Search

Abstract: The pulp and paper industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries worldwide. In 2007, it accounted for 5% of total global industrial energy consumption and 2% of direct industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. An energy audit is a primary step toward improving energy efficiency at the facility level. This paper describes a plant-wide energy audit aimed at identifying energy conservation and CO2 mitigation opportunities at a paper mill in Guangdong province, China. We describe the energy audit methods, relevant Chinese standards, methods of calculating energy and carbon indicators, baseline energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the audited paper mill, and nine energy-efficiency improvement opportunities identified by the audit. For each of the nine options, we evaluate the energy conservation and associated CO2 mitigation potential. The total technical energy conservation potential for these nine opportunities is 967.8terajoules (TJ), and the total CO2 mitigation potential is equal to 93,453tonnes CO2 annually, representing 14.4% and 14.7%, respectively, of the mill’s total energy consumption and CO2 emissions during the audit period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy conservation is a central concern of the current industrial world, where increasing efficient energy usage is the only way of reducing a high energy demand. In the present study the optimization of a pulp and paper mill with a cogeneration plant has been carried out. The optimization was realized with a methodology which includes exergy, exergoeconomics, thermoeconomics and pinch analysis. The proposed methodology was useful in determining not only the best plant operating conditions but also establishing the components or subsystems with the highest irreversibilities. As a result of the study, operation changes in the recovery boiler, the turbogenerator, the thermal treatment and the deaerator were realized. Due to the higher irreversibility in the actual evaporator line, a new line of evaporators was proposed. Also, an innovative heat recycling technology as to the use of heat transformers was proposed in order to reduce waste heat discharged to the atmosphere. The results obtained with the proposed methodology, which integrates the different optimization methods, allowed reaching higher efficiencies and lower operational costs than those obtained with the optimization methods working separately. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Achieving a transition to a low-carbon energy system is now widely recognised as a key challenge facing humanity. To date, the vast majority of research addressing this challenge has been conducted within the disciplines of science, engineering and economics utilising quantitative and modelling techniques. However, there is growing awareness that meeting energy challenges requires fundamentally sociotechnical solutions and that the social sciences have an important role to play. This is an interdisciplinary challenge but, to date, there remain very few explorations of, or reflections on, interdisciplinary energy research in practice. This paper seeks to change that by reporting on an interdisciplinary experiment to build new models of energy demand on the basis of cutting-edge social science understandings. The process encouraged the social scientists to communicate their ideas more simply, whilst allowing engineers to think critically about the embedded assumptions in their models in relation to society and social change. To do this, the paper uses a particular set of theoretical approaches to energy use behaviour known collectively as social practice theory – and explores the potential of more quantitative forms of network analysis to provide a formal framework by means of which to diagram and visualise practices. The aim of this is to gain insight into the relationships between the elements of a practice, so increasing the ultimate understanding of how practices operate. Graphs of practice networks are populated based on new empirical data drawn from a survey of different types (or variants) of laundry practice. The resulting practice networks are analysed to reveal characteristics of elements and variants of practice, such as which elements could be considered core to the practice, or how elements between variants overlap, or can be shared. This promises insights into energy intensity, flexibility and the rootedness of practices (i.e. how entrenched/established they are) and so opens up new questions and possibilities for intervention. The novelty of this approach is that it allows practice data to be represented graphically using a quantitative format without being overly reductive. Its usefulness is that it is readily applied to large datasets, provides the capacity to interpret social practices in new ways and serves to open up potential links with energy modelling. More broadly, a significant dimension of novelty has been the interdisciplinary approach, radically different to that normally seen in energy research. This paper is relevant to a broad audience of social scientists and engineers interested in integrating social practices with energy engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household energy consumption accounts for almost one third of global primary energy demand and significantly affects the environment. As such, it has served as a classic and compelling theme in the literature, with a range of studies having analyzed various aspects of household consumption, including energy conservation, energy poverty, and energy efficiency. Nonetheless, overall trends and frontiers in this research area have not been characterized and are poorly understood. This study aims to assess the current status, evolution, and emerging topics in this area through a bibliometric and network analysis of 1134 extracted publications from 1983 to 2018. This systematic review shows that nearly half the studies on household energy consumption were published in just three journals (namely, Energy Policy; Energy; and Energy Economics) with a focus on three areas (Environmental Sciences and Ecology; Energy and Fuels; Business and Economics). The findings also show that among contributing countries, the USA and China have the closest ties and wield the most academic influence. Furthermore, emerging and pioneering studies on behavioral interventions, energy conservation, and energy poverty and those pertaining to climate and electricity consumption may constitute the research frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For economical and efficient use of local multi-carrier energy systems, energy hubs (EHs) were introduced as the best solution. EHs as one type of distributed generation have made the use of multi-carrier energy systems attractive with better energy conservation. To achieve the economic and environmental objectives of the EH, the sizes of its components need to be optimally selected. In addition, to check the incentive of the EH, it must be studied under operation. For this reason, the economic dispatch of the EH is to be carried out. However, the two objectives of optimal design and optimal dispatch have been previously addressed as two separate problems one step after another. In this paper, a double-layer firefly based optimization algorithm is proposed to both optimally size and dispatch the EH components, simultaneously. The two problems are combined in one multi-objective optimization problem. The objectives are to minimize the total capital and operational cost of the EH, minimize the system emission, and maximize the cost of exported energy to the network. The proposed algorithm is effectively applied to a commercial facility (hospital) as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper introduces a growth model that considers the indicator of economic complexity as a measure of capabilities for exporting the high value-added (sophisticated) products. Empirically, the paper analyzes the effects of the renewable and the non-renewable energy consumption on the economic growth in the panel data of 29 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for the period from 1990 to 2013. For this purpose, the paper considers the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and the panel quantile regression (PQR) estimations. The paper finds that not only the economic complexity, but also both the non-renewable and the renewable energy consumption are positively associated with a higher rate of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in developing Inter-Plant Heat Integration (IPHI) methods for reducing energy consumptions and emissions beyond that of independent plants. However, practical IPHI problems present complexities as boundaries for simultaneous intra- and inter-plant heat integration are considered. Pinch Analysis (PA) can mitigate these complexities by elucidating design insights before developing more detailed inter-plant Heat Exchanger Networks (HENs). In this paper, a novel screening algorithm based on PA and the theoretical maximum inter-plant heat recovery potential Q r e c max is proposed for practical IPHI problems. By using this screening algorithm, a large-scale IPHI problem including multiple plants is divided into several smaller sections with each section including two or three plants. Utilizing this algorithm allows for easier calculation and improved total heat recovery potentials approaching to Q r e c max . The final inter-plant HEN configuration(s) for the segregated IPHI scheme(s) are easily developed separately using PA or Mathematical Programming (MP). Before these two steps, the selection of participating streams for IPHI from individual plants is also recommended. Finally, a mathematical model is used to determine the inter-plant HEN configuration(s) in the companion paper of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impacts of high technology exports on energy consumption, energy intensity, and carbon intensity for a panel of six GCC economies covering a period of 1990 to 2017. For detailed empirical analysis, we employ panel techniques to explore the linkages between high technology exports and energy efficiency in GCC countries. The empirical results demonstrate that high technology exports help to reduce overall energy demand with −0.154% and energy intensity with −0.254% in GCC countries. Notably, we observe that effects on technology exports on carbon intensity are significantly lower in magnitude with −0.010%. Notably, the long empirics are in consistent with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) of GCC countries (cleaner and affordable energy, environmental awareness, climate change action, etc.). The findings suggest that new and innovative energy conservation policies should be introduced to promote energy efficient equipment's and technologies for cleaner and greener growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric energy transport theories are still a debatable subject regarding their validity and applicability in various aspects. This paper includes a comparative study of the group of theories which are categorized as instantaneous theories as opposed to periodic-averaged ones. As a preliminary review this paper presents first the three apparent power definitions in order to emphasize the difference between them. A discussion regarding their accuracy for energy metering of various conditions such as multiphase and non-sinusoidal environments is presented. Instantaneous theories are then reviewed and compared with periodic averaged theories. The review focuses mainly on p-q theory ( PQT ) and its derivative, instantaneous multi-phase theory. The legacy application of this theory for active filtering is briefly presented and the new idea of using the theory for multi-load and multi-source theory is presented as well. The comparison identifies the similarities and differences between the instantaneous and periodic averaging theories, and their inter-relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Increasing attention is being paid to the energy efficiency in metro systems to reduce the operational cost and to advocate the sustainability of railway systems. Classical research has studied the energy-efficient operational strategy and the energy-efficient system design separately to reduce the traction energy consumption. This paper aims to combine the operational strategies and the system design by analyzing how the infrastructure and vehicle parameters of metro systems influence the operational traction energy consumption. Firstly, a solution approach to the optimal train control model is introduced, which is used to design the Optimal Train Control Simulator(OTCS). Then, based on the OTCS, the performance of some important energy-efficient system design strategies is investigated to reduce the trains' traction energy consumption, including reduction of the train mass, improvement of the kinematic resistance, the design of the energy-saving gradient, increasing the maximum traction and braking forces, introducing regenerative braking and timetable optimization. As for these energy-efficient strategies, the performances are finally evaluated using the OTCS with the practical operational data of the Beijing Yizhuang metro line. The proposed approach gives an example to quantitatively analyze the energy reduction of different strategies in the system design procedure, which may help the decision makers to have an overview of the energy-efficient performances and then to make decisions by balancing the costs and the benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heat transfer intensification for shell and tube heat exchangers is an efficient technique to increase energy saving when retrofitting heat exchanger networks (HENs). Such intensification has been widely studied in the process industry in recent years from the point of view of individual heat exchangers. By implementing intensified techniques in existing exchangers, higher heat transfer coefficients can be achieved, leading to higher heat exchange duties in the existing matches, which can improve the overall energy recovery without the necessity to change the HEN configurations [1–3]. The conventional intensification techniques include tube-side enhancements (internal tube fins, twisted-tape inserts, and coiled-wire inserts), and shell-side enhancements (external tube fins, and helical baffles). Combining several enhancement techniques can achieve higher energy saving compared with single technique implementing. However, existing papers rarely considered different intensification techniques in the same case to compare their performances and examine combinations. It is difficult to identify which intensification technique is more suitable in a certain exchanger, or which combinations of intensification techniques are expected to contribute the most positively to the compound augmentation. Thus, this paper focuses on the recent advances on tube-side and shell-side enhancement techniques, and investigates their performances to obtain substantial economic benefits in intensified heat exchangers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

Presently, electricity is being generated at remotely located centralized generating stations. The generated power is transmitted to the dispersed consumers through the transmission and distribution networks at specified voltage and frequency. The transmission networks are designed smartly and operate in intelligent manner. However, the distribution networks are designed only for unidirectional flow of power. There is an urgent need to generate power from the available renewable energy sources at or near to the consumers end. The main issue arises when distributed generators are incorporated with the nearby available distribution networks. This paper proposes the advanced power system configuration which allows the integration of conventional energy generation and renewable energy sources efficiently. The proposed power system configuration has been simulated using MATLAB/ simulink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional energy strategy defines an energy system vision (the goal), energy scenarios with technical choices and an implementation mechanism (such as economic incentives). Due to the lead of a generic vision, when applied in a specific regional context, such a strategy can deviate from the optimal one with, for instance, the lowest environmental impacts. This paper proposes an approach for developing energy strategies by simultaneously, rather than sequentially, combining multiple energy system visions and technically feasible, cost-effective energy scenarios that meet environmental constraints at a given place. The approach is illustrated by developing a residential heat supply strategy for a Swiss region. In the analyzed case, urban municipalities should focus on reducing heat demand, and rural municipalities should focus on harvesting local energy sources, primarily wood. Solar thermal units are cost-competitive in all municipalities, and their deployment should be fostered by information campaigns. Heat pumps and building refurbishment are not competitive; thus, economic incentives are essential, especially for urban municipalities. In rural municipalities, wood is cost-competitive, and community-based initiatives are likely to be most successful. Thus, the paper shows that energy strategies should be spatially differentiated. The suggested approach can be transferred to other regions and spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A full understand of the influential mechanism concerning electricity consumption has a crucial political reference significance for the implementation of energy conservation and consumption reduction policies. To solve the lack of correlation between the empirical results of the research regions in present researches, this paper takes China's electricity consumption from 1995 to 2016 as the research subject, uses Multi-period ST-LMDI model by setting a unified reference province as a benchmark for different regions in China to completely decompose the changes in China's electricity consumption, and further analyzes the influence mechanism of China's electricity consumption changes by combining the characteristics of the departments and regions. As the result, it's found that the economic growth has a strong impetus for power consumption while the technological progress can effectively curb it. Meanwhile, results of studying electricity consumption from the perspective of industry and region show that the economic structure and consumption intensity have obviously different influences in the eastern, central and western regions. So when it comes to formulate the policy for electricity development and reform, the characteristics of industrial structure as well as the regional differences must be taken into consideration. Highlights • We apply Multi-period ST-LMDI to decompose China's electricity consumption. • The expansion of the economy is the main factor for the growth of electricity consumption. • Decline in electricity consumption intensity restrain the growth of power consumption. • All industrial sectors basically had positive effects on electricity consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The global cheese-making industry processes approximately one quarter of total raw milk production to create a variety of consumer cheeses, and cheese processing can be very energy-intensive. Characterizing energy usage in existing cheese markets and plants can provide baseline information to allow comparisons of energy performance of individual plants and systems. In this paper, we analyzed energy data compiled through extensive literature reviews on cheese-making across various countries and regions. The study has found that the magnitudes of average final energy intensity exhibited significant variations, ranging from 4.9 to 8.9MJ per kg cheese across a few countries. In addition, the final energy intensity of individual plants exhibited even more significant variations, ranging from 1.8 to 68.2MJ per kg of cheese from the countries in this study. These significant differences have indicated large potential energy savings'' opportunities in the sector. The paper also indicates that there are positive association between implementation of energy measures and the decreasing trends of specific energy consumption over time, and suggests that developing and promulgating an energy-benchmarking framework including a process step approach and efficiency measures should be recommended for evaluating energy performance and improving energy efficiency in cheese-making industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There are many kinds of methods to estimate the energy requirement or fuel consumption in the optimal design and minimize the life cost of a building. The bin method is one of the most popular ways to estimate the energy performance of a building, which is based on the hourly-based outdoor dry-bulb temperatures of all days in a whole year. There is lack of information about the bin weather data in China. In this paper, the ambient temperature bin data for 26 cities in China are generated. Based on the method used in this paper, the bin data can be calculated with the long-term daily weather record or TMY weather data, the deviation between them is acceptable. The bin data given in this paper may have the positive impact on building energy conservation in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The application of building-integrated photovoltaic technology has developed very rapidly in recent years. This paper presents a review of the development of the BIPV applications in major countries around the world. It is found that demonstration projects can help the promotion of the technology at the beginning of any BIPV programmes, but the government energy policy and incentive strategies play a critical role for its sustainable development. Based on our experience of BIPV research and consultancy projects completed in Hong Kong, the past, current and future application of this technology is summarized. The future potential of BIPV contribution can be a substantial part of the demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present paper deals with the energy performance, energy classification and rating and the global environmental quality of school buildings. A new energy classification technique based on intelligent clustering methodologies is proposed. Energy rating of school buildings provides specific information on their energy consumption and efficiency relative to the other buildings of similar nature and permits a better planning of interventions to improve its energy performance. The overall work reported in the present paper, is carried out in three phases. During the first phase energy consumption data have been collected through energy surveys performed in 320 schools in Greece. In the second phase an innovative energy rating scheme based on fuzzy clustering techniques has been developed, while in the third phase, 10 schools have been selected and detailed measurements of their energy efficiency and performance as well as of the global environmental quality have been performed using a specific experimental protocol. The proposed energy rating method has been applied while the main environmental and energy problems have been identified. The potential for energy and environmental improvements has been assessed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the development of the active distribution system (ADS) and multi-microgrids (MGs), increasing numbers of distributed energy resources are connected to distribution networks (DNs) using MGs. The competition between DN and MGs brings a huge challenge to efficient power system dispatching. For the strong decentralized and autonomous characteristic of ADS, this paper proposes an autonomous optimization model of the active distribution system with MGs based on analytical target cascading theory (ATC). DNs and MGs are regarded as topics of different interest. Based on their detailed models, ATC theory is proposed to decouple the dispatching of DNs and MGs by modeling the tie-line flow as a pseudo-generator/load, so that MGs and DNs can autonomously utilize their distinct resources to optimize their operation and economic benefits. Various uncertain factors are also considered by using chance-constrained programming. A modified IEEE 33 system and an actual regional DN are studied to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-driving is one of the many options to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from transit operations. However, it is not yet clear how effective eco-driving is for different transit service and fuel types. As policymakers consider implementing eco-driving, they also need comparisons of eco-driving against other fuel-conserving strategies, such as purchasing alternative fuel vehicles. Using a case study of transit operations in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, this paper evaluated eco-driving for two very different service types – local urban service and express service. The authors simulated the implementation of transit eco-driving strategies using an innovative, streamlined algorithm designed to minimize fuel consumption by limiting instantaneous vehicle specific power while maintaining average speed and conserving total distance. Fuel consumption and fuel-cycle emissions were compared across the monitored driving cycles and their modified eco-driving cycles. The savings from eco-driving were also compared to fuel and emissions reductions expected via the conversion of the transit fleets to compressed natural gas (CNG), another popular fuel conservation strategy. The results showed that eco-driving would be a potentially very cost-effective strategy for local and express bus transit operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste energy recovery and utilization presents a crucial opportunity in primary energy reduction and energy efficiency improvement for the global iron and steel industry. However, lack of comprehensive and practical methodology, the exact quantity of waste energy is often poorly quantified. This paper develops an innovative techno-economic model to quantify this opportunity that links theoretical, technical, and economic potential with the characteristics of waste energy resources and waste recycling technologies. Various forms of waste energy, such as sensible heat, pressure energy, and chemical energy, were examined. In addition, four scenarios were established to evaluate future energy saving potential and energy consumption reduction under the synergistic effect of technology promotion and structure adjustment. Findings show that the proportion of practical potential is less than 20% when considering the technical implementation rate for the average industry value. The selected 35 energy-saving technologies contribute to 3.08 GJ/t crude steel of cumulative energy savings, and technology implementation plays a significant role in energy consumption reduction. A sensitivity analysis indicates that energy price and discount rate are the most sensitive factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Arabia is renowned for its full reliance on fossil fuel energy and lack of an energy regulatory framework for its built environment. The paper focuses on the domestic sector and aims to: (a) establish levels of energy reduction, informed by leading standards (such as Passivhaus in Germany), that can be achieved taking into account the complex local socio-cultural context and environmental factors, and (b) propose a low energy reference definition with a view of encouraging energy retrofitting programs and enforcing domestic low carbon interventions. An energy simulation environment is employed to simulate and analyze energy consumption patterns of three proposed low carbon prototype houses that reflect current house typology and space layout in the country. The three proposed homes offer a reduction in energy consumption of up to 71.6%, compared with similar houses. Based on these findings, a domestic energy performance reference is proposed with energy consumption ranging between 77 kWh/m 2 and 98 kWh/m 2 . Economic and environmental benefits are discussed as well as recommendations for enforcing low carbon design in the country and across the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile operators face continuous challenge of enhancing network capacity and coverage so as to meet demand for ubiquitous high-speed mobile data connectivity. Unfortunately, these enhancements are typically accompanied by increased burden of network energy consumption. Heterogeneous network (HetNet) deployments of a large number of low power small base stations (SBS) to complement existing macro base stations is an approach that increases network capacity but potentially reduces overall network energy consumption. The SBS backhaul links in HetNets present a significant powering burden. In this paper, we show how self backhauling of SBS can reduce overall network power demand. A backhaul-energy consumption model is developed and used to investigate the energy efficiency of different backhauling options. We note that significant energy savings could be achieved through the use of self-backhauling when compared with the conventional microwave backhauling. The results presented would provide guidelines for energy- and cost-efficient backhaul implementation for future HetNets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in the advancement of hydrokinetic energy conversion (HEC) technology has grown substantially in recent years. The hydrokinetic industry has advanced beyond the initial testing phase and will soon install demonstration projects with arrays of full-scale devices. By reviewing the current state of the industry and the cutting edge research this paper identifies the key advancements required for HEC technology to become commercially successful at the utility scale. The primary hurdles are: (i) reducing the cost of energy, (ii) optimizing individual turbines to work in concert considering array and bathymetry effects, (iii) balancing energy extraction with environmental impact, and (iv) addressing socioeconomic concerns. This review is split into three primary sections. The first section provides an overview of the HEC technology systems that are most likely to be installed in commercial arrays. The second section is an in-depth literature review. The literature review is sub-divided into five areas that are positioned to significantly impact the viability of HEC technology: (i) site assessment, (ii) turbine design, (iii) turbine wake modeling, (iv) array performance, and ( v ) environmental impact. The final section presents an outlook for the HEC industry and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the biomass resulting from the processing of olive oil, in order to evaluate, in terms of economic sustainability, its importance in energy processes and the use of alternative paths other than the normal disposal process of the residues of the oil industry productive chain. Attention has been focused on the manufacturer of “Valdemone DOP” extra virgin olive oil, located in Sicily (Italy), in order to evaluate the possible energy recovery, directly by the farmer, of by-products of the production chain of olive oil, in order to make the whole process more efficient, using the scraps from the mill directly on site. The economic analysis aims at identifying measures for energy recovery from by-products; in order to reduce the incidence of the cost of waste disposal on the cost of the production of the oil; to energy conservation through the use of by-products as renewable fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to electricity is limited in rural areas of Myanmar, where the majority of the population live. Myanmar׳s rich solar resource and the recent price drop in solar PV modules indicate initial suitability for rural solar electrification systems to meet the electricity demand. In many parts of Myanmar, women are responsible for supporting the family financially. The ability of rural women in Myanmar to take advantage of solar PV powered services to improve their lives depends on concurrent progress towards addressing the many dimensions of gender equality – empowerment, health, education, opportunity, voice, representation, and livelihood-in rural locations. This paper examines the barriers of solar PV applications and the potential for women led solar PV enterprise development in rural Myanmar. Although the entrepreneurial process is the same for men and women in theory, in practice different factors e.g. social/cultural, religion, economic and educational ultimately result in the disadvantaged status of women-led enterprises. Therefore, widespread and long-term eventuation of this potential in Myanmar depends on a government committed to renewable energy resources for rural electrification and to diligently and holistically addressing geographical, political, educational, financial, ethnic and technical barriers to the empowerment of a rural, female population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewables are going to make our planet a better place to live. These clean resources of energy can bring a handful of advantages to the future electricity industries. Nevertheless, the large percentage of renewables integration can cause some operational issues, in power systems, which are needed to be identified and coped with. This paper defines, classifies and discusses the latest flexibility treatments in power system based on a comprehensive literature study. The current work specifically considers the abilities, barriers, and inherent attributes of power systems’ potential to deal with high integration of Variable Generations (VGs) in future flexible power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, India and Pakistan (CIP) contain almost 40% of the world population and constitute a developing region which is desperately seeking energy resources to fulfill the growing economy requirements. CIP are three main countries of South Eastern Asia with nuclear capability and have greater potential of energy sharing for the regional prosperity and socio economic development. The total energy consumption of China and India is 3682.15 Million tons of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) which is approximately 28% of the world. The energy consumption of Pakistan is far less i.e. 85.75 MTOE however, it can play a pivotal role by providing energy sharing opportunities in the region. This paper presents a comparative and comprehensive review of CIP renewable energy sectors and possible sharing opportunities. Cleaner and abundant Renewable Energy Sources (RES) like hydro, solar, wind, biomass, nuclear and geothermal have been discussed and compared in context of CIP energy requirements. CIP relations and energy sharing opportunities have also been elaborated in context of regional peace and security situation. Exploitation of the CIP energy potential and energy sharing opportunities might contribute to global peace and prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the present scenario of cooking fuel in India. Increasing demand of LPG and its impact on Indian economy has been discussed. In context to the current cooking fuel scenario in India, DME blended LPG has been recognized as a potential fuel substitute for LPG. To analyse the potential of DME as a fuel, the review compares its properties with those of propane, butane and natural gas that are relevant to combustion application. Current status of DME combustion research, related to combustion mechanism, laminar burning velocity and characteristics of premixed and diffused flames of DME has been reviewed in detail. Current status of DME–LPG blend performance has also been reviewed. Based on this current review, bio-DME has been identified as most suitable form of DME production for India. However, need for further optimization of DME–LPG blend ratio, development of reduced mechanism for DME–LPG oxidation, further study of DME diffusion flame and development of DME–LPG blend dedicated burner has been identified as major challenges towards making DME as a substitute blending fuel for LPG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper develops a model to optimize the daily operation of a hybrid energy system consisting of a hydrokinetic, a pumped hydro storage system and diesel generator. The optimization approach is aimed at minimizing the cost function subject to the availability of water resource, the variable load requirements, and operational constraints of the hybrid system’s components. The main purpose of the developed model is to minimize the daily amount of diesel fuel consumed to supply the load while maximizing the use of the hydrokinetic operating in conjunction with the pumped hydro storage. For simulation purposes, the hourly load demand, resource data for a selected rural area in South Africa have been collected and used as an input to the developed model. The economic analysis has resulted in the calculation of optimized daily operation cost of the proposed hybrid system in summer and winter conditions. The obtained results demonstrate that a substantial reduction in the daily operation cost can be achieved (88% in summer and 97% in winter) using the hybrid system compare to the case where the diesel generator is used alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a simple and fast re-configuration algorithm which is suitable for a PV array with Series–Parallel architecture is presented and discussed. The main advantage of such an algorithm is represented by its capability to find a nearly optimal configuration by testing only a very small subset of all the possible configurations. In particular it is shown that, in an actual PV array composed by 24 PV modules which operate under mismatching conditions (which are quite common in urban environments due to chimneys, streets lighting poles, antennas, neighboring buildings, etc.), the proposed algorithm is able to lead to energetic performances which are more or less comparable with those ones which can be obtained by adopting a Monte Carlo based algorithm employing a much higher number of trials. Moreover, by means of a specific example, it is shown that maximization of extracted energy and absence of dangerous operating conditions, possibly leading to the premature aging of the PV field and/or to hot spot phenomena, are contrasting requirements. It is nonetheless possible to find proper configurations able to lead to a suitable compromise between such two contrasting requirements. Further work is needed and is in progress in order to design suitable re-configuration algorithms able to identify such compromise configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric power industry is a typical industry with high energy consumption and high emissions in China. To relieve the increasing environmental pressures and promote the sustainable development of China’s economy and society, it is urgent to take actions to reduce energy consumption and pollution emissions of China’s electric power industry. In this paper, we first present an overview of the development status of China’s electric power industry, including the total power generating capacity and proportions of different power generation methods, the development of renewable energy power generation, as well as the average utilization hours of different power generation equipment. Then, the development of energy conservation and emissions reduction of China’s electric power industry is studied. The indicators of energy conservation include coal consumption for power supply, power consumption rate of power plants and comprehensive line loss rate; while the contents of emissions reduction include desulfurization, emissions control and the comprehensive utilization of solid waste. Finally, suggestions in five aspects to promote energy conservation and emissions reduction of China’s electric power industry are presented. The five suggestions are improving power generation technologies, expanding renewable energy power generation, optimizing power generation process, strengthening monitoring and regulation, and promoting power generation rights and emissions trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fuels production peaks, declines and depletions depend on their proved reserves, exploration and consumption rates. Worldwide proven oil, gas and coal reserves are 1688 billion barrels (Bb), 6558 trillion cubic feet (TCF) and 891 billion tons (Bt) being consumed at rates of 0.092 Bb, 0.329 TCF and 7.89 BT per day, respectively. The oil, gas and coal reserves are increasing at the rate of 600 million barrels (Mb), 400 billion cubic feet (BCF) and 19.2 Giga tons of oil equivalents (GTOE) per year. While the rate of annual increase in consumption of oil, gas and coal is 1.4 Mb, 4.5 BCF and 3.1 million tons (Mt). Global annual energy demand of over 12 billion tons of oil equivalent (BTOE) results in the emission of 39.5 Giga tons of carbon dioxide (Gt-CO 2 ), and the annual CO 2 emission would increase up to 75 Gt-CO 2 when future energy demand will rise to 24–25 BTOE. Oil, gas and coal may continue to exist for next several decades, yet the energy transition to low carbon intensity fuels is necessary to cope with rampant climate change. Renewable and alternative energy sources hold key to the solution of twin problems, energy and climate change, with a high initial investment. Transition from fossil fuels to sustainable and renewable energy resources of 150 Petawatt hours (PWh) requires major investment and innovatory technologies. Perhaps CO 2 and H 2 O based fuel systems would facilitate climate change and grand energy transition. An energy mix consisting of fossil fuels, hydrogen, bio-fuels, and renewable energy sources seems to be a good initiative. This paper reviews evidence of hydrocarbons decline scenarios and timelines of future energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With low energy intensity and great potential for growth, the commercial sector has become one of the key sectors for energy conservation and emission reduction in the context of China's rapid urbanization process. Based on the EIA (Energy Information Administration) statistical methods, this paper calculates the energy consumption of China's commercial sector from 1981 to 2012, specifies the determinants of commercial energy demand, forecasts future energy consumption and estimates the energy conservation potentials using the Johansen co-integration methodology. The results indicate: (i) GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and urbanization have positive effects on the energy consumption of the commercial sector while labor productivity and energy price contribute to reduction in the sector's energy consumption. (ii) Under the basic scenario, energy consumption of the commercial sector will be 317.34 and 469.84 Mtce (million tons of coal equivalent) in 2015 and 2020 respectively. (iii) Under the moderate and advanced scenario, about 187.00 and 531.45 Mtce respectively of the energy consumption of the commercial sector can be conserved from 2013 to 2020. The findings have important implications for policy-makers to enact energy-saving policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The first objective of this paper is to map the adoption of technologies for the reduction of energy and resource consumption in production and the second is to test the relationship between the implementation of those technologies and the performance of manufacturing firms. The aim is to contribute to the identification of the characteristics of the manufacturing firms that use this kind of innovative technology in order to help policy makers promote energy and resource efficiency in a suitable manner. Our research is based on the Spanish and Slovenian subsamples of a wider European Manufacturing Survey. Our suggested models explain how significant energy efficiency is, and how much of the variability in economic performance and environmental performance it can explain. The results show that the use of energy and material saving technologies does not have a clear and significant relationship with economic performance. On the other hand a significant positive relationship is found between energy and material saving technologies and environmental performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low-income housing constitutes an important but often overlooked area for energy use reductions within the US residential sector. Given the scarcity of existing information on this subject, this study uses a semi-structured interview format to explore the key behavioral tendencies, energy knowledge gaps, and attitudes among low-income public housing residents, with the goal of demonstrating a process for developing, scoring, and analyzing the interviews that will be useful to other researchers when first engaging complex subjects like behavior in contexts that are not well covered by existing literature. Methods for sampling subjects and iteratively developing an interview guide and response-scoring framework are described, and the usefulness of this approach in allowing both quantitative and qualitative analysis of behavior response data is demonstrated. The paper concludes by illustrating how themes that emerge from the response analysis can be used to inform future surveying and intervention efforts. Key themes include the varying definitions for “comfort” amongst residents; the lack of resident control over the household environment; the tendency for residents to evaluate energy conservation measures (ECMs) in terms of costs, savings, and comfort; the muted differences in behavior between those who do and do not pay energy bills; and the importance of building maintenance and resident energy education to ongoing efficiency efforts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recently, the concept of net zero energy buildings has become a major topic in the R&D work on future buildings. In order to achieve a zero energy balance on annual level energy saving and energy efficiency measures have to be fully exploited. However, a demand for active heating and/or cooling will remain in most buildings and under most climatic conditions. Solar energy is the main on-site renewable energy source which can be used to achieve a high fraction of renewable energies to cover the remaining energy demand in buildings. Main energy needs in buildings are due to heating and/or cooling, depending on local climatic conditions and type of building. In this paper principle ways of covering part of the demand for heating, cooling and domestic hot water by using solar technologies are discussed and a design study of a solar thermally driven heating and cooling system for a virtual hotel is presented. A model of the same hotel has been investigated under various climatic conditions in order to study the impact of sizing of key components on the overall performance. In addition an analysis of economic performance is presented for the example of the location Malta in Mediterranean Sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Buildings are the most important economical sector in the world but also the major contributors of environmental damage, from the sourcing of raw materials through to the energy used for their functioning and to the disposal of their elements once their life cycle comes to an end. Almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the use of buildings and houses alone account for more than 30% of all primary energy demand. In an attempt to reduce this impact, the British Government is pushing towards the development of energy efficient and zero carbon buildings, both in new construction and in the existing stock. But how is the market receiving such buildings? Are energy efficient buildings gaining a competitive advantage in the current marketplace? In some countries such as The Netherlands, energy efficient houses reach values 2.8% higher on average than normal houses. In the UK the Sustainability Property Index (ISPI) reveals that, for the properties examined in 2010, regular properties delivered a cumulative total return of −10.8%, compared with −14.9% for more energy efficient ones. This is bad news considering the higher capital investment usually needed to achieve zero carbon buildings. The current reality in the UK market seems to be that people may not (yet) be willing to pay more rent for energy efficient buildings. As rent and capital value are inexorably linked, whether or not a building is zero carbon does not yet seem to be affecting property value. This paper does not present definitive answers but discusses possible reasons for that through two case studies and their positions in the marketplace, and suggests that the situation may change as energy prices increase and buildings acquire a potential ‘earning capacity’ through the use of renewable energy technologies and feed-in tariffs. The introduction of Energy Performance Certificates has also started to impact on the market. Could energy efficient buildings become a property sector in their own right in the near future, with premium priced accordingly? Or is simply that we do not yet have an ability to identify from the data whether the market is differentiating? [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The causal relationship between economic growth and energy consumption represents a widely studied topic in energy economics literature. Although it is well known that there is a strong correlation between energy consumption and economic growth, the issue of causality is still controversial. The paper investigated the causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Kenya using published data. By using the Ganger-causality Error Correction Model, the results suggest that economic growth causes energy consumption in Kenya. The implication of the study is that energy conservation measures would not lead to negative effects on the country's economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Solar energy technologies offer a clean and renewable energy source, and are essential components of a sustainable energy future. The current paper presents a method for technical–economic optimization of an autonomous photovoltaic system. The principal objective of this study is to find the optimum characteristics of a photovoltaic system, able to accomplish the energy requirements of a given load distribution, for a specific site. Mathematical models are exploited to analyze the working of the photovoltaic system. These models present an estimation of the recovered solar energy anywhere and anytime, an evaluation of the electric energy produced by a photovoltaic generator and a determination of the storage unit characteristics. Then, the optimizing step is done based on lack of energy to generate probability (LEGP), percentage of the surplus of energy produced (PSEP) and the cost of the kilowatt-hour produced (C kWh). A case study has been presented to determine the optimal system configuration used to satisfy the requirements of a typical residential home located in Sfax, Tunisia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Restricting energy imports and total primary energy supply are the two direct policy options used for the improvement of energy security. Restricting energy imports directly reduces energy import dependency, which leads to diversification of energy resources and ultimately enhances energy security, while total energy supply reduction affects energy security through the diversification of efficient technology mix and energy resources supply mix. This paper examines the effects of restricting energy import and primary energy supply on the diversification of energy resources, technology mix in energy, supply-side and demand-side, energy efficiency, energy conservation and energy security during the planning horizon 2005-2050. The analysis is based on a long-term integrated energy system model of Pakistan using the MARKAL framework to analyse the long-term effects of different policy options during 2000-2035. The effects related to energy security are represented through a set of energy security indicators, such as energy import dependency, diversification of energy resources through DOPED and SWI, and vulnerability. The study finds that energy import dependency, diversification of energy resources, and vulnerability show an improvement under energy import restriction as compared to the base case. Diversification of energy resources and vulnerability improve under primary energy supply restriction as compared to the base case, while energy import dependency deteriorates under the primary energy supply case. Therefore, for the enhancement of energy security, restricting energy import is a better option than restricting primary energy supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper introduces the Quick-E-Scan methodology that has been developed to achieve the operational energy efficiency of small & medium enterprises (SMEs), characterized by being scarcely disposed to long energy audits and by a limited budget for energy management programs. On one side, through dividing the firm into functional units – either service (lighting, HVAC, etc.) or production units – the main consuming areas are identified and a criticality index is defined; conversely, an enhancement index highlights the gap of each unit towards the best available techniques (BATs) in energy management programs. Finally, a priority index, created with the junction of the two indexes, points out the most profitable areas in which energy saving measures should be implemented. The methodology, particularly quick and simple, has been successfully tested in 38 SMEs in Northern Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the last years, the growing demand for air conditioning has caused a significant increase in demand for primary energy resources. Solar-powered cooling is one of the technologies which allows to obtain, by using the renewable solar source, an important energy saving compared to traditional air conditioning plants. The paper describes different technical installations for solar cooling, their way of operation, advantages and limits. The objective of the present study has been to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of solar absorption cooling systems, designed for two different application fields: industrial refrigeration and air conditioning. The possibility to replace or integrate the existing plants is studied, by considering the refrigeration requirements of a company, which works in meat manufacturing, and the heating and cooling demands of a hotel located in a tourist town in Italy. In the first case, the system comprises an absorption chiller coupled to solar flat plate collectors, whereas the second application is about a hybrid trigeneration plant, known as thermo-solar trigeneration; this option allows having greater operational flexibility at sites with demand for energy in the form of heating as well as cooling, for example in a hotel. In this way the authors could compare different results obtained by a technical and economic experimental analysis based on existing users and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages in order to suggest the best solution for the two studied cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents an economic study of the potential for energy conservation in Israel. We analyze energy conservation policies targeted at the household sector, focusing on the economic feasibility of scrapping old household electrical appliances, and considering the effect of such policies at both the household and the macro-economic level. The results of our analysis show that the appliance that provides the most potential conservation is the air conditioner (used for both heating and cooling). A scrapping program for old air conditioners passes a cost benefit analysis (CBA) even when external benefits are excluded from the calculation. When external benefits are included, scrapping programs for both washing machines and dishwashers pass the test as well. According to our findings, the annual economic benefit of a program involving the scrapping of 100,000 air conditioners, 45,000 washing machines and 15,000 dishwashers per annum over 10 years ranges from 246 million New Israeli Shekels (NIS) in the first year of implementation to 693 million in the tenth year. Most of the savings are derived from the scrapping of air conditioners. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents a synthesis strategy for the chemical processes with energy saving. The concept of minimum energy consumption process (MECP) is proposed. Three characteristics of MECP are introduced, including thermodynamic minimum energy demand, energy consumption efficiency and integration degree. These characteristics are evaluated according to quantitative thermodynamic analysis and qualitative knowledge rules. The procedure of synthesis strategy is proposed to support the generation of MECP alternatives, which combine flowsheet integration and heat integration. The cases studies will focus on how integration degrees of a process affect the energy-saving results. The separation sequences of the hydrodealkylation of toluene (HDA) process and ethanol distillation process as case studies are used to illustrate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Power & Electrical Engineering is the property of RTU Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Estimation of energy performance indexes, like the heating curve or the energy signature, requires robust regression of the heating losses on the outdoor temperature. The solution proposed in this paper is to use the range between the 1st and the 3rd quartile of the quantile–quantile (q–q) plot to check if the heating losses and the outdoor temperature have the same distribution and, if yes, to perform the regression in this range of the q–q plot. The result is a model that conserves its prediction performance for data sets of the outdoor temperature different of those used for parameter identification. The robust model gives the overall heat transfer coefficient and the base temperature, and it may be used to estimate the energy consumption for data sets of the outdoor temperature coming from different time—space locations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Following Sadorsky (Energy Economics, 2011, 33, 739), we examine the nexus between energy and trade in South Asia in a panel framework using annual data from 1990 to 2015. Given the cross‐sectional dependency issue, we use robust second‐generation panel econometric methods for the analysis. We find that variables are stationary at the first difference and cointegrated in the long run. The Dumitrescu‐Hurlin panel causality test shows a long‐run unidirectional causality from trade openness to energy consumption but not vice versa. Moreover, the panel symmetric and asymmetric estimation techniques reveal that energy consumption rises by 0.47 per cent on average and 0.83 per cent, with a 1 per cent rise in trade openness in the long run. However, a negative shock of similar magnitude reduces energy consumption by 0.37 per cent. We further fortify the panel results in the country‐level data with robust methods. We recommend energy efficiency and conservation policies and renewable energy technology augmentation policies through bilateral or multilateral trade strategies for sustainable development in the selected South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]