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As a key project of China's western development, the West-East Natural Gas Transmission Project (WENGT) has effectively alleviated China's uneven energy distribution and supply-demand issues. It has promoted the optimization of China's energy structure and sustainable development in the new era, helping to achieve the goal of "double carbon". Based on pollution data from Chinese industrial enterprises from 2000 to 2012, this paper analyzes the impact of the West-East Natural Gas Pipeline Project on the air pollution emissions of industrial enterprises using a difference-in-difference model and explores the moderating role of local government environmental regulations. The findings indicate that the project significantly reduced air pollutant emissions from industrial enterprises in cities along the route, with a more pronounced reduction effect in areas with higher environmental regulation intensity. Additionally, the emission reduction effect varied among different types of enterprises and regions, with private enterprises showing the smallest reduction impact and the eastern coastal region exhibiting the most significant effect. This paper delves into the relationship between sustainable cross-regional energy development and air pollution emissions from industrial enterprises, providing a theoretical basis for energy conservation and emission reduction policies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research problem of this paper is related to numerous open questions in the field of energy, its understanding, its use, and the challenges of the energy future. After the introductory part, in which a brief historical overview of energy literacy is provided, the paper focuses on energy literacy, its emergence, and the different approaches to its definition and measurement. The paper analyzes the energy literacy of students at the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka based on their cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills. Their knowledge about energy, energy processes, and the energy efficiency of the objects they encounter on a daily basis is examined. Their personal attitudes and values are examined through various forms of personal initiatives and active participation in energy sustainability projects. Finally, the habits and behavioral patterns that the respondents have in their daily lives and their tendencies to save energy resources and find energy-efficient solutions are examined. Despite some positive findings, the current results are not satisfactory and point to the creation of adequate public policies with a particular focus on education and the role of the corrective mechanisms of the state, but also the need for joint negotiations between policy makers, regulators, scientists, representatives of civil society, and the business community. The particular contribution of this work is reflected in being the first research of its kind conducted among Croatian economics students, as well as among Croatian students in general; in the creation of a research instrument that is conceptually consistent with the findings from the existing literature, but with an original set of questions within each energy literacy skill adapted to the cultural and sociological background of the respondents; and in a kind of progress from previous research by taking into account the quantitative aspect (in addition to the qualitative) assessment of the respondents' energy literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging energy transition is particularly described as a move towards a cleaner, lower-carbon system. In the context of the global shift towards sustainable energy sources, this paper reviews the potential and roadmap for hydrogen energy as a crucial component of the clean energy landscape. The primary objective is to present a comprehensive literature overview, illuminating key themes, trends, and research gaps in the scientific discourse concerning hydrogen production and energy policy. This review focuses particularly on specified geographic contexts, with an emphasis on understanding the unique energy policies related to renewable energy in Brazil, Austria, and Germany. Given their distinct social systems and developmental stages, this paper aims to delineate the nuanced approaches these countries adopt in their pursuit of renewable energy and the integration of hydrogen within their energy frameworks. Brazil exhibits vast renewable energy potential, particularly in wind and solar energy sectors, positioning itself for substantial growth in the coming years. Germany showcases a regulatory framework that promotes innovation and technological expansion, reflecting its highly developed social system and commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels. Austria demonstrates dedication to decarbonization, particularly through the exploration of biomethane for residential heating and cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the predictive power of economic and energy policy uncertainty indices and geopolitical risks for bitcoin's energy consumption. Three machine learning tools, SVR (scikit-learn 1.5.0),CatBoost 1.2.5 and XGboost 2.1.0, are used to evaluate the complex relationship between uncertainty indices and bitcoin's energy consumption. Results reveal that the XGboost model outperforms both SVR and CatBoost in terms of accuracy and convergence. Furthermore, the feature importance analysis performed by the Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) method indicates that all uncertainty indices exhibit a significant capacity to predict bitcoin's future energy consumption. Moreover, SHAP values suggest that economic policy uncertainty captures valuable predictive information from the energy uncertainty indices and geopolitical risks that affect bitcoin's energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egypt has the potential to generate a significant amount of energy from renewable technologies, in particular solar PV, concentrated solar power (CSP), and onshore and offshore wind. The energy sector is reliant on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, for electricity production and is at risk of locking itself into a high carbon pathway. Globally, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with national energy sectors is a target outlined in the UN's Paris Agreement. To reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with a higher dependence on fossil fuels, Egypt must consider upscaling renewable energy technologies (RETs) to achieve a clean energy transition (CET). This research modelled six scenarios using clicSAND for OSeMOSYS to identify the technologies and policy target improvements that are needed to upscale RETs within Egypt's energy sector. The results showed that solar PV and onshore wind are key technologies to be upscaled to contribute towards Egypt's CET. The optimal renewable target is the International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) target of 53% of electricity being sourced from RETs by 2030, which will cost USD 16.4 billion more up to 2035 than Egypt's current Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES) target of 42% by 2035; it also saves 732.0 MtCO2 over the entire modelling period to 2070. Socio-economic barriers to this transition are considered, such as recent discoveries of natural gas reserves combined with a history of energy insecurity, political instability impacting investor confidence, and a lack of international climate funding. The paper concludes with policy recommendations that would enable Egypt to progress towards achieving a CET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy saving in buildings is essential as buildings' operational energy use constitutes 30% of global energy consumption. Urban building energy modeling (UBEM) effectively understands urban energy consumption. This paper applied UBEM to assess the potential of peak demand reduction and energy saving in a mixed-use community, using 955 residential buildings, 35 office buildings and 7 hotels in Shenzhen, China, as a case study. The building type and period were collected based on the GIS dataset. Then, the baseline models were generated by the UBEM tool—AutoBPS. Five scenarios were analyzed: retrofit-window, retrofit-air conditioner (AC), retrofit-lighting, rooftop photovoltaic (PV), and demand response. The five scenarios replaced the windows, enhanced the AC, upgraded the lighting, covered 60% of the roof area with PV, and had a temperature reset from 17:00 to 23:00, respectively. The results show that using retrofit-windows is the most effective scenario for reducing peak demand at 19.09%, and PV reduces energy use intensity (EUI) best at 29.96%. Demand response is recommended when further investment is not desired. Retrofit-lighting is suggested for its low-cost, low-risk investment, with the payback period (PBP) not exceeding 4.54 years. When the investment is abundant, retrofit-windows are recommended for public buildings, while PV is recommended for residential buildings. The research might provide practical insights into energy policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green transition is a challenge for the Polish economy and energy sector. In this paper, the expert method of analysis was applied and findings revealed that the challenges and prerequisites for an effective transformation of the power sector mainly include technical, technological and organizational issues of energy production and use. The provision of electricity at competitive prices and with a low carbon footprint, for individual consumers and industry, is a prerequisite for maintaining the well-being of the population and ensuring the competitiveness of domestically produced goods. The ambitious climate policy goals of the European Union require immediate action and call for radical changes in the Polish energy sector; in the coming years, it must drastically reduce the amount of energy produced from fossil fuels and replace it with so-called green energy from renewable sources. The main purpose of this article was to highlight the need to modify Poland's energy policy until 2040 in order to make it more consistent with the ambitious climate goals of the European Union. This article also shows that Poland's energy transition must include a shift from fossil fuels to renewables, while ensuring that energy security is stabilized by the current energy and generation resources. To this end, we discuss the issues of creating reserves in the national energy system for the entire period of Poland's energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for green energy and environment transition in South Asia, a region that faces the dilemma of meeting its growing energy demand while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental vulnerability. The region has rich renewable energy sources and potential for energy efficiency improvement, but it also relies heavily on fossil fuels and suffers from various barriers and constraints that hinder its green energy development. The region needs policies that can achieve economic growth, social welfare, and environmental sustainability coherently and effectively. Utilizing the thematic literature review approach, this paper examines the literature on four main topics: (1) the estimation of green energy resources potential and scenarios in South Asia; (2) the comparison of green energy targets and policies in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries; (3) the evaluation of green energy deployment and performance in different sectors; and (4) the identification of green energy transition challenges and opportunities in South Asia. This paper fills some research gaps in the literature by providing a comprehensive, comparative, holistic, and integrated analysis of green energy and environment policies in South Asia, using various data sources, methods, frameworks, criteria, indicators, scenarios, impacts, trade-offs, drivers, barriers, best practices, lessons learned, and policy recommendations. This paper also develops a conceptual model for the green energy transition in South Asia, which consists of five key variables: green energy potential, green energy policies, green energy deployment, green energy performance, and green energy transition. The main findings and implications of this paper are that South Asia has a huge opportunity to pursue a green energy and environment transition that can address its multiple challenges and aspirations, but this requires overcoming various obstacles and constraints that hinder its progress. This paper suggests some policy options and strategies to enhance the green energy and environment policies in South Asia, such as developing a clear and consistent policy framework, enhancing regional cooperation and collaboration, leveraging information technology and data analytics, emphasizing sustainability and resilience, and engaging with other stakeholders and partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an innovative approach to addressing critical global challenges in long-term energy planning for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper proposes and tests an international enabling environment, a delivery ecosystem, and a community of practice. These components are integrated into workflows that yield four self-sustaining capacity-development outcomes. Planning long-term energy strategies in LMICs is particularly challenging due to limited national agency and poor international coordination. While outsourcing energy planning to foreign experts may appear to be a viable solution, it can lead to a reduction in government agency (the ability of a government to make its own informed analysis and decisions). Additionally, studies commissioned by external experts may have conflicting terms of reference, and a lack of familiarity with local conditions can result in misrepresentations of on-the-ground realities. It is argued here that enhancing national agency and analytical capacity can improve coordination and lead to more robust planning across line ministries and technical assistance (TA) providers. Moreover, the prevailing consulting model hampers the release and accessibility of underlying analytics, making it difficult to retrieve, reuse, and reconstruct consultant outputs. The absence of interoperability among outputs from various consultants hinders the ability to combine and audit the insights they provide. To overcome these challenges, five strategic principles for energy planning in LMICs have been introduced and developed in collaboration with 21 international and research organizations, including the AfDB, IEA, IRENA, IAEA, UNDP, UNECA, the World Bank, and WRI. These principles prioritize national ownership, coherence and inclusivity, capacity, robustness, transparency and accessibility. In this enabling environment, a unique delivery ecosystem consisting of knowledge products and activities is established. The paper focuses on two key knowledge products as examples of this ecosystem: the open-source energy modeling system (OSeMOSYS) and the power system flexibility tool (IRENA FlexTool). These ecosystem elements are designed to meet user-friendliness, retrievability, reusability, reconstructability, repeatability, interoperability, and audibility (U4RIA) goals. To ensure the sustainability of this ecosystem, OpTIMUS is introduced—a community of practice dedicated to maintaining, supporting, expanding, and nurturing the elements within the ecosystem. Among other ecosystem elements, training and research initiatives are introduced, namely the Energy Modelling Platform for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific as well as the ICTP Joint Summer School on Modelling Tools for Sustainable Development. Once deployed via workflows, the preliminary outcomes of these capacity-development learning pathways show promise. Further investigation is necessary to evaluate their long-term impacts, scalability, replication, and deployment costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty affects numerous households across the globe and has several key implications and concerns for public health and social equity. Energy poverty is defined as "the lack of access to modern and affordable energy services". Individuals or communities in energy poverty face limitations in accessing reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy. This review paper examines a focused subset of recent research on energy poverty highlighted by the "NSF 2026: Priorities and Research Needs for an Equitable Energy Transition" workshop and the United States Department of Energy's Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis to help frame energy poverty's impacts on policy, poverty alleviation, environmental impact, and social inequity. This review paper uses five themes to organize previous energy poverty work: (1) Energy Poverty and Justice Definitions and Metrics; (2) Behavioral Aspects of Energy Poverty; (3) Efficacy of Energy Assistance Programs; (4) Efficiency of Energy Efficiency Policy; (5) The Energy Transition and Environmental and Energy Justice. We found that the literature examined how comprehensive assessment of energy poverty requires going beyond standard statistics and metrics and must include an understanding of how underserved households interact with energy. We found strong optimism for the clean energy transition's ability to significantly alleviate energy poverty, but only if policymakers include equity. Finally, we found that while there is plenty of work highlighting deficiencies there is a dearth of work examining successful implementations and how to replicate them which will be needed if the clean energy transition is to match its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely recognised Energiewende, ("energy transition") in Germany has lost its original momentum. We therefore address the question of how the transition process to a new energy system can be reignited. To do so, we developed the "5Ds approach", which lays the groundwork for a process analysis and the identification of important catalysts and barriers. Focusing on the five major fields required for the energy transition, we analyse the effects of: (1) Decarbonisation: How can efficiency and renewable energies be expanded successfully? (2) Digitalisation: Which digital solutions facilitate this conversion and would be suitable as sustainable business models? (3) Decentralisation: How can potential decentralised energy and efficiency opportunities be developed? (4) Democratisation: How can participation be strengthened in order to foster acceptance (and prevent "yellow vest" protests, etc.)? (5) Diversification of service: Which services can make significant contributions in the context of flexible power generation, demand-side management, storage and grids? Our paper comes to the conclusion that German policy efforts in the "5D" fields have been implemented very differently. Particularly with regard to democratisation, the opportunities for genuine participation among the different social actors must be further strengthened to get the Energiewende back on track. New market models are needed to meet the challenges of the energy transition and to increase the performance of "5D" through economic incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of empirical energy data from Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)—which includes household smart meters—has enabled residential energy demand to be characterised in different forms. This paper first presents a literature review of applications of measured electricity, gas, and heat consumption data at a range of temporal resolutions, which have been used to characterise and develop an understanding of residential energy demand. User groups, sectors, and policy areas that can benefit from the research are identified. Multiple residential energy demand datasets have been collected in the UK that enable this characterisation. This paper has identified twenty-three UK datasets that are accessible for use by researchers, either through open access or defined processes, and presents them in an inventory containing details about the energy data type, temporal and spatial resolution, and presence of contextual physical and socio-demographic information. Thirteen applications of data relating to characterising residential energy demand have been outlined in the literature review, and the suitability of each of the twenty-three datasets was mapped to the thirteen applications. It is found that many datasets contain complementary contextual data that broaden their usefulness and that multiple datasets are suitable for several applications beyond their original project objectives, adding value to the original data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the world's experience in developing the solar industry. It discusses the mechanisms of state support for developing renewable energy sources in the cases of five countries that are the most successful in this area—China, the United States, Japan, India, and Germany. Furthermore, it contains a brief review of state policy in producing electricity by renewable energy facilities in Kazakhstan. This paper uses statistical information from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Energy Agency (IEA), British Petroleum (BP), and the Renewable Energy Network (REN21), and peer-reviewed sources. The research methodology includes analytical research and evaluation methods to examine the current state of solar energy policy, its motivators and incentives, as well as the prospects for its development in Kazakhstan and in the world. Research shows that solar energy has a huge development potential worldwide and is sure to take its place in gross electricity production. This paper focuses on the selected economic policies of the top five countries and Kazakhstan, in what may be considered a specific research limitation. Future research suggestions for the expansion of Renewable Energy (RE) in Kazakhstan could include analysing the impact of introducing dedicated policies and incentives for solar systems and exploring the benefits and challenges of implementing large RE zones with government–business collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) has been identified by the EU as a powerful resource capable of making substantial contributions to energy savings and reducing GHG emissions. Spain's effort to promote CHP has been prolific since the 1980s. In this regard, there have been various Laws, Royal Decrees (RDs) and European Union (EU) Directives addressed to reach the national objectives set for the CHP sector. Despite these attempts, the evolution and growth of installed CHP capacity has been irregular, compared to other technologies. Likewise, the academic treatment of the Spanish CHP evolution has not deserved the same attention as other technologies such as wind, photovoltaic and thermal solar systems. As a result, this article is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the regulatory frameworks applied to the Spanish CHP sector and analysing the reasons behind the variable evolution of the installed CHP capacity. The study covers the legislative context from 1980 to 2020, describing the evolution during both the pre-liberalization and liberalization periods, highlighting the modifications in economic policies that affected self-producers and the so-called Special Regime (SR) for CHP, and examining the challenges faced during the cost containment measures that followed. The manuscript finds and explains the connection between the regulatory framework and the evolution of installed CHP capacity in Spain. Likewise, the connection between the industrial situation and the promotion of CHP, as well as the influence of the Spanish Electricity Sector (SES)'s liberalization on the CHP sector are also pointed out. The paper intends to provide valuable insights for CHP experts and policymakers by showcasing the importance of aligning regulatory measures with the objectives of energy efficiency. It also serves as a reference for countries in various stages of promoting CHP, and provides evidence for the importance of stable energy-policy control mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renewable energy transition of oil- and gas-producing countries has specific peculiarities due to the ambivalent position of these countries in the global energy market, both as producers and consumers of energy resources. This task becomes even more challenging when the share of oil and gas in the country's GDP is very high. These circumstances pose serious challenges for long-term energy policy development and require compromising decisions to better align the existing and newly created energy policies of the country. The scale, scope, and pace of changes in the transition process must be well balanced, considering the increasing pressure of economic and environmental factors. The objective of this paper is to develop models that allow the selection of the most appropriate scenario for renewable energy transition in an oil- and gas-producing country. The distinguishing feature of the proposed model is that alternatives in the decision matrix are presented as scenarios, composed of a set of energy resources and the level of their use. Linguistic descriptions of the alternative scenarios are formalized in the form of fuzzy statements. For the problem solution, four different Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods were used: the fuzzy simple additive weighting (F-SAW) method, the distance-based fuzzy TOPSIS method (Technique of Order Preference Similarity to the Ideal Solution), the ratio-analysis-based fuzzy MOORA method (Multi-Objective Optimization Model Based on the Ratio Analysis), and the fuzzy multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution method VIKOR (Serbian: VIekriterijumsko Kompromisno Rangiranje). This approach is illustrated using the example of the energy sector of Azerbaijan. The recommended solution for the country involves increasing natural gas (NG) moderately, maintaining hydro, and increasing solar notably and wind moderately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency programs funded by utility customers provide an electricity resource in most U.S. states, but their scale and cost of saving electricity varies significantly by state. In this paper, we explore the drivers of the cost of saved electricity in these programs with an econometric model and nearly a decade of data reported by efficiency program administrators. We found strong evidence for economies of scale and weak evidence for diseconomies of scale, which suggests that states with low levels of efficiency savings relative to retail sales can increase the size of their efficiency programs without large increases to the cost of saved electricity. We discuss examples of energy efficiency forecasting and potential modeling in light our econometric analysis and identify methodological improvements relevant to utilities and grid operators. This paper provides insights into the economics of customer-funded efficiency programs that will support regulators, utilities, and policymakers to utilize energy efficiency as a resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with improving the feed-in tariff policy for green energy advancement in Ukraine's households based on assessing the economic efficiency of investment project implementation under the current state support mechanisms. This study was conducted for solar and wind power plants with different installed capacities. The Levelized Cost of Electricity and the payback period for such power plants were calculated considering the ongoing feed-in tariffs and discount rates determined by various equity and debt capital ratios. The results showed that the state support provides attractive payback periods for solar and wind power plants with an installed capacity of ≥30 kW. In comparison, 5 kW solar power plants and wind power plants with a capacity of up to 10 kW are not paid off during the power plants' lifecycle. It confirmed that the ongoing energy policy in Ukraine's residential sector is still designed to obtain profits by the owners of generating facilities by selling the excess electricity. In the meantime, its main goal—providing households energy independence—has been levelled. To resolve the issues caused by such a state support model, a methodical approach to improve the feed-in tariff calculation is proposed. In addition, recommendations for reconsidering other policy measures to ensure effective renewable energy development in the residential sector have been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy's integral role in addressing the global climate crisis underscores the importance of crafting coordinated policies to bolster its growth. Shandong Province, as China's largest carbon emitter, presents an intriguing case study. Leveraging policy text analysis and the coupling coordination model, this research investigates the interplay among the diverse policy instruments within Shandong Province's renewable energy policies. The findings reveal a harmonious and varied array of policy instruments. Yet, notable disparities emerge when examining secondary policy instruments across different types of renewable energy. Consequently, this paper offers strategic recommendations to improve the coupling coordination and utilization of policy instruments across various types of renewable energy. The ultimate aim is to strengthen policy synergies, overhaul the energy structure, and make a meaningful contribution to global climate change mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) into energy systems requires a meticulous assessment of various factors, spanning renewable energy potential, legal frameworks, technical considerations, community engagement, and consumer preferences. This article synthesizes a multifaceted discussion on the subject, focusing on the need for comprehensive analyses before deciding to implement SMRs. Drawing insights from geographic information systems (GIS) and lessons from renewable energy development in Poland, this paper underscores the significance of aligning energy strategies with local needs, emphasizing stakeholder participation. This study examines the factors influencing location attractiveness for various energy technologies, including small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), wind, solar, and hydroelectric power plants, within Poland. Employing 17 indicators sourced from Statistics Poland and URE, coupled with the application of the k-means algorithm, we outline four distinct clusters that delineate the zones of location attractiveness for SMRs and other renewable energy sources. While large and medium-sized cities exhibit optimal location attractiveness, coastal counties in northern Poland emerge as more suitable for renewable energy sources than for SMRs. The study outlines four distinct energy development strategies based on typologies of regions, each tailored to maximize the utility of available resources and minimize environmental impact. The strategies encompass renewable energy utilization, energy efficiency enhancement, energy diversification, and adaptation through innovation. Emphasizing the interplay between renewable energy potential, energy demand, and local conditions, the research suggests the strategic deployment of SMRs as part of an energy mix in areas where renewable energy resources are limited. By leveraging SMRs' continuous energy production, these reactors can complement intermittent renewables, bolstering energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As photovoltaics (PV), also known as solar electricity, has been growing over the years, the energy markets have been gradually moving toward decentralization. However, recent media accusations suggest that decentralized renewable energy is slowly becoming unpopular because of the hidden fees being charged to owners of installed PV systems. In response, this paper investigates the potential for alternative approaches to incentivize owners using peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing. This study provides an analytical comparison between the use of the P2P mechanism, the net-metering mechanism, and a combination of these in the commercial sector. Through the use of a simulation, this case study presents the possible outcomes of the implementation of these models in a microgrid. Using technical and economic indexes the comparison was made by looking at the following indexes: peak power, energy balance, economic benefit, and transaction index. Based on a microgrid of 28 commercial buildings, readings of consumption were taken at intervals of one hour, and a Python model was made to find PV size and compare trading mechanisms. It was found that the combination of P2P and net-metering had the best overall performance, followed by net-metering itself, with the best season being all for both, and summer for net-metering by itself. This shows that a P2P model implemented in a microgrid helps create more energy balance, although the combination would achieve the highest performance. This study can be used by policymakers for proposing renewable energy policies and regulations that are more beneficial to all prosumers and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising energy costs have led to increased discussion about the social impact of the energy transition in Germany in recent years. In 2021, a gradually increasing CO2 tax was introduced. This paper analyzes the question of whether a CO2 tax can be socially just. Using data analysis and desk research, correlations between income and energy consumption in Germany are shown. In a short analysis, it is investigated which additional burdens different types of private households have to expect in the coming years due to the introduction of CO2 pricing on energy. In particular, the introduction of a per capita flat rate fed by CO2 tax revenues could be a suitable way to reduce the burden on low-income households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom-up energy system models have been used extensively to analyse future energy scenarios, addressing a wide variety of policy questions. This paper focuses on energy efficiency, a key energy, climate, and economic policy area where several examples of energy system model applications can be found in the literature. This paper analyses how different studies implement energy efficiency scenarios in energy system models and explains how the approach taken can affect the results significantly, potentially affecting policy decisions. This analysis contributes to understanding how this type of modelling framework considers energy efficiency policy issues and the extent of insight provided, or not, on different dimensions. With the aim of identifying 'best practice' in using energy system models to inform effective analysis of energy efficiency policy, the UK TIMES energy system model is used to implement five different energy efficiency scenarios for residential heating following different modelling approaches and replicating scenarios available in the literature. The study concludes that energy efficiency scenarios, implementing the same target, produce significantly different results in terms of technology mix, energy use, emissions and costs. Additionally, the outcomes show that there is no overall best energy efficiency scenario, as each impacts on different policy targets, which could come into conflict with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is written within the European Project "THREE-Lanka" which has the aim of modernizing the higher education related to Renewable Energy (RE) in Sri Lanka. The paper presents the outcomes of analysing various incentive schemes to stimulate RE development. In Europe, there was substantial growth in RE installation through generous incentives in the first years. Then, to regulate this growth, in recent years, the auction system has been introduced to improve the competition among companies that install RE plants. In Sri Lanka, on the other hand, the main energy tariff policies focus on the spread of PhotoVoltaics (PV) through contributions based on the electricity fed into the grid. This paper provides an updated view of the evolution of the energy tariff policies in the relevant European countries with respect to Sri Lanka, covering some recent policy developments. Within the Sri Lankan framework, four case studies involving residential, commercial, and industrial users are outlined to suggest better mechanisms (in the case of not adequate current incentive tariff) for supporting the deployment of grid-connected PV systems in a wide power range. Such knowledge transfer in the THREE-Lanka project will demonstrate the enormous potential RE capacity in a developing country, still depending on fossil fuels but willing to follow the path towards sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores gender dimensions of the energy transition in the European Union (EU). The EU has set out its ambitions for an equitable transition to clean secure energy. It has also set out it objectives for gender equality. In this paper, I implement a systematic literature review to explore the intersection of gender issues with the energy transition in the EU. There is little peer reviewed literature in this area. Analysis of academic papers shows most focus on social science rather than technical or engineering problems. A critical review of the grey literature including EU policies and reports shows that there is a disconnect between EU gender equality and clean energy plans and that gender has yet to be mainstreamed into the EU energy transition. This review identifies opportunities to mainstream gender into EU energy policies by linking to EU gender equality objectives, and connecting to gender-energy research themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development (SD) can indicate the direction of the development of modern organizations' transition and transformation strategies in the energy sector. Currently, in most countries, the main challenge for the energy sector's strategies is to deal with energy security. The implementation of SD induces changes both in strategy and technology. The strategies are based on the technological transition toward renewable energy sources (RES). The aim of this paper is to explore business management literature dedicated to the transformation and transition strategies in the energy sector. The adopted methods are a systematic literature review (SLR) accompanied by a classical literature review (CLR) in Scopus database exploration. A literature review is developed in VOSviewer software and keyword co-occurrences analysis allowed to identify the main changes of direction in energy sector transformation strategies. The literature was explored by the 26 queries which resulted with 11 bibliometric maps. The analysis of the bibliometric maps was a challenge due to the cross-disciplinary strategic directions of development presented in indexed publications in the Scopus database. The identification of the changes in energy sector strategies is important because of its reliance on depleting resources and natural environment degradation. As a result of this paper, there is a visible shift of the trend in explored scientific publication from not only technological-based solutions but also towards managerial and organizational practices to achieve sustainability in the energy sector. This paper, besides the results, presents the theoretical contribution and managerial recommendations for business practices and addresses future research avenues. There are discussed implications of the presented analysis for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy crisis in Europe in 2022 and its consequences have brought changes to approaches towards the issue of energy security, energy policy, and the ability to react to crisis phenomena in the energy market in a short period of time. European countries that are dependent on Russian fossil fuels have faced numerous dilemmas and challenges in 2022. This paper aims to analyse the instruments and energy policies introduced as the reactions of European countries, specifically with the examples of Poland and Germany, to the ongoing fossil fuel crisis in the context of a short period. Due to the specificity of the energy market, the countries' energy policies mainly concern long- and medium-term goals. In 2022, there was an unprecedented situation in which many European countries had to make significant changes to their fossil fuel imports quickly. We analyse and evaluate how two European countries that are heavily reliant on imported energy resources responded in a short time to the necessity of modifying their patterns of fossil fuel supply and demand. The results of our research are models that illustrate both countries' reactions to the disturbances in the energy market during the initial months of the energy crisis. As part of the research, we conducted an analysis of the energy mix of Poland and Germany, their import energy dependency, and self-sufficiency. We then compared them with the short-term energy policies of both countries. As a result, we elaborate on a comparative analysis of the models of Poland's and Germany's responses to the crisis. The research also assesses the similarities and differences in the response models in Poland's and Germany's short-term energy security policies. The results of our research may help, in the future, to choose the available short-term instruments in the energy policy of countries in the face of a sudden need resulting from disruptions in supply chains. The article contributes to the future discussion on renewed national and regional energy security, as well as efficiency concepts. Our research findings could be valuable in selecting appropriate short-term energy policy tools for countries during supply chain disruptions. This article provides significant input for future deliberations on enhancing national and regional energy security, and also efficiency strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a literature review of fuel and transport poverty in the U.K. with a focus on contextualising this challenge in Scotland. Building on the discussion in the literature, we see that the objective of policy interventions should be to provide a mechanism for identifying vulnerable households. First, we analyse the definitions of fuel, energy, and transport poverty and observe that definitions in policy have been used to limit the scope of the issue to make it more easily addressable. In contrast, academic research points out that fuel poverty should not only encompass all energy use, including household heating, but that transport poverty should be considered under the same umbrella as the drivers overlap. We then consider the indicators used to measure fuel and transport poverty, finding that the thresholds set are arbitrary and only measure one of many possible drivers, namely expenditure. Through an analysis of the drivers, it is clear that both fuel and transport poverty are complex multidimensional challenges requiring a combination of indicators to allow the policy to accurately identify vulnerable households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and assesses India's energy policy in the context of its commitment to achieve the target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. It emphasizes the central role of green electrification, particularly through the expansion of solar power capacity. It discusses policies outside the energy sector that need to be part of a strategy of achieving this target, including the use of information technology, infrastructure development, and transportation. Furthermore, it examines possible policy options for accelerating the target date to 2050, especially with the use of carbon capture to manage the transition from the current heavy use of coal. The paper also discusses the possible financial and growth implications of various strategy options, arguing that feasible external financing commitments can allow India to achieve net-zero goals without sacrificing economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a review of research undertaken, and subsequent policy change enacted, in the years 2018 to 2022 regarding the integration of cooking loads and needs into modern energy planning. Building on an earlier paper which described how the dominant global approaches to tackling the enduring problem of biomass-fuelled cooking was failing, and how a new UK Aid programme (Oct 2018) would be seeking to intentionally change international energy policy towards cooking and enable a significant transition in energy use, in this paper we review whether this strategy is being adopted by researchers, governments, and the private sector across the world and whether it is likely to make a significant contribution to the fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 7. In particular, the call is for integrated planning of modern energy inclusive of cooking loads—the potential 'Mutual Support' that both can lend to each other. The review considers the international commitments made by donors and governments to this end, the research that positions the use of modern energy as a cost-effective proposition, the urbanisation and societal changes reinforcing such planning, and positions the review in the light of climate change and the need to reach net zero carbon by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is facing severe environmental challenges as it heavily relies on a USD 100 trillion fossil-fuel-based economy. Its transition from a fuel-intensive to a material-intensive economy is not well understood. The conventional energy resources are responsible for the excessive generation of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions resulting in increased environmental degradation owing to climate change. The human impact has been cited as highly indisputable in this respect. Pakistan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries highly suffering from such increased impact of climate change and, thus, has been warned against the excessive use of conventional resources. As such, in the premises of Pakistan, conventional products are being excessively utilized in both power generation and transport sectors. Apart from the electrical power sector, the transport sector is also one of the main contributors to GHG emissions. In this context, the automobile industry has emerged as an environmentally friendly solution, which presents Electric Vehicles (EVs) as an efficient and feasible alternative to mitigate the GHG footprint. The transition from fossil-fuel-based vehicles (FFVs) to EVs is, therefore, considered as a potential way to decarbonize the transport sector, where the socio-economic conditions may be improved to a significant extent. A major prerequisite under planning and implementation in Pakistan is forecasting of load growth of EVs in Pakistan. Therefore, this paper proposes a load growth model (load forecast), used to forecast the load growth expected for electric vehicles in Pakistan from 2021 to 2030. This paper discusses in detail the original and revised models. According to the revised model, total EV energy demand stood at 24.61 GWh in 2020 and increased up to 2862.54 GWh in 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing facilities use about 35% of the domestic energy in the United States every year. Implementing an effective energy management system (EnMS) is one of the most important approaches to improve energy efficiency. However, the implementation of EnMS is low for many countries (including the US) and even for energy-intensive sectors. The reasons for the low implementation rate of energy management systems had been investigated by multiple researchers, but very few studies have focused on the barriers and challenges of implementing ISO 50001-based energy management systems. To contribute to this understudied area, this paper discusses the implementation and outcomes of the first Better Plants 50001 Ready Virtual In-plant Training. This paper first provides an overview of 50001 Ready and the 50001 Ready Navigator Tool. Then, it provides details on this training event and its outcomes. Finally, it discusses findings from the responses to 40 live polling questions about the status of the 25 tasks of the 50001 Ready Navigator for participating companies, key components of the participating manufacturing companies' energy management systems, and challenges and barriers that these companies are facing. The findings suggest that although many companies understood the importance of an effective energy management system, about half of them do not understand the required resources for building energy management systems, and most of them have only just begun establishing these systems and need more assistance and resources in multiple areas. More specifically, more assistance is necessary for the following: (1) improving corporate management's understanding of the time and resources needed to build an EnMS as well as the benefits; (2) creating linear regression models for more accurate energy performance tracking; (3) understanding energy use, collecting and analyzing energy performance data; (4) optimizing equipment operational controls, and creating action plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European transition to green economy is based on long-term strategies. The Europe 2020 Strategy was launched in 2010 in order to promote smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth in the region. Later, the ambitions regarding this strategy were followed by the Green Deal and Sustainable Development Goals. Now, the effort of countries towards the green economy is even more relevant than ever because of the context of today's global energy crisis and economic uncertainty due to many challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic or Russia invasion of Ukraine. This paper seeks to assess the countries' achievements in seeking climate change and energy targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy by applying the innovative multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique. The kernel-based comprehensive assessment (KerCA) method was applied for the calculations of the progress achieved and countries' rankings. It allows to evaluate countries' achievements and compare them using the mathematical models. The analysis of the national target implementation in the countries allows to determine the compliance of countries with their commitments and liability towards other countries and the European Union (EU). An analysis of the implementation of the strategy can serve as a guide to further develop climate change and energy policy in the region. Furthermore, the added value of the article is systematic overview of scientific studies proposing different methodologies for the analysis of target implementation at the whole region level. The novelty of this paper also relies on the approach, which considers not only the level of achievement of the target, but also assesses the excess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although European energy policy supports the reduction of energy consumption, the current economic and political situation in Poland and uncertainty related to the origin of energy sources do not support it. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to identify and assess the factors that affect the energy-saving behaviour of Polish consumers in the process of energy consumption. The research problem concerns the specificity of behaviours that are part of new trends in consumption, such as greening and the ethical dimension of consumption. The research question arises as to what the social responsibility of consumers is in the process of energy consumption. The research problem comes down to the question of factors that determine the behaviour of an individual consumer in the energy market. In order to realise the indicated purpose of the article, a conceptual research model was built and direct research was conducted using the research method, which was an online survey (CAWI). The research was run among 1422 individual consumers. After verifying 14 research hypotheses, it can be concluded that energy-saving behaviour is influenced in similar ways by a set of factors. In the paper there are findings which show that the generally understood energy-saving behaviour (Y1—at home and Y2—off-site) is influenced by the following factors: X1—energy-saving knowledge, X3—green consumer values, X5—social influence, X6—beliefs, and X7—consumer awareness. The specific mechanism of influence of each of the dominant factors is that the higher the intensity of these factors in consumer behaviour, the more actions are taken to save energy inside or outside the home. However, X2—energy-saving cost perception and X4—materialism presents this influence mechanism only for Y1—energy-saving behaviour at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower price of energy leads to higher coal consumption in China. The idea of an "environment-for-trade policy" could be used to achieve an international competitive advantage, which, in turn, has important implications. To address the issue, we develop properties to examine the link between the low price of energy and strategic environmental policy in China and investigate the choice of policy instruments in a strategic environmental policy model with vertical contracts. In addition, to contribute to the literature on strategic environmental policy, this paper also develops properties to investigate different choices of instruments for the environmental policy and includes the degree of energy marketization for the wholesale price in the study. To do so, we assume that the wholesale price of the polluting input increases with the market price. By using this assumption, this paper analyzes the effects of two instruments of the environmental policy on social welfare and concludes that there is no reason to expect both downstream and upstream firms to establish a high wholesale price. Due to the low level of marketization, when the government selects an emission tax as the policy instrument, the optimal tax rates should be higher than the marginal damage of emissions. However, the optimal resource tax is uncertain when its effect on environmental damage is taken into account. In other words, the resource tax is ineffective as a policy instrument. Our results can be used to draw some practical policies for countries to use their energy effectively. To promote energy sustainability, governments should liberate resource prices and reform the system to get efficient environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear power can replace fossil fuels and will have a decisive impact on the change in the approach to conventional energy. However, nuclear (or radioactive) wastes are produced by the operation of the nuclear reactors should be safely and properly disposed of. This paper assesses the uranium resources and the global state of nuclear power plants and determines the energy mixes in different countries using the most nuclear energy. Furthermore, this paper analysed the nuclear waste management and disposal and the depletion of abiotic resources, and the primary energy sources of a basic production process using electricity mix and nuclear electricity for a basic production (PET bottle manufacturing) process. The life cycle assessment was completed by applying the GaBi 8.0 (version 10.6) software and the CML method. In this study, we limit our discussion to high-level nuclear waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) waste. We do not consider waste generated from uranium mining and milling, which is usually disposed of in near-surface impoundments close to the mine or the mill. The investigation of waste management methods is limited to European countries. This research work is relevant because determining abiotic resources is important in a life cycle assessment and current literature available on LCA analysis for nuclear powers remains under-developed. These results can guide and compare manufacturing processes involving a nuclear electricity and electricity grid mix input. The results of this research can be used to develop production processes using nuclear energy with lower abiotic depletion impacts. This research work facilitates the industry in making predictions for a production-scale plant using an LCA of production processes with nuclear energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses operating and developing technologies for hydrogen implementation, transition, and storage at operating thermal power plants (TPPs) to make recommendations for realization of perspective projects for evaluation of the use of hydrogen as a fuel. Over the medium-term horizon of the next decade, it is suggested that using the technology of burning a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas in gas turbines and gas-and-oil-fired boilers in volume fractions of 20% and 80%, respectively, be implemented at operating gas fired TPPs. We consider the construction of the liquefied hydrogen and natural gas storage warehouses for the required calculated quantities of the gas mixture as a reserve energy fuel for operating the TPPs. We consider the possibility of the reserve liquid fuel system being replaced by the technology involving storage of liquefied hydrogen in combination with natural gas. An economic assessment of the storing cost of reserve fuel on the TPP site is given. The paper suggests that the methane-hydrogen mixture be supplied to the TPP site by two independent gas pipelines for the possibility of using the mixture as the main fuel and to exclude fuel storage at the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran is situated in a wind belt. However, the installed wind capacity in Iran is around 300 MW, which is minuscule compared with the global 651 GW capacity as of 2021. Using novel data from wind trackers across Iran, the paper's findings show immense potential for wind energy in Iran from a technical perspective. While attractive policies are already in place to incentivize wind energy development in Iran, the feed-in tariff (FiT) for wind energy has dropped to around 3 cents per kWh because of the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial between 2018 and 2020. This paper shows that there is no economic justification for the development of wind farms in Iran at such low FiTs. A minimum FiT of 12 cents per kWh is required to reinvigorate Iran's wind energy industry investments. Given the extremely tight fiscal space of the Iranian government due to the sanctions and consequently reduced oil exports, the paper argues that a mere 2.14% of Iran's wasteful fossil fuel subsidies are sufficient to provide a FiT of 12 cents per kWh for wind energy to meet 5% of the country's total electricity demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the challenges of increasing the energy efficiency investments in European Union (EU) residential buildings in the context of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The paper presents the results of the PRIMES buildings model in key energy policy applications to support cost-effective and fair policy making in buildings across Europe. The model covers, in detail, the building sector for all the EU Member States (MS), segmenting the buildings into many categories. The approach proposed includes non-market barriers in conventional microeconomic modelling, which combined with idiosyncratic preferences can capture poor energy efficiency choices and still represent rational behaviours. The model includes a detailed portrayal of policies specific to the sector, comprising economic and regulatory policies as well as institutional measures. The results of the model show that the removal of non-market barriers is of great importance in reducing energy consumption and increasing both the pace and the depth of renovation investment. However, the institutional measures alone are not enough to induce energy efficiency improvement to the scale required to achieve the climate neutrality objectives. Economic (i.e., subsidies) or regulatory measures (i.e., energy performance standards) are also required to decrease emissions and energy consumption in buildings and the paper compares different configurations thereof. The optimum policy mix obviously derives from a compromise among various aims including the cost-effectiveness of the policy budget and the distributional impacts across building and consumer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy transition is a subject of significant interest in the countries of the European Union, and the involvement of public authorities is remarkable. Unlike previous energy transitions, this process is politically driven, the efforts of public authorities being secondary to the actions of companies whose guidelines are based on stability at the European level through strategies and directives. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current evolution of energy security status in the European Union and in Romania, with reference to global efforts to achieve climate neutrality through the energy transition. The historical method was used in the elaboration of the material, in order to outline the current energy security policies in terms of sustainability, both environmental and social. The logical method was used in order to emphasize the cause–effect relationship between economic processes in the energy sector. The use of bibliometric analysis demonstrated the importance of the topic of energy transition in scientific literature, but it also demonstrated the increasing interest of researchers in subjects related to energy security and energy poverty in the context of this new transition. By using the graphical method, statistic data and their evolution were highlighted in detail for the present study. The results of the articles are embodied in an approach that aims to focus on economic and social factors that determine the capacity of states to support the EU's independence from a single supplier in the current context of conflict. The authors conclude by anticipating massive challenges in achieving the environmental objectives of the European Green Deal, as well as by highlighting the issue of energy poverty as a social factor influencing global strategic decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the status regarding electric vehicles (EVs) and public charging stations managed by Cluj-Napoca City Hall. The types of charging stations and the quantity of the used energy were stated. The behavior of EV owners in charging their vehicles was also studied. The presented work proposes an extension of the EV charging infrastructure to support current and future EV owners. Simulations were carried out in Simulink to create an overview of the existing infrastructure. The simulation results showed the amount of greenhouse gas (CO2 emissions) reduced by using EVs. An estimated number of kilometers traveled with EVs was calculated by tracking the loads in all public charging stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effect of carbon trading on low-carbon transformation of high energy consumption enterprises in China. Based on the mechanism of interaction and restriction among high energy consumption enterprises, carbon verification agencies and the government, a tripartite evolutionary game model is constructed. The three-dimensional dynamic system is built to analyze the behavior patterns of the three parties. The evolution path of the tripartite game is visualized, and the low-carbon transformation states of high energy consumption enterprises in different situations are described. The results show that the high energy consumption enterprises, verification organization and the government cannot reach the optimal game equilibrium (low-carbon transformation, verification and supervision) temporarily when seeking their own interests. The corresponding measures should be taken with different situations of the tripartite game. No matter what strategy the government chooses, the low-carbon transformation could be promoted by carbon trading through carbon verification mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of microgeneration plays an important part in the strategy of the decarbonization of the world economy. However, its diffusion faces different barriers, including the information and technical barriers on the side of the end-user. This paper contributes to the literature by providing a comparative cross-country analysis of the role of the corporate sector in providing the installation and technical servicing of PV solar panels and small wind turbines in the Republic of Armenia, India, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. Business proposals from the microgeneration equipment market were analyzed by studying the official websites of companies offering autonomous and backup power supply solutions, followed by interviews with company representatives using the "mystery shopper" method. The study reveals that, of the four surveyed countries, the Republic of Armenia has the highest level of representation of service companies on the Internet (4.71 companies per million population). It is followed by the United Arab Emirates (1.9 companies per million population) and the Russian Federation (0.29 companies per million population). India ranks last in this indicator (0.02 companies per million population). The Republic of Armenia has the highest level of corporate sector development, with such essential features as cooperation with commercial banks for providing potential consumers with financial support and involvement in educational activities for the population. The main feature of the Indian corporate sector is orientation on the B2B format in building customer relationships. In Russia and the United Arab Emirates, the effect of implementing large projects with state support is still limited and does not extend to the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of renewable energy actively takes part in decarbonizing the fossil-fuel-based energy system. It reduces carbon emissions, carbon footprint, and greenhouse gas emissions and increases clean energy. The usage of renewable resources reduces and solves several problems, such as increasing temperature, carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy waste. Every sector contributes to increasing the above-mentioned factors in the environment. One of the main reasons for this biodegradation and climate change is energy resources. Using renewable energy instead of fossil fuel can solve the problem. This paper aims to find open research problems about the application of renewable energy and to initiate new innovative ideas regarding renewable energy. A detailed state of the art includes trends for renewable energy resources, their theoretical evolution, and practical implementations. Methodologies used for decision analysis in renewable energy are discussed in detail. The time frame for this analysis of renewable energy is 2010 to >2022. An extensive literature review finds a huge research scope in applying renewable energy in other research, such as logistics, smart production management, and advanced inventory management. Then, major changes in the profit/cost of that system due to renewable energy can be analyzed. This research proposes some innovative new ideas related cost formulas for renewable energy for the corresponding open problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity is by far the most valuable energy commodity for households; hence, it is of the utmost importance for national regulatory authorities and the European Commission (EC) to guarantee affordable and unimpeded access for European citizens to this vital social good. The existing academic literature mainly focuses on the effect of specific renewable energy resources (RES), such as solar, wind, etc., on electricity prices, thus neglecting the crucial impact of the electricity market structure. In an effort to fill this gap, the present paper attempts to clarify whether the real effect of the share of total renewable energy production in the generation scheme and certain electricity market liberalization indices constitute key determinants of household electricity prices. The study is further innovative on the grounds that the empirical analysis utilizes both static and dynamic panel methodologies for a dataset including several variables introduced for the first time in academia. The dataset consists of yearly observations regarding 26 EU countries for a time horizon from 2003 until 2019. The econometric outcomes revealed the complex relationship between RES deployment and generation concentration with the level of household electricity prices. In contrast, the deregulation of the retail market and especially the presence of many retailers with a market share exceeding 5% can benefit European consumers by reducing electricity prices. Additionally, the relative costs concerning the outward-orientation of the economy and the power system's upgrade were found to be transferred to the final electricity price. The opposite applies to environmental taxes, allowing European governments to accumulate considerable funds for ecological and environmental protection actions. Lastly, due to the estimated slow adjustment rate of electricity prices, policymakers are advised to develop long-term strategic energy planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on evolution from an equilibrium state in a power law form by means of q-exponentials to an arbitrary one. Introducing new q-Gibbsian equalities as the necessary condition of self-organization in nonextensive open systems, we theoretically show how to derive the connections between q-renormalized entropies ( Δ S ˜ q ) and q-relative entropies ( K L q ) in both Bregman and Csiszar forms after we clearly explain the connection between renormalized entropy by Klimantovich and relative entropy by Kullback-Leibler without using any predefined effective Hamiltonian. This function, in our treatment, spontaneously comes directly from the calculations. We also explain the difference between using ordinary and normalized q-expectations in mean energy calculations of the states. To verify the results numerically, we use a toy model of complexity, namely the logistic map defined as X t + 1 = 1 − a X t 2 , where a ∈ [ 0 , 2 ] is the map parameter. We measure the level of self-organization using two distinct forms of the q-renormalized entropy through period doublings and chaotic band mergings of the map as the number of periods/chaotic-bands increase/decrease. We associate the behaviour of the q-renormalized entropies with the emergence/disappearance of complex structures in the phase space as the control parameter of the map changes. Similar to Shiner-Davison-Landsberg (SDL) complexity, we categorize the tendencies of the q-renormalized entropies for the evaluation of the map for the whole control parameter space. Moreover, we show that any evolution between two states possesses a unique q = q * value (not a range for q values) for which the q-Gibbsian equalities hold and the values are the same for the Bregmann and Csiszar forms. Interestingly, if the evolution is from a = 0 to a = a c ≃ 1.4011 , this unique q * value is found to be q * ≃ 0.2445 , which is the same value of q s e n s i t i v i t y given in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the role of economic policy in prompting energy efficiency. This study reviews three aspects, theoretical, empirical, and existing policies to evaluate the relationship of energy efficiency and economic policy. This study furthermore identifies the existing issues from a policy perspective in energy efficiency. Although not all public policies may be justified, it suggests that these types of financial incentives, particularly those based on economic instruments, can play a crucial role in advancing energy efficiency. Additionally, this study identifies existing issues in energy efficiency target achievement and proposes solutions based on the literature review. Finally, it provides possible future research pathways from the aspect of economic policy tools in energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decarbonisation of the building sector is crucial for Portugal's goal of achieving economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. To mobilize communities towards energy efficiency measures, it is important to understand the primary drivers and barriers that must be overcome through policymaking. This paper aims to review existing Energy Policies and Actions (EPA) in Portugal and assess their effectiveness in improving Energy Efficiency (EE) and reducing CO2 emissions in the building sector. The Local Energy Planning Assistant (LEPA) tool was used to model, test, validate and compare the implementation of current and alternative EPAs in the North of Portugal, including the national EE plan. The results indicate that electrification of heating and cooling, EE measures, and the proliferation of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are crucial for achieving climate neutrality. The study found that the modelling of alternative EPAs can be improved to reduce investment costs and increase Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Among the alternatives assessed, the proposed one (Alternative 4) presents the best returns on investment in terms of cost savings and emissions reduction. It allows for 52% investment cost savings in the residential sector and 13% in the service sector when compared to the current national roadmap to carbon neutrality (Alternative 2). The estimated emission reduction in 2050 for Alternative 4 is 0.64% for the residential sector and 3.2% for the service sector when compared to Alternative 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting warfare within direct proximity to the European Union (EU) have significantly changed the conditions of Europe's energy policy. Consequently, the energy security agencies and governments have been deliberating over an energy trilemma: the problem of balancing affordability, security, and environmental considerations, with much greater ramifications than before the breakout of the current military conflict. The past structural similarities and differences of the EU member states' dependence on Russian energy raw materials, and the factors that might have determined those differences, may be among the key drivers of future energy policy choices in Europe and the prospective paths of the European Green Deal (EGD). Historical convergence might encourage an EGD consensus, while divergent past patterns might not allow for such a single direction throughout the EU. The multifaceted research proposed in this paper, from descriptive statistics to multiple linear regression model analyses, identifies structural dissimilarities among the EU economies relating to their dependence on Russia. Key findings suggest that the past dependencies on Russian energy raw materials have not been similar across the EU countries, and have been associated with the economic size of the EU member states and their proximity to or remoteness from Russia. In this regard, economic size and distance from Russia may be significant determinants of certain dissimilarities. Some countries, especially Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland, have demonstrated a structurally different energy mix dependence on Russian fossil energy raw materials than countries more remote from Russia that boast a higher GDP per capita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to systematize the state of knowledge of and research on the inclusion of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risk in companies' business models, with a special stress on energy sector companies. Many publications address incorporating ESG, but only some deal with it from the perspective of business models. This paper fills that gap. The methods of incorporating ESG risk into a sustainable business model, identified on the basis of the literature review, were verified based on the examples of three companies from the energy industry. A two-stage review of publications from the WoS and Scopus databases was carried out, considering a more comprehensive (sustainability) and a narrower (ESG risk) range of keywords, and the period from 2000 to 2022. The result showed that SMEs and large enterprises consider ESG risk in their risk management systems (ERMs), while small enterprises and start-ups do not. In Europe, Asia, and Australia, it is common to include ESG risk in an ERM, while it is rare in Latin America. In developing countries, companies in the service sector are more likely to include ESG risk in ERMs than those in the manufacturing sector. These findings may be useful for policymakers who wish to provide support and financial incentives for companies transforming their business models toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU presently orientates its policy to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy. In this paper, we evaluate the current situation and the developments in greenhouse gas emissions, and we will evaluate carbon resource usage in chosen EU countries from the viewpoint of greenhouse gas emission per capita, energy production in the EU, energy dependence of EU countries, and final energy consumption. We will analyze and evaluate the data available from the Eurostat database through regression and cluster analysis using JMP 15 statistical software. The results show significant differences in the individual countries, and they can be used for determination of the energy policy in the individual states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]