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The motivation of this paper is to investigate the resistance of countries' energy research and development (RD&D) expenditures to random shocks. The analysis includes the five countries (France, Germany, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom) that are the biggest investors in RD&D in fossil fuels, renewables, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy. Thus, economies will be able to take precautions against global shocks in producing sustainable energy policies. To achieve this aim, this paper uses the artificial neural network approach, which uses a distributed computing model that can store and generalize data after a learning period. Empirical results widely depend on countries and distinct energy technology policy fields. The key findings provide evidence that RD&D expenditures, except for renewables, do not tend to mean revert. The economies of Japan, Germany, and the United States should make more renewable investments to reduce the resistance of renewable energy sources to shocks and thus produce policies for both environmental sustainability and energy security. The economies of France and the United Kingdom can ensure energy security by continuing their sustainable energy policies. • Applied SDG policies focused on energy technology RD&D are presented. • The stochastic characteristics of energy technology investments are examined. • Carbon-reducing policies are recommended for the top five economies. • Energy technologies are perused through artificial intelligence approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the impact of green finance and renewable energy on energy efficiency in E−7 economies. We analyzed the nonlinear and asymmetric effects of green finance and renewable energy on energy efficiency. We collected data from 1985 to 2017 and applied the NARDL and 2SLS methods. The results reveal that the differences in green finance development in the E−7 region are as follows: China (0.61), Brazil (0.55), India (0.53), Indonesia (0.49), Mexico (0.37), and Russia (0.39). In 2019, the Gini coefficient was the largest in Russia (0.57), followed by Turkey. Based on empirical findings, the largest barrier to green energy efficiency is insufficient private and governmental investment in the energy sector to improve access to power, to increase energy security and promote economic growth in an environmentally sustainable manner. The findings point to a promising but vulnerable future for renewable energy and energy efficiency deployment in E−7 countries. This paper emphasizes that green financing and renewable energy policy limitations must be addressed to realize the funding potential of energy efficiency in E−7 countries. • We have analyzed the barrieres for renewable energy and energy efficiency. • Non-linear and asymmetric effects is observed on energy efficiency. • We have applied NARDL model to examine the relationship among variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings' energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are a major global concern. Healthcare buildings, being crucial to society, pose particular challenges due to their round-the-clock operation and stringent hygiene standards. This paper comprehensively reviews existing literature to promote energy-efficient and comfortable healthcare buildings. The research explores both passive measures, such as orientation, materials, and daylight, and active measures, including Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems, energy management, and renewable resources. The paper emphasizes the critical role of user behavior in conserving energy and outlines how factors like building size, operation hours, and climate can impact resource consumption. It highlights the importance of solar power as a prominent renewable energy source. It offers design and retrofitting options to enhance healthcare buildings and addresses the lack of research on small-scale healthcare buildings. The paper emphasizes maintaining a balance between user comfort and energy reduction, involving diverse stakeholders, and exploring benchmarks, automated shading, geothermal sources, local materials, and their impact on carbon emissions. This review aims to contribute to environmentally responsible and socially resilient healthcare infrastructure and provide insights for future challenges in creating energy-efficient healthcare buildings. • Literature review of "sustainable", "green", and "smart" healthcare building strategy. • A comprehensive examination of passive and active measures for energy-efficiency. • Findings highlight user behavior's critical role in energy conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy extraction from renewable sources like hydrokinetic energy from the flowing water of rivers and canals is one of the affordable and clean energy generation technique. The current work is carried out towards performance enhancement of the Darrieus hydrokinetic turbine for open water channel utilization application. The investigation has been done using the flat and concave shape of blocking plate. Both blocking plates have been analyzed for different sizes as well as location at the upstream side of the turbine. The obtained results are reported after considering appropriate velocity correction. The blocking plates with projected width of 76 mm, 89 mm, 101 mm, 127 mm, 152 mm, and 203 mm are selected for the investigation. It is observed that 101 mm (Width Ratio , WR =0.36) with concave blocking plate provides maximum C p of 0.245 at 0.99 TSR. Also, the optimum region is found between 0.143 and 0.286 Distance Ratio (DR) from the top corner of the acrylic plate. The concave blocking plate enhance the performance more compared to flat blocking plate. The conclusion is made that, the performance with flat blocking plate with optimized width and location improve the power coefficient by 10.92% and that of concave blocking plate by 18.45%. • Energy extraction using Darrieus hydrokinetic turbine is one of the affordable and clean energy generation techniques. • The performance of the Darrieus water turbine has been compared with a bare rotor and with using two different types of blocking plates. • The concave and flat blocking plates have been experimentally analyzed, and its effect has been explored in the paper. • The different sizes of concave and flat blocking plates were placed at the upstream side of the Darrieus turbine to enhance the performance. • The paper also includes the optimum region of the optimized shape concave and flat blocking plates placed at the upstream location of the rotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During its operation, a photovoltaic (PV) panel is exposed to various and in general, stochastic thermal and wind conditions, which have a significant influence on the PV panel operating temperature. The increased PV panel operating temperatures normally have an unfavorable effect on the PV panel performance and lifetime, thus various cooling methods were proposed in order to increase the photovoltaic energy conversion efficiency. A reasonable step before the consideration of a specific cooling strategy is to obtain a PV panel performance analysis with respect to its surroundings (specific geographical micro location) for various operating conditions. This paper presents such a study, which was conducted through an experimentally validated numerical model. Numerous CFD simulations regarding heat and fluid flow around a monocrystalline PV panel coupled with a heat flow simulation inside the PV panel elements were conducted. The aim of the paper was to investigate an effective heat transfer field and the variations in the PV panel temperatures with respect to various wind velocities and heat source conditions. A detailed study regarding pressure, viscous and body (buoyancy) forces as well as their effects on flow separation was also conducted. The study also investigated the changes in the effective heat transfer near the PV panel. The gained results in this study turned out to be useful for the consideration of a specific cooling strategy for PV panels, which can ultimately lead to an increase in PV panel efficiency and lifetime. Additionally, the conducted study could be used to improve the delivered electricity prediction from the PV system at a selected location defined by specific wind velocities and solar insolation distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's largest energy consuming country, it is important to study the mechanisms of improving renewable energy and energy efficiency to achieve green economic growth in China and globally. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of environmental regulations on green economic growth and renewable energy development in China, respectively. First, this study measures the level of green economic growth in Chinese cities by the Metafrontier-Global-SBM super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) model from the perspective of energy efficiency. And the environmental regulation intensity was measured using an improved fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Second, a spatial econometric model based on longitudinal data was constructed to examine the non-linear effects of environmental regulations on green economic growth and its spatial spillover and feedback effects. The results indicated a U-shaped non-linear effect of energy efficiency-related environmental regulation on green economic growth as well as a spatial spillover effect and spatial feedback effect. Finally, the impact of environmental regulation on renewable energy development was investigated. The results show that renewable energy development, an important component of green economic growth, is equally dependent on the implementation of environmental regulation policies and that environmental regulation makes a significant contribution to renewable energy development. The findings of this paper provide a basis for the realization of green economic growth and the formulation of renewable energy policies in China. • Impact of environmental regulation on renewable energy development was investigated. • A spatial econometric model of 286 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2018 was constructed. • Environmental regulation has a significant U-shaped effect on green economic growth. • Non-linear effects include spatial spillover and spatial feedback effects. • Environmental regulation promotes green growth earlier in resource-based cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry poses one of the biggest challenges in the renewable energy transition. In this paper, fossil fuels in the European industrial sector are replaced by renewable energy using a novel tool, IndustryPLAN, a planning tool for the assessment of national industrial sectors. In a bottom-up approach, each industry sub-sector is addressed with energy efficiency and fossil fuel replacement measures based on best available and innovative technologies, and in a top-down approach, the fuel and electricity consumption per country is analysed and decarbonised. The results indicate that: 1. Known technologies can decarbonise most of the industrial sector; 2. Costs and efficiencies are improved by energy savings and electrification; 3. Limiting bioenergy consumption is a critical challenge, emphasising the key role of energy savings and electrification, and the alternative of using hydrogen or hydrogen-based electrofuels will make the transition more expensive and induce energy losses. A full transition to renewable energy and a decarbonised industry sector may be possible before 2050, however, this requires that all investments are sustainable from 2030 onwards and that grid electricity is fully decarbonised. This paper presents several pathways toward 100% renewable energy supply in the European industrial sector and discusses the implications of the outlined scenarios. • Four tangible 100% renewable energy scenarios for industry in EU27 + UK are established. • 100% renewable energy in industry is feasible before 2050. • Energy efficiency improvements are essential to limit biomass consumption. • Industry energy transition needs to be prioritised in short- and long-term planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cost of heat savings in buildings increase as more heat savings are achieved and hence, alternatives other than savings typically become more economically feasible at a certain level of heat reductions. The challenge addressed in this paper is to identify when the cost of heat savings become more expensive than the cost of sustainable heat supply, so society does not overinvest in heat saving measures. This study first investigates the heat saving potentials for different countries in Europe, along with their associated costs, followed by a comparison with alternative ways of supplying sustainable heating. Furthermore, the levelised cost of supplying sustainable heat is estimated for both a single technology and from an energy system perspective. The results are analysed by assessing various parameters such as socio-economic costs and energy efficiency improvements in the national energy systems. The results demonstrate the economically feasible levels of heat savings and heat production for various European countries, highlighting differences in their national conditions and energy systems. The findings in this paper indicate that overinvestments in heat savings can be avoided by saving heat until a level around 30–50% of projected heat demands and supplying the remaining heat demand with sustainable heat sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy transition process is evaluated on Italian regions according to their different urbanization levels. • Transition matrices showed weakness and strengthens according points of the regions. • The evaluation of the determinants allows to define policy indication according to different level of urbanization. • Findings showed that different energy paths are associated to different urbanization areas. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are recognized among the key factors of transitioning towards a low-consumption and low-carbon society. In order to achieve such transition, the government policies should be aimed at meeting the renewable energy generation and energy efficiency targets of specific localities. Nonetheless, these targets vary between different urban regions, and there is limited knowledge on the correlation between energy transition and urbanization levels. The aim of this paper is to identify that correlation in urban regions. This study places Italian regions under the microscope of an empirical investigation. The study adopts a two-step analysis that provides a useful model for regional analyses. The results of the study consolidates our understanding and highlights that the energy transition process requires greater efforts concerning social participation and provision of incentives for renewable energy production, mainly in the less urbanized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the application of distributed energy resources (DERs) at water resource recovery facilities (WRRF). The DERs considered include solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, biomass electricity generation, and energy storage systems (ESS). The financial and demand management implications of the deployment of various DER combinations are analyzed. The load profile of a single plant is studied in order to draw conclusions regarding the optimal size for energy storage solutions based on the goals of the WRRF. A case study of a Medium sized WRRF, located in a large metropolitan area, is used to compare different financial and technical implementation strategies. An ideal combination of DERs is determined based on analysis of various scenarios for nine distinct use cases. The overarching goal of this paper is to understand the potential of various combinations of DERs for managing peak demand and resilience at WRRFs. Elements in the financial models are compared to determine the combination that creates a financially viable project while providing tangible benefits in resilience and/or demand management to the WRRF. • Energy efficiency is key for urban regions to combat global warming. • Distributed energy resources (DERs) improve resiliency during power failures. • Energy efficiency is possible through deployment of DERs and better use of biogases • Distributed energy resources (DERs) improve resiliency during power failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on financial support from EU Structural Funds to sustainable energy development in Baltic States. The paper aims to compare the use of Structural Funds support for sustainable energy development in Baltic States in two financing periods: 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 and to assess the impact of EU structural support in helping Baltic States to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy development targets set in EU energy policy documents. The paper analyses EU sustainable energy policy priorities and energy efficiency and renewable energy targets set for Baltic States and compares progress achieved in implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy targets in Baltic States after EU accession. The paper found that the EU Structural Funds have positively influenced the sustainable energy development in Baltic States. The major impact was related with increase in energy productivity because of energy savings achieved in refurbishment of residential buildings. Lithuania has achieved the biggest progress in energy productivity development since 2004 among Baltic States. Estonia was the only country from Baltic States which has allocated structural aid for promotion of wind energy and achieved the best results in increase of the share of renewables (mainly wind) in electricity generation. Latvia has the highest share of renewable in electricity generation structure and final energy consumption and did not provide support for renewable in 2007–2014 however support for biomass is foreseen in 2014–2020 financing period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job creation is an important component of the socio-economic effects associated with the development and deployment of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies. The potential contribution of the RE and EE sectors in creating new jobs affect the public policy as well as the allocation of public resources to promote related activities. This paper provides an overview on the job creation potential along the value chains of key RE and EE technologies by skill set, technological category and the stage in the life cycle of the development and deployment process. We summarize the existing approaches to estimate job creation effects of the RE and EE sectors and report the existing estimations of job creation figures by technology and capacity. The paper concludes with the cases studies on Germany, Spain, the United States and the Middle Eastern region to showcase the variation of job creation potential in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 2020 Europe has to increase its energy efficiency and share of renewables in 20%. However, even accomplishing these challenging objectives Europe will be effectively wasting energy as we demonstrate in this paper. In our way towards a fully renewable scenario, we need at least to stop wasting energy in order to guarantee the energy supply needed for growth and comfort. We waste energy when we employ more primary energy than the final energy we ultimately use and this excess cannot be reutilized. In this paper we propose the WE (wasted energy) as a novel metric to measure the performance of energy systems and set up appropriate targets. The WE incorporates information about energy efficiency and renewable sources. Unlike European legislation, the WE considers them in an integrated way. This approach will help Member States to exploit their intrinsic capabilities and design their optimum strategy to reach their objectives. Using the information in Eurostat, we calculate the WE of Member States in EU-28 and their evolution. We also analyze illustrative examples to highlight strategies to reduce the WE, study the connection between economic development and WE, and provide a tool to diagnose the potential of improvement of an energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the smallest province in Canada measuring about 5700 km2 in area with a population of around 130,000 people. Small family farm operation is part of the Island's way of life. However, the dairy industry in North America is undergoing significant structural change. Statistics show a significant decline in the small dairy farms industry, while the number of large operations has been increasing. Advantages for large operations include purchasing energy in large quantities with better price margins and the inherent economy of scale created by such breaks. One strategy for small-scale farms to become competitive is to reduce their energy-related operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved through taking energy efficiency steps, reducing overall energy consumption and generating energy through renewable energy resources and technologies. This paper uses a case study of a small dairy farm in Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI to gain insight into the direct use of energy within small dairy farms. An energy audit methodology is used to determine the energy intensity of the farm as well as energy efficiency opportunities. The paper also assesses the feasibility of meeting part of the energy demand of the farm with renewable energy generation. Energy efficiency recommendations for the case study farm include lighting retrofitting and regular maintenance of refrigeration condenser units. Renewable energy generation findings include the potential use of an anaerobic digester or a 25 kW wind turbine to generate the majority of the operation's energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The worldwide water supply represents a significant portion of the global energy consumption. This energy consumption, related to the collection, treatment and transportation of water, entails a large amount of costs. However, these costs are liable to be minimised with and/or without reduction on energy consumption. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review about measures and methods to achieve water supply systems efficiency. The paper summarises and compares previous investigations in order to provide the state-of-the-art to the reader. Measures with and without investment in order to reduce costs and energy consumption are presented. The paper also explores the use of hydraulic simulation and optimisation strategies in water supply systems, involving topics such as demand prediction, networks design, pumps operation, real-time operations and renewable energy production. Although the great advances in the area, there are unexplored (or poorly explored) methodologies that can be tested and maybe applied in a large number of water systems. There are also some important issues, mentioned in this paper, which must be considered in order to attend specific requirements of the water industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The goal of this paper is to estimate the perspectives of the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on meeting the new European Union climate commitments, i.e., to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% to the year 2020 in comparison with 1990. This ambitious target could be reached based on other EU climate and energy package commitments: increase of the share of renewables and improvement of energy efficiency as tools for fulfilling the GHG emissions reduction target. The paper gives an overview on the current situation and future plans of the Baltic States in the field of energy efficiency, consumption of renewables and reduction of GHG emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper will summarise the European Strategy for Energy and Climate Change. In current international negotiations Europe has proposed a 20% reduction in GHG (greenhouse gases) in the developed countries by 2020 or 30% should there be an international agreement in the domain. However it is important to define measures to achieve the targets. One of the principal tools is to improve energy efficiency under the energy efficiency action plan, which will help to achieve a 20% energy saving by 2020. On the other hand, the amount of energy from renewable sources consumed in Europe will have to rise from its current level of 8.5%–20% by 2020. These are ambitious but achievable targets. Nonetheless, these can only be achieved through strong investment in areas of the knowledge triangle which strengthens research and innovation in the energy sector in Europe. The paper covers European Energy and Climate Change Policy, the European Strategic Energy Technology plan, the consequences of the Lisbon Treaty, European and national Road maps to a low carbon economy, the Energy Efficiency Plan for 2011 and finishes with a brief consideration of the EU’s energy infrastructure priorities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many ports and terminals endeavor to enhance energy efficiency as energy prices have increased through years and climate change mitigation is a key target for the port industry. Stricter environmental regulations are adopted by authorities to limit pollutants and GHG emissions arising from energy consumption. Increasingly, port operational strategies and energy usage patterns are under scrutiny. To ingrain sustainability and environmental protection of ports, the use of innovative technology appears as a critical conduit in achieving a transition from a carbon-intensive port industry (dependent on fossil fuels) to a low-carbon port model by harnessing renewable energy, alternative fuels (e.g. LNG, hydrogen, biofuel), smarter power distribution systems, energy consumption measurement systems. In this context, this paper conducts a systematic literature review to analyze operational strategies (e.g. peak shaving, operations optimization), technology usage (e.g. electrification of equipment, cold-ironing, energy storage systems), renewable energy, alternative fuels and energy management systems (e.g. smart grid with renewable energy) for improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of ports and terminals. Research gaps and future research directions are identified. Analysis shows that there is a great potential for ports to achieve further energy efficiency and researchers have many impactful research opportunities. • A detailed literature review on energy efficiency in ports and container terminals is conducted. • Operational strategies such as optimization of port operations and peak shaving methods are presented. • Technologies such as electrification of equipment, cold-ironing, energy storage systems, smart grid, microgrid are reviewed. • Renewable energy and clean fuel use in ports are presented. • Methods regarding energy consumption and emission measuring/assessment are detailed for ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the application of the Discrete Event Simulation (DES) in an industrial plant to analyze the behavior of the consumption and generation of electrical energy in conjunction with other variables of the process. In other words, the process modeling was conducted considering the energy consumption in equipment as well as the local photovoltaic (PV) energy generation. A medium-sized plant was the reference base used herein, and the main variables considered were the time of supply of tanks and processing of raw material, active power of equipment and energy tariffs. A simulation model with resolution in seconds was designed, enabling the simulation of consumption curves of each equipment of a given part of the production process. The equipment of variable active demand was modeled by a mathematical regression method, and the others were assumed with constant power. The same model was altered to unit in minutes for simulating the monthly electricity consumption, so as to obtain financial results. The contractual rules for electricity supply were included, and the use of a diesel-powered generator was taken into account. The application of a freeware was employed as a low cost alternative for small and medium-sized companies, even though the lack of graphic resources has increased the complexity of the system modeling process. The model with resolution in seconds proved to be efficient to simulate the consumption profile of a specific equipment that alters the power in a short-time period, such as the pumps. The model, on the other hand, in minutes allowed a more effective analysis in terms of finance, enabling the verification of alternative scenarios throughout a month. The monthly cost reduction perceived by considering self-generation in this model was about 36%. Detailed diagram of the main elements of modeling of a manufacturing process of an industry concentrating on the consumption and generation of electric energy. Image 1 • The electricity consumption in an industrial process can be approached in a simulation model. • PV energy can be simulated together with variables of industrial processes. • The discrete event simulation can be used in industrial processes to optimize the electricity management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground heat exchanger takes the soil underground as heat source or sink to supply cooling or heating. It has been widely used in building heating and cooling systems due to high efficiency and environmental friendliness. This paper reviews the latest research on ground heat exchangers from several new perspectives and demonstrates their potentials in achieving zero energy buildings. Firstly, ground heat exchangers are classified into water-based and air-based ones based on the heat transfer medium. They can be used in a passive or active approach. Associated research and projects for each approach are introduced and analysed. Then the integration of ground heat exchangers with various cooling and heating technologies and related studies are reviewed. These technologies include solar thermal collectors, cooling towers, nocturnal radiative cooling technology, solar chimney, etc. Finally, a technical route for ground heat exchangers to help realize zero energy buildings is presented, which provides a promising solution to improve energy efficiency of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The rapid growth of Chinese economy has tremendously stimulated the expansion of energy consumption. The structure of energy consumption in China is featured with the coal domination. Air pollution is becoming increasingly severe. As a result, we are confronted with the extremely arduous task to balance energy consumption and environmental protection. In order to coordinate the relationship between energy consumption and environmental protection in a strategic way, this paper analyzes comprehensively the instruments, effects and perspectives of energy-related environmental management. Meanwhile, this paper illustrates the barriers and challenges facing the energy and energy-related environmental management in China, and suggests a priority strategy of management instrument, mainly composed of energy-saving, optimization of energy structure, promulgation of environmental standards, advance in environmental technologies, internalization of environmental costs, establishment of a public benefit fund and adoption of a Renewable Portfolio System. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports the outcome of the project on “Capacity building in formulating harmonized policy instruments for the promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the ASEAN member countries”. With the growing concerns about green house gas (GHG) emission and consequent climate change, renewable energy sources have become more attractive option for electricity generation around the world. Studies have been made on the status of renewable energy potential and utilization, major barriers in promoting renewable energy in ASEAN countries, major energy policies to overcome barriers, and existing renewable energy and energy efficiency policies in ASEAN countries. Paper concludes that ASEAN has not utilized its renewable energy resources anywhere near to the potential. Analysis found that the key factor that has to be amended is “policies and regulations in renewable energy and energy efficiency” at both country level and regional level. But, ASEAN is not yet ready for the full harmonization of the policies. However, it recommends that, with the project outputs it is possible to focus on the specific policy instruments common to most of the member countries, such that it could use to augment ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) initiatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Policies targeting energy efficiency and renewable energy are sometimes viewed as more politically feasible than carbon pricing in pursuit of emission reduction goals. This paper assesses underlying drivers of energy policy development. These factors include economic, social, environmental, and institutional variables. The between estimator for panel data is an appropriate method for our focus on some exogenous variables that vary more across countries than over time. We find that larger oil reserves per capita have a negative relationship with renewable energy policy development. Education and political globalisation have strong positive relationships with both energy-efficiency and renewable-energy policy development. These results suggest that greater participation in global political groups can be an indirect approach toward energy policy development, in cases where direct and immediate policies are hard to implement. OECD countries have higher policy scores by 33 and 25 points in energy efficiency and renewable energy respectively. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis shows that these higher scores are primarily due to social and political institution predictors rather than economics and physical endowments. • Large-n cross country international sample on continuous policy score measurement. • Political globalisation is positively linked with renewables and energy efficiency policies. • Education is positively linked to energy policy development, especially for efficiency. • Higher OECD countries' policy scores are primarily due to social and political predictors. • Higher incomes are unlikely to lead to automatic improvements in energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the incentives for pursuing a low-carbon electricity sector that are embedded in China's regulatory and policy framework. To do so, we first describe the industry structure and the regulatory framework. Second, we explicitly review the policies that were developed to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy. These policies range from the introduction of legal requirements to undertake particular actions to pricing mechanism and financial incentives. Based on this, we tease out the challenges faced by a sector governed by a myriad of complex arrangements, different institutions and agents who face different and often conflicting incentives for pursuing environmental and energy efficiency objectives. Finally, we provide suggestions to scientifically set up low-carbon policies and to achieve the expected goals with minimum social cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will focus on the energy efficiency by proposing a new concept to manage and improve the integration of the energy produced with renewable resources in a smart home community. By realizing this the total energy cost for that neighborhood will be reduced significantly and will also improve the quality of life. We even want to have a positive storage capacity in order to collect excess energy and redirect it to other neighborhoods belonging to the same area which are in need of energy. This will enhance the integration efficiency of energy produced locally, which will allow us to have a better quality of life, less gas emission, reducing greenhouse effect and resulting in a wiser management of the resources available in our cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its vast natural resources, African is facing serious challenges in sustainable development in an energy sector, if addressed with dispatch could not only check its indispensable needs, but also mitigate some global phenomenon at stake, such as desertification, environmental degradation and green house emission. This paper reviews the prospects of four major renewable energy sources-hydro, solar, wind and biomass- for each of the three leading countries in Africa namely South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. Based on literature survey of energy efficiency, all the three countries encourage energy efficiency in varying degrees. In the course of this review, several national energy policy frameworks of these countries were looked into, especially on how African countries could overcome the persistent energy crisis in the continent by utilizing the naturally gifted renewable energy sources. This could only be achievable if proper technology, awareness and skills for harnessing the resources are provided. Also lingering energy challenges such as energy efficiency measures, needs for grid extension, energy storage technology and seasonal variation were carefully highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper defines the diverging interests of multiple actors in typically achieving and advancing energy efficiency. Gaps in the literature include the short elaboration of energy efficiency factors and conditions and the lack of information about developed and developing countries and thorough consideration of their specific features, impeding the development and implementation of detailed energy efficiency management strategies. It is against this backdrop that this paper seeks to identify the essence of energy efficiency and developing specific recommendations for achieving the most beneficial effect and well-balanced energy efficiency on the global scale, within the achievements of international goals in sustainable development. The paper exposes the critical factors of energy efficiency, accurately models the best energy efficiency characteristics, and settles the best energy consumption structure. The methodological purpose is to find different energy efficiency scenarios and disentangle fundamental differences in energy efficiency in developed and developing countries. The paper indicates that the reasonable likelihood of noteworthy achievement results in energy efficiency with insignificant mid-term changes. We give recommendations about well-balanced energy efficiency on the global scale and global progress in sustainable development. • This paper disentangles key differences in energy efficiency in developed and developing countries. • We identify the essence of energy efficiency and develop recommendations for achieving balanced energy efficiency globally. • The paper models the best energy efficiency characteristics and settles the best energy consumption structure. • We give recommendations about well-balanced energy efficiency in sustainable development. • The study shows energy consumption optimization in terms of GDP structure, energy consumption, and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper collects the outcomes of an experimental study focused on the energy benefits achieved by coupling an energy efficient building with a sunspace in winter season and Mediterranean climate. Acting as passive Solar heating elements, sunspaces are intended to be a valuable tool among sustainable and energy-efficient constructive and/or retrofitting strategies. In order to assess the energy saving potential of the above-mentioned coupling and relate it to the main design parameters, two operative steps were carried out: the numerical step allowed different simulated configurations to be evaluated in order to identify the optimal one from an energy perspective and physically realize it; the monitoring phase served the double purpose of calibrating the simulation model and provide on-site validated data for subsequent assessments and comparisons. Three main sunspace configurations were tested: irradiative single-glazed, irradiative double-glazed and convective double-glazed. The convective double glazed configuration was found to outperform the others since the daily energy consumption reduction exceeded the 27% (compared to the irradiative, double glazed counterpart) for all weather conditions. Besides, the activation of a mechanical ventilation system was slightly counterproductive in terms of discomfort phenomena since a less stable indoor air temperature was guaranteed. Comparing the two irradiative configurations, it was found that the addition of an extra glass layer was responsible of a quite constant reduction of 1 kW h/day, thus increasing the percent heating energy demand saving achieved through the insertion of the sunspace from approximately 3,3%–8,7%, while minimizing indoor air temperature fluctuations too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy is a significant input for environmental, economic and social development. The wind energy has become the quickest thriving renewable energy resource. It is worth noting that wind power has the least emissions and lowest water consumption, but it has comparatively high costs. Thus, making wind energy station planning decision requires an operation of balancing various technical, economic, ecological, and environmental aspects over time and space. This paper is constructed to choose a convenient turbine from various perspectives for developing a wind energy station. For 2 MW, the best wind turbine brands are listed based on expert interviews and literature review and they are used to establish a decision-making model with four main criteria consisting technical, economic, environmental, and customer attributes with various sub-criteria. Determining the related criteria and grouping them in main categories is the novel approach provided by this research. The constructed model can be solved by various multi-criteria decision making techniques. The selection of the best wind turbine is determined by using AHP technique. The results are significant both from engineering and economic perspective as the applied methodology is practically implementable and commercially viable. Accurate and up-to-date data are obtained from leading companies in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy efficiency for low operating cost of desalination can be obtained from operational optimizations as well as component-wise innovations. This paper is concerned with an energy-efficient operation for reverse osmosis (RO) desalination process involving a joint control of multiple modules. Energy resource considered for desalination is of two types: intermittent solar energy and steady grid energy. With solar energy, the energy efficiency is measured by total permeate production obtained while the solar energy is available. With grid energy, the energy efficiency is measured by the power consumed to get unit permeate production rate. Achieving maximum energy efficiency is equivalent to solving constrained optimization. For the constrained optimization, obligatory constraints are given by the permissible ranges of trans-membrane pressure on RO membrane and total dissolved solids of permeate, and optional constraint is given by the permissible range of permeate production rate. Constraints as well as the objective function are modeled by the empirical second order equations in terms of control variables of multiple modules. Jointly optimal values of the control variables are found by the sequential quadratic programming. Experimental results obtained by the jointly optimal control demonstrate superior performances as compared to those acquired by marginally optimal control schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased competition and reduced profit margins are pushing manufacturing plants to find ways to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. At the same time, government incentives and community initiatives are encouraging the industrial sector to pursue sustainability in operation and energy consumption. This has introduced a paradigm shift where the focus of plant operation is moving from solely cost reduction to one that considers asset management, emission control, and utilization of alternative energy resources. Mathematically speaking, the problem is changing from a single objective optimization to one with multiple objective functions that may at times be contradictory. The focus of this paper is to propose a methodology for management of an industrial plant considering the above factors. It is assumed that the plant is equipped with distributed generation (DG), and can also participate in demand response (DR). Further, the effect of ambient temperature on the lifetime and available capacity of assets such as the plant transformer has been taken into account and incorporated into their daily schedule. The objective is then to find an optimal solution for operating various workstations in such a way that it minimizes the operational costs, the emissions produced, and the loss of life of assets exposed to excess temperatures. A multi-objective optimization problem is therefore formulated through extended lexicographic goal programming, which is further modified to ensure Pareto optimality. A case study has also been presented for a manufacturing plant for luxury vehicle cockpit assembly line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent papers argue that the energy return on energy invested (EROI) for renewable electricity technologies and systems may be so low that the transition from fossil fuelled to renewable electricity may displace investment in other important economic sectors. For the case of large-scale electricity supply, we draw upon insights from Net Energy Analysis and renewable energy engineering to examine critically some assumptions, data and arguments in these papers, focussing on regions in which wind and solar can provide the majority of electricity. We show that the above claim is based on outdated data on EROIs, on failing to consider the energy efficiency advantages of transitioning away from fuel combustion and on overestimates of storage requirements. EROIs of wind and solar photovoltaics, which can provide the vast majority of electricity and indeed of all energy in the future, are generally high (≥ 10) and increasing. The impact of storage on EROI depends on the quantities and types of storage adopted and their operational strategies. In the regions considered in this paper, the quantity of storage required to maintain generation reliability is relatively small. • EROIs of wind and solar technologies are generally high and increasing. • Impact of storage on system EROI depends on quantity, types and use of storage. • Power systems with high solar and wind penetrations need small storage capacities. • Energy conversion efficiency greatly increases EROI of macro-economic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contents of this paper address the concept of net zero energy in industrial and commercial buildings, focusing on the definition which accounts for energy losses by converting each energy carrier used in the building to source energy. Therefore, this paper presents a sample of several source energy conversion factors commonly used in the United States, Canada and in most European countries. Energy efficiency in industrial and commercial buildings is discussed throughout the work, including a brief review of energy-efficiency measures which can be implemented in order to increase the efficiency and improve the performance of these energy-intensive buildings. Net metering is introduced due to its importance towards achieving net zero energy, along with its potential benefits and challenges, as well as a brief overview of policies currently being implemented around the world. In addition, various aspects regarding the classification of the weighting system and calculation of zero energy balance are also addressed. Finally, a case study is presented to evaluate whether five distinct enterprises located in Portugal can achieve annual net zero energy by deploying on-site renewable sources in the area available within their site boundary. This case study is based on a developed algorithm which allows the evaluation of these enterprises according to different symmetric and asymmetric weighting systems. The concepts of demand response and net metering are also briefly discussed and presented as a viable and cost-effective solution to aid any building achieving annual net zero energy. • Energy efficiency is mandatory to achieve net zero energy in industrial buildings. • Several process specific measures can be adopted in each industrial sector. • Source energy conversion factors are presented to assist the balance calculation. • The choice of weighting factors heavily influences the building energy balance. • Asymmetric weights favouring generation are suitable for net zero-energy buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for energy efficiency and for the deployment of renewable energy at universities is substantial, and they represent promising ways to meet an institution's energy needs on the one hand, without a large climate burden on the other. However, in order to achieve successful investment and results, it is imperative to understand the level of current commitment to energy actions. Therefore, this paper investigates the level of engagement in energy efficiency measures of a sample of 50 higher education institutions from round the world, and identifies which types of renewable energy are being used to date. Results show that in more than half of the universities only a small portion of energy consumption comes from renewable sources (1%–20%) and solar/photovoltaics is the most used source (70%). Investment in energy efficiency is more common in the sample, with 54% of the universities reporting higher levels of engagement, mainly in buildings (78%) and equipment/machineries (56%). Departing from the assumption that sustainable energy use is a pre-condition for campuses to pursue sustainability, the paper identifies current deficiencies and discusses improvements in this key area, with experiences which may be replicable elsewhere. • Renewable energy accounts as minor part of the energy usage in most universities. • Solar/photovoltaic energy applications are the most common modalities of renewable energy used at HEIs. • Buildings and equipment have been identified as the primary areas where energy efficiency improvements are needed. •. A positive correlation between engagement in energy efficiency and investments in renewable energy was observed. • There is much room for improvements in what universities can do to enhance their energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development in the building sector requires the integration of energy efficiency and renewable energy utilization in buildings. In recent years, the concept of net zero energy buildings (NZEBs) has become a potential plausible solution to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption in buildings. To achieve an NZEB goal, building systems and design strategies must be integrated and optimized based on local climatic conditions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of NZEBs and their current development in hot and humid regions. Through investigating 34 NZEB cases around the world, this study summarized NZEB key design strategies, technology choices and energy performance. The study found that passive design and technologies such as daylighting and natural ventilation are often adopted for NZEBs in hot and humid climates, together with other energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. Most NZEB cases demonstrated site annual energy consumption intensity less than 100 kW-hours (kWh) per square meter of floor space, and some buildings even achieved "net-positive energy" (that is, they generate more energy locally than they consume). However, the analysis also shows that not all NZEBs are energy efficient buildings, and buildings with ample renewable energy adoption can still achieve NZEB status even with high energy use intensity. This paper provides in-depth case-study-driven analysis to evaluate NZEB energy performance and summarize best practices for high performance NZEBs. This review provides critical technical information as well as policy recommendations for net zero energy building development in hot and humid climates. • A case-study-driven review of net zero energy buildings in hot and humid climates with technology choices and design features. • Summary of climate-responsive design and technologies for NZEBs in hot and humid climates. • In-depth energy performance analysis and recommendations for developing high performance NZEBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satisfying energy requirements in its most suitable form is the great challenge of the world in the 21st century. Moroccan authorities are fully aware about this challenge, especially with the population and economic growth that causes a sharp increase of energy demand. This paper presents the renewable energy potentials and the national strategy currently underway to pursue low-carbon opportunities in Morocco. The enormous potential identified in the Moroccan renewable energy sector with favorable CO 2 mitigation draw optimistic expectations to build sustained low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand side management (DSM) can be defined as modifications in the demand side energy consumption pattern to foster better efficiency and operations in electrical energy systems. DSM activities, which are classified into “energy efficiency (EE)” and “demand response (DR)” are becoming more popular due to technological advances in smart grids and electricity market deregulation. However, it can be argued that ensuring DSM sustainability requires creating suitable business models. Business models are influenced by different factors such as electricity market regulation, mechanisms, power system characteristics and infrastructure. The proliferation of smart grid infrastructure, distributed generation, intermittent renewable energy resources and energy storage devices has affected DSM business models considerably. Therefore, in this paper, possible business models for EE and DR providers in different electricity market segments are analyzed and reviewed. The analysis covers three types of characteristics: DSM transaction characteristics, renewable energy correlation and DSM load control characteristics. In DSM transaction characteristics, the value proposition of DSM such as added value offered to the DSM purchaser and transaction triggers are discussed. In renewable energy correlation, the effect of increased renewable energy penetration on the business model is evaluated. In DSM load control characteristics, load control and aggregation aspects such as response speed, duration, advance notice, location sensitivity and actual usage frequency are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous growth in size, complexity and energy density of data centres due to the increasing demand for storage, networking and computation has become a worldwide energetic problem. The emergent awareness of the negative impact that the uncontrolled energy consumption has on natural environment, the predicted limitation of fossil fuels production in the upcoming decades and the growing associated costs have strongly influenced the energy systems engineering work in the last decades. Therefore, the implementation of well known and advanced energy efficiency measures to reduce data centres energy demand play an important role not only to a supportable growth but also to reduce its operational costs. The carbon footprint is greatly influenced by the energy sources used. Therefore, there have been recent efforts to exploit and reuse or combine green energy sources in data centres to lower brown energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. This paper presents a comprehensible overview of the current data centre infrastructure and summarizes a number of currently available energy efficiency strategies and renewable energy integration into data centres and its characterization using numerical models. Moreover it would be necessary to develop dynamic models and metrics for properly understand and quantify the energy consumption and the benefits of applying the incoming energy efficiency strategies and renewable energy sources in the data centres. Thus, the researches or investors will be able to compare with reliability the different data centre designs and choose the best option depending on the renewable energy sources and capital available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comprehensively reviewing of renewable energy based multi-generation systems. • Categorizing multi-generation systems into main four groups. • Listing top ten efficient systems according to energy and exergy values. • Investigating the effect of number of outputs on the efficiencies. In recent years it has gained a significance importance to decrease ecological footprint so to have a positive contribution to environmental quality. Renewable energy plays a significant role in future trends for efficiency and environmental issues. Efficiency of systems is to be increased to meet future demands in terms of sustainability with increased consumption. There is a need for new and innovative research studies on promising technologies, processes and strategies to have sustainable water and energy management in cities. This review paper investigates the use of energy sources in single or multiple forms with different system designs from simple to complex structures. The examined studies were presented in a tabulated form including energy and exergy efficiency values as well as the methods and tools used. The results indicated that the systems with the highest energy and exergy efficiency values had several useful outputs, such as hydrogen, fresh water, drying, heating and cooling etc. The maximum exergetic efficiency was determined to be 94% for a multiple energy sourced multi-generation system while the maximum energetic efficiency was calculated to be 111.3% for a solar assisted and heat pump integrated multi-generation system amongst the reviewed studies. To illustrate the obtained results from review, a geothermal energy based multi-generation system was considered. Some parametric studies were also undertaken to see the effects of geothermal water temperature and flow rates on efficiency values. For a single production case, they were determined to be 13.7% and 50%, respectively while they were obtained to be 98.6% and 67.7% for a multi-generation system, in which electricity, low grade hot water production, high temperature hot water production and hydrogen were useful outputs. However, it should be noted that there was a threshold about the number of products to have an optimum increase in the efficiency values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is the foundation that supports and spurs the socio-economic development of a country. It is a fact that development is not possible without energy and sustainable development is not possible without sustainable energy. As a country that is aiming to become a high-income nation by 2020, Malaysia is in a quandary to come up with a plan for energy security to ensure sustainable economic development, while at a same time striking a balance in the electricity demand-and-supply chain. This paper studies and estimates how these two areas that are often overlooked; energy efficiency and renewable energy can seriously contribute to the local energy sector and find the equilibrium in the electricity demand and supply, and eventually gauge whether a nuclear power plant or more fossil-fuelled power plant is necessary in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency, commonly interpreted as the ratio of output of performance, service, goods or energy, to input of energy , is of critical importance for reducing dependence on oil, controlling greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel combustion and mitigating environmental damages in order to achieve a sustainable global energy system. In this paper, for the first time to the best of our understanding, we measure the (hidden) preferences for energy efficiency and capture their impacts on energy conservation in a panel of ASEAN countries, China and India (in short, the ACI nations) from 1985 to 2020. We apply the state-space models to estimate country-specific preferences for energy efficiency as a latent variable and then explore their impacts on the demand for renewable energy using an efficient generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator for the panel of chosen countries. We find strong evidence that intensities of preferences for energy efficiency increase the demand for renewable energy in ACI nations. In an extension of our study, we replicate our analysis for leading European Union (EU) nations using clean energy to arrive at interesting comparative insights. We gain further insights into the understanding of how structural breaks can influence the impacts of preferences for energy efficiency on the demand for renewables for ACI nations. • Energy efficiency is an important means for controlling ecological footprints of the economy. • Preferences for energy efficiency, is a driver of energy efficiency there is little effort in measuring such preferences and their impacts upon energy efficiency and conservation. • Using state space modelling, we extract unobserved preferences and measure theire impacts on energy conservation for EU and ACI nations. • We find that preferences for energy efficiency increase the demand for renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The livestock sector is a key source of greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts. Poultry (meat and eggs) is the fastest growing livestock sector globally. Poultry housing, including both infrastructure and operating energy, may account for as much as 50% of the total non-renewable energy (non-RE) use and up to 20%–35% of some of the life cycle impacts of poultry production. The application of net zero energy (NZE) building technologies (i.e. that enable net zero non-RE consumption on site) for poultry housing represents a promising but under-considered mitigation strategy, which could help lessen reliance on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Insights from commercial and residential net zero energy building (NZEB) research can, to a limited extent, inform design considerations for NZE poultry housing, but a variety of unique design considerations and challenges inherent to confined, intensive animal husbandry must be considered. Towards this end, this review seeks to: 1) identify insights from research of residential and commercial NZEBs that might be applied in designing NZE poultry housing; 2) quantify the magnitude and distribution of energy use in poultry housing in order to determine key energy consuming components; and 3) identify priority design considerations for NZEBs for intensive confined poultry production, taking into account the physiological requirements of poultry as well as specific requirements for intensive, confined production. To accomplish these goals, 249 relevant papers were identified and reviewed. It was found that, similar to commercial/residential applications, design strategies should focus on a combination of aspects respectively aimed at (1) reducing direct energy (DE) use via structural design, (2) improving the energy efficiency of active technology systems and (3) installing context-appropriate renewable energy (RE) generation systems. Some common passive design strategies like maximizing glazed area may be less applicable for poultry housing where photoperiod control is required. Heating (during heating seasons) and ventilation (during cooling seasons) are the two main contributors to DE use in poultry housing but vary considerably based on geography and climate. HVAC systems should hence be a priority focus, considering the high ventilation rates required in confined poultry housing in order to maintain air quality. However, any modifications to current technologies should be based on careful consideration of the physiological requirements of poultry (for example, ambient temperature, air quality, feed and water provision, etc.), along with local climatic factors, technical feasibility and availability of alternative technologies, as well as both environmental and economic payback times. [Display omitted] • Poultry is the fastest growing sub-sector of the GHG-intensive livestock sector. • Infrastructure and operating energy contributes 50% of non-renewable energy use. • Net zero energy buildings (NZEBs) are a potential mitigation strategy. • Research of commercial/residential NZEBS can inform design considerations. • Physiological requirements of poultry and confined production must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The main results of a thermodynamic study on the use of a low temperature heat source (150°C as maximum) for power generation through a basic Rankine are reported in this paper. Different working fluids such as water and some hydrocarbons and coolants are studied. The procedure consisted in modifying the input pressure and temperature to the turbine. The efficiency for these fluids is a weak function of temperature, i.e., overheating the inlet fluid to the turbine does not cause a significant change in the efficiency. However, when the pressure ratio in the turbine increases, much larger values of efficiency are obtained, and also, as the input temperature to the turbine rises, the efficiency increases more sharply. As result, a maximum efficiency of 9% was obtained. It is shown the technical viability of implementing this type of process for recovering residual wastes for very low temperature, as well as an energy alternative and/or strengthener of non-conventional energy sources in non-provided zones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy efficiency is a primary consideration when designing off-grid renewable energy systems including portable micro-grids. This study focuses on characterizing the potential benefits associated with using energy efficient exterior area lighting commonly associated with remote installations. Light emitting diode (LED) luminaires are becoming more commercially available, and this study compares two LED products designed for exterior lighting to traditional metal halide lamps. The characterization focuses on the use of a diesel generator, battery bank, and a bank of ultra capacitors (UCAPs) to power the lights because these systems are also used to generate or store energy at renewable energy-powered micro-grids. This field-based study quantifies the illuminance provided by each lighting system, diesel consumption rates associated with powering the lights and/or charging the batteries and UCAPs, and the time of operation for each lighting system when powered by a single discharge cycle of the batteries and UCAPs. The energy efficiency benefit of the LED luminaires is offset by their lower illuminance. However, a comparison of lighting standards for specific purposes such as security lighting indicates that LEDs may be appropriate for applications where a metal halide system would provide significantly more illumination than required at a much higher energy cost. For those purposes where higher levels of illuminance are required, the data presented in the paper may be useful in designing a renewable energy-powered micro-grid that uses multiple LED fixtures to illuminate an exterior area that is currently illuminated by a single metal halide light stand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Urbanization, sustainability, energy efficiency, information and communication technology (ICT) and nanotechnology are emerging at the beginning of the 21st century. They are seeking to improve environmental effectiveness in the context of connected communities, global competitiveness, economic development, climate change, and demographic shifts. Virtually all proposed solutions to energy consumption and climate change acknowledge the role ICT plays as a key enabler of environmental effectiveness. One of the major challenges that the ICT sector faces today is that hardware is being pushed to its physical limits. The traditional means to reduce product size, increase functionality and enhance computing capabilities are becoming difficult and expensive every passing day. On the other hand, the industry is benefiting from nanotechnology advances with numerous applications including those in smarter sensors, logic elements, computer chips, memory storage devices, optoelectronics, quantum computing, etc. This paper presents an overview of the ICT benefiting from development in nanotechnology with respect to sustainability and energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Industrialization, development and social transformation has brought together issues of over exploitation of limited energy resource base (e.g. fossil fuel), accelerated threats of energy insecurity, and liberation of greenhouse gas emissions across the continents. The global challenge for the 21st century and way ahead is to find other means of satisfying energy needs, diversifying the energy supply, up-scaling the make-up of renewable energy to a greater extent, optimization of energy consumption and supply system. Denmark has been continuously moving towards optimization of energy production, usage and its overall management, during and even after the first global oil crisis. The country has been delivering its priority in the development of renewable energy and standing the country an energy self sufficient from last three decades. Country''s overall consumption of energy has decreased than that of the decades of 1980 and 1990s, with wider range of energy mix and saving options. The Danish government has strategized to make the country fossil fuel free by 2050, where special attention and interventions is required to boost up its development of renewable energy in the country. The past efforts of the Danish government in the energy development has helped not only making the country ‘energy self sufficient’, but also lowering the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Danish energy policy and strategies have been found more conducive and reflective of the joint EU priorities on the matter of dealing with climate change and energy security. All the past progress and its allied policies seem to be quite supportive in fulfilling its strategies for greener future. This review paper will discuss on the past efforts of Danish government in energy management and highlights on some political initiatives, which have been realised to support the country moving towards clean and green energy future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The residential sector accounts for about a third of the total world energy consumption. Energy efficiency, Renewable Energy Sources and Hydrogen can play an important role in reducing the consumptions and the emissions and improving the energy security if integrated (Efficiency, Res, Hydrogen) systems are developed and experimented. The paper analyzes a real residential 100 square meters house, where energy efficiency measures and RES technologies have been applied, sizing a hydrogen system (electrolyzer, metal hydrides and fuel cell) for power backup, taking into consideration its dynamic behavior, experimentally determined. The technologies used are already available in the market and, except hydrogen technologies, sufficiently mature. Through energy efficiency technologies (insulation, absorbers, etc), the maximum electrical and thermal power needed decreases from 4.4 kW e to 1.7 kW e (annual consumption from 5000 kWh to 1200 kWh) and from 5.2 kW t to 1.6 kW t (annual consumption from 14,600 kWh to 4500 kWh) respectively. With these reduced values it has been possible to supply the consumptions entirely by small photovoltaic and solar thermal plants (less than 10 m2 each). The hydrogen backup even if remains the most expensive (versus traditional batteries and gasoline generator), satisfying all the electric needs for one day, increases the security and allows net metering. Moreover the low-pressure hydrogen storage system through metal hydrides guarantees system safety too. Finally the system modularity can also satisfy higher energy production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 sets a goal for the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. In preparation for implementation of a cap and trade program under this Act, Chevron has undertaken a detailed assessment of greenhouse gas mitigation options and costs. Such an assessment is key to making compliance decisions within the constraints of a given cap and trade regime. If the cap and trade market is minimally restricted (i.e., recognizes that climate change is a global issue and thus has no geographic restrictions and no set requirement for onsite emission reductions), facilities can make the best economic (and environmental) choices of where to ‘make’ emission reductions inside the facility fenceline and when to ‘buy’ the emission reduction allowances or credits on the market. The scope of the study included Chevron’s two refineries and a large heavy oil steamflood production operation in California. This paper will discuss how mitigation technologies are identified and assessed, describe some of the key greenhouse gas mitigation alternatives of interest to the Chevron California facilities and present a business-based approach to analyzing mitigation costs. Technologies studied included energy efficiency, advanced energy (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, nuclear, low temperature heat recovery) and carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). For each mitigation option, a consistent methodology, based on the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association/American Petroleum Institute (IPIECA/API) Guidelines for Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Projects was used to assess baseline or ‘business as usual’ emissions, net emission reductions due to the project, capital cost, operating cost and any project benefits (e.g., reduced fuel use for energy efficiency projects). These values were then entered into a business evaluation tool to calculate a Net Present Value for each option. Key conclusions: [•] Broad involvement of various disciplines is needed to identify new alternatives for greenhouse gas mitigation technologies. [•] Other than CCS, options for significant reductions of refinery and petroleum production emissions were extremely limited in the facilities studied. [•] Since cost-effective, feasible options are limited for refineries and petroleum production facilities, availability of sufficient allowances and offsets is an important element if state goals are to be achieved. [•] Although a number of energy efficiency projects were identified, the cumulative total emissions reductions available through energy efficiency projects is minimal. [•] Renewable and advanced energy projects that generate electricity generally have very high mitigation costs, and may not greatly benefit facilities if emission caps apply only to direct emissions, since these projects reduce the quantity of purchased electricity rather than emissions from the facility itself (and are therefore not eligible for credit under most regulatory design schemes). [•] Renewable and advanced energy technologies for steam generation may have significant mitigation potential for heavy oil steamflood production. Further development and demonstration is needed to determine whether these technologies will be viable. [•] In order to support good business decisions, it is important that greenhouse gas mitigation technology evaluation be done in a manner consistent with other business evaluation processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to present a review on Malaysia''s national energy developments by looking at various angles in terms of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energy demand and consumption by sectors are presented as well as the fuel mix in electricity generation. Key energy policies implemented from the incorporation of Malaysia''s national oil company, Petronas in 1974 until the National Green Technology Policy 2009 and a future policy will be addressed. The roles of key players as well as important agencies in energy development are briefly presented. Key programmes in energy development such as Malaysian Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Project, Small Renewable Energy Power Programme and Building Energy Efficiency Programme are discussed as well as successful initiatives from the programmes. Malaysia''s international involvements towards reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon emissions especially Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocol are highlighted. As a conclusion, Malaysia is aware of its role in formulating its national energy development policies, sensitive towards the country''s development towards the environment and utilization of energy resources as well as conscientious and responsive towards the call for sustainable development in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Commercialization efforts to diffuse sustainable energy technologies (SETs 1 [1] The SETs can be viewed as a portfolio of technologies, which are expected to use renewable energy resources as input to produce modern energy carriers. ) have so far remained as the biggest challenge in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Limited success of diffusion through government driven pathways urges the need for market based approaches. This paper reviews the existing state of commercialization of SETs in the backdrop of the basic theory of technology diffusion. The different SETs in India are positioned in the technology diffusion map to reflect their slow state of commercialization. The dynamics of SET market is analysed to identify the issues, barriers and stakeholders in the process of SET commercialization. By upgrading the ‘potential adopters’ to ‘techno-entrepreneurs’, the study presents the mechanisms for adopting a private sector driven ‘business model’ approach for successful diffusion of SETs. This is expected to integrate the processes of market transformation and entrepreneurship development with innovative regulatory, marketing, financing, incentive and delivery mechanisms leading to SET commercialization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]