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The scientific community has shown considerable interest in Industry 4.0 due to its capacity to revolutionise the manufacturing sector through digitalisation and data-driven decision-making. However, the actual implementation of Industry 4.0 within complex industrial settings presents obstacles that are typically beyond the scope of mainstream research articles. In this paper, a comprehensive case-study detailing our collaborative partnership with a leading medical device manufacturer is presented. The study traces its evolution from a state of limited digitalisation to the development of a digital intelligence platform that leverages data and machine learning models to enhance operations across a wide range of critical machines and assets. The main business objective was to enhance the energy efficiency of the manufacturing process, thereby improving its sustainability measures while also saving costs. The project encompasses energy modelling and analytics, Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD), renewable energy integration and advanced visualisation tools. Together, these components enable informed decision making in the context of energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that buildings have a sizeable energy and environmental footprint. In particular, in environments like university campuses, the occupants as well as occupancy in shared spaces varies over time. Systems for cooling in such environments that are centrally controlled are typically threshold driven and do not account for occupant feedback and thus are often relying on a reactive approach (fix after identifying problems). Therefore, having a fixed thermal operating set point may not be optimal in such cases—both from an occupant comfort and well-being as well as an energy efficiency perspective. To address this issue, a study was conducted which involved development and deployment of an experimental Internet of Things (IoT) prototype system and an Android application that facilitated people engagement on a university campus located in the UAE which typically exhibits hot climatic conditions. This paper showcases data driven insights obtained from this study, and in particular, how to achieve a balance between the conflicting goals of improving occupant comfort and energy efficiency. Findings from this study underscore the need for regular reassessments and adaptation. The proposed solution is low cost and easy to deploy and has the potential to reap significant savings through a reduction in energy consumption with estimates indicating around 50–100 kWh/day of savings per building and the resulting environmental impact. These findings would appeal to stakeholders who are keen to improve energy efficiency and reduce their operating expenses and environmental footprint in such climatic conditions. Furthermore, collective action from a large number of entities could result in significant impact through this cumulative effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable smart cities (SSCs) target decarbonisation by optimising energy consumption through the emerging capabilities of technology. Nevertheless, the energy consumption behaviour of end users has the potential to compromise the effectiveness of technological interventions, reflecting the importance of active social engagement in realising decarbonisation goals. Although extensive research exists on energy consumption behaviour, little is known about how technology engagement affects it, the nature of these technologies, and their role in SSC. The paper aims to identify, categorise, and investigate the smart technologies that impact household energy consumption behaviours and their integration into the larger SSC system. Following a systematic review of 60 articles from the Scopus database (2013–2023), the study found 45 smart technologies cited, with 49% affecting efficiency behaviour and 51% affecting curtailment behaviour. While these technologies inform the city administration level in the SSC framework, the role of end users remains unclear, suggesting a technocratic approach. The study proposes the Sustainable Smart City Network to facilitate a grassroots approach, identifying five key domains: government policies, smart technology adoption, smart technology engagement, smart city infrastructure, and urban sustainability. The study provides an original contribution to knowledge by unveiling the key technologies affecting energy consumption behaviour and outlining the pragmatic requirements for achieving decarbonisation through a grassroots approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers unique capabilities in terms of design freedom and customization, contributing to sustainable manufacturing. However, energy efficiency remains a challenge in the widespread adoption of AM processes. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of the current research on energy efficiency in AM, addressing challenges, opportunities, and future directions. Our analysis reveals a lack of standardization in the measurement and reporting of energy consumption, making it difficult to evaluate and compare the energy performance of various systems. We propose a holistic framework to address energy efficiency throughout the entire life cycle of the AM process, highlighting the importance of design optimization, material selection, advanced control systems, and energy management strategies. The paper also emphasizes the need for further research on the interactions between process parameters, along with the potential of integrating renewable energy sources into AM systems. This review offers valuable insights for both academics and industry professionals, calling for standardized methodologies and a focus on energy management to optimize energy efficiency in AM processes, ultimately enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in modern manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, studies on the energy efficiency of manufacturing systems usually lack synthetic and systematic techniques. In this paper, a holistic framework is demonstrated in order to achieve more sustainable manufacturing, which covers machine-level, system-level and life-cycle-level energy efficiency techniques. Based on these, the mechanism of how energy consumption is affected by machining processes and system operation is analyzed to achieve a comprehensive decision on energy efficiency optimization. Four main topics are included in this paper: (1) Hierarchical sustainability goals and metrics for energy-efficient manufacturing; (2) Machine-level machining processes optimization for energy efficiency enhancement; (3) System-level innovations for efficient consumption management; (4) Life-cycle level energy flow modeling and energy recycling strategy. An automotive engine manufacturing system is taken as an example to build a concrete understanding of the application of the framework. Moreover, this holistic framework establishes the theoretical basis for promoting the energy efficiency of automotive engine manufacturing systems. Furthermore, the proposed techniques can provide decision-making support for achieving sustainable manufacturing in a wider scope of mechanical manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the potential benefits and feasibility of integrating Building Energy Management Systems (BEMSs) with Building Information Modeling (BIM) in, but not limited to, the construction and building management sectors. By examining advantages, challenges, and real-world case studies, this study offers valuable insights into the impact of BEMS-BIM integration on building operations. The research methodology includes a literature review and bibliometric analysis to understand the subject domain and identify prevalent keywords. Additionally, case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of BEMS-BIM integration in real-world scenarios. This study investigates the possibilities and challenges of BIM to the BEMS methodology for energy-efficient industrial buildings, emphasizing the importance of addressing uncertainties and enhancing software interoperability. This research highlights the potential of BEMS-BIM integration to revolutionize building performance, enhance sustainability, and contribute to a greener and more efficient future for the construction and building management industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the importance of energy efficiency in the agricultural sector has become increasingly apparent. As the world faces challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and population growth, the need for sustainable and efficient agricultural practices has intensified. Energy plays a crucial role in agricultural production, from powering machinery and irrigation systems to processing and transportation. Therefore, understanding the scientific advancements and collaborative efforts in the field of energy efficiency in agriculture is essential for devising effective strategies, promoting innovation, and achieving global sustainability goals. The aim of this study is to provide insight into and a comprehensive overview of global publications on energy efficiency in agriculture and examine its scientific productivity. The paper explores the research areas and trending topics within the field, as well as the extent of collaboration among authors, institutions, and countries involved in this scientific domain. This investigation is crucial in order to address the current energy shocks and the numerous problems they generate, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach and the need for multiple regions to work together. Only by offering rapid and viable solutions can we effectively overcome this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the accomplishments of studies in which optimization tools were used to develop energy-efficient and sustainable construction schedules. With the increase in global awareness of environmental issues, the construction industry has been forced to explore innovative techniques to make the building process more energy-efficient and sustainable. Project managers can use optimization tools in their scheduling procedures to address these issues in the early stages of the project. Therefore, this paper examines different optimization-based construction scheduling methods and their impact on schedule energy efficiency and the three key sustainability goals: economic viability, social equity, and environmental protection. Such a review has not yet been conducted to the best of our knowledge. This research aims to fill the gap and contribute to understanding advanced optimization tools that can pave the way to energy-efficient and sustainable scheduling practices. After a brief introduction, the background of optimization-based construction scheduling techniques that aim to improve construction management and incorporate these aspects into the decision-making process is explained. Then, these approaches are addressed in detail. It is determined for each study whether it adopted energy efficiency goals and which sustainability dimensions it considered within the proposed optimization model. The results of this study indicate a wide heuristic algorithms application for complex scheduling problems. Meanwhile, mathematical programming is still quite unexplored, especially methods that utilize algebraic modeling languages. This study provides a foundation for further research by addressing the current reach in development and possible knowledge gaps that could be researched in future studies. The paper also discusses the advantages and limitations of different approaches and illustrates the potential for utilizing these methods. Supported by the main review findings, conclusions and recommendations for further research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a review of the adoption status of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies is presented, specific to US residential buildings. Various technologies are reviewed and categorized as either their relative "higher adoption" or "lower adoption" rates within the US housing stock. More importantly, the review analysis investigates the main factors associated with their high or low adoption rates. Specifically, the paper provides a background of the historical progression of energy efficiency programs as well as sustainability certifications and standards for buildings. The review then analyzes specific building energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies applied to US residential buildings and their adoption rates. The review analysis indicates that building technologies are more frequently adopted for multiple reasons including requirements by codes and standards, incentives through green certifications, low implementation costs, and acceptance and popularity by the public. In contrast, technologies with low adoption rates have higher payback periods, are not required or highly incentivized through codes and certifications, have limited promotion about their benefits, or are not compatible with existing systems. By determining the reasons for the high and low adoption rates, mitigation options can be identified to increase the application of sustainable energy technologies in designing and retrofitting buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Things (IoT) nodes get deployed for a variety of applications and often need to operate on batteries. This restricts their autonomy and/or can have a major ecological impact. The core idea of this paper is to use a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to provide energy to IoT nodes, and hence prolong their autonomy. In particular, the objective is to perform a comparison of the total energy consumption resulting from UAV-based recharging or battery replacement versus full provisioning at install time or remote RF-based wireless power transfer. To that end, an energy consumption model for a small license-free UAV is derived, and expressions for system efficiencies are formulated. An exploration of design and deployment parameters is performed. Our assessment shows that UAV-based servicing of IoT nodes is by far more beneficial in terms of energy efficiency when nodes at distances further than a few meters are serviced, with the gap increasing to orders of magnitude with the distance. Our numerical results also show that battery swapping from an energy perspective outperforms recharging in the field, as the latter increases hovering time and the energy consumption related to that considerably. The ecological aspects of the proposed methods are further evaluated, e.g., considering toxic materials and e-waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to examine whether the COVID-19 epidemic has slowed the fulfilment of one of the core tasks of the energy sector "Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All" (SDG7) taking into account corporate social responsibility. Four research questions and hypotheses were posed, relating to the perspectives of local authorities, the activities of large energy companies, the impact of the epidemic on the implementation of the SDG7 and, in addition, to the understanding of CSR principles from the point of view of ordinary entrepreneurs. A qualitative descriptive analysis based on two reliable databases and a survey procedure (Question 4) was used to answer the research questions posed. The goal was achieved by positively confirming three hypotheses and testing one negatively, relating to COVID-19's slowing role in SDG7 implementation. The analysis showed that the 2020–2021 epidemic in Poland has led to more initiatives in this area, contrary to expectations. However, they were linked to the simultaneous implementation of other SDGs, which distorted their importance for achieving Goal 7. In summary, although energy companies were more active than expected during the epidemic, they had a low contribution to SDG 7. This also applies to local authorities. An analysis of the knowledge about CSR in a group of entrepreneurs from the Lublin district (case study) confirmed the opinion appearing in the literature about the lack of understanding of the concept and the need for its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of human nutrition has acquired significant improvements thanks to the opportunity to store food in suitable temperature conditions. Refrigeration has allowed the slowing of chemical and biological degradation and hence the waste of foodstuff, but at the same time increases energy consumption. These effects impact the environment and the sustainability performance of the cold chain, and drive consumers' choices. The stakeholders of the chain are, therefore, constantly looking for improvement actions to reduce environmental impacts. This paper aims to provide a methodology for prioritizing and assessing the energy efficiency measures for cold chains in terms of quality losses and specific energy consumption, distinguishing between technological, maintenance, and managerial opportunities. This analysis is based on the cold supply chain tool, developed under the H2020 project ICCEE ("Improving Cold Chain Energy Efficiency") which focuses on a holistic approach, not looking only at the individual stages of the cold chain. Furthermore, an economic evaluation has been proposed considering cost savings and the investment needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing need to increase environmental and energy sustainability in buildings (housing, offices, warehouses, etc.) requires the use of solar radiation as a renewable source of energy that can help to lower carbon footprint, making buildings more efficient and thereby contributing to a more sustainable planet, while enhancing the health and wellbeing of its occupants. One of the technologies deployed in the use of solar energy in buildings is heliostats. In this context, this paper presents an analysis of the performance of a heliostat illuminator to improve illumination in a classroom at the Campus of Rabanales of the University of Cordoba (Spain). A design of a system in charge of monitoring and measuring daylighting variables using Arduino hardware technology and free software is shown. This equipment develops the communications, programming and collection of lighting data. In parallel, installation of an artificial lighting system complementary to the natural lighting system is implemented. Finally, an analysis of the impact of the proposed solution on the improvement of energy efficiency is presented. Specifically, it is estimated that up to 64% of savings in artificial lighting can be achieved in spaces with heliostatic illuminators compared to those without them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban sustainability has been connected to form and compactness of the urban tissue. At the same time the relationship between urban form and energy efficiency is strongly affected by climate. This paper investigates the effect of climate conditions on the relation between urban morphology and energy efficiency of urban blocks, focusing on the Greek city context. A set of building block typologies is analyzed with regard to their form factors such as S/V ratio, coverage ratio and building ratio for the climatic conditions of two cities, each one belonging to a different climatic zone. Heating and cooling loads are calculated at an urban block scale for the climate of the city of Thessaloniki (zone C) and of the city of Heraklion (zone A) in order to draw conclusions about the relation between geometry factors and energy efficiency. The results of the research indicate that there is a strong relationship between urban morphology factors and energy efficiency and that the total load demand of urban blocks can be described as a function of form parameters. Results of the research, concerning the energy demand calculation, are valuable since they indicate the energy profile of each typology according to climate and can be used for defining different urban strategies towards sustainability in a context-based climate dependent analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving energy amenable to the activities of occupants in public buildings is a particularly challenging objective that includes associating energy consumption to particular individuals and providing them with incentives to alter their behavior. This paper describes a gamification framework that aims to facilitate achieving greater energy conservation in public buildings. The framework leverages IoT-enabled low-cost devices, to improve energy disaggregation mechanisms that provide energy use and—consequently—wastage information at the device, area and end-user level. The identified wastages are concurrently targeted by a gamified application that motivates respective behavioral changes combining team competition, virtual rewards and life simulation. Our solution is being developed iteratively with the end-users’ engagement during the analysis, design, development and validation phases in public buildings located in three different countries: Luxembourg (Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art), Spain (EcoUrbanBuilding, Institut Català d’Energia headquarters, Barcelona) and Greece (General Secretariat of the Municipality of Athens). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing climate change and increasing energy consumption are becoming a serious threat to international development efforts. To ensure a secure and sustainable future, local, national and regional authorities, as well as energy companies, need to be involved in improving energy efficiency and promoting rational energy use. The consumer is always at the centre of interest of policy and energy reduction strategies makers. It is their behaviour, motives and beliefs that can lead to optimised and economical energy management. This paper responds to the need to identify the individual preferences of energy consumers. The presented research fills an existing gap in the literature by analysing the strength of the influence of different types of instruments and external stimuli shaping pro-environmental attitudes of consumers of different behavioural types. The analysis presented in this paper is the result of the next stage of the authors' research on energy consumers modelling, their segmentation and comprehensive characteristics. The analysis was conducted on a representative sample of N = 4332 respondents from 8 European countries (Czech Republic, France, Greece, Spain, Germany, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom). The study used multivariate statistical methods, such as: Correspondence Analysis, Factor Analysis and Kruskal-Wallis test. These methods are adequate to the assumptions of the research procedure and allowed for the identification of 4 latent factors that link the incentives into groups, where the motivation to save energy is based on: information ("Information and Knowledge"), social norms ("Social Influence"), investment funding ("Investments") and energy price changes ("Energy Price"). In addition, the level of effectiveness of the studied incentives and motivators depends on the behavioural type of energy consumers and increases with rising levels of their intrinsic pro-environmental motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are international activities and on-going initiatives, particularly at the European level, to define what Positive Energy Districts should be, as the driving concept for the urban transition to a sustainable future. The first objective of the paper is to contribute to the on-going and lively debate about the definition of the notion of Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhood (SPEN), which highlights the multiple dimensions when talking about sustainability in districts moving beyond the traditional and strict building energy assessment. Based on a holistic methodology which ensures the consideration of the multidimensional nature and goals of SPEN, the paper outlines an evaluation framework. The evaluation framework defines the key performance indicators distributed in five categories that consider energy and power performance, GHG emissions, indoor environmental quality, smartness, flexibility, life cycle costs and social sustainability. This framework is designed to be implemented during integrated design processes aiming to select design options for a neighbourhood as well within during the operational phase for monitoring its performance. Further work will include the implementation and validation of the framework in four real-life positive energy neighbourhoods in different climate zones of Europe as part of syn.ikia H2020 project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The location of temporary facilities in a construction project and the entire site layout plan directly affect project objectives such as time, labor cost, and material transportation and handling. The layout of construction sites also affects entrainment factors such as energy consumption, carbon footprints, and overall construction operation productivity. While site layout planning has been intensively investigated from a project objectives perspective, there have been very few studies of energy-efficiency-based planning, or of the sustainability performance of site layouts. This study developed a green performance evaluation system aimed at improving the sustainability of construction site layouts. The identified factors include six sustainable evaluation categories covering energy conservation and environmental protection, people-oriented principles, construction efficiency, intensity of economic growth, intensity of space use, and the overall control of process. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was adopted to determine the weight of each attribute and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was established to carry out the evaluation. The 23 attributes adopted in this paper were identified in the literature; however, the major contribution of this paper is the development of a green performance evaluation system. This system integrates both qualitative and quantitative attributes and provides an overall evaluation of the environmental effectiveness of a construction site layout. The proposed evaluation system was validated with a commercial building project. The average utilization ratio of the case study site was calculated as 94%, and lessons learned are discussed in this paper. The case study analysis identified available site spaces around the building and examined how the arrangement of resources and facilities ensures effective connection between construction activities. The findings showed that the facility's layout plays a crucial role in energy consumption and green performance. The proposed system will support construction project managers to create high-performance construction site layouts in more scientific and systematic ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency is one of the most relevant issues that the scientific community, and society in general, must face in the next years. Furthermore, higher energy efficiencies will contribute to worldwide sustainability. Buildings are responsible for 40% of the overall consumed energy. Smart Grids and Smart Buildings are playing an essential role in the definition of the next generation of sustainable Smart Cities. The main goal is reducing the impact of energy consumption on the environment as much as possible. This paper focuses on information communication technologies (ICTs) and techniques, their key characteristics and contribution to obtain higher energy efficiencies in smart buildings. Given that electrical energy is the most used, the investigation mainly centres on this energy. This paper also pays attention to green energies and energy harvesting due to their contribution to energy efficiency by providing additional clean energy. The main contribution of this investigation is pointing out the most relevant existing and emerging ICT technologies and techniques which can be used to optimize the energy efficiency of Smart Buildings. The research puts special attention on available, novel and emerging sensors, communication technologies and standards, intelligence techniques and algorithms, green energies and energy harvesting. All of them enable high-performance intelligent systems to optimize energy consumption and occupants' comfort. Furthermore, it remarks on the most suitable technologies and techniques, their main features and their applications in Smart Buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many researchers across the world have addressed the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the energy assessment of the built environment. However, several potential issues still need to be resolved in order to utilise the benefits provided by BIM to a maximum degree. To fill this gap, a systematic literature review is conducted in this study to critically investigate the utilisation of BIM tools in energy assessment. To achieve the above-mentioned objective, after shortlisting the relevant papers published hitherto, using keyword searching, a systematic review was undertaken, including the application of BIM in the contexts of different countries, types of BIM tools, BIM and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) integration, energy affiliations, stakeholders' involvement and their roles, uncertainty, and sensitivity analysis. The outcomes show the most widely used and effective BIM tools in different types of construction projects in various countries. The review of the literature clearly shows that BIM tools can effectively be used in the assessment of energy performance of buildings. The article gives insight to engineers, architecture, and decision makers to carefully select appropriate BIM tools in terms of energy assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency, generation from renewable sources and more recently energy flexibility are key elements of present sustainability policies. However, we are beginning to see a recognition of the need to couple technological solutions with lifestyle and behavioral changes, sometimes labeled under the term "sufficiency". Appropriate policies and design principles are necessary to enable sufficiency options, which in turn reveal that there is a bidirectional influence between the building and the district/city level. In this context, the authors discuss how city and building re-design should be implemented combining energy efficiency, flexibility, production from renewables and sufficiency options for achieving a positive energy balance at the district level even within the constraints of dense cities. Based on a review of recent advances, the paper provides a matrix of interactions between building and district design for use by building designers and city planners. It also compares possible scenarios implementing different strategies at the building and urban level in a case study, in order to evaluate the effect of the proposed integrated approach on the energy balance at yearly and seasonal time scales and on land take. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Districts can be considered as a system of complex interconnections, interactions, relationships and flows. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is essential for effective decision-making with regards to energy efficiency improvement. When addressing interventions with a wider scale, the range of possible interventions is greater, as well as the possibilities of new business models to make bankable the interventions. However certain barriers can appear linked to the interactions among stakeholders, which are usually more complex than when tackling individual actuations. To overcome these barriers it is necessary to establish integrated and systemic methodologies able to support stakeholders to implement better collaboration approaches and carry out more informed decisions. These decisions should be based on a set of relevant indicators, calculated at district level, capturing the different stages that form the retrofitting process (from the diagnosis to the final assessment). This paper presents a holistic design methodology based on the application of a Multi-Criteria Decision Making approach that allows designing optimised solutions. This methodology is based on the evaluation of a set of District Sustainability Indicators while proposing an Integrated Project Delivery method improving the communications among stakeholders and, therefore, the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]