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Increasing population growth and rapid industrial development have become the main factors for increasing energy consumption. The increase in energy consumption increases the greenhouse gases released into the environment. The development of high energy efficiency equipment and energy optimisation tools and methodologies have been introduced to tackle the problem of harvesting renewable energy. Total Site Heat Integration (TSHI) is one of the energy optimisation methodologies applied in the industrial sector for site-wide function, which has proven to reduce energy consumption by analysing the result. The TSHI keeps being used by researchers to improve heat energy optimisation across individual processes until it covers the Locally Integrated Energy Sectors (LIES) concept. In this research, the TSHI targeting methodology is extended to consider the logistic of the process plants, known as the Spatial Utility Problem Table Algorithm (SUPTA). Steam headers are flowing in one direction. The plant location affects the entry point of steam generation and exit points of the steam consuming process. Steam generated from the downstream of the headers would need an additional reverse flow pipeline for sending it to the other plant located upstream of the pipeline. The energy cascade is done based on the spatial location, from the utility plant to the farthest process plant in the system. This spatial TSHI targeting methodology could be used for simultaneous targeting and design of site utility distribution system, which is beneficial for considering heat loss and pressure drop. A case study shows that the conventional TSHI and the novel SUPTA methodologies produce the same energy targetting result. However, it is shown that reverse flow pipelines increase threefold when the location of the utility plant change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work provides an overview of water resources' roles in the development of renewable energy-fueled electricity generation. It shows that the specific water consumptions of electricity from renewable sources vary significantly due to the setting of the system boundary, data availability, and data quality. Hydroelectricity has a relatively more significant water consumption compared with other renewable energy sources due to surface evaporation. The current studies mainly cover the water consumption of the operational stages of renewable energies. The unit water consumption of hydropower ranges from 0.2 to 245 L/kWh, for solar PV ranges from zero to 0.11 L/kWh, wind power from 0 to 0.64 L/kWh, and geothermal from 2.5 to 6.8 L/kWh. Future studies should put effort to provide a unified and comparable database of renewable energy-related water consumption and water pollutant generation. An implication is that renewable energy generation planning should account for local natural conditions, particularly water availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen energy technologies have attracted substantial attention due to carbon-free and environmental friendly. However, not much attention is paid to the application of hydrogen in tri- and polygeneration system. Hence, a renewable-based multi-energy system (RMES) is proposed to combine four separate systems: cooling, heating, hydrogen, and power. Renewable solar energy is supplied to the system utilising a photovoltaic solar panel for the electrical supply and a solar thermal collector for the heating supply. Thermal and electrical energy storage is utilised to mitigate the fluctuations in the energy consumption and peak shaving characteristics of the multi-energy system. The hydrogen sub-system consists of solid oxide fuel cell, solid oxide electrolyser cell and hydrogen energy storage. A comparative analysis is performed to study the effect of different energy storage on each objective function. A multi-objective optimisation approach was proposed to evaluate trade-offs between two different objective functions: economic and environment. A well-known decision-making approach ℇ-constraint method has been applied to identify the final desired Pareto optimal solution for the model to be more suitable in reality. This result will contribute to the global goal on energy (SDG 7) to strive towards affordable and clean energy to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the Process Integration (PI) development related to the recent Conferences on Process Integration for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES conferences) and makes suggestions for the future growth of PI branching out in the future. The conference history is now close to a quarter of the century– from 1998 to 2021, and has been flourishing despite the difficult COVID-19 period. The paper overviews the progresses in Process Integration with Pinch Analysis, heat exchangers and Process Integration, extensions of Process Integration for wider process system engineering, integration of renewable energy sources, Circular Economy, extended environmental footprints, extended water-energy nexus contribution to environmental assessment, COVID-19 pandemics environmental consequences, and ecosystem remediation and waste stream clean-up. Considerable progress in Process Integration has also been achieved thanks to PRES conferences. This overview is an attempt to demonstrate the contribution delivered and make suggestions for the future growth of the PI branching out during the next years. It has become apparent that further improvements of the PI technologies are necessary and possible for achieving sufficient reductions of resource demands and pollution so that available renewables and end-of-pipe cleaning can serve them, minimising the environmental impacts. The key methodology developments enabling this are multi-constraint Pinch Analysis and the joint use of several PI methods for delivering comprehensive macro-analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The sustainability of bioenergy is varying on a case‐by‐case basis. It considerably depends on the source of biomass, management practices (plantation, harvesting, conversion technologies, supply chain, etc.) as well as the assessment boundary and assumptions. This study summarises the carbon emissions footprint (CF) flow of bioenergy by considering the possible sources and system boundary, particularly on the CF of biogenic carbon and secondary effects. The assessment framework has been applied to a demonstrated case study identifying the upper limits of global warming potential of biogenic carbon emission (GWPbio) and secondary effects contribution where the bioenergy is still superior to the coal, natural gas and gasoline. The circumstances where the other energy source alternatives could have a lower CF than bioenergy are highlighted. For example, coal and natural gas are the selection (lower CF) if the bioelectricity is subjected to the GWPbio higher than 0.57‐0.74 and 0.18‐0.34. CF of bioheat is higher than the heat generated by natural gas when the GWPbio is more than 0.04‐0.40. Gasoline is the selection when the GWPbio of biofuel is higher than 0.12‐0.42. The validity of carbon neutrality assumption of bioenergy possesses a more decisive role in the overall selection of bioenergy compared to the assessed secondary effects such as soil organic carbon changes. This study emphasises the importance of a rigorous CF accounting for bioenergy to support the equitable decision making. Novelty Statement: The novel contributions of this study are:Summarising of the direct and secondary (soil organic carbon changes ‐ above and belowground, biochar application) effects in accounting the CF for a comprehensive assessment framework.Identifying the CF, integrated with biogenic and non‐biogenic accounting, of bioenergy from energy crops and waste/residual.Comparing the identified CF of bioenergy to the other energy alternatives (fossil‐based). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enabling a higher share of renewables in power planning at the municipal and regional scale is essential for offering local communities a path to sustainable development. However, the utilisation of renewables also carries certain environmental burdens which have to be accounted for in the process of system design and planning. The current paper takes this issue as a departure point, adding the electrical energy storage as a degree of freedom and its influence on the environmental footprints - represented by Greenhouse Gas and Water Footprints. The proposed model and the illustration case study clearly demonstrate the strong dependence of the footprints on the size of the storage facility. Future work should extend the model to account for all essential problem features - including a longer planning horizon, additional footprints and their interrelationships, as well as the interaction with the economic performance of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diesel power systems have been widely applied for energy supply generation. This power scheme however requires periodical maintenance and contributes to the emissions of greenhouse gases. These challenges may be mitigated by integrating existing diesel station with renewable energy (RE) technologies into a hybrid system. Integration of diesel plants with RE systems has been mostly implemented using software and mathematical programming approaches, where the focus of the study is mainly on grid-independent hybrid system. Grid-connected hybrid systems have the potential to supply electricity at a lower cost in comparison to the standalone hybrid power systems. This work aims to design a system that integrates diesel plant with RE technologies into grid-tied hybrid system using insight-based Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA) method. The interactions between diesel generator, RE sources and the grid in meeting the load demands were considered in the methodology development. Various load sharing scenarios between the multiple generation sources were assessed to establish the optimal system operation. Economic assessment was performed to ensure the trade-off between the costs of generation sources and grid electricity cost can be maximized. Based on the demonstrated Illustrative Case Study, load sharing based on peak/off peak period contributes to the lowest net present cost of MYR 32,813,708, hence is deduced as the optimal on-grid hybrid diesel RE system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In transmitting towards secure, clean, and efficient energy, the world requires to develop the future renewable energy technologies that contribute to reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint and enabling nearzero CO2 emissions. A number of complex factors such as performance limitations, innovation, industry rivalry, and competition can hasten technological change, and they must be watched closely to succeed in developing a vision for the new technology implementation. Numerous efforts have been focused on formulating a strategic plan for energy. However, there is limited consideration of the development of a strategic plan method for future renewable energy technologies. This study aimed to develop a strategic plan method to decide more appropriate and applicable renewable energy technologies. Development of the method for strategic planning requires an integrative approach taken from strategic management and planning concepts, technology innovation, as well as related knowledge in renewable energy technologies. Conceptual research methods are used to conduct the present study. The strategic plan method would assist the key decision-makers in developing a strategic plan to select more efficient, cost-competitive, and appropriate renewable energy technologies according to the real needs and desires of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GHG emissions caused by energy generation and consumption is both a global as well as localised issue. Especially for Kazakhstan, which is one of the most significant coal reserves and mining countries. Kazakhstan is the 9th biggest country worldwide and the biggest country in Middle Asian (MA), is a gateway to the west for China. It has been playing a significant role in the Â"Belt & RoadÂ" strategy. It is essential to specify GHG emissions in Kazakhstan, especially that from energy consumption, which has not been studied deeply so far. To fill that gap, this study analysed the GHG emissions from the main types of energy in Kazakhstan from 2006 to 2016, based on the GHG emissions assessment methods defined by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The GHG emissions characters of Kazakhstan and the whole world were also compared. Results showed that: 1) the energy consumption structures of Kazakhstan and the whole world are visibly different. Coal accounted for a significant proportion in Kazakhstan; 2) the consumption changes of different types of energy ranged widely; 3) the change trends of GHG emissions from Kazakhstan and whole world are similar, first upward then downward; 4) the GHG emission sources structure of Kazakhstan is visibly different to that of the whole world, coal accounted for more than 58% of whole GHG emissions in Kazakhstan. This study can contribute to understanding energy consumption and GHG emissions in Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating existing diesel station with renewable energy (RE) technologies into a hybrid system has been an attractive solution towards mitigating greenhouse gases emissions problem of diesel power system. Apart from offering cleaner power supply, hybrid systems could also contribute towards reduction of diesel fuel cost. Application of insight-based Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA) method to integrate diesel plants and RE systems with the aim to minimise total generation and runtime of diesel generator has been proposed. This work utilises an extended PoPA tool called the Probability-Power Pinch Analysis (P-PoPA) to achieve the supplementation of RE technologies with existing diesel system. P-PoPA can provide accurate results as those established from the PoPA approach within a shorter time of analysis as it eliminates the manual matching of power sources and demands step. Correction factors based on all possible routes from the RE sources and the diesel generator to the demands are computed to determine the minimum diesel power target for the integrated system. Result of an illustrative case study shows that 31 % saving in the diesel fuel requirement can be achieved after the integration of the existing diesel plant with RE systems. The result of the P-PoPA method is accurate with an only 0.61 % difference to the result targeted using the conventional PoPA technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development requires measures to decrease energy consumption and to avoid any harmful impact on the environment. In recent years, a lot of research has been focused on designing energy systems by emulating the natural ones. This can be regarded as a novel way to support the transformation to sustainable energy systems. The initial step in forming energy systems of thus type, by emulating the ecosystem approach, is the development of a model for rendering the current situation. To contribute to the solution of this problem, an ecosystem model combining the analysis, optimisation and simulation modules has been developed as part of this study. The commonly used models for energy systems are good predictors of the general energy dynamics and structures. However, they can be inadequate when it comes to describing or predicting the complex phenomena within energy systems, such as the large number of parameters, the many end-users, the potential of the technologies, the assessment of the various environmental impacts and the variety of resources. With the implementation of the ecosystem model there is further expanding of the knowledge of an advanced, self-organising methodology integrated within the model’s operation by emulating the natural system dynamics. The ecosystem model could become a valuable tool for developing sustainable energy systems, and allowing the development of the most suitable and sustainable energy system based on the local availability of energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is needed in all sectors: industrial, domestic, commercial, transportation, power generation. Fossil fuel has been the main source of energy since decades. Due to rising greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, the energy mix in many countries are shifting towards alternative energy sources, such as renewable energy and nuclear. At the same time, energy demands should also be managed and minimised to curb the rising GHG. Transitioning towards cleaner energy supply may also take time due to economic, political, technology readiness and public acceptance reason. A faster solution is to sequestrate CO 2 especially through CO 2 capture, utilisation and storage technologies. This paper presents an overview of the Journal of Cleaner Production Special Volume for the 18th conference “Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES 2015)”. The paper discussed issues, methods and solutions to achieve cleaner energy. The review has been written from the perspective of the supply side management, demand side management or end-of pipe management. The content of the Special Volume also includes cleaner energy planning, policies and education. The Special Volume reviews various ideas and discussion from authors all over the world and also provides some directions for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This Special Section provides introduction to the 15th Conference Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES 2012). In this editorial introduction, the editors are highlighting the individual articles included in this issue and discussing the main points. The main areas of this issue can be summarised as: Process Integration for Energy Saving, Integrating Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Optimisation issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A problem when exploiting renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar radiation, is their fluctuating availability. In the presented work, the Heat Integration methodology for batch processes based on Time Slices has been extended to cover the integration of solar thermal energy, thus allowing for dealing with such variations. A procedure for identifying the number and durations of Time Slices for a problem featuring variable renewable energy supply has been formulated, and developed for solar energy utilisation. The main procedural steps involve partitioning of the measured/forecasted heat availability profile using a large number of candidate time boundaries, and then approximating it by a piecewise-constant profile using high-precision. The approximation profile is obtained by subjecting the candidate superset of time-boundaries to MILP optimisation, thus minimising integral inaccuracy compared to the forecasted availability profile. The Time Slice definitions are completed by approximating the heat loads within the Time Slices. The integration of solar thermal energy can be performed for the specified Time Slice, after the optimal number of Time Slices with approximated constant load has been selected. Using heat storage, the heat can be transferred between Time Slices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reducing CO2 emissions could be achieved by maximising heat recovery and increasing the share of renewables in the primary energy mix. Process Integration has developed over the years into a credible process system engineering tool. One of its important developments has been Total Site Heat Integration, which has combined the heating and cooling requirements of individual processes unlocking, allowing better integration. The current paper presents an extension of the Total Site methodology covering industrial, residential, service, business and agricultural customers and the incorporation of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, biomass, and some types of waste), accounting for the often substantial variability on the supply and demand sides and for the use of non-isothermal utilities. It further applies the extension of the heat cascade principle with inclusion of heat storage and minimises the heat waste and carbon footprint of the considered sites. This is illustrated with a comprehensive case study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with developing several model-size reduction techniques for the analysis of large-scale renewable production and supply networks. They are (i) Reducing the connectivity in a biomass supply chain network, (ii) Eliminating unnecessary variables and constraints, (iii) Merging the collection centres. The proposed model-size reduction techniques brought computational time improvements of several magnitudes compared, with the high performance linear system solution techniques and still with a little loss in accuracy. When the methods are combined the time reductions are more significant. A proposed procedure for combining the methods can be implemented for any supply chain model with a large number of components. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article provides an introduction to this Special Issue of Journal of Cleaner Production (JCLP), which contains thirteen, carefully selected articles from the 12th Conference, “Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction” – PRES''09. This issue builds upon the multi-year co-operation between the PRES conference planners and the JCLP. The articles cover important subjects of increased efficiency in energy generation and usage and in improvements in industrial process optimisation. The first group of five papers focuses upon recent advances in emissions reduction and the resulting energy penalties. The second group of four papers deals with improving the efficiency and reliability in the utilisation of renewable energy, where hydrogen and biodiesel are the key energy carriers. The final group of three papers focus on process integration challenges of sustainable energy systems and upon the challenges of industrial/societal integration of sustainable energy systems into regional sustainable development planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Geothermal energy is a promising renewable energy source that has been developed by many countries in recent years. It can be utilised to meet various energy demand. This paper studies the performance of integrating geothermal energy in the Locally Integrated Energy Sector (LIES). The heating and cooling demand of various processes should be satisfied, and heat among processes should be recovered. This is done by using Grand Composite Curves and Total Site Profiles to visually illustrate how much load is required for utility systems. The geothermal utility system and steam utility system are compared. The integration plan for geothermal energy under different temperatures are studied. An illustrative case shows that by using this type of renewable energy under a specific and favourable condition, above 70% of steam utility load can be saved. The working cycle of using a geothermal utility system is studied by using the Time Slice model. The heat recovery plan for normal operation, mineral scaling, and cleaning periods are optimised. The minimum temperature for heat storage can also be identified. [Display omitted] • Integrating geothermal energy in the Locally Integrated Energy Sector. • Grand Composite Curves and Total Site Profiles are extended for TS targeting. • The working cycle of the utility system is analysed by extended Time Slices. • Comparison of geothermal and natural gas heated utility system. • A case study to illustrate the extended TSHI by geothermal renewables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong demand for sustainable energy supplies had escalated the discovery, and intensive research into cleaner energy sources, as well as efficient energy management practices. In the context of the circular economy, the efforts target not only the optimisation of resource utilisation at various stages, but the products' eco-design is also emphasized to extend their life spans. Based on the concept of comprehensive circular integration, this review discusses the roles of Process Integration approaches, renewable energy sources utilisation and design modifications in addressing the process of energy and exergy efficiency improvement. The primary focus is to enhance the economic and environmental performance through process analysis, modelling and optimisation. The paper is categorised into sections to show the contribution of each aspect clearly, namely: (a) Design and numerical study for innovative energy-efficient technologies; (b) Process Integration—heat and power; (c) Process energy efficiency or emissions analysis; (d) Optimisation of renewable energy resources supply chain. Each section is assessed based on the latest contribution of this journal's Special Issue from the 21st conference on Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES 2018). The key results are highlighted and summarised within the broader context of the state of the art development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a new graphical decision-making tool to facilitate the rapid selection of transportation modes with minimum energy consumption or emissions, indicating the most sustainable transportation mode. Greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutants (NO x , PM and SO 2), together with a composite price-weighted total environmental burden (TEB), are considered in the analysis. The graphical tool, which has a similar appearance to a phase diagram, presents a map of energy use (or emission) of different transportation modes based on the values of the ratio of the transportation distances (R) and the absolute load (L). A freight transportation case study (Rotterdam to Antwerp and Genova) demonstrates the construction and application of the graphical tool. For this case study, the electric train is the transport mode that offers the lowest energy consumption and minimum TEB. The graphical decision tool can also indicate the next-best solutions when one or more options (e.g. electric train) are not available. In this scenario, general cargo shipping achieves the lowest GHG emission, but heavy lorry imposes the lowest TEB. The developed tool further demonstrates the impacts of possible future fuels and technology developments on transportation selection, including renewable biodiesel and transport electrification under different grid mixes (e.g. Latvia, Sweden and EU-28). Further criteria, including economics, can be included for future study using the proposed tool as a foundation. The graphical approach transforms the transport selection problem into an easily understandable format from which arises sound solutions. • Develops a novel graphical tool for energy and environmental-friendly transportation. • Introduces the concept of route distances ratio and loads as the feed-in data. • Compares energy consumption, GHG and air pollutants for transport alternatives. • Determines the decisive role of SO 2 , NO x emission and empty vehicle weight. • Identifies the impact of alternatives energy sources for the transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving and attaining sustainability of a society's existence and functioning constitutes a problem of enormous breadth, involving complex interactions among actors of varying backgrounds, personal and institutional goals. The contribution of process optimisation by engineering communities to the development of concepts and tools for improved sustainability has been substantial. This article presents an overview of process optimisation and Process Integration paradigms and the most relevant recent works, relevant to sustainability improvement. Based on this background, recent contributions to the field published in the current Special Issue of Process Integration Contribution to Cleaner Production have been analysed. The analysis shows the progress that has been made in energy and water efficiency, as well as waste management, including waste-to-energy, pollution prevention and remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy has the characteristics of wide distribution, sustainable use and low impact on the environment, which is suitable for application and promotion in the island area. Given the concerns about wind and PV curtailment of energy-rich islands, it is potentially a good idea to export extra renewable energy to the mainland. The aim of this paper is to investigate the economic viability of transforming renewable energy into exportable electricity or hydrogen. A comprehensive renewable energy system model is developed based on the P-graph to simulate an energy system, which integrates electricity, heat and hydrogen on a virtual island. Solar, wind, wave and biomass are the main renewable energy sources in the developed energy system. The objective includes the construction cost, operating cost, and also environmental cost, which is related to the greenhouse gas footprint. Findings from the case study show that extra renewable energy exporting by electricity is cheaper than using hydrogen for the studied island, and the optimal dispatch structure can deliver 51 GWh of electricity annually for 292 M CNY (about 42 M EUR). A sensitivity analysis of export prices and renewable energy uncertainty verifies the economics of electricity export. [Display omitted] • Evaluating the economic benefit of exporting excess renewable energy from islands. • Both the electricity and heating demands of the island are taken into account. • The hydrogen can be exported and used for cogeneration in fuel cells. • Exporting electricity is more economical in the case of island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-transparency of a centralised power system creates security issues in energy trading, and the inability of prosumers to participate in energy trading arose. Blockchain can be applied in distributed generation (DG) with its immutability, security, decentralised, transparency, anonymity, transactional data, and automation features to resolve the mentioned concerns. The applications of DG, such as renewable energy sources (RES), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), solar energy, microgrid and other new electrical components, require the need decentralised energy management with secured data ledger transactional record and peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading. The research gaps and limitations are stated to point out the potential future prospect and recommendations. Overall, the blockchain is beneficial to be implemented in DG in terms of security enhancement, P2P energy trading, immutable transactional records and transparent transactions. As compared to the centralised system, the decentralised blockchain enables the scalability, privacy, autonomous trading, anonymity, legitimate auditing and low latency of DG operations. This study serves as a guide to accelerating the adoption of blockchain technology in the emerging DG. The research outcome of this review is a wider perspective of blockchain applicability and versatility in the DG sector in terms of decentralisation of grid operation, P2P energy trading and energy optimisation. The review also highlights the limitations and clarifies technical issues concerning the implementations of blockchain in the DG sector, the current applications and development trends and possible future recommendations for the blockchain in advancing the DG sector. [Display omitted] • Blockchain technology revolutionises renewable distributed generation (DG) operation. • A decentralised blockchain enables the P2P energy trading with a shared ledger. • Innovative DG operation in energy trading, transaction, bidding, billing and sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the renewable energy sources (RES) continues to grow in power system due to emissions decarbonisation and sustainability policies, a fast and reliable connection between RES components and equipment is crucial to ensure quality power delivery. This review provides a detailed insight into the full potential in 6G for the acceleration of RES with the faster and stable data bandwidth. The potential applications of 6G wireless networks for faster data processing in RES include P2P energy trade market, vehicular network, wireless energy transfer, energy management system, smart grid, self-healing, smart batteries and AI-based weather forecasting. This paper also lists the advantages and challenges of 6G in RES sectors, the practical implementations and the potential applications. It was found out that although the 6G is a visionary application in the RES sector to improve the security, connectivity, integration and sensory data processing of RES, 6G still possesses various technical limitations, including incompatibility issues of older devices, higher power consumption and higher operating cost. Future research should focus on the improvements of 6G in RES in terms of cost-effectiveness, compatibility issues and power consumption to balance between the advancement and limitations. This review serves as a visionary for 6G wireless communication to be applied in the RES sector in the near future. 6G in the RES sector encountered several critical limitations needing an intensive development, including still the issues of security and privacy, prone to hacking or data bleaching, required advanced hardware support and requirements for ultra-fast communications with low latency. • Due to climate change and emissions decarbonisation policy, the power system has shifted to RES-based generation. • 6G technology may revolutionise the RES sector with a fast, reliable and secured connection. • Potential applications and recommendations of 6G in the RES sector are discussed. • AI and blockchain frameworks improve remote data privacy and secure energy trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way forward clearly orients us towards the decarbonisation of energy systems. Sustainable energy systems ensure fewer burdens on the environment and consequently provide success when fighting climate change. Energy policy provides support in addressing the present energy challenges. Municipal policy has often been neglected, with greater emphasis being concentrated at the centralised level. In addition, another identified problem has been the insufficient quality of the municipal policy performance with lack of acknowledging various features within the municipality. Therefore, the presented paper focuses on the constitution of municipal energy policies that include all aspects of municipalities' energy systems and lead towards less environmentally burdened energy systems. The main objective is to enhance sustainable development within municipalities through constitution and integration of suitable municipal energy policies. The proposed paper presents an entirely inclusive process for a municipal energy policy's institutional, implementation and evaluation phases. Municipal energy policy has to enable maximum efficiency of energy systems by implementing customised targets and measures. This novel methodology for integrated municipal energy policy constitution and integration has, in fact, been applied within the Podlehnik municipality, representing one of the small municipalities in Slovenia. This work proposes an important step towards formalising a municipal energy policy constitution and integration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of Applied Energy contains articles developed from initial ideas related to the 17th Conference Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES 2014) held in Prague, Czech Republic, during 23–27 August 2014. The conference has been organised jointly with CHISA 2014. Both events have benefitted from the shared pool of participants as well as the expanded opportunities for exchanging ideas. From all contributions presented at the conference, high-quality ones suitable for Applied Energy, have been invited. Overall, 37 extended manuscripts have been invited as candidate articles. Of those, after a thorough review procedure, 11 articles have been selected to be published. The topics attained in the focus of this Special Issue include Process Integration and Energy Management, CO 2 capture, and Green Energy Applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The exploitation of the energy potential in biomass in a specific geographical region is frequently constrained by high production costs and the amount of land required per unit of energy generated. In addition, the distributed nature of the biomass resource and its normally low energy density may result in large transportation costs. Biomass also requires large land areas to collect and process the incoming solar radiation before the energy can be harvested. Previously published works on regional energy clustering (REC) and the Regional Resources Management Composite Curve, RRMCC (in this paper shortened to RMC), have been extended in this paper to tackle simultaneously the issues of the biomass supply chain, transportation, and land use. The RMC is a tool for supporting decision making in regional resource management. It provides a complete view of energy and land availability in a region, displaying their trade-offs in a single plot. The extension presented in this work has been developed in two steps. The first step presents the Regional Energy Cascade Analysis, which estimates the energy target within regional supply chains and provides the result for energy exchange flows between zones, the quantity of energy required to be imported/exported, and the locations of the demands. In the second step, the initial results are analysed against potential measures for improving the energy and land use targets by using the RMC and a set of rules for its manipulation. The presented method provides the option to assess the priorities: either to produce and sell the surplus energy on the fuel market or use the land for other purposes such as food production. This extended approach is illustrated with a comprehensive case study demonstrating that with the RMC application it is possible to maximise the land use and to maximise the biofuel production for the requested energy demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a new method for regional energy targeting and supply chain synthesis. The method is based on a novel approach to the optimisation of renewable energy supply. A new algorithm for revealing energy supply chain clusters is introduced, described and illustrated by a case study. It has been developed on two levels. The first is a top-level supply chain network with lowest Carbon Footprint generated. It consists of a number of zone clusters. The definition of zones is provided; it can be e.g. a village or a town. Each zone is considered as a unit. At the second level is a supply chain synthesis carried out by P-graph based optimisation within each cluster. It provides a more detailed analysis. The use of the P-graph framework as a synthesis toolset provides a strong mathematically proven fundament for handling the complexity of the synthesis problem. It contributes to the optimal network design with a high computational efficiency. This approach contributes to the cleaner generation of energy from biomass, approaching CO2 neutrality as much as possible. It is beneficial for extending the use of biomass as a renewable source of energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hydropower is one of the widely used renewable energy sources and contributing a huge share in overall electricity generation in developing countries like India. A few decades ago, hydropower reservoirs were found to be a clean source of renewable energy, but after the pre-industrial era (1990s), these reservoirs were emitting a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHG). The GHG are contributing a huge share to the regional/global carbon budget. The current study represents the first regional review and focuses on: present scenarios of Indian hydropower, environmental issues, constraints in dam construction, identified key predictors (i.e., age, depth of reservoir) impacting GHG potential, GHG risk to reservoirs, and suggested mitigation measures to the way forward for the sustainable planning of hydropower development. The review reveals that most Indian hydropower reservoirs are coming under the low to medium GHG risk of reservoirs. Small hydropower projects (SHPs) are deliberated as a worthy alternative for the sustainable management of hydropower projects. There are still many issues associated with SHPs, which cannot be neglected completely. This study provides baseline information to the hydropower industries, policy-makers, environmentalists, and water managers to take corrective measures before impoundment of a reservoir at the regional and global scale. [Display omitted] • This is the first review summarises GHG emission from Indian Hydropower. • Indian hydropower are coming under the low to medium GHG risk of reservoirs. • Small hydro is deliberated as a worthy alternative for the sustainable management of hydropower projects. • Research is urgently needed in tropical eco-regions to know the GHG risk to reservoirs. • Proposed mitigation strategies for carbon deduction in future dam constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA) for the design and optimisation of Hybrid Power Systems (HPS) is steadily progressing. Even though PoPA has been developed for a wide range of applications in HPS design and analysis, the economic aspect still needs more attention. Screening of various renewable energy (RE) technologies in HPS is crucial as different technologies may have different cost and efficiencies, and affect the overall system economics. This work presents a novel framework for the design of a cost-effective HPS by incorporating PoPA with a cost-screening tool known as the Systematic Hierarchical Approach for Resilient Process Screening (SHARPS). SHARPS, which was originally developed to screen various process changes options in water networks is adapted to perform economic analysis and RE technology screening in power networks. Two strategies namely substitution and intensification have been proposed, in order to customise a cost-effective HPS. The presented framework provides a handy and effective measure to visualise the trade-off between the performance and cost of various potential RE technologies for HPS. Application of the framework on a case study demonstrates that the HPS design has been successfully customised with the RE technology scheme and capacity acceptable to the owner, while meeting its targeted payback period of 10 y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is global issues with significant economic, social and environmental implications. Climate change mitigation in Asia has large impacts on global CO 2 emission reduction. CO 2 emission is the largest source of greenhouse gas emission constitutes about 65% of the total emission. Low-carbon Society initiative is one of the various mechanisms that have been deployed to achieve green economic growth, societal well-being and development, environmental preservation and management in a holistic manner. Energy efficiency improvement in Asia will be a key factor to tackle the climate change issues. Water and energy conservation, green transportation and low emission technology are the key aspects to catalyse the shift towards climate-resilient economic growth. The latest developments in these aspects are reviewed in this special volume to sustain the development of low-carbon emission in Asian countries. The use of holistic management system to integrate these key areas for long-term sustainability goal is also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of Process Integration has paved the way for many generic application avenues for the efficient management of energy and resources. However, there is a need to develop a framework to guide industrial site planners to most efficiently exploit and benefit from the suite of Pinch Analysis tools in an integrated manner towards systematically planning a low CO 2 emissions, while strongly promoting cleaner production alternatives. This work presents an attempt to develop a systematic framework for low CO 2 industrial site planning, using an integrated set of Pinch Analysis related tools with algebraic algorithms established to complement the graphical representation. The proposed framework consists of four main stages. The first stage involves the baseline study of resources. The second stage involves Total Site Heat Integration to maximise heat recovery among multiple units, while simultaneously targeting for cogeneration potential. The third stage involves application of Power Pinch Analysis to optimise power allocation and integration of hybrid renewable energy system. CO 2 Emissions Pinch Analysis is applied in the final stage to achieve the minimum CO 2 targets via implementation of a CO 2 emissions management hierarchy (CMH) to systematically explore options to maximise CO 2 reductions. Application of this systematic framework to an illustrative industrial site case study resulted in an overall reduction of 56.7% in heat, 74.3% in power, and 99.8% in CO 2 emissions. This proposed tool for low CO 2 industrial site planning is available for designers, planners and industrial site owners to optimise integrated energy and CO 2 emissions for Total Sites, starting from the individual process units, and ready to be extended to Locally Integrated Energy Systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a significant long-term threat faced by humanity today. The urban energy transformation from a carbon-emissions-intensive environment to a carbon-emissions-free solution is vital to achieving carbon emissions neutrality. Future city planning shall include the carbon emissions neutrality concept for sustainable urban green energy development. This review covers the recent advances in green energy development in urban sectors, including thermal process and power systems in the industry, building and urban environment, transportation, and waste treatment. It includes the compendium of the recent publications reported in the Virtual Special Issue of ENERGY presented at the 5th International Conference of Modern Power Systems and Units (MPSU′21) and the 7th International Conference on Low Carbon Asia and Beyond (ICLCA′21). Recent research highlights the need to develop novel energy materials, increase the storage capacity and durability of battery cells, reduce the vulnerability of renewable energy sources, enhance the applicability of optimisation modelling, and improve new energy research and engineering design. This review also summarises the challenges and recommendations for green urban energy development in environmental, economic, and societal aspects to achieve carbon emissions neutrality. Innovative measures to minimise energy consumption for waste treatments are also recommended. Innovations in technology with strong institutional regulations and incentives support and behavioural change in social norms are needed for achieving carbon emissions neutrality in an urban environment. • Optimisation of sensitive parameters and modelling of advanced power systems. • Green building integrating renewable energy technologies and data-driven analysis. • Smart mobility incorporates IoT elements with enabling policies and incentives. • Efficiency of the combustion system in battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. • Efficient waste-to-energy recovery and multidimensional optimisation towards a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen applications range from an energy carrier to a feedstock producing bulk and other chemicals and as an essential reactant in various industrial applications. However, the sustainability of hydrogen production, storage and transport are neither unquestionable nor equal. Hydrogen is produced from natural gas, biogas, aluminium, acid gas, biomass, electrolytic water splitting and others; a total of eleven sources were investigated in this work. The environmental impact of hydrogen production, storage and transport is evaluated in terms of greenhouse gas and energy footprints, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity potential, and eco-cost. Different electricity mixes and energy footprint accounting approaches, supported by sensitivity analysis, are conducted for a comprehensive overview. H 2 produced from acid gas is identified as the production route with the highest eco-benefit (−41,188 €/t H 2), while the biomass gasification method incurred the highest eco-cost (11,259 €/t H 2). The water electrolysis method shows a net positive energy footprint (60.32 GJ/t H 2), suggesting that more energy is used than produced. Considering the operating footprint of storage, and transportation, gaseous hydrogen transported via a pipeline is a better alternative from an environmental point of view, and with a lower energy footprint (38 %–85%) than the other options. Storage and transport (without construction) could have accounted for around 35.5% of the total GHG footprint of a hydrogen value chain (production, storage, transportation and losses) if liquefied and transported via road transport instead of a pipeline. The identified results propose which technologies are less burdensome to the environment. [Display omitted] • A review of eleven hydrogen production and various storage and transport options. • Comparative energy, environmental footprint and eco-cost analysis of technologies. • Different electricity mixes and energy footprint accounting are considered. • Sensitivity analysis for hydrogen production via gasification and acid gas. • Storage and transport could comprise 35% of the overall greenhouse gas footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate power generation forecast of multiple renewable energy sources is significant for the power scheduling of renewable energy systems. However, previous studies focused more on the prediction of a single energy source, ignoring the relationship among different energy sources, and failing to predict accurate power generation for all energy sources simultaneously. This paper proposes a hybrid framework for the power generation forecast of multiple renewable energy sources to overcome deficiencies. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is developed to extract the local correlations among multiple energy sources, the Attention-based Long Short-Term Memory (A-LSTM) network is developed to capture the nonlinear time-series characteristics of weather conditions and individual energy, and the Auto-Regression model is applied to extract the linear time-series characteristics of each energy source. The accuracy and practicality of the proposed method are verified by taking a renewable energy system as an example. The results show that the hybrid framework is more accurate than other advanced models, such as artificial neural networks and decision trees. Mean absolute errors of the proposed method are reduced by 13.4%, 22.9%, and 27.1% for solar PV, solar thermal, and wind power compared with A-LSTM. The sensitivity analysis has been conducted to test the effectiveness of each component of the proposed hybrid framework to prove the significance of energy correlation patterns with higher accuracy and stability compared with the other two patterns. [Display omitted] • Propose a hybrid framework for power forecast of multiple renewable energy sources. • Improve forecast accuracy by considering energy correlation patterns. • Sensitivity analysis is conducted to discuss each information pattern. • Method verified by a real renewable energy system case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The district heating system (DHS) is an efficient way for heat supply in urban areas. The efficiency of the DHS is considerably increased with the modern developments of technology, introducing 4th and 5th generations of centralised DHS. The existing DHS in Ukraine needs energy-efficient modernisation, where the reduction of heat losses at buildings and pipelines, the low temperatures of heat carriers, the use of heat pumps and individual heat substations with measuring devices and automated control are needed. The work proposes a novel methodology of transition to 4th generation DHS that allows its implementation with limited funds for investment. It consists of the step-by-step realisation of required innovations that allow optimising investments schedule and payback time. The methodology is illustrated by two case studies. In one of them, the university administrative building built 50 years ago is considered. The proposed improvement method can decrease the total energy consumption by 85%, with investments lower by 47% compared to traditional simultaneous realisation. The introduction of a new generation of DHS in Ukraine can be performed by gradual additions of new elements to existing DHS and integrating individual heat substations with heat pumps and renewable energy sources. • The step-by-step retrofit approach for district heating systems is proposed. • Modernisation of Ukrainian district heating system to 4th generation is analysed. • The retrofit of office and multi-store residential building is discussed. • The proposed approach can reduce payback period from 7.5 to 6 years for office building. • The decrease of more than 50% of total consumed heat was obtained for residential building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling tools for the optimal Hybrid Power Systems (HPS) supply planning and demand management have been relatively established. However, complementary tools that can provide planners, decizion-makers, energy managers and electrical as well as power engineers with graphical and visualization insights that are vital for better conceptual understanding of the problems, particularly at the onset of hybrid power systems planning and design, have just been developed over the last five years. This paper reviews the six-year development of the insight-based graphical and algebraic Process Integration (PI) tools for the optimal HPS supply planning and demand management, i.e., from its inception in the year 2011, until 2016. Known as the Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA), the tool has been among the next-generation PI techniques for resource conservation following the developments of the heat, mass, water, gas, materials, property, solid and carbon emission pinch analysis techniques. This paper discusses the progress, challenges and contributions of PoPA in promoting Renewable Energy (RE) utilization in HPS. Case studies on implementation of PoPA for HPS planning and design presented in the paper show encouraging improvement on HPS profitability and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feed-in Tariff (FiT) has been one of the most effective policies in accelerating the development of renewable energy (RE) projects. The amount of RE electricity in the FiT purchase agreement is an important decision that has to be made by the RE project developers. They have to consider various crucial factors associated with RE system operation as well as its stochastic nature. The presented work aims to assess the sensitivity and profitability of a hybrid power system (HPS) in cases of RE system failure or shutdown. The amount of RE electricity for the FiT purchase agreement in various scenarios was determined using a novel tool called On-Grid Problem Table based on the Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA). A sensitivity table has also been introduced to assist planners to evaluate the effects of the RE system's failure on the profitability of the HPS. This table offers insights on the variance of the RE electricity. The sensitivity analysis of various possible scenarios shows that the RE projects can still provide financial benefits via the FiT, despite the losses incurred from the penalty levied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for clean water and energy, microbial fuel cell (MFC) as a promising technology for obtaining energy from wastewater has attracted great research interest in the last two decades. The performance of the anode electrode is the most critical factor limiting the large-scale application of MFC. Graphene materials as a suitable candidate have been successfully used as the anode due to their excellent biocompatibility and efficient extracellular electron transfer (EET) ability. Here, nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (NGO) was prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyse the valence states of the surface chemical elements and their associated molecular species. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the surface functional groups, and Raman spectroscopy was used to analyse the information about surface defects. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed the increased electrochemical activity and rapid EET ability from the NGO electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the two-dimensional layered structure of the NGO with some wrinkled texture. MFCs equipped with the modified NGO anode achieved the highest power density of 708.3 mW/m2 with an output voltage of 498.6 mV in comparison with the other graphene-based electrodes, i.e., graphene and graphene oxide. Moreover, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate increased significantly from 18.1% to 45.6%. The analysis of the bacterial community using a high-throughput sequencing indicated that the relative abundance of the electricigens increased on the NGO electrode biofilim, and the relative expression of ccoN gene coding cytochrome-c oxidase (Cco) was markedly up-regulated. These results demonstrated that NGO modification effectively enhanced the bio-electrocatalytic activity of MFC with improved wastewater treatment capacity. [Display omitted] • The annealing time and temperature can effectively tune the N doping degree. • The NGO induces the enrichment of Proteobacteria in anode biofilm. • The relative expression of cooN gene enhances the performance of MFCs. • The nitrogen doped graphene surface boosts interfacial electron transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integrated energy system which coordinates natural gas, renewable energy, and other energy subsystems is an effective way to promote a low-carbon economy. An effective framework for system assessment and optimisation is a critical issue. This paper takes a natural gas-wind-photovoltaic integrated energy system as the research object and uses the simulation software to analyse its techno-enviro-economic feasibility. Firstly, a mathematical model is customised to optimise the system installation and operation plans. Renewable electricity replaces some natural gas, resulting in pipeline pressure fluctuation. Here, the Stoner Pipeline Simulator software is used to simulate pipeline network operation to quantify the aforementioned pressure fluctuations. The proportion of renewable energy is gradually reduced until the network pressure fluctuation is less than 20% to ensure the stability of pipeline operation. Then, the optimal operation scheme can be determined. Taking three cities in Shandong, China, as cases, the results show that the proposed system is beneficial for urban energy internet development: (i) the total net present cost is reduced by 19.7%, 19.8%, and 20.8%, (ii) annual CO 2 emission is reduced by 23.7%, 18.4%, and 12.2%; (iii) the levelised cost of energy is 0.142 $/kWh, 0.143$/kWh, and 0.153$/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Virtual Special Issue (VSI) contains some of the papers presented at the 23rd Conference of Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction (PRES′20), which was virtually held in Xi'an, China on the 17 to 21 August 2020, related to the scope of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. The works are not limited to review articles; most of them have significant contributions to knowledge development for integration and optimisation for sustainable industrial processing within the circular economy. Topics covered in this VSI also includes studies on salt hydrate-based gas-solid thermochemical energy storage technology, hybrid battery optimisation, and energy recovery under thermal waste-to-energy. In addition, work on novel and effective passive cooling strategy for photovoltaic panels, integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power generation systems, heat pumps optimisation in low-temperature waste heat recovery, utilisation of solar heating systems for low-temperature heat demand industries, and double reheat for thermal power generation are presented. The articles on the energy strategies towards the circular economy (CE) show the content of biomass supply chain optimisation, renewable energy system towards carbon emissions neutral, stable energy use strategies. Lastly, nexus thinking for sustainable development under COVID-19 assesses the energy and environmental performance of waste personal protective equipment treatment and the optimisation of the energy-water-waste nexus at the district level for regional sustainability. These achievements communicate the most significant and relevant critical thinking in renewable and sustainable energy research and development. • Virtual Special Issue PRES′20 Conference. • Integration and Optimisation for Sustainable Industrial Processing within the Circular Economy. • Salt hydrate-based gas-solid thermochemical energy storage, Hybrid battery, double reheat for thermal power generation. • Waste-to-energy, Passive cooling strategy for photovoltaic panels, integrated gasification combined cycle power generation systems. • Heat pumps optimisation in low-temperature waste heat recovery, solar systems for low-temperature heat demand industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In an effort to diversify economies and reduce high oil dependency, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries plan to increase the use of renewable energy sources to meet the challenges of a post-oil future. The Accession to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, which require a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has started a process of environmental awakening in the GCC countries. This paper reviews the publications on renewable energy with reference to the GCC countries since 2005. The objective was to investigate the benefits of funding and investing in renewable energy projects in the GCC countries. The article shows that the GCC countries have begun to adopt a more pro-active approach toward renewable energy that will help progress the GCC countries towards sustainability. The reorientation of strategies and policies toward renewable energy is evolving in the GCC countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hybrid Power Systems (HPS) consist of different renewable generators, which produce electricity from renewable energy (RE) sources required by the load. An optimal sizing method is the key factor to achieve the technical and economical feasibility of the HPS. Power Pinch Analysis (PoPA) method has been applied to set the guidelines for proper HPS sizing. Different scenarios for RE generators allow the designers to choose the best alternative for their systems. The scenarios considered are the reduction of (1) the size of the most expensive RE generator, (2) the size of generator with the most abundant RE sources available during the time interval with large electricity surplus and (3) the size of both the most expensive and abundant RE sources available during the time interval with large electricity surplus. The results show that the first option yields the minimum capital and operating costs and results in the lowest payback period for a given set of electricity targets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: EFB (Empty fruit bunch) is among the palm oil biomass residues that have been identified as the most abundant bioenergy resources in Southeast Asia. EFB has a good potential to meet the targeted share of renewable energy in this region. This work presents robust LP (linear programming) model to allow for the synthesis of EFB allocation networks that exhibit operational flexibility under multiple biomass supply scenarios. Such multiple scenarios may arise due to many uncertain factors, such as anticipated closure or expansion of mills. A MILP (mixed integer linear programming) extension of the model is then developed. Real life-based case studies of an industrial application are presented to illustrate the use of both variants of the model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To reduce emissions in the process industry, much emphasis has been put on making step changes in emission reduction, by developing new process technology and making renewable energy more affordable. However, the energy saving potential of existing systems cannot be simply ignored. In recent years, there have been significant advances in process integration technology with better modelling techniques and more advanced solution methods. These methods have been applied to the new design and retrofit studies in the process industry. Here attempts are made to apply these technologies to improve the environmental performance of existing facilities with operational changes. An industrial project was carried out to demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of exploiting the operational flexibility for energy conservation. By applying advanced optimisation technique to integrate the operation of distillation and heat recovery in a crude oil distillation unit, the energy consumption was reduced by 8% without capital expenditure. It shows that with correctly identified technology and the proper execution procedure, significant energy savings and emission reduction can be achieved very quickly without major capital expenditure. This allows the industry to improve its economic and environment performance at the same time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pinch Analysis is a well-established methodology of Process Integration for designing optimal networks for recovery and conservation of resources such as heat, mass, water, carbon, gas, properties and solid materials for more than four decades. However its application to power systems analysis still needs development. This paper extends the Pinch Analysis concept used in Process Integration to determine the minimum electricity targets for systems comprising hybrid renewable energy sources. PoPA (Power Pinch Analysis) tools described in this paper include graphical techniques to determine the minimum target for outsourced electricity and the amount of excess electricity for storage during start up and normal operations. The PoPA tools can be used by energy managers, electrical and power engineers and decision makers involved in the design of hybrid power systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production focuses on “Energy for Sustainable Future”. It is designed to mirror the increasing relevance of renewable energy sources and improved efficiency as crucial topics for practitioners in industry, for governmental policy makers, as well as for civic service providers, researchers, and educators. The purpose of this special issue is to serve as a catalyst for dialogue. The global warming related to CO2 emissions, coupled with steeply rising energy prices and the recent global financial institutional melt-down are causing massive societal concerns and give rise to increasing demand for ways to improve societal and individual energy efficiency and for ways to shift increasingly to alternative, low or non-carbon based energy systems. Until recently, industrial energy efficiency improvements have focused on improvements on efficiency rather than on the integration of renewable sources. The aim of this special issue is the identification of policies to support the development and implementation of technologies and management approaches we can employ to make the transition to more sustainable societies. The collection of papers in this special issue provide a foundation for students, researchers, scholars, practitioners and policy makers interested in making sustainable development more than a metaphor. The papers include focus upon ways for: [(a)] Improving industrial process to achieve improvements in energy efficiency. [(b)] Minimising waste disposals and reducing their impact through better management. [(c)] Reducing CO2 emissions by making progress toward lower carbon, renewable energy based systems, [(d)] Improving production of biofuels and hydrogen production systems, facilitated by employing cleaner production and novel LCA tools. [(e)] Improving integration of advanced materials and energy efficient equipment in different industrial sectors. Current and future developments in national and world economies are closely connected to sustainable, efficient and safe usage of raw materials and upon energy based on cleaner production concepts and approaches that are ecologically and economically appropriate for the short and for the long-term future of society. These challenges have received considerable attention in the media and scientific journals over the last several years. The idea of developing a specialised conference focussed upon them was put forward on various occasions. Focus upon them became reality on the 5th and 6th May 2008 in the historic Castle of Veszprém, Hungary, the current premises of the Hungarian Academy of Science which hosted the Workshop. The Workshop was a stimulating event and an overwhelming success, with nearly 100 contributors from Africa, North America, Asia and Europe, representing 28 countries. After a comprehensive selection and thorough reviewing procedure 11 papers were selected for this special issue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel energy targeting framework is proposed to analyse an urban-industrial symbiosis (UIS) system by incorporating Heat Integration, Power Integration, heat storage, power storage, renewable energy sources, and waste heat cogeneration. A trigeneration power plant is incorporated into the framework to connect the multi-energy microgrid. The trigeneration system provides high operational flexibility of the UIS through the manipulation of system outputs. This framework can handle multiple heating and cooling grids, which have different temperatures. An illustrative case study is also developed to demonstrate the proposed Pinch-based multi-energy targeting framework. The energy requirement of the heating-cooling-power microgrid in the UIS is successfully targeted. With the flexible trigeneration load estimated based on the thermal energy requirement of the UIS, the case study shows 34% of energy-saving opportunities and a payback period within a year. The case study suggests that the constant load operation can reduce the design capacity of the trigeneration system; however, the energy loss in the energy storage increases the utility cost and causes the system less attractive. • The feasibility evaluation of CCHP microgrid in urban-industrial symbiosis. • Integrating industry and urban with renewable energy, heat, and battery systems. • Minimum requirements in microgrids for heating, cooling and electricity are targeted. • Trigeneration satisfies the requirement of a multi-energy microgrid in the UIS. • The constant and flexible trigeneration load operations are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]