility in real applications must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of a scale-up pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) based osmotic power generator. Inspired by the well-known MPPT in photovoltaic (PV) array, two algorithms, perturb & observe (P&O) and incremental mass-resistance (IMR) method, are investigated. Using a series of simulations, both the algorithms are demonstrated to be capable of tracking the maximum power point (MPP) and capturing the transitions between varied MPPs due to the fluctuations of operating temperature. However, in both cases the trade-off between the rise time and the oscillation is found requiring further consideration on the selection of the step-size for perturbation pressure or incremental pressure. In order to improve the performance of the MPPT, furthermore, an optimum model-based controller (OMC) is used to estimate the initial optimum pressure for the MPPT in a scale-up PRO process. It is found that with OMC, the performance of the MPPT is improved significantly. Finally, a strategy to operate and coordinate the MPPT and OMC to deal with the rapid variations of the salinities are proposed and evaluated in terms of individual variation of the concentration or flow rate and co-variation of the both. The simulations demonstrate the preferred performance of the proposed strategy to adjust the operation subject to the rapid changes of the salinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most successful peer-to-peer networks are based on the concept of supernode, which is an operating point of the network that provides services and advanced functionalities to other nodes. Inspired by this idea, this paper proposes to integrate nodes that provide intelligent advanced services in the future architecture of the electrical grid. Besides facilitating the access to data services such as demand estimations and weather forecasts, these nodes are especially meant to hold virtual environments in which software agents, after being contracted, negotiate on behalf of users in energy markets. This architecture is designed to be compatible with the Energy Interoperation OASIS standard. The capabilities and feasibility of the proposal is demonstrated through realistic experiments based on OpenADR programs, in which users exchange energy by using parallel auction markets. In addition, in order to have the roles of buyer and seller in demand-response programs, thus allowing the creation of markets, a conceptual model based on negative loads and critical loads is provided. The experiments have proven that the proposed architecture facilitates the implementation of advanced distributed management systems in order that smart metering infrastructures, in contrast with traditional agent-based solutions, are released to perform negotiation tasks and access data services, while users gain both autonomy and decision-making capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swedish energy performance certificates for single-family housing provide rich information on energy consumption and various physical attributes. They also include estimates of the energy conservation potentials resulting from implementing cost-efficient energy saving measures. By matching the certificates issued for single-family houses in 2009 and 2010, with socio-economic data about the residents, local climate data and information about recent improvements of the building we have created a unique database, which can be used to explore a wide variety of questions related to energy consumption and conservation. One aim of this paper is to assess the role for energy consumption played by socio-economic characteristics of the residents as compared to physical attributes of the house. Another is to estimate the influence of housing attributes and climate on the “engineering estimates” of the conservation potentials. Our results show that while the quantitative impact of physical attributes dominate the energy use for heating and cooling, the opposite holds for household electricity. The assessed conservation potential, amounting to 15% of the energy consumption, is significantly related to both the housing attributes and the use of energy. The results also indicate a need to improve the information provided by the performance certificates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings account for a large share of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission. Numerous methods have been applied to operate buildings more efficiently. However, the embodied energy and carbon are identified increasingly important in terms of sustainability throughout building life cycle. In traditional building structural design approach, the engineers pay little attention on environmental aspect which has been recognised as one of the most important factors to consider in modern integrated building design approach. The emergence of Semantic Web technologies provides more opportunities to assist structural engineers in improving building sustainability. The study presented in this paper investigates how ontology and Semantic Web rules can be used in a knowledge-based system, to represent information about structural design and sustainability, and to facilitate decision-making in design process by recommending appropriate solutions for different use cases. A prototypical system named OntoSCS (Ontology for Sustainable Concrete Structure), including a Web Ontology Language (OWL) ontology as knowledge base and SWRL rules providing reasoning mechanism, is developed to offer optimised structural design solutions and selections of material suppliers. Embodied energy and CO 2 are used in the system as indicators to evaluate sustainability of structure. Both ontology reasoner and case studies are employed for system validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey box models are a solution for evaluating and quantifying the effect on building thermal performance of different energy saving measures. They are usually used to predict a building thermal performance, and applied to energy systems. This paper presents the application of a grey box model to evaluate the thermal performance of a reference social housing building, focusing on its potential to evaluate the thermal performance of building passive elements (building envelope). A methodology to be used by public administration (to evaluate the effectiveness of a given energy renovation work) is also proposed. Firstly, a monitoring carried out in an empty social housing dwelling during 3 months is presented. Afterwards, a grey box model development is carried out using obtained monitoring data. Model development as well as some general model results are presented and evaluated. Finally, a methodology proposal to be applied by public administration is presented. By monitoring and developing a grey box model of a social housing building, this research aims to explore the possibilities of grey box models as a tool to represent in an accurate way the thermal performance of a dwelling, focusing on evaluating building passive elements and their effects on building energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to estimate the remaining driving range (RDR) in electric vehicles, the remaining discharge energy ( E RDE ) of the applied battery system needs to be precisely predicted. Strongly affected by the load profiles, the available E RDE varies largely in real-world applications and requires specific determination. However, the commonly-used direct calculation (DC) method might result in certain energy prediction errors by relating the E RDE directly to the current state of charge (SOC). To enhance the E RDE accuracy, this paper presents a battery energy prediction (EP) method based on the predictive control theory, in which a coupled prediction of future battery state variation, battery model parameter change, and voltage response, is implemented on the E RDE prediction horizon, and the E RDE is subsequently accumulated and real-timely optimized. Three EP approaches with different model parameter updating routes are introduced, and the predictive-adaptive energy prediction (PAEP) method combining the real-time parameter identification and the future parameter prediction offers the best potential. Based on a large-format lithium-ion battery, the performance of different E RDE calculation methods is compared under various dynamic profiles. Results imply that the EP methods provide much better accuracy than the traditional DC method, and the PAEP could reduce the E RDE error by more than 90% and guarantee the relative energy prediction error under 2%, proving as a proper choice in online E RDE prediction. The correlation of SOC estimation and E RDE calculation is then discussed to illustrate the importance of an accurate E RDE method in real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates Danish and American hydrogen fuel research from a modified technological innovation system (TIS) perspective. We ask: which approach to hydrogen research is more effective, and what do the differences between the two cases tell us about the research process and theories of innovation? To answer these questions, we begin by justifying our selection of hydrogen systems and Denmark and the United States as our case studies. We proceed to introduce a modified theoretical framework of TIS and focus on seven core elements of hydrogen research: knowledge development and diffusion, entrepreneurial experimentation, political and social influence, market formation, legitimation, resource mobilization, and positive externalities. We conclude by offering insights from our comparison as they relate to hydrogen research strategy and policy, effectiveness at achieving national goals, and the need for further research and better conceptual models about innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heating and cooling of a building is a major energy demand and a source of CO 2 emission in the atmosphere. Using geothermal energy in the form of borehole ground coupled heat exchanger (GHX) can be an effective and economical alternative. To make the GHX design quick and easy to do in its preliminary stage, a simple and easily implemented method is needed. This paper synthesizes relations between the GHX spacing, diameter, soil thermal conductivity and peak heating/cooling energy output for a typical building foundation in Louisiana by proposing a graph method. One set of design graphs were developed for northern Louisiana, where subsurface soils are mainly stiff clays and dense sands. The GHX boreholes were designed without any tedious calculation by using these graphs. The GHX solutions from the developed graph-method were reliable and accurate, and agreed fairly well with the results from the industry-popular software packages GLD 2012 and GLHEPRO for a house cooling example that was selected in Ruston, Louisiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a response to climate change and the desire to gain independence from imported fossil fuels, there is a pressure to increase the proportion of electricity from renewable sources which is one of the reasons why electricity grids are currently being turned into Smart Grids. In this paper, we focus on private consumers’ acceptance of having Smart Grid technology installed in their home. We analyse acceptance in a combined framework of the Technology Acceptance Model and the Norm Activation Model. We propose that individuals are only likely to accept Smart Grid technology if they assess usefulness in terms of a positive impact for society and the environment. Therefore, we expect that Smart Grid technology acceptance can be better explained when the well-known technology acceptance parameters included in the Technology Acceptance Model are supplemented by moral norms as suggested by the Norm Activation Model. We tested this proposition by means of an online survey of Danish ( N = 323), Norwegian ( N = 303) and Swiss ( N = 324) private consumers. The study confirms that adding personal norms to the independent variables of the Technology Acceptance Model leads to a significant increase in the explained variance in consumer acceptance of Smart Grid technology in all three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As a representative of many emerging economies, BRICS’ economies have been greatly developed in recent years. Meanwhile, the proportion of energy consumption of BRICS to the whole world consumption has increased. Therefore, it is significant to analyze and compare the energy efficiency among them. This paper firstly utilizes a Super-SBM model to measure and calculate the energy efficiency of BRICS, then analyzes their present status and development trend. Further, Bootstrap is applied to modify the values based on DEA derived from small sample data, and finally the relationship between energy efficiency and carbon emissions is measured. Results show that energy efficiency of BRICS as a whole is low but has a quickly increasing trend. Also, the relationship between energy efficiency and carbon emissions vary from country to country because of their different energy structures. The governments of BRICS should make some relevant energy policies according to their own conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a high wind penetration scenario in electricity production, the availability of models for synthetically generating hourly wind speed data becomes increasingly important for both sizing and modeling integrated renewable systems. A methodology for generating hourly wind speed time series is presented in this paper, adopting a physical-statistical approach based on some known aggregate input data. The proposed approach, developed in a previous study by the same authors, has been here improved using a new diurnal wind speed profile function. The improved methodology is first described and validated through experimental wind speed data, comparing the results with those obtained using the basic model. Then, hourly wind speeds generated with the improved methodology are used as input data for the optimal design of grid-connected and off-grid wind power plants. For each configuration, the influence of the diurnal wind speed profile and wind regime on system sizing and its economic parameters has been evaluated. Results have shown that the diurnal variation of wind speed does not affect the size of wind turbine, but strongly influences the storage capacity of off-grid wind power plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cogeneration is commonly recognized as one of the most effective solutions to achieve the increasingly stringent requirements in primary energy consumption reduction and greenhouse emissions reduction. The potential of cogeneration led to the adoption of specific directives promoting this technique. In addition, distributed generation plays a strategic role in power reliability. The study and prototyping of cogeneration plants has thus involved many research centers. Similar activities were carried out by DiME (University of Naples). These activities highlighted the need to study the cogeneration system-user interaction to estimate the real energetic and economic benefits. The paper develops a specific methodology that is used to conduct an analysis on the loads of a specific hospital facility. The energetic and economic benefits generated by CHP plants depend on plant and user characteristics, plant layout, management strategies, and economic variables. Therefore, the potential benefits that have attracted the attention of the scientific community are not always granted. For this reason, a predictive analysis is needed to find the optimum configuration of the plant (i.e., engine size, plant configuration, management strategies, absorption chiller size, engine number) that approaches the best energetic solution while ensuring a reasonable profit. Therefore, this study attempts to determine the optimal configuration through a multi-objective approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Occupants of dwellings with grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems can often benefit financially from exporting electricity to the grid. When export prices are lower than import prices, however, occupants are incentivised to time-shift demand in order to avoid exports and reduce imports. To maximise this potential financial benefit, the addition of batteries to the PV system has been proposed to take advantage of the specific commercial opportunity presented to the occupant of trading exported power during the day for imported power during the evening. This paper therefore assesses the economic and environmental impact of the use of lead-acid batteries in grid-connected PV systems under current feed-in tariff arrangements in the UK. The development of a lead-acid battery model is described, which is used to simulate hypothetical power flows using measured data on domestic PV systems in the UK. The simulation results indicate that the net benefit of the battery is negative, even when considering an idealised lossless battery. When realistic energy losses and lifetimes are accounted for, the financial loss for the systems considered here can approach £1000/year. The environmental impact of the use and production of the lead-acid battery is also described, and also found to be negative, further strengthening the argument against the use of lead-acid batteries in domestic grid-connected PV systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper estimates the affordability of increased energy costs for Chinese companies due to the possible introduction of carbon pricing policies. The data were collected from 121 valid respondents in Taicang, China, using a multiple-bounded discrete choice (MBDC) format. Estimations indicate that a mean of 8.5% in energy cost increase would be acceptable for the surveyed companies on the whole. Companies from chemical and dyeing industries expressed a slightly higher affordability, with the mean of acceptable energy cost increase being 9.8% and 9.4% respectively. Econometric analysis identified two determinants of affordability for companies. One is the current energy price level, having a significant but negative relationship with affordability. The other is the energy management strategies of companies, significantly and positively associated with affordability. Calculations indicate that the mean of affordable energy cost increases for companies roughly equals a carbon price of 60 CNY/t-CO2 (about 9 USD/t-CO2). This result may be used as a referendum during the development of carbon tax policy and the establishment of a domestic carbon emissions trading scheme in China from the perspective of individual companies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China has set ambitious goals to increase the use of renewable energy. Developing renewables in rural areas is also one of the most important energy strategies. This paper examines rural social acceptance of renewable energy deployment taking Shandong as a case study via a field questionnaire survey. Theory of planned behavior is adopted to establish an analytical framework, and a logit model is used to examine possible determinants of local social acceptance. The results show that rural residents are generally supportive renewable energy development given its positive impacts on environment. A stated willingness to pay more for renewable electricity is taken as a variable representing an individual’s behavioral intention. The probability of occurrence of positive intention is found to increase with household income, individual knowledge level and belief about costs of renewable energy use but decrease with individual age. Residents with higher level of income are more likely to be willing to pay more for green electricity, so are the younger people. Enhancive knowledge and understanding about renewable energy (for instance, the cost) would be conducive to win public acceptance of renewable energy deployment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cooling systems consume up to 25% of the total electricity used on deep level mines. These systems are integrated with the water reticulation system to provide chilled service water to the mine as well as cooling for mine ventilation air. Although there is definite potential for demand-side management on these systems, it is critical that the service delivery be maintained so as not to adversely affect productivity. An energy saving strategy based on variable water flow was developed for the unique demands of integrated mine cooling systems. The strategy is based on matching the evaporators with the demand of chilled water; condensers adapting to the heat load; and the bulk air cooler matching the demand of ventilation air requirements. In this paper, a case study is presented in which the savings and consequences of implementing the developed energy saving strategy are investigated. It is shown that a decrease of 31.5% in overall electrical energy usage is possible without affecting the service delivery or performance of the cooling system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: EU directives RESD (2001/77/EC) and WFD (2000/60/EC) can be considered as partially conflicting. Achieving a good qualitative and quantitative status of waters, what presumes “non-deterioration principle” of the existing ecological status in line with WFD, is conflicting with the construction of new hydropower plants that are promoting renewable energies, what is in line with RESD. Several projects have been developed in order to minimize conflicts between the two Directives, often providing a list of key criteria to be taken into consideration when deciding on the impact minimization of new ones or certification to existing plants. One example is CH2OICE, aiming at developing a technically and economically feasible certification procedure for hydropower generation facilities of high environmental standard. This paper aims to evaluate applicability of multicriteria decision aid to decision makers during the design process, decisions on site selection and plant technical and operational parameters, based on both economic and environmental criteria selected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The increasing interest in the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies requires a great effort to reduce capital and operating costs and to demonstrate the potential application of these kind of systems on the commercial power generation plants. This paper shortly describes the main results of a technical and economical comparison between different CO2-free power generation plant configurations, with a particular reference to ultra supercritical (USC) pulverised coal combustion plant, atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and a potential projection for the application of oxy-combustion technologies. The comparative analysis is based on the typical economic indicators such as net present value, internal rate of return, payback time and cost of electricity; all these parameters have been calculated on the basis of the annual cash flow during the plant operating life. Due to the impossibility to estimate with accuracy the future trend of some parameters, a sensitivity analysis has been also carried out in order to evaluate the effects of these assumptions, with a subsequent risk reduction for the potential investment. As reference case, a 660MWe (referred to the hypothetical “basis” configuration, without CCS system) operating in close integration with the Sulcis coal mine (South–West Sardinia island, Italy) has been considered. As a matter of fact, the Sulcis sub-bituminous coal basin, in which the only Italian coal mine is located, represents a key point for the increasing of the Sardinian energy security, by raising the power generation capacity and partially releasing energy production from imported primary sources; in parallel, the economy in the Sulcis area has to be re-launched through the strengthening of the local industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy poverty is a global threat to sustainable development and improved livelihoods hence the availability of clean, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is a central issue to Kenya’s national development objectives. Biogas technology in Kenya has been earmarked as one of the main drivers towards the elimination of energy poverty in majority of rural households and to this end different biogas digester models are actively promoted. Consequently, assessing the sustainability of the biogas systems in Kenya is one of the topical issues driving the discussion on biogas development. Hence developing an assessment technique capable of reliably screening the different alternatives and highlighting the sustainability hot spots is of critical essence in decision making for all biogas stake holders in the country. This paper comparatively analyses the common biogas production systems in Kenya by linking the biogas energy with infrastructures of production. A multi criteria perspective is employed for the analysis focusing on technical, economic and environmental sustainability dimensions. The evaluation in the work follows the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) methodology based on the ISO 14040 and 14044 environmental management principles. It is observed that the tubular and the fixed dome digesters with respective cumulative multi criteria sustainability scores of 70% and 57% are the most sustainable with respect to animal manure as the predominant feedstock. The multi criteria sustainability assessment approach as presented in this study can constitute a vital tool for interventions in the biogas energy sector. The biogas multi-criteria sustainability assessment approach as presented in this work might be a very vital tool for biogas policy formulation in Kenya and a wide range of developing countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Environmental impacts associated with the use of fossil fuels, rising prices, potential limitations in supply and concerns about regional and national security are driving the development and use of biomass for bioenergy, biofuels and bioproducts. However, the use of biomass does not automatically imply that its production, conversion and use are sustainable. In order to operationalize sustainability assessments of biomass systems, it is crucial to identify critical criteria, but keep their number and measurement at a manageable level. The selection of these criteria can vary depending on individual''s expertise, geographical region where they work, and spatial scale they are focused on. No clear consensus has yet emerged on what experts consider as critical indicators of sustainability. Objectives of this paper were to analyze how key experts perceive the 35 sustainability criteria for bioenergy found in emerging sustainability assessment frameworks and to identify levels of agreement and uncertainty. Experts were asked to rate the criteria for attributes of relevance, practicality, reliability, and importance. Perceptions of the importance of the 35 criteria varied among the experts surveyed. Only two criteria, energy balance and greenhouse gas balance, were perceived as critical by more than half of the respondents. Social criteria and locally applied criteria were generally ranked low for all four attributes. Seven of the 12 criteria scored as most important focused on environmental issues, four were social and only one was economic. Of the 12 most important criteria, seven were ranked low in practicality and reliability indicating that mechanisms to assess a number of important criteria need to be developed. The spatial scale the experts worked at and their profession explained most of the differences in importance ranking between experts, while regional focus had minimal effect. Criteria that were ranked low for importance, were characterized by a lack of consensus, suggesting the need for further debate regarding their inclusion in sustainability assessments. Outcomes of the survey provide a foundation for further discussions and development of sustainability assessments for bioenergy systems and may also provide a basis for assessing individual bioenergy projects within their specific geographic, ecological, societal, and technological context and scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]