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Purpose: Energy consumption and renewable energy sources are included in the goals for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) agenda, and target buildings are the biggest electricity consumers. In turn, Netzero energy buildings (NZEB) contribute to achieve SDG7 goals. This paper aims to identify which Brazilian higher education institutions (HEIs) practices contribute to developing the NZEB concept. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies were selected to identify which implanted practices applied by HEIs in Brazil, listed in the UI GreenMetric 2020 Ranking, are related to the NZEB concept. The implemented sustainable practices were also analyzed to evaluate the connections and impact between universities and the local community. Findings: Results show the lighting and air conditioning retrofit were among the most common practices related to energy efficiency to reduce consumption. For renewable energy generation, photovoltaic solar energy is the most common practice used by HEIs. Research limitations/implications: Only Brazilian HEIs listed in the UI Green Metric Ranking were analyzed. No standard regulation or formal reports support the wide dissemination of the strategies adopted by HEIs in Brazil. Practical implications: The strategies adopted by HEIs related to Netzero buildings can reduce emissions, optimize operating costs and improve building comfort conditions, which connect all SDGs. Social implications: HEIs can promote awareness related to energy use and clean energy generation within the local community. Originality/value: This paper presents the most common strategies adopted by Brazilian HEIs. However, limitations related to lack of strategies, data transparency and specific Netzero energy regulation were also found. These issues can hinder other HEIs to adopt similar strategies and contribute to the promotion of SDG7 in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse the technological, economic and environmental impacts of disruptive innovations in the transportation mobility market. Design/methodology/approach: The paper gathered data from World Bank and 13 open sources in an exploratory, descriptive and applied investigation on potentially disruptive transport innovations outcomes in G7 and BRICS (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) economies, businesses and societies. Findings: The results suggest positive implications for technological leapfrogging of electric vehicles (EV), autonomous vehicles (AVs) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOLs), such as gains in energy consumption, infrastructure improvement, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, economic growth and the opportunity for new disruptive technologies to improve or even revolutionize the transportation ecosystem. Research limitations/implications: This study has clear limitations as it compares G7 and BRICS hypothetical scenarios where internal combustion vehicles were replaced by new technologies, ceteris paribus. Even so, as theoretical implications, the study presents market scenarios for EVs, AVs and eVTOLs technologies, bringing benefits to the disruptive innovation theory by expanding the understanding of the subject and also opening avenues of investigation by exploring new technological, economic and environmental possibilities. Practical implications: This study emphasises potentially disruptive technologies' technological, economic and sustainable benefits to countries through technological leapfrogging. The organizations can delve into results to investigate forthcoming markets and seek advantageous positions. Economic and social gains from leapfrogging could motivate government bodies to finance research focusing on EVs, AVs and eVTOLs diffusion. Originality/value: The paper's originality resides in aggregating multiple data sources to compare technological leapfrogging in G7 and BRICS transportation. The different views allowed for exploring the potential outcomes of EVs, AVs and eVTOLs on economic, sustainability and market dimensions in developed and developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to present a comprehensive perspective on how tribology and sustainability are related and intertwined and are linked to CO2 emissions. This paper emphasizes on how tribological aspects affect everybody's life and how tribological research and progress can improve energy efficiency, sustainability and quality of life. Design/methodology/approach: Based upon available data and predictions for the next 50 years, the potential of tribological research and development is addressed. Findings: The effects of tribological design can significantly increase energy savings and reduce CO2 emissions. Taking advantage of tribological technologies and applying them to current infrastructure would have the largest energy savings coming from the transportation and power generation at 25% and 20%, respectively. Implementing these technologies can also cut down global CO2 emissions by about 1,460 megatons of CO2 per year in the immediate future and 3,140 megatons of CO2 per year in the long term. The extraction and processing of resources inevitably generates CO2. Doubling the lifetime of machine components and the use of circular economy reduces the material footprint with associated reductions in CO2. Originality/value: This perspective summarizes concisely the interrelation of tribology and sustainability with CO2. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-09-2020-0356/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have tremendous applications in industries owing to their unique advantages. Sustainable AM (SAM) is gaining significance because of lightweight structures, lattice geometries and customized parts for industrial applications. To facilitate design for SAM, design guidelines from AM and environment viewpoints are to be analyzed. In this context, this paper aims to present the analysis of SAM guidelines. Design/methodology/approach: This work divides 26 identified SAM guidelines into four categories. Grey axiomatic design was used to calculate the weights of guidelines categories. Further, the grey technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution was used as a solution methodology to prioritize the SAM guidelines. Findings: The top identified guidelines are "Design for reusability" and "Optimize part orientation for build time and roughness." Implementing proper design guidelines leads to many sustainable benefits such as minimum material consumption, energy consumption and emissions. Originality/value: This study would facilitate Am product designers to deploy prioritized guidelines for enhancing the effectiveness of the additively manufactured product with sustainability benefits. The prioritized guidelines would guide the AM product designers to take maximum advantage of the AM process by deploying design for AM and design for environment guidelines. This study contributed a structured approach for design engineers and practitioners to deploy guidelines during the early stages of product design to ensure AM feasibility with minimal environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report the state of art review on sustainable additive manufacturing (AM). Design/methodology/approach: AM processes are becoming environmentally conscious and sustainable. In total, 63 papers are being collected from peer-reviewed journal sources. The review is presented on triple bottom line sustainable aspects, namely, environment, economy and society. Findings: In the environmental dimension, papers on energy consumption, design optimization and life cycle assessment aspects are being collected and presented. The key inferences and insights are being derived from the mentioned perspectives and a framework for sustainable AM is proposed. Research limitations/implications: The review is limited to journal articles from the study on sustainable AM. Book chapters are being excluded. Practical implications: The study also discussed various perspectives of sustainable AM and provided insights on sustainable AM to practitioners. Originality/value: Systematic review on sustainable additive manufacturing is the original contribution of the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to propose an energy efficiency plan (with technical and behavioural improvement measures) for a Portuguese higher education building – the Teaching Building of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC). Design/methodology/approach – The study was developed in the context of both the “Green Campus – Challenge for Energy Efficiency in Higher Education” and the Energy for Sustainability Initiative of the University of Coimbra, Portugal. An energy audit was conducted based on the analysis of the energy consumption profiles. A monitoring campaign was carried out to measure and disaggregate the electricity consumption. The consumption of natural gas and water were also assessed. The building envelope and the heating and lighting systems were also evaluated. Some patterns of energy-environmental behaviours of the academic community were investigated through a Web-based survey. Findings – The energy efficiency plan contemplates short-term tangible/intangible actions. It also considers the investment and payback period of the tangible measures. The implementation of three improvement measures in the lighting system would lead to a consumption reduction of about 26,123 kWh/year, avoiding the emission of 3,704 KgCO2/year, for an initial cost of 9,920 (payback period of 3.7 years). Research limitations/implications – Results are restricted to the case study and there are limitations in their generalisation outside of their context. However, they show some broadly implications and trends that have relevance for the higher education sector. This paper highlights the importance of engaging students, faculty and technical staff for working together on the assessment of the energy efficiency of the buildings where they study and work. Social implications – The higher education sector holds important functions in educating the next generation of professionals for a sustainable culture. The categories of activities described in this paper are good examples of what can be done within the academic community for acting towards sustainability. The results also pointed out that making users aware of their energy consumption is a priority towards the energy efficiency in higher education buildings. Originality/value – Reductions on energy consumption are expected if the energy efficiency plan would be implemented. The results of the behavioural study were presented to the FEUC’s board of directors to be integrated in the “Good Practices Manual on Water and Energy Management”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Approximately 700 colleges and universities have committed to climate neutrality, which will require significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of an Annual Energy Challenge in curtailing electricity use by changing consumption behaviors at one liberal arts college.Design/methodology/approach From 2010 to 2014, Allegheny College (Meadville, PA, USA) ran four-week energy challenges. Electricity consumption was measured and compared to a baseline year of 2008. An alternate baseline, more granular data for 20 sub-metered buildings and historic utility bill consumption trends were further analyzed to identify any persisting change and understand the impact of behavior change separate from efficiency retrofits, changes in population and normal seasonal shifts.Findings Electricity consumption during the challenge period dropped an average of 9 per cent compared to the 2008 baseline and 6 per cent compared to the baseline of the 4 weeks preceding each challenge. Consumption trends changed in the years during challenge implementation compared to the years before engaging the campus community. All analyses reinforce that the challenge reduces electricity consumption. However, results must be analyzed in multiple ways to isolate for behavior change.Practical implications The analyses used to isolate energy challenge results due to behavior change are replicable at other institutions and would allow campuses to compare results and share proven strategies.Originality/value While many campuses organize energy challenges, few have published details about the results both during the challenge and continuing afterwards. Nor has a research explored the need to put results into contexts such as natural seasonal trends to isolate the impacts of behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to valuate existing building stock with respect to its contribution to a changing and uncertain future, especially in relation to energy performance. Design/methodology/approach – The authors review literature related to existing buildings, climate change and future environmental needs; present energy performance data from ten case studies; and identify inadequacies and scope for improvements with reference to typical housing stock. Findings – Current policies and programmes are inadequate to the scope and scale of the task; a step-change in thought and practice is needed. Practical implications – A massive programme is warranted if the substantial stock of existing buildings is to be adapted to meet identified environmental standards to "save the planet"; a radical re-conceptualisation of building adaptation is required. Originality/value – The paper prompts a review of the role of the surveyor in achieving sustainability through adaptation of existing buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The built environment has high potential to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and with around 1-2 per cent of new buildings added to the total stock annually, the scope for reductions lies with adaptation of existing stock. Existing buildings comprise a variety of attributes and present challenges and opportunities with regards to adaptation and sustainability, and integrating retrofit measures that lessen energy, water and resource consumption. Design/methodology/approach – Through a quantitative analysis of a Building Adaptation database, this paper addresses the questions; what is the nature of adaptations in relation to Premium quality office building stock in the Central Business District (CBD) and, what is the extent and scope for sustainable retrofits to Premium grade office buildings. Findings – The nature and extent of adaptations to Premium office buildings are identified and quantified in respect of attributes such as adaptation level, building age, location, construction form, envelope, shape and height and operating costs. Practical implications – The findings provide an insight for policy makers and others in respect of the nature and type of adaptations typically undertaken in Premium office buildings. The research identifies the typical attributes found in buildings undergoing adaptation and specifies the type of sustainable retrofit measures particularly suited to buildings with those attributes. Originality/value – The research is based on an analysis of "all" office building adaptations from 1998 to 2008, which facilitates a unique study of what has occurred with regards to adaptation practices. From this starting point it is possible to determine where opportunities lie to capitalise on work being undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an Massachusetts Institute of Technology Chemistry Department campaign to reduce energy consumption in chemical fume hoods. Hood use feedback to lab users is a crucial component of this campaign. Design/methodology/approach – Sash position sensor data on variable air volume fume hoods are remotely collected. A 15 minutes average fume hood sash positions for each laboratory are recorded. Data are compiled monthly and a report with average sash position over time and relative frequency of hood position are delivered to the principal investigators of the labs. Findings – Average sash height is lowered by 26 percent (from 16.3±0.85 percent open to 12.1±0.39 percent open) throughout the department, saving an estimated $41,000/year. Sash position during inactive periods is lowered from 9 to 6 percent open. Half of all department savings occurred in four (of 25) labs. Energy savings are substantially less than original expectations because most installed fume hoods use combination sashes. Labs with vertical sashes use the most energy, and see the most savings from the intervention. Practical implications – Monthly feedback is an effective tool for encouraging better hood use behavior. Potential savings from even large behavior changes can be limited if existing equipment is relatively efficient, so conservation programs should be tailored to the existing conditions. Originality/value – The present analysis provides data on the impact of a program in a relatively efficient setting compared to other fume hood conservation reports. The results have cautionary value for designers of similar programs. A breakdown of a laboratory building utility use is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]