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This paper looks at the changing impact of renewable energy and green innovation on the carbon footprint of eight MENA nations between 2000 and 2020. We investigate this by using the panel Q-ARDL model for the first time, and we find that, with various impacts across different quantiles, a rise in green innovation and renewable energy greatly boosts environmental sustainability in the short run. In the long run, this effect becomes increasingly more noticeable. According to our analysis, the chosen MENA countries quickly embraced energy storage, solar hydrogen, and other technology pathways to diversify their energy mix, which was a turning point in the fight against climate change. Although these factors have been separately examined in different studies, our research merges them into a single non-parametric model. This research is significant as it provides empirical evidence on the efficiency of green innovation and renewable energy policies, and it will guide policymakers and energy stakeholders in developing strategies to achieve sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relentless advancement of digital technologies has the potential to significantly reshape the energy landscape as digital technologies become increasingly integrated into diverse sectors of the economy. This study explores the intricate relationship between digitalization and energy in EU countries, focusing on its direct and indirect impacts on energy consumption, structure, and intensity. Furthermore, this study explores the mediating mechanisms that facilitate these changes, including the role of technological innovation and government efficiency in the relationship between digitalization and energy outcomes. Focusing on EU countries and using the system-GMM method, this research accounts for the heterogeneity in the impact of digitalization on energy across various member states. It examines the varying effects in different countries, considering their income levels, environmental regulations, and green investments. The results demonstrate that the strategic deployment of digitalization in EU countries substantially benefits the energy sector. By optimizing energy consumption and enhancing the energy structure through the integration of renewable sources, the EU could move closer to its sustainability objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between macroeconomic variables and the share of renewable energy in Eurozone countries from 2006 to 2020. Using the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method, we analyze the impact of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, unemployment rate, Financial Development Index (FDI), inflation, government efficiency, and corruption control on the proportion of renewable energy. Focused on the Eurozone, our study fills a gap in existing research. We compile diverse findings from the literature review on this topic. Our analysis reveals that higher GDP per capita positively influences the proportion of renewable energy, while unemployment, lower financial development, higher inflation, inefficient governance, and corruption negatively impact renewable energy adoption. These findings underscore the importance of addressing economic development alongside sustainable energy initiatives. Policymakers should prioritize improving GDP per capita, and addressing barriers such as unemployment and corruption to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable energy landscape in the Eurozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spillover effects of climate change require the exploration and implementation of appropriate ways to reduce ecological issues while simultaneously maintaining economic and social well-being. The expansion of green energy allows for a reduction in the negative anthropogenic impact on the environment without restricting economic growth or social welfare. However, the expansion of green energy necessitates additional green investment. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of studies on the interactions between green energy and green investment. The study is based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and employs Scopus Tools Analysis and VOSviewer version 1.6.20 software. The metadata for the investigation were compiled from scientific databases in Scopus. The findings allow for the identification of the most prolific countries and authors and their collaborative efforts, which contribute to the theoretical landscape of green energy and green investment. The study also illustrates the evolution of the investigation of the linkages between green energy and green investment. Furthermore, the results enable the identification of core scientific clusters in the analysis of green energy and green investment: the first cluster focuses on renewable energy and sustainable development; the second on government and green energy; and the third on green investment as the catalyst for green energy. The results of the meta-analysis facilitate the identification of new research areas related to the connection between green investment and green energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on enhancing the efficiency of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) systems through innovative heat exchanger designs. Our comparative study uses computer simulations to evaluate three types of heat exchangers: cavity, plate-fins, and longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs). We analyze their impact on thermoelectric conversion performance, considering the thermal energy transfer from warm surface seawater to TEGs. The results demonstrate that heat exchangers with plate-fins and LVGs significantly outperform the cavity heat exchanger regarding thermal energy transfer efficiency. Specifically, plate-fins increase TEG output power by approximately 22.92% and enhance thermoelectric conversion efficiency by 38.20%. Similarly, LVGs lead to a 13.02% increase in output power and a 16.83% improvement in conversion efficiency. These advancements are contingent upon specific conditions such as seawater flow rates, fin heights, LVG tilt angles, and locations. The study underscores the importance of optimizing heat exchanger designs in OTEC systems, balancing enhanced heat transfer against the required pump power. Our findings contribute to a broader understanding of materials science in sustainable energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comprehensive study of the energy strategies of both countries, aimed at achieving their goals by 2050. A literature review presents global trends in energy policy, the current situation in Poland and Germany, and the importance of sustainable energy. For Poland and Germany, the current situation, goals, and strategies for 2050 are described, and the results of surveys carried out using a survey questionnaire are presented. A comparative analysis included a comparison of the goals and strategies of both countries and the results of surveys, presented in tabular form. This analysis drew conclusions regarding the differences and similarities in the approach of both countries to energy policy. The "Challenges and Prospects" section identifies potential challenges and presents opportunities and recommendations for the future. In conclusion, the article provides a thorough analysis, based on the methodology of a literature review, survey questionnaire, and tabular analysis, and contains important conclusions and implications for energy policy in Poland and Germany. The article also addresses the limitations of the study that may affect the interpretation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid global imperatives to combat climate change and achieve sustainable economic development, the convergence of digital transformation and the transition to clean energy has emerged as a critical focal point for oil-exporting nations. This study comprehensively investigates the interplay of digital technology, clean energy transition, climate change, and economic growth among selected oil-exporting nations. Drawing upon a diverse set of economic and geographical contexts, this study uses panel data analysis of data from the World Bank's Economic Indicators and the United Nations Development Program for the period from 2006 to 2020. The results show that digital technology reduces climate change by improving environmental quality, but internet and mobile access have insignificant and negative effects on environmental quality, respectively. Meanwhile, all technology variables negatively impact green energy and economic growth, while the Happy Planet Index and financial development positively impact the green energy transition. This study is important for regulators, producers, and consumers, as it provides a better understanding of the crucial role of digital transformation in sustainable development within oil-export countries. This study's findings can be used to develop policy recommendations for a low-carbon economy, the promotion of digital transformation through green energy, and the management of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing urbanization and growth of cities worldwide have led to a significant increase in energy demand. As a transition to a low carbon environment occurs, the role of renewable and sustainable energy systems in urban areas is benefiting industry and the environment alike. From this perspective, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a lot to offer to the energy industry, particularly the integration of renewable and sustainable energy systems for environmental protection in cities. This study presents a comprehensive view that integrates technological, economic, political, and social challenges confronted with the effective implementation of renewable and sustainable energy in urban cities and proposes a solution agenda to overcome these hurdles with the aid of the SDGs. The weights for the challenges of adopting renewable and sustainable energy systems were determined using the Fuzzy Best-Worst Method. The SDGs were then ranked using the fuzzy TOPSIS technique to overcome predetermined challenges. The originality of this study lies in finding solutions to the determined challenges by adopting SDGs, emphasizing the need for integrated solutions that address energy-related concerns, and highlighting the role and importance of SDGs in environmental protection. The study highlights the importance of SDGs in promoting renewable energy integration in urban areas, with SDG 11 being the most crucial to mitigate harmful environmental occurrences related to energy-related issues in urban areas, followed by SDG 7 and SDG 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of global challenges related to climate change and sustainable development, comparing attitudes and infrastructure in the field of electromobility and renewable energy sources in different countries becomes crucial. The question of differences and similarities between Poland and Germany in these areas sheds light on the unique challenges and opportunities that the two countries present to each other. The aim of the study is to understand these dynamics, which can contribute to the shaping of more effective policies and strategies for green energy and sustainable mobility. This study was conducted through a review of Polish and foreign literature, the use of the method of tabular comparisons, and the analysis of a questionnaire that was used. These complex methods combined both quantitative and qualitative analysis, which allowed for an in-depth understanding and comparison of attitudes and infrastructure related to electromobility and renewable energy sources in Poland and Germany. The study revealed significant differences and similarities between Poland and Germany in terms of electromobility and renewable energy sources. Germany shows a higher level of urbanization, a higher share of electric car ownership, and better charging infrastructure, while in Poland there is a strong belief in the key role of renewable energy sources. These findings may have implications for future green energy initiatives and policies in both countries. The study presents a complex picture of electromobility and renewable energy sources in Poland and Germany, showing clear differences in awareness, infrastructure, and attitudes. Germany seems to be more advanced in these areas, while Poland shows a strong commitment to renewable energy sources. These conclusions do not exaggerate the differences, but underline the need for a case-by-case approach to green energy strategies in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current applications in the energy sector are based largely on fossil fuels which release greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. To face the issue of global warming, the energy sector has to transfer to and develop sustainable energy solutions that do not release carbon emissions. This is one of the primary motivators for the SDEWES conference as well as for this review, and previous ones, examining the most recent works based on sustainable and green energy production in such fields. The 17th Conference on the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held on 6–10 November 2022 in Paphos, Cyprus. The SDEWES conference aims at solving complex and ongoing concerns that approach a long-term perspective and supporting innovative solutions and continuous monitoring and evaluation. This review paper aims at collecting the main presented papers focused on the following hot topics: low-carbon technologies based on renewable and clean-energy systems, including mainly biomass, solar, and wind energy applications; energy storage systems; hydrogen-based systems; energy-saving strategies in buildings; and the adoption of smart management strategies using renewable energy systems. These topics are investigated in order to propose solutions to address the issues of climate change, water scarcity, and energy saving. From the analyzed works, we note that some key issues for sustainable development remain to be further addressed: such as novel and advanced energy storage systems, green hydrogen production, novel low-temperature district heating and cooling networks, novel solar technologies for the simultaneous production of power and high temperature heat, solar desalination for hydrogen production systems, and agrivoltaic systems for the production of power and food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to relate clean energies, CO 2 emissions, and economic variables. Relationships can be generated that characterize countries that manage to relate the use of clean energy with GDP, economic openness, and economic growth. We employ a quantitative methodology that utilizes clustering techniques to identify distinct groups of countries based on their susceptibility to climate change impacts. Subsequently, we employ a generalized linear model approach to estimate the investment behaviors of these country groups in alternative energy sources in relation to CO 2 emissions and macroeconomic variables. The clusters reveal that the countries grouped in each cluster exhibit significantly distinct behaviors among the clusters. This differentiation is grounded in the countries under analysis, showing the evolution of the countries in terms of the use of clean energy and the emission of CO 2 in relation to macroeconomic variables. According to the conducted research, there are different groups with differentiated behavior in terms of energy consumption and CO 2 emissions, which implies the implementation of policies consistent with the development characteristics of the countries and how they cope with climate risk. Moreover, as a result of this research, a recommendation for policy makers could be that sustainable and clean development countries are based in three different sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic, and social. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a performance assessment and analysis of a 1 MW three-phase photovoltaic (PV) power station connected to the electrical grid of a factory in Morocco are presented. The main objective of this research is to assess the performance of the PV power station and analyze its efficiency, energy generation, and operational characteristics. To accomplish this, a combination of field measurements, data analysis, and simulation techniques are used. The study begins by providing an extensive overview of the PV power station, including a thorough description of its main elements such as solar panels, inverters, transformers, and grid interconnection infrastructure. Furthermore, field measurements are conducted to collect data on solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and PV system power, as well as electrical parameters such as voltage, current, and power factor. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the performance and economic viability of the PV power station. These insights can serve as guidance for renewable energy stakeholders, investors, and policymakers, facilitating the development of sustainable solar energy projects and contributing to renewable energy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable energy development (SED) is a crucial component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), aiming to maintain economic and social progress while protecting the environment and mitigating climate change's effects. SED serves as a transition paradigm for sustainable development, providing a blueprint for energy peace and prosperity for people and all uses. This article presents the history of SED and then uses a critical discourse approach to summarize existing review studies in SED. Ten interlinked themes of SED are identified, with two of them considered to be among the least studied in existing SED reviews and in the current global discussion around climate change. This study explores these two themes, which include energy financing and the need for 100% renewable energy (RE), a sub-theme of decarbonization strategy working towards the 1.5–2.0 °C scenario. The study suggests that the current G20 countries' contributions, if maintained continuously per annum, in addition to 80% more funding from private investment compared to the amount in the 1.5 °C scenario financial requirements for clean energy, are sufficient to limit global warming. In addition to the present drive for 100% RE, the article also discusses emerging issues, such as energy storage options with an indication of hydrogen as the most promising, other energy-related development agendas, and the need for regional security stability to prevent energy wars. Selected SED decarbonization strategies are presented across the power, transport, building, and industrial sectors. The study concludes with progress and directions for future research, mainly the need for re-defining nationally determined contribution (NDC) through an emissions budgeting and centralized global or regional emissions stock-taking strategy working towards the 1.5 °C scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rapid population growth and industrialization, the demand for electrical energy and its consumption has reached a critical point where it is no longer sustainable or stable. Therefore, it is imperative to explore new and reliable energy generation alternatives considering technical and economic perspectives, regardless of whether the community is isolated or urbanized. The research introduces a mixed-integer non-linear programming model of an energy supply chain that combines the roles of a manufacturer and retailer within a dynamic solar energy framework. The study highlights the manufacturer's significant efforts to sustain itself in a competitive market and emphasizes the importance of government subsidies to support this approach. To meet the demands of a dynamic environment, a non-continuous demand function is utilized to generate and transmit energy at a highly sustainable level, promoting ecological balance. The model's validity is confirmed through experimental evaluation using two case studies. Furthermore, by increasing the demand by 50%, this study demonstrates the potential for economic growth, resulting in a 20% profit for the manufacturer in the retail sector. This research ensures improved energy efficiency and greener consumption practices and addresses the optimal distribution of renewable energy to minimize imbalances. Finally, it reveals a pathway to sustainable development that promotes technological advancements while minimizing costs, offering a cost-effective scenario for the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, the Mexican Constitution was amended to allow private firms to participate in the energy sector market. Consequently, the energy reform opened the energy market to private investors, ending the state monopoly of PEMEX and CFE. This article aims to assess the impact of the 2013 Mexican Energy Reform on energy household consumption and, if proven effective, explore its potential to help achieve SDG 7. This longitudinal study gathered data before and after the energy bill reform, from 2012 to 2018, with a non-experimental design. Data analysis to determine the effect of the price variance was estimated through price elasticities of demand, and a logarithmic model was used to determine the relationship between the price and cost of electricity, gas, and fuel. Findings suggest that the 2013 Mexican Energy Reform led to an increase in energy prices that, on the one hand, reduced the consumption of energy generated using fossil hydrocarbons but, on the other hand, affected the portion of the population with less income. Consequently, it is possible to conclude that the 2013 Mexican Energy Reform is irreconcilable with SDG 7 unless substantial additional efforts are made to leave no one behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is gaining prominence as a sustainable energy source in the UK, aligning with the country's commitment to advancing sustainable development across diverse sectors. However, a rigorous examination of the interplay between the hydrogen economy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is imperative. This study addresses this imperative by comprehensively assessing the risks associated with hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization. The overarching aim is to establish a robust framework that ensures the secure deployment and operation of hydrogen-based technologies within the UK's sustainable development trajectory. Considering the unique characteristics of the UK's energy landscape, infrastructure, and policy framework, this paper presents practical and viable recommendations to facilitate the safe and effective integration of hydrogen energy into the UK's SDGs. To facilitate sophisticated decision making, it proposes using an advanced Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) tool, incorporating regret theory and a 2-tuple spherical linguistic environment. This tool enables a nuanced decision-making process, yielding actionable insights. The analysis reveals that Incident Reporting and Learning, Robust Regulatory Framework, Safety Standards, and Codes are pivotal safety factors. At the same time, Clean Energy Access, Climate Action, and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure are identified as the most influential SDGs. This information provides valuable guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and regulators. It empowers them to make well-informed strategic decisions and prioritize actions that bolster safety and sustainable development as the UK transitions towards a hydrogen-based energy system. Moreover, the findings underscore the varying degrees of prominence among different SDGs. Notably, SDG 13 (Climate Action) exhibits relatively lower overall distinction at 0.0066 and a Relation value of 0.0512, albeit with a substantial impact. In contrast, SDG 7 (Clean Energy Access) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) demonstrate moderate prominence levels (0.0559 and 0.0498, respectively), each with its unique influence, emphasizing their critical roles in the UK's pursuit of a sustainable hydrogen-based energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution offers a thorough analysis of challenges and opportunities related to the adoption of sustainable energy policies in specific developing countries (i.e., Albania, Brazil, India, Kenya). The use of renewable energy sources must be increased if the world is to meet its climate goals and alleviate the negative effects of fossil fuel consumption. However, due to fiscal restrictions, institutional barriers, and technology limitations, developing countries face particular challenges in adopting such policies. In order to help these countries move towards a sustainable energy future, this study analyses these issues and suggests viable solutions for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the impact of national governance quality on clean energy supplies in developing countries. We used a large sample of 103 developing countries over 21 years. We employ pooled ordinary least squares as the primary estimator. Additionally, we apply a Fixed Effect and the Two-Step System-Generalized Method of Moments to mitigate contemporaneity bias. Following prior studies, we construct national governance quality from the six World Governance Indicators. Consistent with our expectations, we find a positive and significant association between national governance quality and clean energy supplies. The results show that countries with high national governance quality are more likely to generate high amounts of clean energy than low-governed countries and to experience a high green economy. The results are also significant when the governance indicator is disaggregated into individual components. However, in a continental analysis, we found that the link between national governance quality and clean energy supplies is stronger in Africa than on other continents. Our results are robust to alternative measurements and econometric identification strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development has been the focus of many analyses in economics. Nevertheless, only a few attempts have so far been made to identify the underlying relationship between sustainable energy development and sustainable social development. This article fills this research gap and enables a better understanding of the essence of sustainable development to help draw applicable conclusions. The aim is to assess sustainable energy and social development in EU countries and to examine their shared relationship in this area. To this end, this study uses a taxonomic method and correlation analysis. The analysis period covers the years 2014–2020. The research builds directly on the assumptions of the concept of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on energy and social aspects. The article is composed of two parts. The first, based on a literature review, discusses the essence of sustainable energy development and social sustainability. The second outlines the research methodology, including the underpinnings of synthetic measures and the results of the conducted empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this review is to offer an all-encompassing evaluation of an integrated solar energy system within the framework of solar energy utilization. This holistic assessment encompasses photovoltaic technologies, solar thermal systems, and energy storage solutions, providing a comprehensive understanding of their interplay and significance. It emphasizes the importance of solar energy as a renewable resource and its role in addressing global energy demand and mitigating climate change. The review highlights the significance of advancements in various solar energy technologies, focusing on their environmental benefits, including greenhouse gas emissions reduction and air and water pollution mitigation. It explores the evolution of photovoltaic technologies, categorizing them into first-, second-, and third-generation photovoltaic cells, and discusses the applications of solar thermal systems such as water heaters, air heaters, and concentrators. The paper examines key advancements in energy storage solutions for solar energy, including battery-based systems, pumped hydro storage, thermal storage, and emerging technologies. It references recent published literature to present findings on energy payback time, carbon footprint, and performance metrics. Challenges to widespread adoption are discussed, including cost and economic viability, intermittency, environmental impacts, and grid integration. Strategies to overcome these challenges, such as cost reduction, policy support, energy storage integration, and sustainable practices, are presented based on published literature. By bridging gaps in existing literature, this comprehensive resource aims to equip researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals with insights into forging a sustainable and renewable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced Technologies for Sustainable Construction Purposes Building information modelling (BIM) is one of the most advanced technologies that should serve as a core digital and collaborative platform. Albatayneh et al. [[14]] constructed an energy model for an educational building and examined the real energy consumption data of different types of envelope retrofits. The trend of integrating sustainability into construction activities has sought to meet the growing demands of sustainable development. [Extracted from the article]

As the sustainability of the environment is a very much concerning issue for developed countries, the drive of the paper is to reveal the effects of nuclear, environment-friendly, and non-friendly energy, population, and GDP on CO2 emission for Italy, a developed country. Using the extended Stochastic Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) framework, the yearly data from 1972 to 2021 are analyzed in this paper through an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework. The reliability of the study is also examined by employing Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegration Regression (CCR) estimators and also the Granger causality method which is used to see the directional relationship among the indicators. The investigation confirms the findings of previous studies by showing that in the longer period, rising Italian GDP and non-green energy by 1% can lead to higher CO2 emissions by 8.08% and 1.505%, respectively, while rising alternative and nuclear energy by 1% can lead to falling in CO2 emission by 0.624%. Although population and green energy adversely influence the upsurge of CO2, they seem insignificant. Robustness tests confirm these longer-period impacts. This analysis may be helpful in planning and developing strategies for future financial funding in the energy sector in Italy, which is essential if the country is to achieve its goals of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of sustainability of energy production in the context of the expansion of renewable energy cannot be solved without a deep technological modernization of the fossil fuels extraction in line with Industry 4.0. Along with this, the expected transition to the human-centric Industry 5.0 raises the question for researchers: what core technologies of the Mining 4.0 platform will determine its transformation into Mining 5.0 in order to meet the imperative of sustainable development and the dominance of green energy. This review presents a multifaceted overview of Mining 4.0 core technologies, derived from Industry 4.0, such as smart sensors, neural networks, Big Data analytics, Internet of Things, digital twins and artificial intelligence, that form cyber-physical systems for high-performance and complete extraction of fossil energy sources. The review of works in the field of transition to Industry 5.0 is associated with Mining 5.0 core technologies—Cloud Mining, post-mining, biochemical extraction of minerals and production of green hydrogen fuel from fossil hydrocarbons, which is expected after 2050. A conclusion is made about the need for a deep analysis of harmonizing the possibilities for the innovative development of fossil fuel sources and renewable energy for sustainable energy production in the upcoming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions is an extremely important area for the development of green and clean energy. In this work, a precursor material was successfully prepared via electrodeposition of two doping elements to construct a co-doped cobalt hydroxide electrocatalyst (Ru-Co(OH)2-Se). This approach was demonstrated to be an effective way to improve the performance of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The experimental results show that the material exhibited a smaller impedance value and a larger electrochemically active surface area. In the HER process, the overpotential was only 109 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. In addition, the doping of selenium and ruthenium effectively prevented the corrosion of the catalysts, with the (Ru-Co(OH)2-Se) material showing no significant reduction in the catalytic performance after 50 h. This synergistic approach through elemental co-doping demonstrated good results in the HER process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this regard, the authors give recommendations for the development of renewable energy in the Siberian Federal District, such as synchronizing the tightening of environmental requirements for fuel energy and stimulating investment in renewable energy, as well as subsidizing its non-industrial consumers. S. Zhironkin, F. Abu-Abed, and E. Dotsenko in their article [[8]] consider a unique process of renewable energy development in the Siberian macroregion, in which significant capacities of fuel energy and the old Soviet hydropower co-exist, against the background of an extremely low density population. Currently, global science is at the forefront of discussions concerning the transition to sustainable development [[1]], the search for incentives for Green Economy expansion, the acceleration of the energy transition associated with an increase in the share of renewable energy sources and its recovery, the development of new types of fuel, and waste recycling. Feeling proud of our participation in the editing and selection of articles for the Special Issue of I Energies i , I Economic and Technological Advances of Green Energy and Sustainable Development, i we would like to say thanks to the reviewers who have made a significant contribution to cutting the diamond of scientific thought in the field of green energy and sustainable development. [Extracted from the article]

In order to achieve China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (double carbon) targets and to advance ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, it is essential that China reduces its energy intensity and increases its energy efficiency. This research developed an evaluation index system for energy efficiency and green development in the Yellow River Basin based on panel data collected from 64 of its prefecture-level cities and covering the period from 2011 to 2020. Each city's energy efficiency and green development level index was calculated, and was analyzed together with the characteristics of its spatial pattern progression. The STIRPAT model was then used to investigate the influence mechanism of energy efficiency on green development. The final step in the analysis was to assess the process by which technical innovation influences the rise in energy efficiency from a green development point of view. The findings of this study indicate that: (1) There was a marked improvement in energy efficiency and green development levels across the Yellow River Basin over the study period of 2011 to 2020, but there are notable disparities among prefecture-level cities, with higher levels found in capital cities and cities in the lower reaches of the basin. (2) The improvement in energy efficiency has had a positive impact on the transition to green development, with factors such as human capital, urbanization levels, and the upgrading of industrial structures contributing significantly, while the level of foreign direct investment has had a limited impact. (3) Technological innovation plays a partial role in mediating the relationship between energy efficiency and green development in the Yellow River Basin, and passes the single-threshold test. When technological innovation surpasses the threshold value, the effect of energy efficiency on green development is significantly strengthened. This study indicates that improving energy efficiency, stimulating emerging industries, and enhancing technological innovation capabilities can significantly promote transformative green and high quality development in the Yellow River Basin of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the expansion of solar energy in Iran, considering political, economic, social, and technological factors. Due to the prolonged sanctions on Iran, the development of clean energy power plants has been either halted or significantly reduced. Hence, this study aims to identify barriers to the expansion of solar energy power plants and simulate solar power plants using PVsyst (Photovoltaic system) software. The study is unique in its approach of combining technical analysis with social sciences to facilitate the implementation of solar energy expansion in remote areas. This study focuses on two specific areas with high solar radiation, namely Darab and Meybod, which are located in Fars and Yazd provinces, respectively. Solar energy can be generated in these two areas due to their unique location with high levels of solar irritation. To achieve this goal, the technical analyses focuson simulating the performance of a 9 kWp (kilowatt 'peak' power output of a system) grid-connected polysilicon(poly-Si) photovoltaic plant for Darab and a 9.90 kWp plant for Meybod. The simulation is carried out to obtain maximum electricity production and evaluate parameters such as incident radiation, performance ratio, energy into the grid, energy output at the array, and losses. The produced energy for Darab was 20.40 MWh/year, with specific production of 2061 kWh/kWp/year, and the performance ratio (PR) was 81.26%. For Meybod, production was 20.70 MWh/year, with specific production of 2091 kWh/kWp/year, and the performance ratio (PR) was 80.88%. Through the PEST analysis, it is evident that strategic planning and appropriate actions are crucial at the provincial, national, and local levels for energy systems' development. This indicates that both governments and citizens should play an active role in supporting the expansion of energy systems by planning and creating awareness among the public to embrace and adopt energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes Green Jobs (GJs) in the energy sector. GJs are naturally created in the processes related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); this is especially visible in the 7th and 8th SDGs. There is currently a green transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources in the energy sector, and this mainly technological change also influences GJ creation. Despite this, there is a research gap related to green self-employment and GJ definitions. The goal of this paper is to explore the scientific literature collected from the Scopus database using a qualitative approach to present areas and keywords related to GJs in the energy sector. The adopted method is a Structured Literature Review (SLR), with the original query Q1. The retrieved data results of the SLR method were analyzed in the form of bibliometric maps of co-occurring keywords generated by the VOSviewer software, together with tables showing clusters of keyword features. As a result, the pivotal keywords and their clusters were identified. In this study, the most important scientific areas of GJ research in the energy sector were also indicated. This paper presents the current state of knowledge and the evolution of the subject of GJs in the energy sector, which can be useful for both researchers and practitioners. In the last section of this paper, possible new directions of future studies on the subject of GJ creation in the energy sector are identified. The limitations of this research and its practical implications are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the dynamic connection between green energy, employment, fossil fuel energy, and human development index including additional variables such as education, life expectancy, and poverty in panel data of 30 developing countries from 1990–2017. Previous studies analyzed the total energy consumption on the human development index, whereas the differential effect of green and fossil fuel energy with employment and human development index has not been examined. The empirical exercise is based on the panel co-integration test, panel fully modified ordinary least squares, dynamic ordinary least squares, and vector error correction estimation approaches. The results reveal that all variables are co-integrated. The results of regression analysis indicate that green energy, education, life expectancy, and employment increase the human development index, but fossil fuel energy and poverty decrease the human development index by −0.016 and 0.023%. In addition, the vector error correction model designates that there is bidirectional causality between green energy consumption and the human development index. Therefore, for developing countries, the development and utilization of green energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) are needed. Moreover, these countries should rely less on fossil fuel energy because it causes a decrease in the HDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global energy demand has unquestionably increased significantly in recent years. Nowadays, industries are very aware of global warming, and to save the environment, they produce green products with energy consumption. Day by day, energy use is increasing due to population, end-use markets of construction, transportation, industry, etc. But the energy limit is finite, whereas the daily use is rising, so the price is increasing. In this study, two situations have been shown in two models with renewable energy consumption. Model 1 analyzes the manufacturer and retailer's optimal green quality and sales price in two-echelon supply chain systems with centralized and decentralized cases. In this case, the retailer sells their products through three different channels: online, offline, and buy-online-pickup-in store, with three different selling prices. In Model 2, Manufacturer 1 and Manufacturer 2 produce green and regular products with renewable energy consumption. In this case, both manufacturers sell their products through three different channels: online, offline, and buy-online-pickup-in store, with three different selling prices. There is competition between substitutable products with respect to green quality and the selling price of the products. A hybrid channel policy is studied here to maximize the total profit with considering corporate social responsibility under renewable energy consumption. The study has been analyzed mathematically. The classical optimization approach and game theory are applied here to find the optimal values of procurement cost, selling price, and green quality development cost. A numerical study shows that the centralized system gives a better result to the manufacturer than the decentralized system. When the demand is a power function of the selling price, the manufacturer producing eco-friendly products gains 0.99 % more profit than the conventional product. This result shows that manufacturers creating eco-friendly products motivate other manufacturers to make eco-friendly products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to systemize global scholarly publications on corporate social responsibility and renewable energy to detect their influence on green brand development within the SDGs. The initial data are retrieved from the Scopus database. To operate with the most relevant publications, several limitations were applied. The research sample consists of the 2000 most cited articles in the subject areas of (1) Social Sciences, (2) Business, Management, and Accounting, and (3) Economics, Econometrics, and Finance. This study is carried out in the following logical sequence. The first stage involves searching, collecting, and preprocessing articles representing the investigated topic. Then, several bibliometric techniques were employed to analyze and map the findings. The third stage integrated the obtained results and discussed future research directions. This paper offers some theoretical implications by analyzing and visualizing the investigated scientific output, particularly publication dynamics, the main trends in the investigated research field, the most productive scholars and their collaborations, and the contributions of the journals, affiliations, and countries analyzed. In addition, this study makes some practical contributions and could be used by scholars as detailed instructions for conducting bibliometric analyses in different contexts. Furthermore, researchers could exploit and expand their current study directions using the findings of this paper. However, the findings of this study are limited since they consider only articles from the Scopus database. Therefore, it is appropriate that further studies involve a broader data range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eco-friendly and sustainable power production system constitutes the cornerstone of every country's strategic plan to tackle climate change and enhance energy resource autonomy. Carbon dioxide abatement in electricity generation, in addition to being a necessary condition for t "green" energy transition, can contribute greatly to cleaner industrial production and sustainable development. Emphasizing this key role of the power sector, the present research focuses on shedding light on the impact of renewable energy resources (RES), per capita gross domestic product (GDP), electricity gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) and urbanization in the CO2 intensity, and the sustainability level of electricity production. The analysis is based on a comprehensive dataset of 31 countries including 26 European countries, U.S.A., Japan, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 1995 until 2018. The econometric outcomes revealed the strong statistical significance of all variables and a plethora of causality relationships, upon which several policy suggestions are made. Interestingly, GDP per capita beyond a certain level can gradually become an aggravating factor for the electricity carbon footprint. Similarly, the vital role of RES in clean electricity production was confirmed as expected, yet surprisingly, this effect also appears to reverse after a certain percentage of total RES reliance. In contrast to urbanization, the electricity GFCF parameter is estimated to have an adverse effect on electricity CO2 intensity, indicating that the vast amount of new investments in the power sector concerns carbon-intensive technologies. Finally, a dynamic analysis is carried out, revealing to policy makers the necessary time frame after which the implementation of new energy policies can have the full impact on the carbon emissions of electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and implementation of public policies towards renewable energies are crucial in order to address the contemporary challenges faced by humanity. The 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), as a circular economic practice, are often cited as one of the best solutions for sustainable development. Therefore, this study analyzed public policies for renewable energy from the perspective of the circular economy. Accordingly, a systematic review of the literature was carried out with respect to the beneficiaries and convergences of circularities, with a focus on public policies for renewable energies. The sample had public policies classified into three types (distributive, redistributive, and regulatory policies). The results showed that the first studies began in 1999, with a significant increase in publications during the 2010s, in which Germany was the country with the greatest contribution. The analyses associated with space showed the countries committed to the use of renewable energies and the 3Rs of the circular economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The economic analyses revealed that the circular economy for the generation of renewable energy has a positive economic return in terms of social well-being and the mitigation of environmental degradation. There is a barrier to the circular economy's development posed by the cost of its implementation in the private sector and the resistance to raising awareness in society, requiring strong public sector engagement in decision making and the constant evaluation of public policies. It is concluded that the circular economy facilitates more efficient, productive structures and public policies, promoting alternatives for energy security and sustainability for the world energy matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on developing and utilizing renewable energy resources due to several factors, including environmental concerns, rising fuel costs, and the limited supply of conventional fossil fuels. The most appealing green energy conversion technology is solar energy, and its efficient application can help the world achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7: Access to affordable, clean energy. Irradiance, latitude, longitude, tilt angle, and orientation are a few variables that affect the functioning of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Additionally, environmental factors like dust accumulation and soiling of panel surfaces impact the cost of maintaining and producing electricity from a PV system. Dust characteristics (kind, size, shape, and meteorological elements), one of the largest factors affecting PV panel performance, need to be investigated to devise specific solutions for efficiently harnessing solar energy. The essential findings of ongoing investigations on dust deposition on the surface of PV structures and various mitigating measures to tackle soiling issues are presented in this review study. This comprehensive assessment critically evaluates the current research on the soiling effect and PV system performance improvement techniques to determine the academic community's future research priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving sustainable development goals depends on governance effectiveness within the penetration of digital technologies in all spheres and levels. Furthermore, the energy sector is a crucial inhibitor of sustainable development that depends on the efficacy of digital public services. In this case, the paper aims at analyzing the impact of e-governance on achieving sustainable development goals, particularly on affordable and clean energy. The object of research is EU countries in the period 2013–2019. The data are compiled from the databases of Eurostat, the World Data Bank, and the Sustainable Development Report. The study applies the following methods: the taxonomy method to measure the e-governance index, the fixed effect, the random effect, and a pooled OLS regression model to check the impact of e-governance on affordable and clean energy. The results outlined the leaders (Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Malta) and the outsiders (Romania, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Poland) in e-governance in 2019. The findings confirm the statistically positive impact of e-governance on extending affordable and clean energy. Thus, improving e-governance by 1 point causes the growth of renewable energy on average by 4.4 points. Furthermore, the industrial structures' improvement allows increasing renewable energy on average by 0.4 and the trade activization (economic openness) contributes to an increase of renewable energy on average by 0.1. The democracy level does not have a statistically significant impact on achieving sustainable development goals for EU countries. The empirical results show that the countries with high values of e-governance (Sweden, Latvia, Finland, Denmark, and Austria) achieve the highest values of the SDG7 Index Score. Thus, within EU countries, governance digitalization is the strategic inhibitor of SDG achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving towards RER has become imperative to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG). Renewable energy resources (RER) are characterized by uncertainty whereas, most of them are unpredictable and variable according to climatic conditions. This paper focuses on RER-based electrical power plants as a base to achieve two different goals, SDG7 (obtaining reasonably priced clean energy) and SDG13 (reducing climate change). These goals in turn would support other environmental, social, and economic SDG. This study is constructed based on two pillars which are technological developments and life cycle assessment (LCA) for wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal power plants. To support the study and achieve the main point, many essential topics are presented in brief such as fossil fuels' environmental impact, economic sustainability linkage to RER, the current contribution of RER in energy consumption worldwide and barriers and environmental effects of RER under consideration. As a result, solar and wind energy lead the RER electricity market with major contributions of 27.7% and 26.92%, respectively, biomass and geothermal are still of negligible contributions at 4.68% and 0.5%, respectively, offshore HAWT dominated other WT techniques, silicon-based PV cells dominated other solar PV technologies with 27% efficiency, combustion thermochemical energy conversion process dominated other biomass energy systems techniques, due to many concerns geothermal energy system is not preferable. Many emerging technologies need to receive more public attention, intensive research, financial support, and governmental facilities including effective policies and data availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the plan of the European Green Deal, the European Union assumed that by 2050 Europe will become the first climate-neutral continent in the world. This will be supported by alternative (renewable) energy sources (RESs), also termed green energy (GE). Their use should have long-term environmental benefits. To do this, it is necessary to skillfully select RES products. Therefore, the purpose is to develop a method for selecting devices that convert to GE, including not only qualitative criteria, but also environmental criteria and their price. The method is based on customer requirements and expert knowledge. The general concept of the method allows for the assessment of selected qualitative and environmental criteria of products and determining the price of purchase of these products. In a hybrid way, the following techniques were used: SMARTER method, brainstorming (BM), MAP method (alternative-punctual Czechowski' method), ACJ method (price–qualitative analysis). Based on the results of qualitative criteria assessments or qualitative and environmental criteria assessments, the customer can select the best product. The customer can also select products, including the price of purchase, based on results from ACJ. A test of the method was carried out for solar collectors. The results testify to the possibility of controlling the selection control. The originality of this study is the creation of an uncomplicated sequence of techniques that provide the customer with the choice of RESs. The novelty of the method is the possibility of evaluating any products. In this study, the method is dedicated to devices converting GE, e.g., solar collectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmentally friendly harvesting of wind energy is an effective technique for achieving carbon neutrality and a green economy. In this work, a core–shell triboelectric nanogenerator (CS-TENG) for harvesting wind energy is demonstrated and the device structure parameters are optimized. The core–shell structure enables the CS-TENG to respond sensitively to wind from any direction and generate electrical output on the basis of the vertical contact–separation mode. A single device can generate a maximum power density of 0.14 W/m3 and can power 124 light-emitting diodes. In addition, wind energy can be harvested even at a wind speed as low as 2.3 m/s by paralleling CS-TENGs of different sizes. Finally, a self-powered water quality testing system that uses the CS-TENG as its power supply is built. The CS-TENG exhibits the advantages of a simple structure, environmentally friendly materials, low cost, and simple fabrication process. These features are of considerable significance for the development of green energy harvesting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key areas of the UN's sustainable development goals is growing affordable and clean energy. Utilizing solar energy that is now accessible will significantly lessen the demand for fossil fuels. Around the world, cooking is a crucial activity for homes and uses a lot of non-renewable energy. Uncontrolled firewood usage results in deforestation, whereas using biomass-related fuels in inefficient stoves can result in smoke emanating from the kitchen and associated health issues. The benefits of solar cooking include reducing smoke-related problems and saving on fossil fuels and firewood. Applying thermal storage systems in cooking helps households have all-day cooking. This review article presents the research and development of a solar cooking system that transfers solar energy into the kitchen and integrates with the thermal energy storage system, finding the factors affecting indoor solar cooking performance. Adding portable cooking utensils helps in improved solar indoor cooking. Multiple phase change materials arranged in cascaded to store thermal energy helps in quick heat transfer rate, thus enabling better and faster cooking. A novel indoor solar cooker with an innovative arrangement of evacuated tube-based compound concentrating parabolic (CPC) collectors with a cascaded latent heat thermal energy storage system is proposed and needs to be tested under actual meteorological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing and underdeveloped countries face innumerable problems related to the accessibility and quality of energy that put the lives of patients, health-care infrastructures, and health workers at risk. Current approaches, such as grid power, unsustainable energy sources such as diesel or gas, and mobile health clinics, have proven insufficient to address this issue. In response, access to reliable health care and electricity has undergone multiple transformations in the last decade, especially in remote and rural areas. Good health and clean energy are two of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, originally designed to be a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future." Unfortunately, little is known about the interaction between health-care access and energy access in developing and underdeveloped countries, mainly in remote or rural areas. For this reason, this study conducts a review of the literature, including current approaches, challenges, and opportunities for the implementation of solar energy in health centers. As a result, several challenges and opportunities in three impact areas are presented: (1) operational, (2) environmental, and (3) economic. This study delivers detailed information that allows the implementation of solar energy in the health-care sector (in a more effective manner) by sharing best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global renewable energy landscape is changing rapidly. Green energies reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diversify the energy supply, and lower dependence on volatile and uncertain fossil fuel markets. The future looks promising for green energy sources, which are taking on an increasingly important role, especially in the current context, as governments are trying to identify viable solutions to the energy crisis and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Worldwide, there is a growing interest in and support for green energy sources, a factor that could help accelerate the current energy transition. Despite these positive developments, much remains to be done globally to make the energy transition a reality. In this respect, the European Union member states have committed to a wide neutrality target by establishing an increase in the total share of energy from renewable sources to 55% (by 2030) and, at the same time, reducing the net greenhouse gas effect emissions by at least 55% until 2030 to reach the neutrality target by 2050. Green energy sources are essential for long-term efforts to mitigate climate change and will play an important role in improving energy security and accessibility. The efforts of every country to strengthen the energy sector through the development of green energies will reduce geopolitical risks and disproportionate external costs for society. The large-scale use of green energies will contribute to sustainable development. The objective of our research is to review the literature on green energy in the context of sustainable development by analyzing research conducted by various authors and international organizations on these topics. The period considered for this study is 2011–2020. Our research focused on the EU 27, but the review also took into account the results obtained by other countries worldwide, such as China, the USA, Norway, and Iceland. The main research method used was the analysis of scientific papers, studies developed by international organizations, and a wide set of agreements and political commitments assumed by different states for developing green energy as a solution for sustainable development. The obtained results show an interesting international debate about green energies and how they can contribute to sustainable development. This paper's results also show that in 2019 at the global level, low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear power and renewable energy, accounted for 15.7% of primary energy (solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal and wave and tidal), while in 2021, for the EU 27, the share of energy from renewable sources reached 22%. According to international statistics, more than 90% of the governments of many countries are making investments to efficiently capitalize on green energy sources and to design new models of sustainable economic and social development, in order to lower pollution levels, reduce the dependence on fossil fuel imports and limit the climate change impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a raw material for clean energy supply for the new generation, the soybean is conducive to the realization of global energy transition and sustainable development in the context of "carbon neutrality". However, global warming has been affecting soybean yields in recent years. How to clarify the correlation between meteorological factors and soybean yields, so as to ensure the security of soybean growth and development and the stability of renewable energy development, is a key concern of the government and academia. Based on the data of temperature, precipitation, sunshine duration and active accumulated temperature during the soybean growing season in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 1951 to 2019, and soybean yield data of the city from 1985 to 2019, this paper adopted statistical methods such as the Trend Analysis Method, the Rescaled Range Analysis Method and so on to analyze the trends of yield changes, characteristics of abrupt changes and periodic patterns of climate factors and soybean yields in Hulunbuir. A Pearson Correlation Analysis and a Grey Relation Analysis were used to explore the correlation between climatic factors and soybean yields, followed by a comprehensive impact model of the combined effect of temperature and precipitation on soybean yields established by the Method of Integral Regression. The results showed that temperature and active accumulated temperature are the dominant factors affecting soybean yields in Hulunbuir, while the decrease in precipitation is unfavorable to the improvement of soybean yields. Meanwhile, temperature and precipitation have different effects on the growth and development of the soybean at different stages. The conclusion of this paper is of great practical significance for Hulunbuir to promote the sustainable development of clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proposal of China's green energy strategy, the research and development technologies of green energy such as wind energy and hydrogen energy are becoming more and more mature. However, the phenomenon of wind abandonment and anti-peak shaving characteristics of wind turbines have a great impact on the utilization of wind energy. Therefore, this study firstly builds a distributed wind-hydrogen hybrid energy system model, then proposes the power dispatching optimization technology of a wind-hydrogen integrated energy system. On this basis, a power allocation method based on the AUKF (adaptive unscented Kalman filter) algorithm is proposed. The experiment shows that the power allocation strategy based on the AUKF algorithm can effectively reduce the incidence of battery overcharge and overdischarge. Moreover, it can effectively deal with rapid changes in wind speed. The wind hydrogen integrated energy system proposed in this study is one of the important topics of renewable clean energy technology innovation. Its grid-connected power is stable, with good controllability, and the DC bus is more secure and stable. Compared with previous studies, the system developed in this study has effectively reduced the ratio of abandoned air and its performance is significantly better than the system with separate grid connected fans and single hydrogen energy storage. It is hoped that this research can provide some solutions for the research work on power dispatching optimization of energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study draws motivation from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a special focus on SDGs 7 and 13, which highlight the need for access to clean and affordable energy in an environment devoid of emissions; it addresses climate change mitigation in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. To this end, a carbon-income function setting for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is constructed. The dynamic relationship between financial development and climate change is evaluated using three indicators and foreign direct investment and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), while accounting for regulatory institutional quality using a "generalized method of a moment" estimation technique that addresses both heterogeneous cross-sectional issues. Empirical results obtained showed a positive statistical relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions in SSA at the <0.01 significance level. This suggests that, in SSA, the economic growth path is pollutant emissions driven. This indicates that SSA is still at the scale phase of her growth trajectory. However, an important finding from the present study is that regulatory institutional indicators, such as political stability, government effectiveness, control of corruption, and voice and accountability, all exert a negative effect on CO2 emissions. This implies that regulatory measures militate against emissions in SSA. Based on the empirical findings of this study, it can be concluded that clean FDI inflows assist in ameliorating emissions. Thus, the need for a paradigm shift to cleaner technologies, such as renewables, that are more eco-friendly, is encouraged in Sub-Saharan Africa, as the current study demonstrates the mitigating role of renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions. Further policy prescriptions are presented in the concluding section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from the use of fossil fuels to renewable and green energy is a worldwide challenge that must be seriously considered in order to ensure sustainable development and the preservation of the environment. The conversion of wet biomasses (i.e., sewage sludge) into energy through thermochemical processes in general and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in particular has been pointed out as an interesting and attractive approach for the energetic and agricultural valorization of the produced solid residues, named hydrochars. The success of such valorization options is highly dependent on these hydrochars' physico-chemical and energetic properties that are influenced not only by the type of the sludge (urban or industrial) and its nature (primary, secondary, or digested) but also by the HTC parameters, especially temperature, pressure, and residence time. This editorial provides a summary of the latest studies regarding the impact of the cited above parameters on the properties of the produced hydrochars. The economic and environmental feasibility of this process for sewage sludge management is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020, this paper employs the panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model to investigate the dynamic relationship between a green economy and energy utilization level. The results show that: (1) the green economic development level and energy utilization level of 30 provinces in China have been continuously enhancing in recent years, the increase in green economic development level is higher than energy utilization level, and the geographical characteristics of both levels are significant, decreasing from East to West; (2) the causal relationship between the green economy and the energy utilization level has passed the Granger test; the two have formed a relatively high-level balanced relationship over a long period, showing a benign and orderly development trend; (3) the green economy generates a positive pulse response on energy utilization level in the initial period, but the impulse response weakens in the period of lag 1, entailing the relationship needs to be further strengthened in the long term; (4) in the process of continuous enhancement of energy utilization level, it is difficult to drive economic benefits due to high input costs in the initial stage, but it can form a two-way interaction relationship with a green economy as time goes by. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is at the center of human society and drives the technologies and overall human well-being. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are widely used for system modeling, prediction, control, and optimization in the energy sector. The internet of things (IoT) is the core of the third wave of the information industry revolution and AI. In the energy sector, tens of billions of IoT appliances are linked to the Internet, and these appliances generate massive amounts of data every day. Extracting useful information from the massive amount of data will be a very meaningful thing. Complex event processing (CEP) is a stream-based technique that can extract beneficial information from real-time data through pre-establishing pattern rules. The formulation of pattern rules requires strong domain expertise. Therefore, at present, the pattern rules of CEP still need to be manually formulated by domain experts. However, in the face of complex, massive amounts of IoT data, manually setting rules will be a very difficult task. To address the issue, this paper proposes a CEP rule auto-extraction framework by combining deep learning methods with data mining algorithms. The framework can automatically extract pattern rules from unlabeled air pollution data. The deep learning model we presented is a two-layer LSTM (long short-term memory) with an attention mechanism. The framework has two phases: in the first phase, the anomalous data is filtered out and labeled from the IoT data through the deep learning model we proposed, and then the pattern rules are mined from the labeled data through the decision tree data mining algorithm in the second phase. We compare other deep learning models to evaluate the feasibility of the framework. In addition, in the rule extraction stage, we use a decision tree data mining algorithm, which can achieve high accuracy. Experiments have shown that the framework we proposed can effectively extract meaningful and accurate CEP rules. The research work in this paper will help support the advancement of the sector of air pollution prediction, assist in the establishment of air pollution regulatory strategies, and further contribute to the development of a green energy structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is taking place on a global scale and it is substantially affected by human activity, including increasing greenhouse gas emissions. One of the thematic objectives of EU's new financial objective is a more environmentally friendly low-emission Europe that promotes clean and fair energy transformation, green investments, and a circular economy, among others. The Polish economy is mainly based on energy production from conventional sources (fossil fuels). Considering that the demand for electricity in Poland is predicted to increase by as much as 50% until 2040, it is necessary to take action aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy sources. The subject of analysis is the Opolskie Voivodeship (a NUTS 2 type region), the capital of which features the biggest Polish coal power plant. In 2014–2019, it was expanded by two units with 1800 MW in total capacity, thereby indicating that investments in energy obtained from conventional sources are still implemented and to a large extent at that (the expansion has been the biggest infrastructural investment in Poland since 1989). The Opolskie region is characterised by substantial excess in acceptable environmental burden (dust pollution, among others). The aim of the paper is to evaluate the key environmental conditions for the Opolskie region's development in terms of the assumptions of the domestic and EU energy policies. The Opolskie region's developmental challenges in the environmental area were determined on the basis of selected indicator estimations up to 2030. The research hypothesis assumes that the environmental conditions for the Opolskie region's development are unfavourable. The methodological part features an analysis of the cause and effect dependencies in the "environment" area, which enabled an assessment of the Opolskie Voivodeship's current situation as well as an analysis of the dependencies relevant to the region's development. This was followed by an estimation of selected indicators in the "environment" area until 2030, which allowed for an assessment of their probable levels and thereby a specification of the region's development conditions. The estimation was conducted using the data available in public statistics, i.e., Statistics Poland's data. The indicators estimated for 2030 were presented using three forecasting methods: (a) the monotonic trend, (b) the yearly average change rate, and (c) the logarithmic trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable, stable, and cost-optimized operation of power grids must be the main objectives of power grid operators and electric utilities. The energy transition towards a preponderant green energy economy requires innovative solutions to enhance the power grid economic dispatches looking for a better allocation of the energy demand among the diverse renewable and fossil fuel energy plants. Green renewable energy systems must be preferred over fossil fuel generators when they are available. However, fossil plants are still required to be kept operational due to the variability and uncertainty of renewable energy plants. This study proposes a hybrid rational economic dispatch model that combines a cost minimization linear model enhanced with a fuzzy logic system for decision-making on wind and hydropower minimum and maximum generation levels. The model considers the intermittency of wind energy and recognizes the strategic value of hydropower as energy storage. The results of the model with real data taken from wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, nuclear, bioenergy, and fossil fuel power plants in the eastern region of Mexico show that a fairer, rational, and cost-optimized power grid economic dispatch can be achieved with the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]