Search

The criticality of water-management and along with it, the necessity to analyse the associated data is becoming increasingly more apparent. One of the main consumers of water worldwide is industry, with specific sectors dominating the profile in different regions. The true value of the water utilised encompasses all the costs incurred including extraction, treatment, pumping, storage, purification and disposal. Knowledge of the costs incurred allows suitable management. However the true cost or true value of the water being used is not known. In order to address this and improve environmental systems, a novel framework for establishing the true value of water was developed and its application to a specific water system in a case-study manufacturing facility is articulated in this paper. The framework may also be similarly applied to other water life-cycle stages and indeed to other water systems within the facility. A Simulink model was created and monthly data over a three year period was analysed. It was determined that the true value of the deionised water was, on average, €13.20/m 3 . The Value Added Factor relevant to this system is 14.05, originating from a raw water supply cost of €0.94/m 3 . The total true expenditure on deionised water was €26,025 whereas the perceived expenditure was €1853. The primary constituent components of the true value were system maintenance (30%), equipment depreciation (19%) and energy consumption (18%). The methodology may be applied to other services and other industries thus providing typical value-added factors for a range of systems and this approach could then act as a tool for educating consumers and also assisting with the transition to more sustainable practices. Scenario analysis may be performed in order to evaluate and provide justification for proposed modifications, thus enabling benefits to water and energy consumption, waste reduction and also operational efficiencies. The results may also be used to contribute to water foot-printing, system/regulation compliance and facility benchmarking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's aim to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 relies on reducing emissions from the industrial sector. There is a lack of guidance and technical support at the organisational level for industrial organisations, particularly for non-energy-intensive industries. Existing approaches do not offer structured pathways to carbon neutrality. This study involves the development, verification, and validation of a novel modelling tool aimed at assisting Irish industrial organisations in achieving carbon neutrality. The generated outputs are an organisation-specific carbon neutrality waterfall as the roadmap, and a financial analysis to indicate the breakeven year where the financial savings equal the investment costs of implementing the proposed measures. This modelling tool is a decision-support tool capable of scenario modelling, which provides the user with an overview of possible decarbonisation timelines and financial impacts. First, this paper presents the user-defined and built-in inputs, followed by the first-principles mathematical model that forms the basis of the modelling tool. Then, the modelling tool is verified by a code-to-code process using representative dummy data, and is found to be accurate against the mathematical model. The final step is the use of an actual dataset from an industry partner in a validation process to determine the applicability of the modelling tool to industrial organisations. It is found to be applicable in terms of the type of data output (carbon neutrality waterfall and financial analysis). However, the inaccurate negative emissions balance of the waterfall indicates that the modelling tool is not applicable in its current state; this highlights the importance of considering the interaction effects of implementing multiple emissions-reduction measures, which is the next step in the tool development. Moreover, this tool is applicable to organisations that have completed energy audits, heat studies, and renewable energy studies and have created a register of performance improvement measures that serve as the model inputs. As such, it has a niche market and represents an initial approach to carbon neutrality planning, with the future focus on expanding its applicability by developing a heuristic knowledge-based modelling tool that acts as a recommender system. [Display omitted] • Modelling tool developed to aid carbon neutral industrial manufacturing. • Open access, cross-sectoral tool aimed at the organisational level. • Functions as a decision-support tool based on scenario modelling. • Generates waterfall graph as the carbon neutrality roadmap. • Generates a financial analysis graph to indicate breakeven year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial sector contributes significant environmental impact due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is necessary to investigate the energy flow from resources, and the possibilities for lowering energy use through energy management. Energy modeling and visualization have been identified as effective and powerful methods for investigating energy-saving potential and improving energy efficiency. In this study, the Sankey diagram-based decision support tool is designed and developed to illustrate the energy flow and the potential for energy savings from various processes in different industrial sectors. The tool is developed in Python and presented as a web-based dashboard, making it accessible to various users. The web-based Sankey diagram tool allows the user to comprehend the present state of energy consumption, costs, and CO2 emissions, as well as the potential for enhancing system flexibility and efficiency in the industry. The opportunities for heat recovery, renewable energy sources, and energy storage technologies are discussed as an assumed case study in 4 specific scenarios. Finally, the findings validate the significance of energy-efficient solutions in industry utilizing the proposed tool. This underscores the importance of adopting sustainable practices within industries, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of the sector's overall sustainability and resilience. • The paper aims to describe the design and development of a web-based decision support tool using Sankey diagrams to visualize and optimize energy flow. • The tool, created in Python, is accessible to engineers and non-engineers via a user-friendly web interface. • Allows users to easily modify parameters and scenarios to explore various energy-saving opportunities. • Demonstrates potential for substantial reductions in CO 2 emission and energy costs through renewable energy, energy storage, and heat recovery utilization. • Evaluated through a case study with four scenarios, highlighting significant efficiency improvements. • Enhances understanding of energy consumption and sustainability in industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New COVID-19 ventilation guidelines have resulted in higher energy consumption to maintain indoor air quality (IAQ), and energy efficiency has become a secondary concern. Despite the significance of the studies conducted on COVID-19 ventilation requirements, a comprehensive investigation of the associated energy challenges has not been discussed. This study aims to present a critical systematic review of the Coronavirus viral spreading risk mitigation through ventilation systems (VS) and its relation to energy use. COVID-19 heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)-related countermeasures proposed by industry professionals have been reviewed and their influence on operating VS and energy consumption have also been discussed. A critical review analysis was then conducted on publications from 2020 to 2022. Four research questions (RQs) have been selected for this review concerning i) maturity of the existing literature, ii) building types and occupancy profile, iii) ventilation types and effective control strategies and iv) challenges and related causes. The results reveal that employing HVAC auxiliary equipment is mostly effective and increased fresh air supply is the most significant challenge associated with increased energy consumption due to maintaining IAQ. Future studies should focus on novel approaches toward solving the apparently conflicting objectives of minimizing energy consumption and maximizing IAQ. Also, effective ventilation control strategies should be assessed in various buildings with different occupancy densities. The implications of this study can be useful for future development of this topic not only to enhance the energy efficiency of the VS but also to enable more resiliency and health in buildings. [Display omitted] • A PRISMA-based systematic review of the COVID-19 ventilation energy challenges. • The Ventilation energy use rose after the pandemic; this alarms energy conservation. • The topic is developed by evaluation-type studies focusing on educational buildings. • Increased fresh air supply is the most significant challenge during the pandemic. • Efficiency improvement and optimization of auxiliary equipment were mainly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency and management is a fundamental aspect of industrial performance. Current research presents smart and micro grid systems as a next step for industrial facilities to operate and control their energy use. To gain a better understanding of these systems, a systematic mapping study was conducted to assess research trends, knowledge gaps and provide a comprehensive evaluation of the topic. Using carefully formulated research questions the primary advantages and barriers to implementation of these systems, where the majority of research is being conducted with analysis as to why and the relative maturity of this topic are all thoroughly evaluated and discussed. The literature shows that this topic is at an early stage but already the benefits are outweighing the barriers. Further incorporation of renewables and storage, securing a reliable energy supply and financial gains are presented as some of the major factors driving the implementation and success of this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]