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The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO2 emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO2 emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO2 emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents studies on the impact of the significant process parameters of a paper machine with a Yankee cylinder on its production capacity and heat energy consumption for drying the paper web. Parameters such as machine speed, web moisture content before and after pressing, parameters of steam supplied to the cylinder and parameters of hot air flowing from the nozzles of the hood were analyzed. The study's results were used to optimize production to improve the energy efficiency and performance of the machine. In order to use the possible methods of improving the production capacity and heat energy consumption, the parameters of the production process were measured and the basic indicators characterizing the operation of the machine were calculated in the Yankee cylinder–dryer hood system. The correct functioning of the machine components and the possibility of their modernization were also analyzed. Technological and construction changes introduced based on the research results made it possible to increase the production capacity by 10% and to reduce the consumption of heat energy per 1 ton of produced paper by 16.3%. The article presents a description of changes in the technology of paper production and modernization of the tissue machine made in the years 2013–2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are opportunities to reduce electrical energy demand in unit processes of mechanical pulp-based paper and paperboard production, this may not be financially beneficial. This is generally because energy optimization opportunities connected to reduced refiner electricity demand in mechanical pulping systems also results in less steam available for the drying of the paper. As modern high consistency refiner systems produce approximately one ton of steam for each MWh of electricity when producing one ton of pulp, a reduction in electric energy demand leads to increased fuel demand in steam boilers to compensate for the steam shortage. In this study, we investigated what the financial and environmental situation would look like if we were to expand the system border from a paper mill to a larger system consisting of a mechanical pulp-based paper or paperboard mill, a district heating system with an incineration boiler and a chemical pulp mill. Mechanical pulp production has a wood to product yield of >90%, a high electric energy demand to separate woodchips to pulp and is a net producer of heat and steam while chemical pulp-based production has a wood to product yield of 50%, a low electric energy demand and is a net heat and electricity producer due to the combustion of dissolved wood polymers. The aim of this research is to create useful and robust models of how to use excess heat from certain industry sites to cover the steam shortage in other industry sites by means of utilizing and optimizing the district heating systems connecting these sites. For this purpose, we used a simulation tool which dynamically allows us to evaluate different scenarios. Our results shows that there is great potential to reduce both carbon dioxide emissions and production costs for industry sites and society by means of these tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Things (IoT) architectures generally focus on providing consistent performance and reliable communications. The convergence of IoT, edge, fog, and cloud aims to improve the quality of service of applications, which does not typically emphasize energy efficiency. Considering energy in IoT architectures would reduce the energy impact from billions of IoT devices. The research presented in this paper proposes an optimization framework that considers energy consumption of nodes when selecting a node for processing an IoT request in edge-fog-cloud layered architecture. The IoT use cases considered in this paper include smart grid, autonomous vehicles, and eHealth. The proposed framework is evaluated using CPLEX simulations. The results provide insights into mechanisms that can be used to select nodes energy-efficiently whilst meeting the application requirements and other network constraints in multi-layered IoT architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, as the use of wearable devices and the demand for eco-friendly energy have increased, many studies have been conducted on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which can economically harvest energy. Paper is considered a promising substrate and frame material that can be used to manufacture self-powered TENGs, owing to its flexibility, low cost, and accessibility. Herein, we present a sandwich-structured foldable paper-based TENG (FP-TENG) that comprises flexible materials and uses paper as a substrate. The FP-TENG can generate up to 572 mW/m2 of power via contact–separation of the triboelectric electrified body at the top and bottom. With more folds of the FP-TENG, the triboelectric cross-sectional area increases, and, thus, the electrical output increases. In addition, the proposed TENG exhibits excellent durability without signal degradation under 5000 cycles of repeated pushing motions. To demonstrate its practicality, the FP-TENG was manufactured in the form of a wristwatch Velcro and connected to an electronic watch panel to supply power. Various deformations are possible with origami, and they can drive wristwatches through external forces. Therefore, the FP-TENG is expected to be utilized as a sustainable and promising eco-friendly energy source for small electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power systems are one of the most promising technologies to address growing energy demand and ecological challenges. This paper proposes smart switching to mitigate inrush currents during the connection of single-phase transformers used in PV systems. An effective inrush current mitigation contributes to the reliability of PV systems. The inrush current severity is influenced by the pseudorandom residual flux at the transformer core and the energization point-on-wave. The most common approach to avoid inrush currents is controlled connection, which requires prior knowledge of the residual flux. However, the residual flux can differ in each case, and its measurement or estimation can be impractical. The proposed smart switching is based on a comprehensive analysis of the residual flux and the de-energization trajectories, and only requires two pieces of data (ϕRM and ϕ0, flux values of the static and dynamic loops when the respective currents are null), calculated from two simple no-load tests. It has a clear advantage over common approaches: no need to estimate or measure the residual flux before each connection, avoiding the need for expensive equipment or complex setups. Smart switching can be easily implemented in practical settings, as it considers different circuit breakers with distinctive aperture features, making it cost-effective for PV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has set the ambitious target of raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 32% by 2030, with a target of climate neutrality by 2050. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of biomass usage in the context of these targets. The paper identifies the progress made between 2013 and 2022 by focusing on a selection of EU countries. The largest bioenergy increments of 130, 77, and 60 PJ were reported for Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. This study evaluates the crucial role of co-generation and heat in EU regions, with biomass usage between 55 and 80% of the combined heat and power (CHP) energy in Nordic countries. The future perspectives for bioenergy based on EU policies, biomass resources, and technical issues were addressed. The EU possesses around 9% of the global biomass supply, ensuring a certain level of biomass resource dependence. Thus, the biomass usage demand in energy production, non-energy sectors, and transport is expected to rise, leading to increments of 13–76% on biomass imports. It appears that bioenergy development is mostly limited by economic issues and uneven support for bioenergy in different EU countries as well as environmental issues. The study shows a promising and sustainable potential of bioenergy in the EU as a renewable energy source while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and the economy. By 2050, liquid biofuels are likely to be increasingly used in the transport sector. Non-energy sector usage of biomass is still in an early stage of development, except for the pulp and paper industry, and significant use of biomass in non-energy sectors seems unlikely in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks leads to an increase in energy consumption and higher operational costs for mobile network operators (MNOs). Consequently, the optimization of 5G networks' energy efficiency is crucial, both in terms of reducing MNO costs and in terms of the negative environmental impact. However, many aspects of the 5G mobile network technology itself have been standardized, including the 5G network slicing concept. This enables the creation of multiple independent logical 5G networks within the same physical infrastructure. Since the only necessary resources in 5G networks need to be used for the realization of a specific 5G network slice, the question of whether the implementation of 5G network slicing can contribute to the improvement of 5G and future sixth-generation networks' energy efficiency arises. To tackle this question, this review paper analyzes 5G network slicing and the energy demand of different network slicing use cases and mobile virtual network operator realizations based on network slicing. The paper also overviews standardized key performance indicators for the assessment of 5G network slices' energy efficiency and discusses energy efficiency in 5G network slicing lifecycle management. In particular, to show how efficient network slicing can optimize the energy consumption of 5G networks, versatile 5G network slicing use case scenarios, approaches, and resource allocation concepts in the space, time, and frequency domains have been discussed, including artificial intelligence-based implementations of network slicing. The results of the comprehensive discussion indicate that the different implementations and approaches to network slicing pave the way for possible further reductions in 5G MNO energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater long-endurance platforms are crucial for continuous oceanic observation, allowing for sustained data collection from a multitude of sensors deployed across diverse underwater environments. They extend mission durations, reduce maintenance needs, and significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of oceanographic research endeavors. This paper investigates the closed-loop depth control of actuation systems employed in underwater vehicles, focusing on the energy consumption of two different mechanisms: variable buoyancy and propeller actuated devices. Using a prototype previously developed by the authors, this paper presents a detailed model of the vehicle using both actuation solutions. The proposed model, although being a linear-based one, accounts for several nonlinearities that are present such as saturations, sensor quantization, and the actuator brake model. Also, it allows a simple estimation of the energy consumption of both actuation solutions. Based on the developed models, this study then explores the intricate interplay between energy consumption and control accuracy. To this end, several PID-based controllers are developed and tested in simulation. These controllers are used to evaluate the dynamic response and power requirements of variable buoyancy systems and propeller actuated devices under various operational conditions. Our findings contribute to the optimization of closed-loop depth control strategies, offering insights into the trade-offs between energy efficiency and system effectiveness in diverse underwater applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of renewable energy and the increasing maturity of energy storage technology, microgrids are quickly becoming popular worldwide. The stochastic scheduling problem of microgrids can increase operational costs and resource wastage. In order to reduce operational costs and optimize resource utilization efficiency, the real-time scheduling of microgrids becomes particularly important. After collecting extensive data, reinforcement learning (RL) can provide good strategies. However, it cannot make quick and rational decisions in different environments. As a method with generalization ability, meta-learning can compensate for this deficiency. Therefore, this paper introduces a microgrid scheduling strategy based on RL and meta-learning. This method can quickly adapt to different environments with a small amount of training data, enabling rapid energy scheduling policy generation in the early stages of microgrid operation. This paper first establishes a microgrid model, including components such as energy storage, load, and distributed generation (DG). Then, we use a meta-reinforcement learning framework to train the initial scheduling strategy, considering the various operational constraints of the microgrid. The experimental results show that the MAML-based RL strategy has advantages in improving energy utilization and reducing operational costs in the early stages of microgrid operation. This research provides a new intelligent solution for microgrids' efficient, stable, and economical operation in their initial stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low carbon operation of power systems is a key way to achieve the goal of energy power carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. In order to promote the low carbon transition of energy and power and the coordinated and optimized operation of distributed energy sources in virtual power plants (VPP), this paper proposes a framework for collaborative utilization of pumped storage–carbon capture–power-to-gas (P2G) technologies. It also constructs a multi-time scale low carbon economic dispatch model for VPP to minimize the internal resource operation cost of VPP in each time period. During the intraday scheduling stage, the day-ahead scheduling results as the planned output and the energy flow is then dynamically corrected at a short-term resolution in the framework. This allows for the exploration of the low-carbon potential of each aggregation unit within the virtual power plant. The results of the simulation indicate that the strategy and model proposed in this paper can effectively encourage the consumption of renewable energy sources, promote the low-carbon operation of power system power, and serve as a valuable reference for the low-carbon economic operation of the power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy demand is rising over time in both developing and developed countries. Therefore, finding new sources of energy is a prime concern now. For this effort, this paper presents the pyrolysis of onion (Allium cepa) shells in a reactor with a fixed bed for generating alternative liquid fuel. This paper also compares alternative fuel characteristics, including higher heating value, viscosity, density, pour point, and flash point, with conventional petroleum fuels at optimal process conditions. The work adopted pyrolysis to produce liquid fuel at a temperature range of 400–550 °C and utilized LPG to provide a heat source. The liquid product (fuel oil) was collected, and non-condensable gas was flared. The liquid product was tested for various properties, and the results of the analyses show that alternative fuel has a higher heating value of 12.227 MJ/kg, density of 800 kg/m3, viscosity of 4.3 cP at 30 °C, pour point below −6.2 °C, and flash point around 137 °C, with a variation due to the volatile matters. To obtain favorable conditions for pyrolysis, some parameters, including bed temperature, sample quantity, average particle size, and operating time, were varied and analyzed. The physio-chemical properties made the alternative fuels isolated from conventional petroleum fuels due to the variation in distillation temperature. This work shows that the fuel oil generated from the pyrolysis of onion shells could be considered an alternative source of fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities overwhelm our environment with CO2 and other global warming issues. The current electricity landscape necessitates a superior, continuous power supply and addressing such environmental concerns. These issues can be resolved by incorporating renewable energy sources (RESs) into the utility grid. Thus, this paper presents an optimized hybrid fuzzy logic self-tuning PID controller to control the automatic generation control (AGC) of various renewable sources. This controller regulates the frequency deviations of the power system and governs the change in the tie-line load of a multi-area hybrid energy system composed of wind, biomass, and photovoltaic energy sources. MATLAB Simulink software was applied to design and test the system. The PID controller has been tuned using four algorithms, namely, genetic algorithm (GA), pattern search (PS), simulated annealing (SA), and particle swarm optimization (PSO), and we compared the results with the proposed novel optimized PID controller (GA-fuzzy logic self-tuning technique) to validate it. The results show the superiority of the proposed hybrid GA-fuzzy logic self-tuning algorithm over the other algorithms in bringing the power system back to its regular operation. The paper also proposes an operation strategy to lower the utilization of biomass energy in the presence of other renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the association between renewable energy uptake and digitalization in the sector by reviewing relevant literature (published 2010–2022), with the aim of identifying the existing utilization of digital technologies within the sector, challenges to adoption, and future prospects. Different search engines (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were used to locate relevant papers and documents. The results revealed the high significance of digital technologies in supporting the renewable energy sector, with high costs and security risks representing the key challenges. Most papers reviewed had a positive outlook, but recommended further research and development for effective energy transition and resilient infrastructure. The current drivers of the integration of digital technologies to support the diffusion of renewable energy sources appear to extend beyond energy demand and involve many aspects of sustainability and sustainable development. Compared with previous reviews, this work has unique scope and novelty since it considers the bigger picture of the coupling between digitalization and the renewable energy sector, with a greater focus on critical areas in these two interconnected bodies that need to be addressed. The relatively small sample of relevant papers (69 from 836 hits) located in the literature review confirms the need for more research covering the subject in greater depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-intensive enterprises lack a scientific and effective energy efficiency assessment framework and methodology. This lack leads to an inaccurate understanding of energy usage and its benefits. As a result, there is energy wastage and loss. This wastage and loss negatively affect product costs. They also present a challenge to effective energy management. To address these issues, this paper introduces a novel, comprehensive energy efficiency evaluation system. This system integrates both qualitative and quantitative measures. It proposes an evaluation model based on the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE), wherein PSO is employed to optimize the weights determined by AHP, ensuring that the significance attributed to various indicators is scientific, objective, and rational. The FCE method is utilized to convert diverse factors affecting corporate energy efficiency, across different types and scales, into standardized 0–1 values, enabling a comparative analysis of the impact of each process and indicator on energy efficiency. Furthermore, the paper introduces an energy efficiency prediction model employing a multivariate linear regression algorithm, which demonstrates a good fit, facilitating the transition from retrospective energy efficiency evaluation to proactive improvements. Utilizing data on actual consumption of water, electricity, and steam from an enterprise, along with expert assessments on the implementation levels of new processes, technologies, equipment, personnel scheduling proficiency, steam recovery rates, and adherence to policies and assessments, a simulation experiment of the proposed model was conducted using Python. The evaluation yielded an energy efficiency score of 0.68; this is consistent with the real-world scenario of the studied enterprise. The predicted mean square error of 9.035416039503998 ×   10 − 9 indicates a high model accuracy, validating the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach. [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]

Electricity consumption in buildings is one of the major causes of energy usage and knowledge of this can help building owners and users increase energy efficiency and conservation efforts. For Pacific Island countries, building electricity demand data is not readily accessible or available for constructing models to predict electricity demand. This paper starts to fill this gap by studying the case of schools in Fiji. The aim of the paper is to assess the factors affecting electricity demand for grid-connected Fijian schools and use this assessment to build mathematical models (multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN)) to predict electricity consumption. The average grid-connected electricity demand in kWh/year was 1411 for early childhood education schools, 5403 for primary schools, and 23,895 for secondary schools. For predicting electricity demand (ED) for all grid-connected schools, the stepwise MLR model shows that taking logarithm transformations on both the dependent variable and independent variables (number of students, lights, and air conditioning systems) yields statistically significant independent variables with an R2 value of 73.3% and RMSE of 0.2248. To improve the predicting performance, ANN models were constructed on both the natural form of variables and transformed variables. The optimum ANN model had an R2 value of 95.3% and an RMSE of 59.4 kWh/year. The findings of this study can assist schools in putting measures in place to reduce their electricity demand, associated costs, and carbon footprint, as well as help government ministries make better-informed policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming, pollution, and increasing energy demand have compelled electrification of the transport sector. Electric vehicles are not only an attractive and cleaner mode of transport, but they also possess the capacity to offer flexible storage alternative based on bidirectional vehicle-to-grid schemes. Vehicle-to-grid or V2G technology permits electric vehicles' batteries to store energy and discharge it back to the power grid during peak-load periods. However, the feasibility and economic viability of V2G is still a matter of concern and needs investigation. In this paper, the authors delved into the feasibility of V2G technology by analysing the real time-charging data of a V2G demonstration project named EV-elocity, located at the University of Nottingham campus in the UK. The authors analysed the charging data and trip-status data of two charging sites and put forward some insights regarding the feasibility of V2G and the behavioural traits of the vehicles. This paper will enlighten the research community regarding the feasibility and benefits of V2G in a real-world environment by analysing the charging/discharging and vehicle behaviour and reporting the opportunities and benefits of vehicle-to-grid technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, one of the main challenges facing green innovation management is how to enhance the performance of innovation processes by utilizing asymmetric input and output data. Therefore, this paper develops an improved SBM model analysis framework for evaluating the green innovation efficiency of asymmetric input and output data. The framework is applied to assess the technical (TE), managerial (PTE), and scale (SE) efficiencies of new energy companies under three input variables (R&D personnel input, R&D capital input, and comprehensive energy consumption input), two desirable output variables (green technology output and economic output), and one undesirable output variable (greenhouse gas emissions). Then, environmental factors and random factors are eliminated from the obtained input slack variables based on the SFA model, placing decision-making units in a homogeneous environment. The results demonstrate that TE, PTE, and SE are improved after eliminating environmental factors and random factors. Subsequently, based on the entropy method, this paper classifies companies' green innovation patterns into four categories and provides targeted solutions. The purpose of this paper is to provide an evaluation method for new energy companies to understand green innovation efficiency and assist decision makers in identifying the most optimal resource allocation approach. The proposed improved SBM model contributes to the literature and to industry practice by (1) providing a reliable evaluation of green innovation efficiency under asymmetric input and output data; (2) determining effective improvement actions based on a slack analysis of environmental variables and random variables that lead to improved process performance; and (3) making fuzzy innovation performance efficient to facilitate understanding and managing innovation resource allocation quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining production, being one of the most energy-intensive industries globally, consumes substantial amounts of fossil fuels and contributes to extensive carbon emissions worldwide. The trend toward electrification and advanced developments in battery technology have shifted attention from diesel power to battery alternatives. These alternatives are appealing, as they contribute to decarbonisation efforts when compared to conventional diesel trucks. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent technological advancements in powertrains for Mining Haulage Truck (MHT). It also compares these configurations based on mining system-level considerations to assess their future potential. The evaluated configurations include Diesel-Electric Truck (DET), Trolley Assist Truck (TAT), Battery-only Truck (BOT), Battery Trolley with Dynamic charging truck (BT-D), and Battery Trolley with Stationary charging truck (BT-S). According to the analysis, the energy demand for on-board diesel or battery power (excluding trolley power) in these alternative options is as follows: DET—681 kWh, BOT—645 kWh, TAT—511 kWh, BT-S—471 kWh, and BT-D—466 kWh. The paper also illustrates the theory of battery size design based on the current battery technology, battery material selection, battery package design, and battery size selection methods. In the case of tailored battery size selection, BOT, BT-D, and BT-S configurations require LiFePO4 (LFP) battery masses of 25 tonnes, 18 tonnes, and 18 tonnes, respectively. Based on a techno-economic assessment of battery MHT alternatives with a future perspective, it has been determined that BT-D requires the lowest amount of on-board battery energy. Furthermore, over a span of 20 years, BT-S has demonstrated the lowest on-board battery cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a groundbreaking approach to demand response management, aiming to empower consumers through innovative strategies. The key contribution is the concept of "acquiring flexibility rights", wherein consumers engage with power aggregators to curtail energy usage during peak-load periods, receiving incentives in return. A flexibility right coefficient is introduced, allowing consumers to tailor their participation in demand response programs, ensuring their well-being. Additionally, a lighting intensity control system is developed to enhance residential lighting network efficiency. The study demonstrates that high-energy consumers, adopting a satisfaction factor of 10, can achieve over 61% in electricity cost savings by combining the lighting control system and active participation in demand response programs. This not only reduces expenses but also generates income through the sale of flexibility rights. Conversely, low-energy consumers can fully offset their expenses and accumulate over USD 33 in earnings through the installation of solar panels. This paper formulates an optimization problem considering flexibility rights, lighting control, and time-of-use tariff rates. An algorithm is proposed for a distributed solution, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted for evaluation. The proposed method showcases significant benefits, including cost savings and income generation for consumers, while contributing to grid stability and reduced blackout occurrences. Real data from a residential district in Tehran validates the method's effectiveness. This study concludes that this approach holds promise for demand response management in smart grids, emphasizing the importance of consumer empowerment and sustainable energy practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the European Union, increasing attention is already being paid not only to the development of renewable energy sources, but also to the establishment of solutions to achieve local energy self-sufficiency while increasing the role of citizens in managing the energy they generate. This approach is expected both to have a positive impact on the environment and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and to enhance energy security—both in economic and civic terms by, i.a., combating energy poverty. The development of local energy communities promoted in the EU is supported i.a. by energy cooperatives. These contribute to the efficient harnessing of renewable energy potential in rural and urban-rural areas, and have been developing in Poland for several years now. In their previous studies, the authors of this research paper attempted to verify the generation (number, type and capacity of installed sources) and consumption (energy demand) configurations in which an energy cooperative would be a viable solution for prosumers who might establish it. However, over the past few years, the conditions for prosumers and the method of their accounting with the electricity seller have changed radically in Poland (shift from net metering to net billing). This situation has opened up space for further research and encouraged the authors to revisit the problem of analyzing the viability of establishing energy cooperatives in relation to the rules of operation of individual prosumers. This research was carried out for three scenarios, and the horizon of the analyses conducted and described extends to 2045. The comparative analysis included energy consumers without their own generation sources, prosumers with a photovoltaic generation installation covered by the net billing model, as well as a scenario involving prosumers' cooperation within an energy cooperative, which by law is settled in the net metering model. Conclusions from the research and simulations made it possible to confirm the claim that, despite changes in the rules of prosumer billing, developing energy independence in the energy community formula results in a significant reduction in the cost of purchasing electricity (even several times lower purchase costs in the timeframe analyzed) and can lead to a reduction in the payback time of investments in generation sources even by a factor of two. The results presented in this research paper open up space for further research. The outcomes allow us to assume that energy cooperatives—in the organizational and institutional model in Poland—are a good tool for reducing the phenomenon of energy poverty on a local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities play a pivotal role in achieving worldwide carbon neutrality due to their significant contribution to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Therefore, planning effective strategies and guiding evidence-based policymaking at the city scale becomes even more crucial. Composite indices serve as a valuable tool for monitoring urban energy transition trends. This paper aims to present a novel approach, robust and flexible even under conditions of data scarcity, for tracking the energy transition trend of a city by means of a composite index (UETI). The Turin case study is introduced to test the applicability of the proposed approach. Additionally, to demonstrate the robustness of the composite index framework, the paper includes the findings of correlation and sensitivity analyses. This study reveals a significant improvement in Turin's environmental and energy domains, while the socio-economic domain shows more modest improvement. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to address the shortage of urban data to enhance the accuracy and reliability of metric-based frameworks and to extend the assessment to a larger sample of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on optimizing the Zuker RNA folding algorithm, a bioinformatics task with non-serial polyadic dynamic programming and non-uniform loop dependencies. The intricate dependence pattern is represented using affine formulas, enabling the automatic application of tiling strategies via the polyhedral method. Three source-to-source compilers—PLUTO, TRACO, and DAPT—are employed, utilizing techniques such as affine transformations, the transitive closure of dependence relation graphs, and space–time tiling to generate cache-efficient codes, respectively. A dedicated transpose code technique for non-serial polyadic dynamic programming codes is also examined. The study evaluates the performance of these optimized codes for speed-up and scalability on multi-core machines and explores energy efficiency using RAPL. The paper provides insights into related approaches and outlines future research directions within the context of bioinformatics algorithm optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to cope with the problems of energy shortage and environmental pollution, carbon emissions need to be reduced and so the structure of the power grid is constantly being optimized. Traditional centralized power networks are not as capable of controlling and distributing non-renewable energy as distributed power grids. Therefore, the optimal dispatch of microgrids faces increasing challenges. This paper proposes a multi-strategy fusion slime mould algorithm (MFSMA) to tackle the microgrid optimal dispatching problem. Traditional swarm intelligence algorithms suffer from slow convergence, low efficiency, and the risk of falling into local optima. The MFSMA employs reverse learning to enlarge the search space and avoid local optima to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, adaptive parameters ensure a thorough search during the algorithm iterations. The focus is on exploring the solution space in the early stages of the algorithm, while convergence is accelerated during the later stages to ensure efficiency and accuracy. The salp swarm algorithm's search mode is also incorporated to expedite convergence. MFSMA and other algorithms are compared on the benchmark functions, and the test showed that the effect of MFSMA is better. Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of the MFSMA for function optimization, particularly in solving the 24 h microgrid optimal scheduling problem. This problem considers multiple energy sources such as wind turbines, photovoltaics, and energy storage. A microgrid model based on the MFSMA is established in this paper. Simulation of the proposed algorithm reveals its ability to enhance energy utilization efficiency, reduce total network costs, and minimize environmental pollution. The contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) A comprehensive microgrid dispatch model is proposed. (2) Environmental costs, operation and maintenance costs are taken into consideration. (3) Two modes of grid-tied operation and island operation are considered. (4) This paper uses a multi-strategy optimized slime mould algorithm to optimize scheduling, and the algorithm has excellent results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design of and transient time simulations for a four-pole magnetic bearing with permanent magnets. The usage of permanent magnets reduces the consumption of electric energy in comparison to a traditional active magnetic bearing. Permanent magnets are installed in the yoke of the stator core to limit the cross-coupling of the magnetic flux generated by the windings. The first part of this paper presents the design of the magnetic bearing and its finite-element model, while the second part describes the field-circuit indirectly coupled finite-element model for the transient time simulation. The presented simulation model was used to calculate the transient response for the rotor lifting from the starting position, the step change in the rotor position and the change in the rotor position under an external impact force applied along the y-axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper offers innovative cooking utensil designs for remote, isolated, and even peri-urban communities at a low price, with high reliability and simple construction. It can alleviate energy poverty and improve food security. This utensil uses only local solar energy directly and allows comfortable indoor cooking. This paper provides the design principles of a solar cooker/frying pan or generic heater, based on a PV panel or a plurality of them, which are directly connected to a plurality of Positive Thermal Coefficient (PTC) resistors to match the power. PTCs are nowadays produced in massive quantities and are widely available at low cost. The proposed device does not require an electronic controller or a battery for its operation. The aim is for family use, although the design can be easily scaled to a larger size or power, maintaining its simplicity. Electric heating inside or attached to the cooking pot, plus the temperature self-limiting effect of PTCs, allows for thermally insulating the cooking pot from its outside using ordinary materials. Insulation enhances energy efficiency during cooking and keeps cooked food warm for a long time. Clean development would receive a significant impulse with its application. A simple mathematical model describes its functioning and states guidelines for adequate design. Its results indicate a successful proof of concept and high efficiency both for water and oil as representatives of cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the process of creating a model for electric vehicle (EV) energy consumption, enabling the rapid generation of results and the creation of energy maps. The most robust validation indicators were exhibited by an artificial intelligence method, specifically neural networks. Within this framework, two predictive models for EV energy consumption were developed for winter and summer conditions, based on actual driving cycles. These models hold particular significance for microscale road analyses. The resultant model, for test data in summer conditions, demonstrates validation indicators of an R2 of 86% and an MSE of 1.4, while, for winter conditions, its values are 89% and 2.8, respectively, confirming its high precision. The paper also presents exemplary applications of the developed models, utilizing both real and simulated microscale data. The results obtained and the presented methodology can be especially advantageous for decision makers in the management of city roads and infrastructure planners, aiding both cognitive understanding and the better planning of charging infrastructure networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary contributors to elevated line losses in low-voltage distribution networks are three-phase load imbalances and variations in load peak–valley differentials. The conventional manual phase sequence adjustment fails to capitalize on the temporal characteristics of the load, and the proliferation of smart homes has opened up new scheduling possibilities for managing the load. Consequently, this paper introduces a loss-reduction method for low-voltage distribution networks that leverages load-timing characteristics and adjustment capabilities. This method combines dynamic and static methods to reduce energy consumption from different time scales. To commence, this paper introduced a hierarchical fuzzy C-means algorithm (H-FCM), taking into account the distance and similarity of load curves. Subsequently, a phase sequence adjustment method, grounded in load-timing characteristics, was developed. The typical user load curve, derived from the classification of user loads, serves as the foundation for constructing a long-term commutation model, therefore mitigating the impact of load fluctuations on artificial commutation. Following this, this paper addressed the interruptible and transferable characteristics of various smart homes. This paper proposed a multi-objective transferable load (TL) optimal timing task adjustment model and a peak-shaving control strategy specifically designed for maximum sustainable power reduction of temperature-controlled loads (TCL). These strategies aim to achieve real-time load adjustment, correct static commutation errors, and reduce peak-to-valley differences. Finally, a simulation verification model was established in MATLAB (R2022a). The results show that the proposed method mainly solves the problems of three-phase imbalance and large load peak–valley difference in low-voltage distribution networks and reduces the line loss of low-voltage distribution networks through manual commutation and load adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of continuous development in Internet of Things (IoT) technology, smart services are penetrating various facets of societal life, leading to a growing demand for interconnected devices. Many contemporary devices are no longer mere data producers but also consumers of data. As a result, massive amounts of data are transmitted to the cloud, but the latency generated in edge-to-cloud communication is unacceptable for many tasks. In response to this, this paper introduces a novel contribution—a layered computing network built on the principles of fog computing, accompanied by a newly devised algorithm designed to optimize user tasks and allocate computing resources within rechargeable networks. The proposed algorithm, a synergy of Lyapunov-based, dynamic Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), allows for predictive task allocation. The fog servers dynamically train LSTM networks to effectively forecast the data features of user tasks, facilitating proper unload decisions based on task priorities. In response to the challenge of slower hardware upgrades in edge devices compared to user demands, the algorithm optimizes the utilization of low-power devices and addresses performance limitations. Additionally, this paper considers the unique characteristics of rechargeable networks, where computing nodes acquire energy through charging. Utilizing Lyapunov functions for dynamic resource control enables nodes with abundant resources to maximize their potential, significantly reducing energy consumption and enhancing overall performance. The simulation results demonstrate that our algorithm surpasses traditional methods in terms of energy efficiency and resource allocation optimization. Despite the limitations of prediction accuracy in Fog Servers (FS), the proposed results significantly promote overall performance. The proposed approach improves the efficiency and the user experience of Internet of Things systems in terms of latency and energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global energy crisis, which began in 2021 due to the extraordinary economic recovery after the pandemic and intensified after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has changed the conditions of energy management, paying more attention to energy efficiency. Natural gas prices have reached record levels and, consequently, so have electricity prices in some markets. Oil prices have reached their highest level since 2008. Higher energy prices have contributed to sharply increased inflation. Households are again becoming interested in buying coal as a source of heat. High energy and gas prices have pushed many families into poverty and forced some factories to cut production or even close. They have also slowed economic growth to the point where some countries are heading for a serious recession. Paradoxically, the negative effects of the energy crisis may accelerate the introduction of cleaner, sustainable, renewable energy such as wind and solar energy. The energy crisis is comparable to the oil crisis of the 1970s, when it contributed to significant advances in energy efficiency. The current crisis has highlighted the importance of investments in renewable energy resources and initiated the process of integrating regional markets, developing energy efficiency and promoting renewable energies. The aim of this article is to comprehensively explore the complex relationship between energy awareness, consumption patterns, and energy efficiency, with a focus on both individual consumers and industries, during the global energy crisis. This paper is based on a literature review, overarching policy documents, energy reports, and other secondary documents. The primary research method was the systematic literature review method, based on which the impact of the global energy crisis on energy efficiency was evaluated. This study emphasizes the diverse influences on energy awareness, ranging from economic factors to consumer preferences and environmental consciousness. The findings of the paper underscore the significant responsibility of industries in contributing to energy-saving efforts and the active role of consumers in the energy market. The responsibility of industries in contributing to energy efficiency is highlighted, with a call for a comprehensive approach that integrates energy-saving criteria into product development and corporate social responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a user thermal comfort criterion based on predicted mean vote (PMV) values is introduced to realize the optimal operation of an improved energy hub (IEH) while considering thermal inertia and user thermal behavior. A three-layer optimization model based on user thermal comfort is constructed which fully considers user thermal comfort demand, IEH operating costs, and energy network constraints. Moreover, since IEH optimization considering user thermal comfort is a multi-objective bilevel optimization (MNBO) problem, this paper proposes an improved multilayer nested quantum genetic algorithm (IMNQGA) to solve it. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed optimization model and algorithm is verified through the analysis of the four modes. The examples show that the proposed optimal control method can reduce the system's operating costs and improve energy efficiency while satisfying user thermal comfort demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilation in buildings was not always given its due importance. The World Health Organization has highlighted the important role of air exchange with the outdoors in improving the air quality in buildings; buildings should, therefore, be equipped with mechanical ventilation or adequate air conditioning systems. This paper aims to investigate different retrofit solutions for air conditioning, evaluating them in terms of energy consumption and cost and the impact of increased outdoor air exchange rates on countering the propagation of COVID-19; the latter is the main novelty of the paper. As a case study, we take an existing office building located in Central Italy that was previously not equipped with a mechanical ventilation system (a system with primary air was introduced during the study). The energy analysis was conducted using dynamic simulation software after validation through energy bills; energy and economic analyses were conducted considering different external-air exchange rates. An optimal number of outdoor air changes was found to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection, a finding in line with the international literature. The increase in air changes with outdoor air leads to a rise in energy consumption and costs. These values were evaluated for different air conditioning systems and operational schedules. These drawbacks can be made less significant by combining interventions in the system with energy-efficiency measures applied to the building envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the power generation structures and load characteristics in each province in China are quite different, the distribution of peak regulating resources and demands are extremely imbalance. Restricted by a low power marketization degree, peak regulating resource shortages, and transmission channel blocks, the efficient utilization of new energy is facing greater pressures. In order to improve the mutual aid in regional power grids and to obtain more precise simulation results, this paper proposes a two-layer optimization dispatching model, considering the mutual aid of peak regulation resources between each province. It determines the optimal startup mode and the units' power output in each province and obtains the power output arrangements for all the units and the technical and economic indicators. The model and the solution method are original and innovative. And it effectively solved the unequal distribution problem between the peak regulating demands and resources of each provincial power grid. Finally, taking an actual regional power grid in China as an example, the simulation results show that the proposed model can significantly improve the utilization rate of new energy, which verifies the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model and methods presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Intelligent Transport Systems (ITSs), Internet of Vehicles (IoV) communications and computation offloading technology have been introduced to assist with the burdensome sensing task processing, thus prompting a new design paradigm called mobile sensing–communication–computation (MSCC) synergy. Most researchers have focused on offloading strategy design to reduce energy consumption or execution costs, but ignore the intrinsic characteristics of tasks, which may lead to poor performance. This paper studies the offloading strategy of vehicle MSCC tasks represented by a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure. According to the DAG dependency of the subtasks, this paper proposes a computation offloading strategy to optimize energy consumption under time constraints. An energy consumption model for task execution is established. Then, the Simulated Annealing and Tabu Search hybrid optimization algorithm (ST-HO) is designed to solve the problem of minimizing the energy consumption. Crucially, this research integrates the concept of symmetry into the typical DAG structure of MSCC tasks, ensuring the integrity and efficiency of task execution in ITS. The simulation results show that ST-HO reduces energy consumption by at least 5.58% compared to the conventional algorithm. Particularly, the convergence speed of ST-HO is improved by 52.63% when the replication strategy of symmetric task is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) for optimizing the power settings of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) along a given trajectory in order to minimize fuel consumption and maximize autonomy during surveillance missions. UAVs are widely used in surveillance missions and their autonomy is a key characteristic that contributes to their success. Providing a way to reduce fuel consumption and increase autonomy provides a significant advantage during the mission. The method proposed in this paper included path smoothing techniques in 3D for fixed-wing UAVs based on circular arcs that overfly the waypoints, an essential feature in a surveillance mission. It used the equations of motions and the decomposition of Newton's equation to compute the fuel consumption based on a given power setting. The proposed method used PSO to compute optimized power settings while respecting the absolute physical constraints, such as the load factor, the lift coefficient, the maximum speed and the maximum amount of fuel onboard. Finally, the method was parallelized on a multicore processor to accelerate the computation and provide fast optimization of the power settings in case the trajectory was changed in flight by the operator. Our results showed that the proposed PSO was able to reduce fuel consumption by up to 25% in the trajectories tested and the parallel implementation provided a speedup of 21.67× compared to a sequential implementation on the CPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive particle concentrations during heating periods, which greatly affect people's physical and mental health and their normal lives, continue to be a concern. It is more practical to understand and analyze the relationship between the fractal dimension and particle size concentration distribution of atmospheric particulate matter before and after adjusting heating energy consumption types. The data discussed and analyzed in this paper were collected by monitoring stations and measured from 2016 to 2018 in Xi'an. The data include fractal dimension and particle size concentration changes in the atmospheric particulate matter before and after adjusting the heating energy consumption types. The results indicate that adjusting the heating energy consumption types has a significant impact on particulate matter. The average concentration of PM2.5 decreased by 26.4 μg/m3. The average concentration of PM10 decreased by 31.8 μg/m3. At the same time, the different particle sizes showed a downward trend. The particles ranging from 0.265 to 0.475 μm demonstrated the maximum decrease, which was 8.80%. The heating period in Xi'an mainly involves particles ranging from 0 to 0.475 μm. The fractal dimensions of the atmospheric particulate matter before and after adjusting the heating energy consumption types were 4.809 and 3.397, respectively. After adjusting the heating energy consumption types, the fractal dimension decreased by 1.412. At that time, the proportions of particle sizes that were less than 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm, and 2.5 μm decreased by 1.467%, 0.604%, and 0.424%, respectively. This paper provides new methods and a reference value for the distribution and effective control of atmospheric particulate matter by adjusting heating energy consumption types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of large-scale wind and photovoltaic power worldwide, the net load fluctuation of systems is increasing, thereby imposing higher demands for power supply assurance and new energy consumption capacity within emerging power systems. It is imperative to establish a quantifiable and efficient model for planning new power systems, to propose an analytical approach for determining optimal evolutionary paths, and to advance research on flexible resource planning across wide areas. In this paper, based on the simplified operating characteristics of multi-type flexible resources, a source-grid-load-storage collaborative planning and evolution analysis framework is established. Secondly, the lowest total cost of the whole life cycle of the system is taken as the optimization goal, the multiple flexible resource investment decisions and production operation constraints of various flexible resources on all sides of the system are considered, and the source-grid-load-storage planning model is established. Then, through the investment decision-making strategy setting of the system in different planning level years, the evolutionary path analysis method of the whole life cycle economy and weighted environmental protection benefit of the system is given. Finally, by taking the sending-end power grid in Gansu Province as an example, a case study is carried out. Calculations of new energy, key channels within the province, energy storage capacity, and load-side response capacity requirements for 2025, 2030, and 2060 are optimized. Based on the above analysis, the optimal evolution path of the power grid is proposed. When considering the weighted benefits of economy and environmental protection, the greater the weight of environmental protection benefits, the greater the possibility of choosing a radical scheme. The model and method proposed in this paper can provide technical reference for the future development planning and evolution analysis of new power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term wind power forecasting has difficult problems due to the very large variety of speeds of the wind, which is a key factor in producing energy. From the point of view of the whole country, an important problem is predicting the total impact of wind power's contribution to the country's energy demands for succeeding days. Accordingly, efficient planning of classical power sources may be made for the next day. This paper will investigate this direction of research. Based on historical data, a few neural network predictors will be combined into an ensemble that is responsible for the next day's wind power generation. The problem is difficult since wind farms are distributed in large regions of the country, where different wind conditions exist. Moreover, the information on wind speed is not available. This paper proposes and compares different structures of an ensemble combined from three neural networks. The best accuracy has been obtained with the application of an MLP combiner. The results of numerical experiments have shown a significant reduction in prediction errors compared to the naïve approach. The improvement in results with this naïve solution is close to two in the one-day-ahead prediction task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drying processes are among the most energy-intensive industrial processes. There is a need for development of the efficient methods needed for estimating, measuring, and reducing energy use. Different machine learning algorithms might provide some of the answers to these issues in a faster and less costly way, without the need for time-consuming and expensive experiments done at different scales of the dryers. The aim of this paper was to provide a comprehensive overview of machine learning applications for addressing energy-related challenges by exploration of different energy types and energy reduction opportunities. Also, the analysis of the applied algorithms, their specific applications and a critical evaluation of the obtained results are provided. The paper is based on the necessity of the improvements in energy use needed for drying related on the existing data. The overview of the ways for such achievements, and a general classification of machine learning algorithm are the background of the paper. The methods used are the machine learning techniques employed in different energy-related issues for drying processes. The paper focuses on the applications of artificial neural networks and other machine learning algorithms and models for different energy-related issues, including different energy types applications, challenges associated with energy consumption, and opportunities for energy reduction. Not only the applied algorithms, but also their specific applications, and the statistical analysis of the obtained results are also overviewed. Finally, a critical evaluation of the findings highlighting the potentials of machine learning algorithms in addressing energy-related challenges (such as estimation of energy consumption, opportunities for energy reduction, and use of different energy sources) is provided. The presented analysis underscored the effectiveness of machine learning applications for these purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing energy security is a crucial component of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Three main factors influence energy security: (1) the efficiency of resource use in energy production, (2) the extent of energy losses, and (3) the use of new energy sources. Novel food products can impact these factors, and this paper explores whether they are being studied in the context of reducing energy consumption. Specifically, we investigate the role of technical progress and know-how in the creation and development of novel food products and whether novel methods of food production using artificial intelligence aim to reduce energy expenditures while improving product quality, variety, and the use of new energy sources. This paper seeks to examine the impact determinants of novel foods on energy security, considering economic, technological, social, and environmental aspects of knowledge about new food. To implement the study, the relevant international literature published in the past ten years have been reviewed and methods of modeling, visualization, and descriptive statistics applied. The review is structured into three sections: the first section presents ways to save energy and other resources in the food production chain through the intensive use of artificial intelligence tools; the second section presents the development of novel food products; and the last section presents marketing challenges for novel foods. The findings show that the topic addressed by this paper is currently critical, with many authorities, research centers, food producers, and energy producers interested. However, the research problem remains open, as a systematic review of secondary sources revealed little knowledge of the topic under study, and each author's study presents a new solution. The conclusion is that utilizing new foods and innovative production techniques that require less energy not only enhances production diversity but also improves its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a more ecologically friendly energy transition by the year 2050 under the European "green" accord, hydrogen has recently gained significant scientific interest due to its efficiency as an energy carrier. This paper focuses on large-scale hydrogen production systems based on marine renewable-energy-based wind turbines and tidal turbines. The paper reviews the different technologies of hydrogen production using water electrolyzers, energy storage unit base hydrogen vectors, and fuel cells (FC). The focus is on large-scale hydrogen production systems using marine renewable energies. This study compares electrolyzers, energy storage units, and FC technologies, with the main factors considered being cost, sustainability, and efficiency. Furthermore, a review of aging models of electrolyzers and FCs based on electrical circuit models is drawn from the literature and presented, including characterization methods of the model components and the parameters extraction methods, using a dynamic current profile. In addition, industrial projects for producing hydrogen from renewable energies that have already been completed or are now in progress are examined. The paper is concluded through a summary of recent hydrogen production and energy storage advances, as well as some applications. Perspectives on enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of hydrogen production systems are also proposed and discussed. This paper provides a review of behavioral aging models of electrolyzers and FCs when integrated into hydrogen production systems, as this is crucial for their successful deployment in an ever-changing energy context. We also review the EU's potential for renewable energy analysis. In summary, this study provides valuable information for research and industry stakeholders aiming to promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the objectives of achieving "peak carbon" and "carbon neutrality", accurately quantifying the carbon emissions of road transportation becomes crucial. It is challenging to accurately describe the energy consumption of vehicles at both temporal and spatial scales from a macro perspective. Therefore, focusing on the quantitative model of vehicle micro energy consumption and road meso energy consumption, this paper reviewed and summarized the energy consumption model of road traffic in terms of data collection, quantification accuracy, and scope of application. Based on this analysis, this paper identifies the challenges of the current road traffic energy consumption model. Finally, we look forward to future research directions for studying quantitative models of energy consumption from road transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of the impact of selected parameters of the operating environment on the energy consumption and reliability of haulage in surface mining. The analysis is based on a cyclic haulage system in a limestone open pit. The results of the calculations show that maintaining the operating environment in good technical condition has a positive effect on the haulage process and a direct or indirect effect on the operating costs, the analysis of which is also presented in the main body of the article. The analysis was carried out for a full year's production, taking into account actual operating and maintenance downtime. The results of similar analyses can be used as a basis for deciding on the type of truck to be used for transport or for reconfiguring transport routes. In addition to the economic and operational aspects of energy consumption and reliability, the environmental aspect cannot be overlooked. The comparison of two variants of mining conditions shows that a modification of the haul road surface leads to a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Depending on the type of vehicle, fuel consumption can be reduced by almost 20%. The potential reduction in fuel consumption directly translates into lower exhaust emissions, which is an important element of an environmentally sustainable approach to mining transport, and greater reliability increases efficiency and reduces the carbon footprint of the vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review thoroughly investigates the mechanical recycling of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPCs), a critical area for sustainable material management. With CFRPC widely used in high-performance areas like aerospace, transportation, and energy, developing effective recycling methods is essential for tackling environmental and economic issues. Mechanical recycling stands out for its low energy consumption and minimal environmental impact. This paper reviews current mechanical recycling techniques, highlighting their benefits in terms of energy efficiency and material recovery, but also points out their challenges, such as the degradation of mechanical properties due to fiber damage and difficulties in achieving strong interfacial adhesion in recycled composites. A novel part of this review is the use of finite element analysis (FEA) to predict the behavior of recycled CFRPCs, showing the potential of recycled fibers to preserve structural integrity and performance. This review also emphasizes the need for more research to develop standardized mechanical recycling protocols for CFRPCs that enhance material properties, optimize recycling processes, and assess environmental impacts thoroughly. By combining experimental and numerical studies, this review identifies knowledge gaps and suggests future research directions. It aims to advance the development of sustainable, efficient, and economically viable CFRPC recycling methods. The insights from this review could significantly benefit the circular economy by reducing waste and enabling the reuse of valuable carbon fibers in new composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear loads, crucial components of power system grids, pose a challenge due to harmonics injection. This work tackles this issue with a novel modified green plug–switched filter compensation scheme using fuzzy logic controllers. This innovative scheme presented in this paper utilizes dual action pulse width modulation to ensure switching functions from harmonics reduction and capacitive compensation for inrush nonlinear-type AC loads. The scheme's multi-loop regulations and online switching effectively handle dynamic-type slow-acting inrush, motorized- and other rectifier-type nonlinear loads, enhancing the power factor, power quality at source and load buses, and reducing the total harmonics distortion at the key source and sensitive nonlinear load buses. A simulation model in the MATLAB/SIMULINK-2023b software environment demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed FACTS technique. The modulated dual mode switched filter-capacitive compensation scheme controlled by a fuzzy logic controller ensures less harmonics distortion and improved voltage stabilization. The results show that voltage, current, active power, reactive power, power factor regulation, and effective energy utilization are achievable with the designed Flexible AC Transmission System-Modulated Filter Capacitor Compensation–Switched Filter Compensator (FACTS-MFCC-SFC). The switched modulated AC green plug filter significantly improves power quality and enhances power factor in cases of inrush and nonlinear loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve sustainable development goals and meet the demand for clean and efficient energy utilization, it is imperative to advance the penetration of renewable energy in various sectors. Energy storage systems can mitigate the intermittent issues of renewable energy and enhance the efficiency and economic viability of existing energy facilities. Among various energy storage technologies, thermocline heat storage (THS) has garnered widespread attention from researchers due to its stability and economic advantages. Currently, there are only a few review articles focusing on THS, and there is a gap in the literature regarding the optimization design of THS systems. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the recent research progress in THS, elucidating its principles, thermal storage materials, applications, and optimization designs. The novelty of this work lies in the detailed classification and analysis of various optimization designs for THS, including tank shape, aspect ratio, inlet/outlet configuration, thermal energy storage materials arrangement, operating strategies, and numerical model optimization approaches. The limitations of existing research are also identified, and future perspectives are proposed, aiming to provide recommendations for THS research and contribute to the development and promotion of THS technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the urgent global need to limit warming to 2 °C as well as a localized need in our case study to address rising energy demand amid electrical and thermal network limitations, a critical examination of demand-side energy reductions and the concept of energy sufficiency is needed. This paper contributes to the sparse literature on bottom-up analysis by utilizing Iceland—a leader in renewable energy generation—as a case study to explore the socio-economic factors influencing energy footprints. Our findings reveal significant energy footprints across various consumption domains, particularly housing and mobility, influenced by income levels, urbanization, and lifestyle choices. The study highlights the paradox of a high renewable energy supply leading to potential misconceptions regarding abundant and low-cost energy, resulting in substantial energy consumption-related environmental impacts. Using detailed household consumption survey data, this research provides insights crucial for developing sustainable energy policies that not only target technological advancements but also address the need for a reduction in energy demand and a shift towards energy sufficiency. This work marks a contribution to the literature through the provision of a case study of low income inequality and high energy footprints in a highly renewable energy system context. Further, this work is useful for Icelandic and international policymakers to understand in such high-demand contexts which consumption domains would be most relevant for sufficiency policies. This comprehensive analysis opens pathways for future research to further explore the intersections of energy consumption, socio-economic factors, and well-being, offering a nuanced understanding necessary for crafting sufficiency and demand-side policies aimed at a sustainable energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the energy efficiency of enterprises is one of the key means to solve the problem of energy shortage. It is of great significance to investigate how environmental information disclosure (EDI) promotes the green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) of enterprises. Based on this, this study calculates the GTFEE of enterprises by combining the database of Chinese manufacturing and the pollutant emission of industrial enterprises and investigates the impact of EDI on the GTFEE of manufacturing industries by using a difference-in-difference model. The following is found: (1) EDI can significantly promote the manufacturing enterprises' GTFEE, and the results are still valid after a series of robustness tests; (2) Mechanism analysis shows that EDI can improve the GTFEE of manufacturing enterprises by promoting technological innovation and optimizing energy structure; (3) The heterogeneity analysis shows that EID is more positive on firms' GTFEE in the eastern than western regions. The positive impact is greater for non-state-owned, low-energy consumption, export, and polluting enterprises. The findings of this paper provide a theoretical basis and practical enlightenment for the government to promote the green development transformation of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand response management (DRM) plays a crucial role in the prospective development of smart grids. The precise estimation of electricity demand for individual houses is vital for optimizing the operation and planning of the power system. Accurate forecasting of the required components holds significance as it can substantially impact the final cost, mitigate risks, and support informed decision-making. In this paper, a forecasting approach employing neural networks for smart grid demand-side management is proposed. The study explores various enhanced artificial neural network (ANN) architectures for forecasting smart grid consumption. The performance of the ANN approach in predicting energy demands is evaluated through a comparison with three statistical models: a time series model, an auto-regressive model, and a hybrid model. Experimental results demonstrate the ability of the proposed neural network framework to deliver accurate and reliable energy demand forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]