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Paper has shaped society for centuries and is considered one of humanity's most important inventions. However, pulp and paper products can be damaging to social and natural systems along their lifecycle of material extraction, processing, transportation, and waste handling. The pulp and paper industry is among the top five most energy-intensive industries globally and is the fourth largest industrial energy user. This industry accounts for approximately 6% of global industrial energy use and 2% of direct industrial CO 2 emissions. The pulp and paper industry is also the largest user of original or virgin wood, with deleterious impacts on both human health and local flora and fauna, including aquatic ecosystems. This critical and systematic review seeks to identify alternatives for mitigating the climate impacts of pulp and paper processes and products, thus making the pulp and paper industry more environmentally sustainable. This study reviews 466 studies to answer the following questions: what are the main determinants of energy and carbon emissions emerging from the pulp and paper industry? What are the benefits of this industry adopting low-carbon manufacturing processes, and what barriers will need to be tackled to enable such adoption? Using a sociotechnical lens, we answer these questions, identify barriers for the pulp and paper industry's decarbonization, and present promising avenues for future research. •This review identifies carbon-intensive processes in the pulp and paper industry. •Presents decarbonizing practices, potential transformations and innovations. •Presents promising avenues for future research. •No agreed consensus on the most promising technologies to achieve net-zero in the pulp and paper industry. •Pulp and paper products are associated with other sociotechnical systems that create compelling interdependencies among industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency can help facing the climate crises. Yet the energy intensity has decreased more slowly than required to achieve climate goals. Based on this premise, we build an agent-based model to study the effects of different energy efficiency policies. Policies analysed range from indirect policies – taxes, incentives, and subsidies – to direct technological policies, where a public research laboratory invests in R&D to establish a new technological energy efficiency paradigm. Results reveal that, although most of the policies effectively reduce energy intensity, the research lab is the most efficient in promoting energy efficiency without negative impacts on macroeconomic and public finance conditions. However, the success of this policy requires a long-term commitment, highlighting the importance of complementing this strategy with more "ready to use" measures. The findings also indicate that most policies do not induce significant macroeconomic rebound effects. Concerns about macroeconomic rebound effects may likely be overstated. • Improvements in energy efficiency help face the ongoing climate and energy crises. • Yet, energy intensity has declined more slowly than needed to meet climate goals. • The paper builds an agent-based model to study different energy efficiency policies. • Indirect policies work but are outperformed by direct technological policies. • The macroeconomic rebound effect induced by most of the policies is rather small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effect of energy poverty on respiratory health for a sample of 34 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000–2020. Using ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effect, Driscoll-Kraay, Lewbel 2SLS, Kiviet and S-GMM, the results provide strong evidence of a negative and significant effect of access to electricity and access to clean energy for cooking on respiratory disease in sub-Saharan Africa. This result remained robust to changes in the variables of interest and to alternative estimation techniques. Furthermore, the results showed the existence of a non-linear relationship between energy indicators and respiratory diseases, including a U-shape and an N-shape. Based on these results, we encourage policy makers to better orient their energy policies towards the least polluting sectors in sub-Saharan Africa. In this way, the respiratory health of the inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa can be improved. • This paper differs from existing work on energy poverty worldwide in the following respects: • It proposes a relevant determinant of respiratory health that has not been sufficiently studied in Sub-Saharan Africa. • It uses robust analytical methods to produce these estimates (Lewbel 2SLS and Kiviet). • It proposes useful policy recommendations for reducing energy poverty and reducing respiratory disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A successful and just energy transition is subject to policies that adhere to a multi-dimensional approach to renewable energy development. To achieve success in renewable energy development, well-thought-out and efficient policies must be implemented. This paper aims to address a major shortcoming in renewable energy development in terms of understanding and recognising the policy space that promotes or hampers renewable energy growth. The paper examines the relevant literature to identify major themes and factors in renewable energy development. A thematic analysis was conducted using a hybrid inductive and deductive approach and resulted in the identification of 5 major themes namely Institutional, Environmental, Financial, Socio-cultural, Technical and 144 factors. The identified themes and factors will assist to make a policy action decisive, just, and sustainable. Recommendations including comprehensive incentivisation, regulatory support for renewable energy technologies in developing nations, environment impact assessment programs, promotion of financial transparency and opting for a just transition to benefit local and vulnerable communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores Coastal Energy-Based Industrial Clusters (EBICs) and their role in advancing energy efficiency and sustainability through collaborative innovation. Economic growth theory and energy sustainability have been introduced into industrial clusters to illustrate indicators that have a greater impact on the development of EBICs. This paper proposes an EBICs development model based on the Cobb-Douglas function, in which accounts for various factors that drive the progress of such clusters. The outcomes of the economic model also provide insights into how the interaction of various factors affects the economic growth of EBICs and their eventual dominance in the energy market of coastal regions, dependent on gradually investing in areas such as research and development (R&D). Different development strategies demonstrate that the final development of a cluster has low dependence on the cluster's initial advantages. The study also illustrates how clusters can gradually monopolize the energy market, even with initial disadvantages. Through quantitative analysis, it showcases the transformation process of developing advantageous clusters into sub-clusters. Next, an energy symbiosis framework for coastal is proposed, which places greater emphasis on the multi-energy complementary system and reduces production costs. Finally, this paper also sheds light on shaping energy strategies for public authorities who shape economic policies at various levels of aggregation and in diverse dimensions. • Multi-energy complementarity provides a new path for sustainable development of coastal energy. • Hardware investment is critical to the development of energy-based industry clusters. • Clusters with better natural advantages may become sub-clusters due to incorrect development strategies. • The essence of energy cluster development is the result of the interaction of multiple influencing factors. • The economic growth of energy clusters depends on the proportion of investment in software and hardware. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) as an emerging industry with great potential have received great attention in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Under government's promotion of hydrogen energy, whether HFCV can be accepted by consumers is an important topic for future policymaking. Therefore, this study takes consumers' willingness to consume HFCV as the dependent variable and collects questionnaires from 21 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2020 to 2021. Based on Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Logit Regression, the evaluation was conducted from four perspectives: personal and family situation, environmental awareness, energy attitude and local product confidence. The results show that gender, age and income differences are not necessarily determinants of HFCV purchase, but educational level is a significant factor. Consistent with social-psychological studies, personal awareness of environmental protection and energy attitudes are the key factors that are significant affect HFCV purchase. Lastly, it is found that in the Yangtze River Delta, consumers' confidence in Chinese local hydrogen products is also a significant factor. This paper confirms that HFCV consumers have commonalities with other new energy consumers. However, due to the expectation of greater local production and development, enhancing the social recognition and confidence of local hydrogen technology may be one of the promotion approaches neglected. • Consumer Acceptance for Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) in China is explored. • 600 questionnaires were collected from 21 cities in the Yangtze River Delta. • Psychological constructs such as environmental awareness and energy attitudes are still validated in HFCV consumption. • Improving social confidence in local HFCV technology is an important promotion orientation for China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the penetration of renewable energy sources is growing at a significant pace on a global scale. In parallel, the utilization of renewables could possibly act as the basis for the transition to a Circular Economy, which aims to reduce the use of finite resources. Compared to other European countries, Greece has achieved a significant share of renewables in its' energy mix and in parallel promotes various policies aiming to accomplish zero-carbon emissions by 2050. An important element of this procedure is the broader acceptance of renewables by the public. This paper investigates this concept by capturing citizens' view on renewable energy sources along with the overall concept of Circular Economy in Greece. By implementing a questionnaire analysis, empirical findings capture the intention of citizens to further develop and invest on renewable energy. Besides, our analysis identifies that as education level increases, the willingness to pay more for renewables and their acceptance from the public increases, as well. Finally, empirical findings indicate that Greek citizens are aware of the concept and the benefits arising from Circular Economy, yet additional efforts need to be addressed for the growth of this concept in Greece. • The study captures citizens' view on RES and Circular Economy in Greece. • Participants are aware and sensitive on environmental and climate change issues. • Participants accepted the existence of RES and are willing to pay additional cost. • As the level of education increased, willingness to pay for RES also increased. • Additional efforts need to be addressed for the growth of Circular Economy in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using panel data of 102 countries from 1990 to 2018, this research investigates the varying effect of renewable energy policies on renewable energy green innovation along with the distribution of green innovation. The panel quantile model with additive fixed effect is adopted in this paper, and the research conclusions are as follows. (1) Green innovation positively correlates with national renewable energy policy. (2) Renewable policy is more effective in countries with stronger green innovation capacity. (3) In five different areas of renewable energy, renewable policy is unable to promote green innovation in the lowest innovative countries. (4) Renewable policy exerts the smallest influence on green innovation of geothermal energy compared to other renewable energies. In sum, this paper provides an empirical reference for governments to launch renewable energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As power systems around the world are rapidly evolving to achieve decarbonization objectives, it is crucial that power system planners and operators use appropriate models and tools to analyze and address the associated challenges. This paper provides a detailed overview of the properties of power market models in the context of the clean energy transition. We review common power market model methodologies, their readiness for low- and zero‑carbon grids, and new power market trends. Based on the review, we suggest model improvements and new designs to increase modeling capabilities for future grids. The paper highlights key modeling concepts related to power system flexibility, with a particular focus on hydropower and energy storage, as well as the representation of grid services, price formation, temporal structure, and the importance of uncertainty. We find that a changing resource mix, market restructuring, and growing price uncertainty require more precise modeling techniques to adequately capture the new technology constraints and the dynamics of future power markets. In particular, models must adequately represent resource opportunity costs, multi-horizon flexibility, and energy storage capabilities across the full range of grid services. Moreover, at the system level, it is increasingly important to consider sub-hourly time resolution, enhanced uncertainty representation, and introduce co-optimization for dual market clearing of energy and grid services. Likewise, models should capture interdependencies between multiple energy carriers and demand sectors. • Review methodologies and assumptions commonly used in power market models. • Identify model design features critical to analyzing the clean energy transition. • Survey current state-of-the-art in modeling low-carbon power markets. • Identify key model improvements needed for future deep decarbonization scenarios. • Highlight importance of tailoring tools for specific power market applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation in the new energy vehicle industry provides essential opportunities for green transformation. This paper addresses several issues related to (1) the impacts of government subsidies on the innovation of Chinese new energy vehicle enterprises, (2) the heterogeneous sensitivity of innovation to government subsidies due to firms' ownership and location regions, (3) the spatial correlation of innovation, and (4) the impact of reducing subsidies. Using a dataset of Chinese new energy vehicle enterprises listed on the A-share market for the period of 2010–2019, we find a promoting effect of government subsidies on firms' innovation. The promoting effect is greater in the private-owned firms and the central area. We also find that reducing government subsidies only negatively affects the innovation in the western region, and the positive influence of government subsidies is enhanced in the private-owned firms after the exposure of subsidy fraud. In terms of spatial effect, we do not find evidence for a positive spillover effect among companies. Our findings provide important implications for improving the effectiveness of subsidy policies in the new energy vehicle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cheap Production of bioethanol from renewable lignocellulosic waste has the imperative potential to economically cut burgeoning world dependency on fossils while reducing net emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2), a principal greenhouse gas (GHGs). This paper highlights key benefits and status of bioethanol production technologies, aiming mainly on recent developments and its key potentials in Pakistan. Most sector of Pakistan economy heavily rely on the energy and power that is being produced using traditional approaches like from oil and hydel. However, the sedimentation in dams cut-down the energy generation and overwhelmed severe energy crisis that are witnessed since last decade. Thus, Pakistan must go to avail alternative sources of energy like hydro, biomass and solar so that energy security can be ensured to recover the tremendous loss of economy. Renewable biomass is abundantly available in Pakistan which can be used to produce bioethanol and electricity. Currently, 22 distilleries are producing the ethanol from sugar cane bagasse and out of these only 8 distillation units are producing motor fuel grade ethanol. The current bioethanol production of country is about 403,500 tons/year along with 2423 tons of biodegradable waste available in major cities. In addition, Pakistan produces 6.57, 0.5, 0.66, and 2.66 million tons of sugarcane, corn, rice, and wheat straw per annum, respectively. This biomass can produce 1.6 million liters of bioethanol which can produce approximately 38% of Pakistan's electricity annually. Despite having large potential, Pakistan is still producing a few volumes of ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. The production of bioethanol can be boosted using (I) pretreatment of agricultural biomass by alkali (II) enzymatic and bacteria-based hydrolysis of the biomass (III) post-hydrolysis using pressurized steam above 100 °C (IV) Fermentation of the biomass@ 7–10 h and (V) and (VI) distillation of bioethanol. This study recommends (1) increase R&D capacities mainly in the west and central regions of Pakistan, (2) initiate mega-projects to promote integrated bio-ethanol production at agriculture farms by providing 1/3 subsides, (3) purchase of bioethanol directly from the major agricultural farms, (4) produce bioethanol related manpower from the key research institutes as specified in this study. • Upgradation of inefficient biogas to bioethanol can solve energy crisis. • Study witnessed huge potential of bioethanol (403,500 tons/year) from cheap biomass. • Key technical barriers in the green development of ethanol is emphasized fact-sheet. • Study implementation will replace inefficient biomass burn into ethanol combustion. • Study will definitively help policy makers to sustain lives of Pakistan people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional petrol vehicles emit a substantial quantity of greenhouse gases, leading to increasingly serious global warming problems. The expansion and development of renewable power generation technologies is conducive in promoting the use of electric vehicles, which are more environmentally friendly. This paper proposes a multi-objective power expansion model considering renewable energy policy objectives. The model regards the problem as a multi-period optimisation task, taking the newly installed capacity and the power generation capacity of each power generation technology as decision variables, and simulating the uncertain factors in the planning process using Geometric Brownian Motion and Monte Carlo approaches. The optimisation objective of the model is to minimise expected costs, reduce risk and environmental impacts, and incorporate changing policy objectives into the constraints to meet policy makers' expectations for renewable energy development. Then, a decentralised target search-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is proposed to solve the model. Its effectiveness is verified by a numerical example using real data from the Chinese power system. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm exhibits improved performance compared with benchmark algorithms and provides high quality and diverse Pareto-optimal solutions to decision makers. Finally, the optimal plans for power expansion and generation mix under different preferences and policy objectives are discussed and corresponding recommendations are made. [Display omitted] • Planning for the expansion of power generation under uncertainties is determined. • Strategies for the expansion of power generation towards renewable energy are optimised. • A novel multi-objective evolutionary algorithm with a constraint handling method is developed. • The impact of multiple renewable energy policies on power generation expansion planning is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing particle crushing models and crushing criteria relying on the stress–strain state have the limitations of inaccuracy and single crushing behavior. It is well known that energy is the essential factor that drives particle crushing. This paper aims to reveal the crushing process of ballast particles more accurately from the perspective of energy. In this study, a series of single-particle uniaxial compression tests (SPUCT) were conducted using a high-speed camera system. The multi-stage crushing behavior and crushing characteristics of the particles have then been investigated. Energy state during particle crushing was analyzed. Finally, an energy-based multi-stage crushing model and crushing criterion for particles were proposed and validated by performing SPUCT on 10 new particles. The results show that: there is a significant difference between the characteristic stress-characteristic strain states when particles with similar shapes and sizes are crushed, the proposed multi-stage crushing theory accurately explains this complex crushing behavior; The evolution of the input energy, strain energy, and dissipation energy of the particles is consistent with the crushing characteristics; The energy-based multi-stage crushing model can avoid the limitation of using the characteristic stress-characteristic strain states, and the energy-based multi-stage crushing criterion can effectively capture the crushing behavior of particles. This study is very helpful in elucidating the mechanism of particle crushing from the perspective of energy evolution. [Display omitted] • The multi-stage crushing behavior aligns more with the actual crushing. • The energy during the whole crushing process are systematically investigated. • The multi-stage crushing model and criterion based on energy are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of empirical analysis of macro-level energy policy through a gender lens, and there exists a research gap in tools for such analysis. This paper proposes a novel empirical approach to explore the gender dimension of the language used in energy policy documents such as the National Energy and Climate Action Plans (NECPs) of European Union (EU) member states. We first review the literature to identify existing approaches that analyse the energy/gender nexus. We then describe how we adapt Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to quantify the degree to which the language used in the NECPs is male or female associated. Our work shows the gap in suitable tools. We demonstrate using NLP that all EU NECPs tend to use more male associated language than female. In a ranking of EU member states, the Portuguese NECP demonstrated the most bias, while the Slovenian demonstrated the least. Our work provides novel insights using NLP to understand the genderised use of language, and contributes a methodology to conduct empirical analysis of energy policy documents. [Display omitted] • Review of methods used in energy/gender nexus analysis. • Empirical approach to analyse energy/gender concepts in the Global North. • Measurement of a gender dimension (bias) of the language used in European Union National Energy and Climate Plans. • Identification of Energy Domain NLP training corpora and vocabulary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a tool to build climate change scenarios to forecast Gross Domestic Product (GDP), modelling both GDP damage due to climate change and the GDP impact of mitigating measures. It adopts a supply-side, long-term view, with 2060 and 2100 horizons. It is a global projection tool (30 countries/regions), with assumptions and results both at the world and the country/regional level. Five different types of energy inputs are taken into account according to their CO 2 emission factors. Full calibration is possible at each stage, with estimated or literature-based default parameters. Compared to other models, it provides a comprehensive modelisation of Total Factor Productivity (TFP), which is the most significant determinant of the GDP projected path. We present simulation results of different energy policy scenarios. They illustrate both the "tragedy of the horizon" and the "tragedy of the commons", which call for a policy framework that adequately integrates a long run perspective, through a low-enough discount rate and an effective intergenerational solidarity as well as international cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of effective energy policy interventions on reducing energy poverty in the emerging nations of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Existing literature lacks a detailed investigation into the connection between energy policy and sustainable energy development for addressing energy poverty. Consequently, this work explores the dynamics of energy policy interventions in alleviating energy poverty in 42 emerging economies in the APAC region by engaging enhanced econometric approaches and panel estimates covering the period of 2000–2019. Analyzing the accessibility of energy, clean cooking fuel and technologies, and energy consumption level, this paper investigates energy poverty from a macro standpoint considering energy policy interventions in APAC emerging nations. The results suggest that energy policies, comprising laws, regulations, and strategies, are negatively associated with energy poverty. Among these, well-planned, forward-looking strategies are more successful in alleviating energy poverty. The implications of this study provide a framework for formulating necessary energy policies to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG7, which focuses on affordable and clean energy for all. Role of Energy policies interventions on energy poverty. [Display omitted] • Effective energy policy intervention in alleviating energy poverty is evaluated. • Energy policies, comprising laws, regulations, and strategies, are negatively associated with energy poverty. • Well-planned strategies are more effective in eradicating energy poverty. • The right energy policies contribute to accomplishing SDG-7, which is affordable and clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, Saudi Arabia's anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions amounted to 810 million tons of CO 2 e. The country has pledged to cut its emissions by 278 million tons of CO 2 e per year by 2030. This paper contributes a modeling view on the climate-related effects of various energy policies on the Saudi energy system. We use an energy system model designed to represent seven sectors in the Saudi economy. In addition to a baseline, which entails the continuation of current domestic policies, we look at a scenario that incorporates some of the plans announced by the Saudi government. We also examine the baseline scenario with a cap on total CO 2 emissions equal to those exhibited with the announced plans. The model then makes the necessary decisions to abate CO 2. We find that the energy system contributes 130 million tons of CO 2 e to the nationally determined contribution amount in 2030. Also, a non-prescriptive scenario that caps energy-system CO 2 emissions produces the same emissions reductions as the announced plans while lowering the present cost by 2030 by $70 billion. The corresponding implicit marginal abatement cost of CO 2 approaches 35 $/tonCO 2 by 2045. This cost would displace around half of crude and fuel oil use in the Saudi energy system. • Saudi Arabia plans to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by 278 million tonsCO 2 e. • We use a multi-sector model built from the ground up for Saudi Arabia. • The energy system can contribute 130 million tons of CO 2 e in reductions in 2030. • We find a scenario that achieves GHG abatement at a lower cost than official plans. • The marginal value attributed to CO 2 approaches 35 $ per tonCO 2 by 2045. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the potential impact of a changing climate on the energy performance of European buildings. Research aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of current energy requirements focusing on the envelope, considering existing regulations in national policies. Energy simulations are conducted at 94 locations across the European Union to cover the climatic variability and Koppen climate classification. The research analyzes future climate scenarios for the years 2030, 2050, and 2070, using three different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 8.5). According to a comprehensive analysis of heating, cooling, and overall energy performance, climate plays a significant role in buildings' energy balance. In moderately cool climate countries, the demand for air conditioning is projected to decrease in the years ahead. Conversely, in countries with a warm climate, there is a projected increase in the overall energy demand. Consequently, a revision of current energy regulations should be a priority. Providing insights into the relation between building design, energy efficiency, and climate change, the research identifies policy adjustments to ensure buildings can effectively respond to changing climatic conditions. A holistic and dynamic approach can support building design accounting for long-term impacts of climate change to create resilient and energy-efficient structures. • National building energy regulations of European Member States do not tackle climate change. • Over next decades, a decrease in heating demand is forecasted across all climate zones. • There is potential for a future considerable increase of cooling demand in Europe. • A reduction in total building energy demand in colder climates and an increase in warmer climates can be expected. • Revise national energy regulations, especially in warmer zones, to curb the expected rise in Europe's total energy demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of wind power has gained prominence on the world stage, especially in Brazil. In addition to generating energy free of emissions, wind technology is the second cheapest generation option in Brazil. At the same time, it has contributed to reducing hydrological vulnerability caused by climate variation. Although wind power has experienced a steady expansion in the last decade, recent poor outcomes of wind auctions produced uncertainty about the future of this technology in the country. This paper analyses the influence of contract mechanisms used in Brazilian energy auctions for the growth of wind generation. To do this, a scenario analysis based on a hybrid simulation model is used, combining agent-based modelling (ABM) and system dynamics (SD). From the hybrid simulation, the effect of the wind project cancellation policy is analysed, on the one hand, and different ceiling prices for competing sources in the auctions are assessed, on the other. Moreover, the simulation model shows how hydro conditions affect reserve energy auctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the research topics of China's energy transition policy and predicting future research trends are crucial for policymakers to make informed decisions and advance the energy transition. This study applied the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to extract 26 major research topics from the 13,976 abstracts of Chinese policy research papers in web of science (WOS), conceptualized the five most popular topics and used the ARIMA model to predict trends over the next 36 months. The results show that except for Economic and Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy Consumption (Topic13), which will first experience unanticipated fluctuations and then show strong growth capacity, all other topics will continue to remain positive growth trend. Research and Development (Topic3) is driven by the urgency of China's energy transformation. Economic and Environmental Impact of Renewable Energy Consumption (Topic13) is driven by the potential for the development of renewable energy. Economic Impact of Climate Change (Topic26) is driven by the climate change debate. Economic Growth, Urbanization, and Energy Consumption (Topic7) is driven by a discussion of their relationship and the mechanisms influencing them. Regional Efficiency and Productivity Analysis (Topic19) is driven by regional differences in China's energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of biomass as an alternative fossil fuel can be realized mainly through biomass consumption. This paper examines the growth rate and spatial patterns of biomass consumption in the United States (hereafter US) during the period 2000–2012, using the SLOPE index, Moran's I and local Moran's I. Results indicate that US States show either slow growth or slow decline in biomass consumption during the period 2000–2012. The number of States that have slow growth in biomass consumption is slightly larger than the number of States showing slow decline. The pattern of growth rate of biomass consumption revealed by the SLOPE index and the observed pattern of the temporal variation of biomass consumption ensures that the SLOPE index can catch the growth rate of biomass consumption. This pattern does not align with the increased annual investment in biomass, indicating that the investment in biomass does not flow down to the biomass industry effectively. The pattern of growth rate of biomass consumption will provide additional evidence for the debates about the effectiveness of State renewable energy policy, and demonstrates an urgent need for appropriate State renewable energy policies. There is a High-High spatial cluster around the Southeast of the US and a Low-Low spatial cluster in the Middle of the US in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. The regional spatial cluster in biomass consumption has somewhat relationship with the growth rate of biomass consumption, which can help the understanding of the growth rate of biomass consumption. • The SLOPE index is used to investigate the growth rate of biomass consumption. • The pattern of growth rate does not align with the increased annual investment. • There is an urgent need for appropriate State renewable energy policies. • There are regional clusters in biomass consumption in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. • The regional spatial cluster has somewhat relationship with the growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the first attempt at modelling the impact of economic policy uncertainty on renewable energy consumption in the USA using monthly data from 1986 to 2019. By implementing recent nonparametric (nonlinear) econometric approaches, we find that our models suffer from nonlinearity and smooth, as well as abrupt structural changes. The nonparametric unit root tests indicate non-stationarity of the model variables while the cointegration suggests the presence of nonlinear cointegration. The Granger causality analyses establish robust nonlinear causation in both directions between the policy uncertainty and renewable energy variables, with one exception: from geothermal energy to the three-component index of uncertainty. The nonparametric regressions exhibit a negative long-run association between policy uncertainty and renewable energy consumption, i.e., higher economic policy uncertainty lowers renewable energy consumptions and vice-versa. These findings have robust policy implications as they underscore the importance of governments, policymakers and concerned agents to maintain uniformity in economic policy to encourage renewable energy consumption in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effect of geopolitical risk on renewable energy deployment, assuming that geopolitical uncertainty stimulates nations to be independent and rely on their renewable energy sources in order to reduce the geopolitical risk concomitant to fossil fuel inflows. The current paper's data sample covers 10 net crude oil importer countries during the period 1985–2017. It employs panel cointegration analysis and estimate an autoregressive distributed lag model. The results show that geopolitical risk has a significant and positive effect on renewable energy diffusion. Therefore, this work determines that it is an incentive, not an obstacle, to renewable energy deployment. The present study's policy implication is that renewable energy development is expected to increase if the geopolitical risk rises, all else being equal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards a more decarbonised, resilient and distributed energy system requires local initiatives, such as Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES), which lead communities to gain self-sufficiency and become electricity islands. Although many SLES projects have been recently deployed, only a few of them have managed to be successful, mostly due to an initial knowledge gap in the SLES planning and deployment phases. This paper leverages the knowledge from the UK's largest SLES demonstrator in the Orkney Islands, named the Responsive FLEXibility (ReFLEX) project, to propose a framework that will help communities to successfully implement a SLES. First, this paper describes how the multi-services electrical SLES implemented in Orkney reduces the impact of the energy transition on the electrical infrastructure. We identify and discuss the main enablers and barriers to a successful SLES, based on a review of SLES projects in the UK. Second, to help future communities to implement SLES, we extend the Smart Grid Architecture Model (SGAM) into a comprehensive multi-vector Smart Local Energy Architecture Model (SLEAM) that includes all main energy services, namely power, heat and transport. This extended architecture model describes the main components and interaction layers that need to be addressed in a comprehensive SLES. Next, to inform successful deployment of SLES, an extensive list of key performance indicators for SLES is proposed and implemented for the ReFLEX project. Finally, we discuss lessons learnt from the ReFLEX project and we list required future technologies that enable communities, energy policy makers and regulatory bodies to best prepare for the energy transition. [Display omitted] • Framework that assists local communities to deploy smart local energy systems. • Extension of Smart Grid Architecture Model to Smart Local Energy Architecture Model. • Comprehensive list of smart local energy systems key performance indicators (KPI). • Lessons learnt from ReFLEX, one of the UK's largest local energy system demonstrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global energy landscape is experiencing substantial transformations, and the energy policies of various countries are also evolving under the influence of economic development and climate change mitigation. The Policies and Measures Database of the International Energy Agency assembles over 7000 pieces of information on energy policy from around the world and classifies them into four categories based on their objectives: addressing climate change policy, renewable energy policy, energy efficiency policy, and building energy efficiency policy. This paper aims to analyze the status quo of global energy policy development from these four aspects and examine the effectiveness of both aggregate and individual instruments utilizing an econometric model based on panel data analysis. Moreover, this paper analyzes the energy policy paths of six leading countries and compares the effectiveness of their policies. The results revealed that global climate policy plays a significant role in reducing carbon emission, while the performance of policies varies among different countries. Based on these findings, this paper provides reference for policymakers to formulate energy policies aligned with global and domestic requirements. [Display omitted] • Characterizing a full picture of global climate policy inventories. • Different policy instruments have varying performances in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. • The policy effectiveness varies across countries, better in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen has been identified as a potential gamechanger and ambitious national targets have been announced by many governments around the world. However, the lack of clear policy signals at the country level remains a barrier and significant cost reduction progress is unlikely to be made unless the issue is addressed. The paper aims to assess whether current UK energy policies support an economic case for low-carbon and competitive H2 production. A financial model is developed for hypothetical H2 projects based in the UK. Price assumptions are assigned to a specific set of policies in combination with the key technical considerations for H2 production and estimated return. The study concludes that H2 development featuring electrolysers or carbon capture and storage cannot rely on market forces alone to reach full commercialisation and competitiveness in the UK. While policies improve the economic case for H2 in some key areas, existing frameworks are not ambitious enough to advance the transition to low carbon options such as Blue and Green H2. Moreover, current policies do not sufficiently disincentivise investments in emission-intensive alternatives. • Explore potential for power-to-gas and steam methane reforming H2 with CCS in the UK. • Consider how current energy policy impacts the economics of both H2 production types. • Power-to-gas H2 can profit from security of supply policies and market-based support. • Blue H2 represents high-risk investment due to depleting domestic gas resources. • Current carbon price is too low to stimulate investment in low-carbon H2 projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy sector with 70% public budget influence in Turkey is unsurprisingly one of the sectors over which most policies have been developed. Although Turkey is rich in terms of renewable energy sources such as solar, water, wind, geothermal; as the speed of the consumption of the energy generated through these resources is higher than the production, the use of other non-renewable energy sources is at stake, and increases the emission amount released into the environment depending on this type of energy used. In this study, Energy Extended Input-Output Analysis has been conducted using the data of emission occurred depending on energy use within the framework of energy economy as an interdisciplinary field of study. And research has been carried out on the mutual interdependency between energy and economy. This paper employs an analysis recently published as an input-output table of the year 2014 of Turkey and energy use emission data of the same year in the World Input-Output Database. The emission occurred as a result of one single unit of energy use in the sector of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, which are one of the two sectors including the whole components of the energy sector in Turkey, comes first with 51.4327 TJ/million-dollar coefficient, manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, which is the other sector, ranks at the ninth row with the coefficient of 4.4556 TJ/million-dollar. As a result of the conducted analysis, while normalized total backward energy use emission linkages coefficients (BL j) equal 10.1074 TJ for Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector, they are 1.1676 TJ for the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products. Normalized total forward energy use emission linkages coefficients (FL i) are 21.448 TJ for electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, yet they are 1.3941 TJ for manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products. Policies on the sustainable use of energy in Turkey have been developed through the achieved results in the content of the study. Policies by focusing on the economy and prioritizing the role of energy in providing sustainable development, preferring environmentally friendly renewable energy sources, and encouraging less production of emission, have especially been mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We simulate the economic effects of the Italian National Energy Plan (PNIEC) • PNIEC energy policies alone do not improve employment and distribution • Policy mixes combine PNIEC with basic income (BI) and working time reduction (WTR) • BI and WTR improve income distribution • BI offsets energy policies while WTR complements PNIEC and helps decarbonization This paper investigates to what extent green growth is able to promote social equity and which social policies can complement environmental policies to achieve social prosperity and sustainability. We develop a dynamic macrosimulation model to explore the social and structural effects of the Italian national energy and climate plan. We show that green growth alone will not result in better societal conditions and needs to be compensated with social policies that directly tackle inequality. Consequently, we select two social policies that are expected to improve income distribution, namely a basic income programme and working time reduction. Our scenario analysis shows that working time reduction leads to an increase in employment and a parallel decrease in aggregate demand that causes a reduction in emissions and inequality. The basic income programme reduces inequality by sustaining aggregate demand which, in turn, partially offsets the positive environmental effects of the energy plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper measures and compares the economic benefits of different stakeholders under different operational modes in photovoltaic poverty alleviation power stations (PPAPSs) with the actual data in China. After establishing a PPAPSs entire lifetime cost-benefit model, sensitivity analysis is done to determine how much uncertainty variables influence risk. The results show that:1) PPAPSs have positive economic benefits; 2) outsourced operation and maintenance (O&M) is an optimal method; and 3) initial investment and power generation factors are likely to have a volatile impact on financial returns. Based on the results, this paper makes policy recommendations. • This paper focuses on measuring the economic benefits of PPAPSs stakeholders under the three operational modes. • The investment recovery performance and poverty alleviation benefits of PPAPSs are well. • Outsourced O&M is a relatively optimal strategy. • The sensitivity analysis shows that PPAPSs have risk tolerance. • Initial investment and power generation are key factors affecting the financial returns of PPAPSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of SOE and SOH is a critical issue in the battery management system. This paper proposes an improved variable forgetting factor recursive least square-double extend Kalman filtering algorithm based on global mean particle swarm optimization to obtain a stable and accurate SOE and SOH at different aging levels and temperatures. Firstly, this paper establishes a framework for the parameter identification of variable forgetting factors recursive least squares algorithm based on the global mean particle swarm optimization. Then, proposing a global mean particle swarm optimization search mechanism centered on variable time double extended Kalman filtering. Finally, The proposed algorithm is validated on the hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) and Beijing bus dynamic stress test (BBDST) datasets. The experimental results show that the MAE and RMSE of the SOE results based on the HPPC condition are less than 0.0096 and 0.0153 at -5 °C and 15 °C. Similarly, the estimation results based on the BBDST condition are less than 0.0094 and 0.0102, respectively. The SOH estimation errors are less than 0.02. Therefore, the variable forgetting factor recursive least square-double extend Kalman filtering based on global mean particle swarm optimization algorithm can achieve accurate and stable SOE and SOH at different aging levels and temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 33 worldwide open datasets of city-level building energy consumption are summarized. • Representative applications of 198 papers using the collected datasets are analyzed and compared. • Policy implications are presented for using the open datasets to support policymaking. • Useful non-energy datasets about weather, building features, urban forms, and occupant-related factors are recommended. • Solutions to privacy issues are explored, including anonymizing methods and proper data aggregation. Data related to building energy use fuels the research and applications on building energy efficiency, which is an essential measure to address global energy and environmental challenges. However, in most cities, there is a lack of comprehensive and publicly accessible building energy use datasets with necessary temporal and spatial granularities to support urban building energy modeling, regional energy planning, city-level building performance benchmarking, and policymaking on building energy efficiency. Data owners and governments are facing challenges in determining which and how building energy use data should be disclosed at the city level and how to protect data privacy. This review paper provides insights to answer these questions based on a comprehensive and critical review of worldwide open datasets and their applications in the built environment context. Detailed information about the collected 33 building energy datasets is summarized and categorized. Studies identified into 11 subdomains using these open datasets are critically analyzed and compared. Potential policy implications based on the studies are also proposed. Moreover, non-energy datasets that are frequently used in research relevant to urban building energy use are also introduced. Solutions to privacy issues are discussed to address concerns from data publishers. Finally, significant conclusions are made to support the proper disclosure of city-level building energy data. This review study is valuable to urban building energy data disclosure, urban building energy modeling, and data-driven energy policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the influence of projectile physical state on ballistic energy absorption capacity of UHMWPE laminate. Specifically, standard fragment simulating projectile (FSP) and 7.62 mm × 39 mm mild steel core projectile (MSCP) are utilized to perforate two kinds of areal density laminate. Internal damage morphologies of post-impact laminate are characterized via X-ray computer tomography (CT). A sub-laminate discretization approach was used to establish numerical laminate model, and decoupling parametric studies of projectile state were performed. Results of ballistic tests show that ballistic energy absorption capacity of laminate depends on projectile state and laminate areal density. Multi scale damage morphologies analysis indicate that shear fracture and multi-layer delamination failure are the primary failure modes of post-impact laminate, which were in good agreement with simulation results. Results of parametric studies suggest that high-speed spin of projectile will cause torsional deformation of laminate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The paper offers an overview of the implementation of key building energy efficiency requirements in Member States. • The renovation rate has to further increase to achieve zero-emission buildings. • The EU building stock has the potential to achieve a remarkable 94% reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. • Member States strongly rely on renewable technologies deployment for achieving climate neutrality. • Average energy performance level of Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) lags behind EU benchmarks. The European Union (EU) is accelerating its clean energy transition in order to reach climate neutrality in 2050 through targeted policies, with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) playing a pivotal role in reducing buildings energy consumption. This study evaluates the progress of EU Member States in implementing the EPBD requirements, focusing on Long-Term Renovation Strategies (LTRS), Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), and technical building system inspections. Harmonized data enable cross-country comparisons, revealing trends across climatic zones and assessing policy impacts at the EU level. Aligning renovations with 2020 LTRS could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030 and 94% by 2050. Despite the well-established status of NZEB, their energy performance lags behind EU benchmarks in all climatic zones. Moreover, diverse EPC methodologies complicate in-depth comparisons, yet nearly 70% of EU certification schemes define energy classes based on an energy indicator. Finally, over 75% of Member States implemented heating and cooling system inspection schemes, but few assess their impacts. While progress towards a highly energy-efficient building stock is evident, challenges persist. Member States must intensify efforts, especially in increasing the renovation rate with the aim of achieving zero-emission buildings. The recast EPBD, nearing adoption, will assist Member States by imposing enhanced requirements for building decarbonisation. This effort holds potential to unlock co-benefits, including climate change mitigation, energy resilience, and improved life quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ranking of customers with the probability of having non-technical losses. • Detection and location of energy thefts by hypothesis tests of error estimates. • Detection of non-technical losses caused by energy thefts. • State estimation application for electrical distribution systems. • Use of AMI for state estimation and energy theft detection. Non-technical losses are an important issue for distribution utilities worldwide, and energy thefts are among their main causes. To mitigate this problem, utilities must detect and remove irregular connections from their networks. A traditional practice is to make local inspections guided by the results of artificial intelligence techniques relying on data from previous inspections and socio-economic features. However, the success rate still tends to be low and massive inspections of customers are expensive. Therefore, utilities require methods that improve their inspection success rate. In this context, this paper proposes a method to identify and rank non-technical losses in distribution systems. It uses a hypothesis test based on state estimation error distributions. By using the method, the probability of having a non-technical loss can be computed for every customer, which is improved by the method's repetition over time. By doing this, customers suspected of non-technical loss are ranked. Tests carried out on a real feeder have shown that the method is promising for locating multiple non-technical losses in low-voltage networks. In the tests, the minimum theft power to be identified is around 400 W. However, the location has good performance for power of 1 kW and above. Besides guiding utilities' inspection teams on non-technical loss detection, the proposal represents a way to benefit from advanced measurement infrastructure that has been installed in distribution networks worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity grids are crucial for the energy transition. Despite its importance for renewable energy, the literature on grid ownership at the local level in Germany lacks up-to-date knowledge. Existing research does not state the extent to which municipalities own distribution system operators (DSOs). Based on a novel dataset on grid operators in 10,800 German municipalities, this paper can provide for the first time an overview of the current ownership of electricity distribution companies. Although the electricity infrastructure is decentralised, ownership remains centralised in the hands of Germany's leading energy companies and concentrated in affluent population centres. • Novel dataset on 10,800 German municipalities' grid operators. • In-depth overview of municipal and non-municipal DSOs in Germany. • Incumbent energy firms continue to lead German DSO market amid grid transition. • Disparities in utility ownership persist between East and West Germany. • Municipal DSOs more common in larger cities and industrial southern Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty alleviation and environmental improvement are two important targets which most developing countries try to achieve. In order to promote the poverty alleviation by using clean energy sources, this paper develops a joint poverty alleviation project including the green energy investment company (GEIC), solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant (SPP) and wind power plant (WPP). By using a tripartite evolutionary game model, evolutionary stable strategies are evaluated. Influence estimate results of key factors show that longer annual operation time and higher on-grid electricity price will increase the participating intention of all the three participators. The government should increase the on-grid electricity price of the SPP properly, but control that of the WPP as the joint poverty alleviation project can also progress well even with relatively low on-grid electricity price of the WPP. A reasonable investment ratio of the SPP and WPP is the guarantee for the smooth development of the joint poverty alleviation project. In this study, the investment ratio of the SPP and WPP of 6:4 is relatively proper and can make the three participators all have relatively high increasing rates of participating intention simultaneously. The results will be of reference value for formulating relevant governmental policies on the poverty alleviation and clean energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional impact of climate change on heating and cooling demand is important to consider when designing optimal long-term energy policies. Several studies have addressed this issue, but either at a very aggregated level or without optimizing the whole energy system. The aims of this paper are to fill this gap in a generic way and to assess the impact of climate change on heating and cooling energy demands for residential and commercial sectors at the regional and nodal levels in the context of Chile's energy transition. We propose a methodology based on high resolution climate simulations for the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. First, a statistical analysis is performed to estimate the long-term trends of so-called heating and cooling degree-days and their impact on final regional energy demands. Then, demand pathways in the energy transition are assessed using a multi-sectoral energy planning model. Numerical experiments using data from Chile show an overall positive economic impact of climate change (limited to heating and cooling demands) for the energy system, with a significant decrease in heating demand compared to a limited increase in cooling requirements. For the RCP 8.5 scenario, cost reductions reach 2.1% of the total discounted system cost on the 2020-2050 period mainly due to a significant decrease of gas consumption for heating. This research highlights the importance for policymakers to consider climate change in efficient energy policies. [Display omitted] • Climate change impact on heating/cooling is assessed for Chile's energy transition. • Significant heating demand decrease and low cooling demand increase are observed. • A global positive economic impact for the energy system is estimated. • For the RCP 8.5 scenario, cost reductions reach 2.1% of the total discounted system cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate classification for buildings plays an essential role in providing energy efficiency policies enforced through building energy standards, codes, and the related voluntary above-code programs, as well as in achieving decarbonization goals. Through an analysis of code-compliant office models in 801 locations in the US in this paper, first, a systematic difference is identified in building energy use, and its corresponding environmental footprint, in different locations within the same ranges of heating and/or cooling degree days but with different humidity conditions. The results show that the source energy consumption vary up to 1671 GJ (47%, excluding the equipment load) in two locations with the same climate zone but different moisture conditions. This is due to the deficiency of the degree days in predicting building energy consumption and results in a disproportionate assignment of energy efficiency measures. Second, besides similar trends when comparing the averages in subtypes, the variations in emissions within one climate zone and subtype can be over 10 times for CO 2 and 6 times for SO 2 as opposed to site energy consumption with less than 1.8 maximum variation, which signifies a substantial importance of geographic prioritization in carbon-neutral policies for the electricity providers along with climatic parameters. • Building energy use can significantly vary in locations with similar degree days. • There is a systematic variation in the energy use in different humidity conditions. • Emissions from energy use systematically vary in different humidity conditions. • An improved climate indexing is required to assign energy-efficiency measures. • Geographic prioritization is required for the deployment of clean energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venezuela's electricity sector has been facing a deep crisis. By 2020, the electricity production plummeted to 74.5 TWh, a drastic 43% reduction with respect to the peak of 132.5 TWh registered in 2013. The reasons behind the collapse of Venezuela's electricity sector are multifactorial and widely described in the literature. However, there is a lack of discussion on how to overcome the electricity crisis, considering the new opportunities provided by the ongoing energy transition paradigm. In this paper, a review of existing views to recover Venezuela's electricity system is provided. Two public-available detailed plans: the Venezuelan Electricity Sector Recovery Plan (VESRP) and the National Assembly's Country Plan Electricity (CPE) are described and analyzed in detail. It is concluded that both proposals are pragmatic attempts to restore the reliable hydrothermal model that prevailed until 1998. However, there is a lack of insight about the economic and environmental opportunities of building a decarbonized electricity matrix in account of the existence of huge renewable energy resources. Fulfilling a balance between reconstructing Venezuela's historic electricity system and building a new decarbonized system is of major significance. Urgent humanitarian needs and the demands of Venezuelan citizens call for the restoration of electricity supplies as fast as possible, but also with a modern system that ensures a low long-run marginal cost that enables competition and ensure economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multistable tensegrity structures are able to switch between equilibrium configurations and maintain these states with no additional energy input; as a result, they have found applications in reconfigurable robotics and deployable structures. However, the actuation strategy for multistable tensegrity structures to transform from one stable state to another remains unknown. In this work, we propose a method to identify a transition route between the known stable states of multistable tensegrity structures. The least-energy threshold and the transformation route formed by a series of deformed position point vectors are obtained. The method is based on the Conjugate Peak Refinement (CPR) method, which is one of the Mountain Pass Algorithms. To capture the fact that cable members could go slack during the transition route, a slack cable model is adapted into the CPR method so that the accurate energy state of the tensegrity structure is derived. The algorithms are successfully applied to examples of 3D multistable tensegrity structures from the literature. The work in this paper provides a minimum energy threshold between stable states, a measure of its shock sensitivity, and a reference actuation strategy to transform between the stable states of multistable tensegrity structures. • A transformation route is found between stable states of multistable tensegrity structures. • A slack cable model correctly captures the energy state of a deformed tensegrity structure. • The least-energy threshold is identified along the transformation route. • The depth of the local energy well provides a measure of dynamic stability. • Examples of multistable tensegrity structures from the literature are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• P2P energy trading policy combined with energy management of FSTS. • Integrating both EVs parking lots and EHs with the FSTS. • Both regular and random EVs' behavior of multiple type of users are considered. • Introducing next-journey dependent minimum state of charge to EVs. • Adding energy sharing willingness factor to EV model. In an open energy market, the peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading policy became more applicable. Therefore, while planning for new electrified systems, such a trading policy is taken into consideration. On the other hand, as the electrification of railway systems along with the use of electric vehicles serve several sustainable development goals, plans are studied for the electrification of the inter-city railway system in Alexandria, Egypt, in order to connect it with the high-speed inter-provincial electric railway system. In addition, other plans are studied for local production of electric vehicles. For this purpose, this paper presents a study regarding P2P based optimal energy management (EM) of a flexible smart railway substation taking into consideration multiple energy sources of the traction system and the wayside distribution network. The energy sources of the substation include captured regenerative braking energy (RBE), photovoltaic (PV) units and a multistory parking garage of electric vehicles (EVs). The wayside distribution network also contains several energy sources including distributed generation and multiple energy hubs (EHs) in addition to district distribution area with flexible loads. Optimal energy management is carried out including optimal demand side management of flexible loads and EHs. The optimization study takes into consideration several operational uncertainties arising from several components of the system. The simulation results show the feasibility of applying the proposed EM algorithm with an improvement of the energy economics of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies targeting energy efficiency and renewable energy are sometimes viewed as more politically feasible than carbon pricing in pursuit of emission reduction goals. This paper assesses underlying drivers of energy policy development. These factors include economic, social, environmental, and institutional variables. The between estimator for panel data is an appropriate method for our focus on some exogenous variables that vary more across countries than over time. We find that larger oil reserves per capita have a negative relationship with renewable energy policy development. Education and political globalisation have strong positive relationships with both energy-efficiency and renewable-energy policy development. These results suggest that greater participation in global political groups can be an indirect approach toward energy policy development, in cases where direct and immediate policies are hard to implement. OECD countries have higher policy scores by 33 and 25 points in energy efficiency and renewable energy respectively. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis shows that these higher scores are primarily due to social and political institution predictors rather than economics and physical endowments. • Large-n cross country international sample on continuous policy score measurement. • Political globalisation is positively linked with renewables and energy efficiency policies. • Education is positively linked to energy policy development, especially for efficiency. • Higher OECD countries' policy scores are primarily due to social and political predictors. • Higher incomes are unlikely to lead to automatic improvements in energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of energy efficiency of products is a key pillar of climate and energy strategy in the European Union (EU). The first EU product policies were adopted in the late 1970s, and they have evolved to become a coherent set of implementing measures under framework directives that harmonise and refine the regulatory process. After years of weak implementation, considerable progress in terms of scale and ambition has been achieved in the last decade. In 2020, product mandatory measures covered 50% of the EU total final energy consumption, leading to 46 Mtoe energy savings. This paper describes the available policy instruments to promote energy efficiency and remove the market barriers hindering the penetration of the best performing technologies. It offers a review of the progress made over these last 40 years of EU product policies, describing the Energy Labelling, the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), the Ecodesign Directive and the voluntary agreements (EU Ecolabel and Green Public Procurement). Moreover, it highlights the remaining challenges and provides policy recommendations to further exploit the EU potential to save energy from products. • Energy efficiency in products is a key pillar of EU climate and energy strategy. • Despite 40 years of EU product policies, their scale has only improved since 2010. • In 2020, mandatory measures covered 50% of the EU final energy consumption. • By 2030, savings expect to reduce the final consumption by 17%. • Policy orientation to further exploit the energy savings of products is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the hard-linking between a bottom-up model of energy sectors and a top-down Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, for an oil-exporting country - Saudi Arabia - where domestic energy prices are set by the government. The integrated model is solved with a Jacobi algorithm where the bottom-up and the top-down model are formulated separately and solved iteratively until convergence. The model is used to assess the sectoral and economy-wide consequences of domestic energy price reforms. Removing energy price controls triggers fuel switching and energy efficiency gains, increases crude oil exports and leads to a massive deployment of solar photovoltaic. As a result of price reforms, at the 2030 horizon, Saudi Arabia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increases by 3 to 6% and energy-related CO 2 emissions are reduced by one third. • Energy use and exports play a key role in most of oil-exporting economies. • Hybrid models are needed to study energy policy shifts in oil-exporting countries. • The paper designs the first hard-linked top-down bottom-up model with price controls. • A Jacobi algorithm finds the equilibrium of the integrated economic model. • The model fully captures the economic effects of energy price reforms in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is the foundation for the stable operation and long-term growth of the national economy. Quantifying the degree of competition and cooperation among different types of energy consumption and predicting its future development trend will help to analyse the changes in energy consumption structure, to better formulate and make decisions on energy policies. In view of the inherent complexity of the energy consumption system structure, this paper proposes a novel grey Lotka–Volterra model (GLVM) for energy consumption forecasting, to evaluate the impact of long-term competition and cooperation on the national energy consumption system and its development trend. In theory, the solution method and parameter identification of the GLVM are given, and the parameter characteristics of GLVM under multiplicative transformation are analysed. Based on this, the GLVM is used to analyse the consumption structure of different types of energy in China, the United States and Germany, and quantitatively analyses the internal relationship of the energy consumption structure of the three representative countries. Compared with other models, the results show that this model is superior to other existing models in accuracy and interpretability. The model proposed in this paper is of great value to researchers and decision makers. • A new grey Lotka–Volterra model is proposed for energy consumption forecasting. • The new model can quantitatively analyse the internal mechanism of energy structure. • The parameter characteristics of the new model are analysed and proved. • The new model is superior to other existing models in accuracy and interpretability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, there are many technologies to supply buildings with heat, cooling and electricity as well as technologies for energy storage. With regard to the energy transition, it is needed to switch the energy supply to renewable resources, to apply energy storage to balance the volatile resources available and to link the different energy sectors with each other. However, the current structure of taxes and levies does not lead to the application of corresponding energy systems. The motivation of this research work is on the one hand to investigate the influence of current regulation, taxes and charges on energy carriers on building energy systems. Furthermore, the aim is to show which regulatory approaches represent the most cost-effective solutions for energy supply that lead to carbon dioxide (CO 2) neutrality and also to the use of energy storage systems. A mixed-integer linear programming is used to optimise the different supply components considering variable electricity tariffs. The perspective of the analysis is on the individual building. Since the use of district heating is not an individual economic decision and district heating plays a minor role apart from e.g. some northern European countries, it was not considered in the studies presented here. In the studies, technologies for the use and storage of renewable energy were considered that can be integrated into individual buildings and are subject to an individual economic decision. Technologies that cannot be integrated into buildings but are essential for the energy transition, such as wind energy, are integrated indirectly via the flexible electricity price determined by the merit order. Here, government forecasts and scenarios as well as various concepts for the taxation of energy sources had been considered. A new method for the estimation of investment costs between 2015 and 2050 is developed and applied. The paper shows how an optimal building energy supply would look like under changed legal framework conditions as well as different tax burdens and reliefs. The paper concludes with a series of inference s and recommendations for adapted regulation to achieve the goals of defossilisation of the building sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the current geopolitical situation, the EU and its Member States are accelerating efforts to reduce their dependency on fossil fuel imports, while simultaneously tackling the climate crisis. With heating in buildings accounting for a large share of the energy consumption in the EU, policies to phase-out fossil fuels for heating and to switch to renewables are key elements. In the context of the proposed actions to phase-out fossil fuels at EU level, this article provides a systematic analysis of current and planned phase-out regulations for fossil fuel boilers in the EU Member States. The paper quantifies the share of energy consumption for heating that is addressed by such regulations and finds that the current regulations only address about 10% of the total fossil energy consumption for heating in the EU. The share increases to almost 30% when considering the planned regulations, reflecting the fact that large energy consumers such as Germany and the Netherlands have announced such regulations. The analysis shows that several Member States with high energy consumption for heating have neither implemented nor announced plans to introduce phase-out regulations for fossil fuel heating. The study concludes that immediate policy action is needed both at EU and at Member State levels. At EU level, the proposed introduction of an end-date for stand-alone fossil fuel boilers needs to be substantiated and implemented into the legislative framework. At the national level, phase-out regulations for fossil fuel boilers need to be expanded both in quantity and scope. [Display omitted] • Systematic analysis of phase-out regulations for fossil fuel boilers in the EU. • Only 10% of the EU fossil energy used for heating is covered by phase-out regulations. • Including planned regulations, the share of heating energy covered by phase-out regulations increases to almost 30%. • Comparison of different approaches for implementing regulations for phasing out fossil fuel boilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary frequency control (PFC) has become increasingly important for the stable operation of power systems due to the development of renewable energy resources, and the thermal power units still need to provide satisfactory PFC services. The energy stored in metal and working fluid are the main impact factors for PFC. This paper proposed a universal assessment mechanism to evaluate PFC capability for thermal power plants under various working conditions by decomposing and quantifying the energy state, especially under flexible operating processes. A transient heat current model describes the dynamic process by constructing the relation of different parameters in overheated components at various energy states. In this study, the PFC dynamic response ability of a 600 MW supercritical power plant under various working conditions is quantified based on the proposed modeling. The maximum load regulation amount decreases from 6.0% to 1.69% with a decrease in the load. Compared to the theoretical calculation results with the experimental data of actual PFC tests, the proposed mechanism of the dynamic response of PFC assessment is more precise, with an accuracy of 97.85%, which has a significant meaning in guiding the PFC services in the power grid and regulating the power plants. • Constructed a new energy state-based model by heat current method. • Proposed a novel PFC capability assessment model under dynamic processes. • Considered the boiler and the turbine sides in the PFC simultaneously. • Validated the new model with various frequency deviations by field experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Agent-Based Model to emulate real-world performance of microgrid with P2P trading. • Holistic simulation of economic, technical, and ecological metrics. • Validation of Model with urban area of medium-sized German city. • Comparison of microgrid metrics before and during the European energy crisis. • Conclusions for research, practice, and energy policy. The shift towards renewable energy sources (RES) in energy systems is becoming increasingly important. Residential energy generation and storage assets, smart home energy management systems, and peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading in microgrids can help integrate and balance decentralized renewable electricity supply with an increasingly electrified power, heat, and transport demand, reducing costs and CO 2 emissions. However, these microgrids are difficult to model because they consist of autonomous and interacting entities, leading to emergent phenomena and a high degree of complexity. Agent-based modeling is an established technique to simulate the complexity of microgrids. However, the existing literature still lacks real-world implementation studies and, as a first step, models capable of validating the existing results with real-world data. To this end, we present an agent-based model and analyze the corresponding microgrid performance with real-world data. The model quantifies economic, technical, and environmental metrics to simulate microgrid performance holistically and, in line with state-of-the-art research, consists of self-interested, autonomous agents with specific load profiles, RES generation, and demand-response potential. The model can simulate a P2P marketplace where electricity is traded between agents. In the second part of the paper, we validate the model with data from a medium-sized German city. In this case study, we also compare microgrid performance in 2022, during the energy market crisis in Europe, with historical data from 2019 to assess the effects of energy market shocks. Our results show how microgrids with P2P trading can reduce electricity costs and CO 2 emissions. However, our trading mechanism illustrates that the benefits of energy-community trading are almost exclusively shared among prosumers, highlighting the need to consider distributional issues when implementing P2P trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A cyber-physical model is proposed for plant-wide energy monitoring/diagnosis. • The proposed model describes the cause-effect relationship with in-depth analysis. • The distributed monitoring mechanism and statistics aims to detect energy states. • An abnormal variable is used to trace the root cause of the abnormal energy state. • The accurate energy monitoring and explicable energy diagnosis are analyzed. In the large-scale plant-wide chemical process, energy monitoring and diagnosis have a great impact on energy management and sustainable development. Most monitoring and diagnosis methods focused on the construction of the global model with process data, regardless of the meaningful process knowledge and in-depth analysis. Due to the multi-dimensional, correlative, and uncertain characteristics of the collected industrial data, it is laborious to obtain accurate and reliable energy monitoring and diagnosis results. To address these problems, a novel cyber-physical energy monitoring and diagnosis scheme is proposed in this paper. This scheme constructs a cyber-physical model based on process knowledge and data to describe the cause-effect relationships among the energy variables. For energy monitoring, a distributed monitoring approach is developed for energy state estimation based on the constructed monitoring statistics in both variable and residual spaces. For energy diagnosis, a faulty contribution degree index is further addressed and the corresponding root cause location strategy is discussed. The effectiveness and practicality of the proposed scheme are demonstrated via a numerical simulation example and practical ethylene oxide production. Two preset simulated faults and one practical process fault are used and all the abnormal states and root variables are monitored and diagnosed by the proposed scheme. The energy monitoring and diagnosis results provide great support for energy management and development in large-scale chemical plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]