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Photocatalysis represents a sustainable strategy for addressing energy shortages and global warming. The main challenges in the photocatalytic process include limited light absorption, rapid recombination of photo-induced carriers, and poor surface catalytic activity for reactant molecules. Defect engineering in photocatalysts has been proven to be an efficient approach for improving solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Sulfur vacancies can adjust the electron structure, act as electron reservoirs, and provide abundant adsorption and activate sites, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity. In this work, we aim to elucidate the role of sulfur vacancies in photocatalytic reactions and provide valuable insights for engineering high-efficiency photocatalysts with abundant sulfur vacancies in the future. First, we delve into the fundamental understanding of photocatalysis. Subsequently, various strategies for fabricating sulfur vacancies in photocatalysts are summarized, along with the corresponding characterization techniques. More importantly, the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism, focusing on three key factors, including electron structure, charge transfer, and the surface catalytic reaction, is discussed in detail. Finally, the future opportunities and challenges in sulfur vacancy engineering for photocatalysis are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -CdIn 2 S 4 heterojunction were successfully prepared by the in situ growth of In 2 S 3 and CdIn 2 S 4 on the In atom site of In 2 O 3 nanotube. • In 2 S 3 and CdIn 2 S 4 were bonded on In 2 O 3 nanotube via In-S and In-Cd bond. • An efficient Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism was formed in IOSC2 heterojunction. • An excellent hydrogen production of 2892 μmol·g−1 was obtained under visible light irradiation. Semiconductor photocatalysis was considered as an ideal solution to energy shortages. Herein, a novel ternary In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 -CdIn 2 S 4 (IOSC) nanotube (NTs) photocatalyst was successfully constructed via in situ growth of In 2 S 3 and CdIn 2 S 4 nanosheets onto In 2 O 3 skeleton. It was used for the efficient and stable photo-production of hydrogen from water splitting. The rationally designed IOSC NTs displayed significantly enhanced photocatalytic H 2 production under visible light irradiation (≥420 nm), with the highest H 2 yield determined to be 2892 μmol·g−1, which is much higher than that of pristine In 2 S 3 and In 2 O 3 /In 2 S 3 (IOS) NTs. Cyclic testing has shown that the IOSC2 product remains stable after four cycles of repeated use. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was contributed by its tightly bound tube-nanosheets heterogeneous structure and superior light absorption. Photoelectrons transfer in IOSC2 follows a Z-scheme mechanism, which greatly facilitates its utilization of photogenerated electrons and prevents CdIn 2 S 4 from undergoing photo-corrosion affecting material stability. This work demonstrates the key role of in situ growth in the interface design of ternary heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to assess changes and trends in the main parameters characterizing inventory management in industrial processing enterprises in 2006-2009, 2010-2013 and 2018-2022. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis covered business entities by Divisions of Section C - “Manufacturing” in relation to four crisis situations. The research undertaken is descriptive, spatial-temporal and critical analysis - the changes and deviations of selected indicators from average values in periods of prosperity are indicated. The presentation of the research results includes descriptive form and graphical form in the form of figures. The numerical data came from the Statistics Poland website. Findings: In the majority of manufacturing enterprises, all crisis situations had an adverse effect on inventory management. The exceptions were D17, D21 and D32 enterprises, which showed no negative sensitivity to crisis situations. Research limitations/implications: The geopolitical and macroeconomic situation has impeded most of the favorable trends after the post-pandemic “rebound” in 2022. For this reason, it was difficult to clearly assess the impact of the energy crisis on inventory management at the surveyed companies. Originality/value: The originality of the study lies in the fact that it was carried out for four different crisis situations and was concerned with assessing changes in the parameters characterizing inventory management, rather than assessing the value of indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of electrocatalysts exhibiting outstanding performance in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), crucial for hydrogen production, holds immense significance in addressing energy shortages and mitigating environmental pollution. In this study, a novel approach to synthesizing Co-MOF (Metal-Organic Framework) directly immobilized onto a Ni foam substrate through hydrothermal synthesis is presented. In contrast to conventional methods employing powder-based synthesis with binders, our direct attachment method offers a unique and efficient means of creating robust Co-MOF at Ni foam (Co-MOF@NF) hybrid catalysts. Subsequently, a chemical reduction approach utilizing sodium borohydride was employed to introduce surface modification into the Co-MOF structure. The resulting material, sodium borohydride treated Co-MOF@NF (Red. 1 h Co-MOF@NF), exhibited a remarkable enhancement in OER activity compared to the pristine Co-MOF@NF sample. Notably, Red.1 h Co-MOF@NF demonstrated a substantially reduced overpotential of 235 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm⁻2, in contrast to the 300 mV overpotential required by the pristine Co-MOF@NF under the same conditions. Furthermore, the Red.1 h Co-MOF@NF catalyst displayed exceptional stability, sustaining a current density of 50 mA cm⁻2 for over 48 h, highlighting its promising potential for practical applications. The synergistic effects of direct hydrothermal attachment, surface modification, and improved OER performance make this study a significant contribution to the advancement of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for energy conversion applications. [Display omitted] • The self-supported Co-MOF dodecahedrons on Ni foam were synthesized. • Surface modified Red. 1 h Co-MOF@NF heterostructure was achieved via NaBH 4 reduction. • Surface modification introduces additional active sites on the catalyst's surface leading to improved OER performance. • The Red. 1 h Co-MOF@NF demonstrates remarkable catalytic performance and stability for the OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the global climate change and energy crisis, electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECR) is regarded as one of the potential ways to simultaneously reach the CO2 conversion and obtain various value‐added products. Currently, several challenges remain for the in‐depth understanding of ECR from fundamentals, including ambiguous structure‐activity relationships, uncontrollable catalytic selectivity, and complex reaction mechanisms. Compared to traditional metal nanoparticle‐based materials, atomically dispersed catalysts (ADCs) have aroused significant interest owing to their maximal atomic utilization and simplified site configuration, offering a superior platform for discussing the structure‐activity relationships during ECR. Especially, adjacent metal atomic pairs (AAPs) within ADCs are gradually emphasized as a novel concept to follow various synergistic reaction mechanisms during ECR. Herein, for the first time a broad concept of AAPs and analyzed how AAPs within ADCs reached the synergistic effect during ECR is summarized. In view of the synergistic reaction mechanisms varying on different supports, three types of supports are illustrated (containing graphene model, functional porous frameworks, and metals and oxides), aiming to help scholars with more insights in broadening the feasible synergistic reaction mechanisms on AAPs within ADCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis CO 2 conversion to valuable hydrocarbons driven by solar energy holds great potential in alleviating the greenhouse effect and energy shortage. However, the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity is hindered by the high charge recombination rate and low CO 2 affinity of semiconductor photocatalyst. Herein, a series of fluorine lattice-doped ZnS catalysts with accompanying sulfur vacancies (V S) are prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. Fluorine doped ZnS catalysts exhibit remarkedly enhanced photocatalytic performance for selective CO 2 reduction to CO compared to the bulk counterpart, and it is the ZnS 0.95 F 0.05 achieves the highest photoactivity among the as-obtained catalysts. Without cocatalysts or sacrificial reagents, ZnS 0.95 F 0.05 enables CO 2 photoreduction to CO with an outstanding yield of 16.04 μmol g−1 h−1 and high selectivity of 84%, about 6 times higher than that of ZnS (2.68 μmol g−1 h−1), surpassing most of the previously reported photocatalysts. The improved activity for fluorine doped ZnS can be due to the promoted carrier separation and CO 2 adsorption, owing to the synergistic effect of fluorine doping and concomitant Vs, based on the experimental verification and theoretical calculation. This study offers an effective approach to design photocatalysts for high performance CO 2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the growing energy crisis and environmental challenges, substantial efforts are now directed toward sustainable clean energy as a replacement for traditional fossil fuels. CO2 photoreduction into value‐added chemicals and fuels is widely recognized as a promising approach to mitigate current energy and environmental concerns. Photocatalysts comprising single atoms (SAs) supported on two‐dimensional (2D) semiconducting materials (SAs‐2DSemi) have emerged as a novel frontier due to the combined merits of SA catalysts and 2D materials. In this study, we review advancements in metal SAs confined on 2DSemi substrates, categorized into four groups: (1) metal oxide‐based, (2) g‐C3N4‐based, (3) emerging, and (4) hybridized 2DSemi, for photocatalytic CO2 conversion over the past few years. With a particular focus on highlighting the distinct advantages of SAs‐2DSemi, we delve into the synthesis of state‐of‐the‐art catalysts, their catalytic performances, and mechanistic elucidation facilitated by experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations. Following this, we outline the challenges in this field and offer perspectives on harnessing the potential of SAs‐2DSemi as promising photocatalysts. This comprehensive review aims to provide valuable insights for the future development of 2D photocatalytic materials involving SAs for CO2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direction and eternal theme of the automotive industry's sustainable development is protection of the environment, energy efficiency, and safety. Especially the traffic accidents, the world's energy shortages and the increasingly deteriorating environment are particularly important today. Especially in current era, because of the dual pressures of energy and the environment, various forms of electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming the focus of global automotive industry. This paper presents a significant method of road recognition method. The key control is to have the option to precisely recognize the ideal slip rate and current street surface attachment coefficient to control the wheel slip. By utilizing the Burckhardt strategy, the slant change of the bend could sort out the ideal slip rate and pinnacle attachment coefficient of street surface distinguishing proof examination is generally utilized in steadiness control of EV. On road tests, the road conditions are very complicated. It is necessary to take identify methods with strong robustness. Therefore, it is an important method to use fuzzy technique with good robustness to recognize optimal slip rate (OSR). The fuzzy road recognition algorithm could identify the friction co- efficient and the OSR superiorly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic water splitting is an essential hydrogen production method for resolving present energy shortage and progress toward more efficient technologies. For this purpose, a versatile and cheap electrocatalysts are the main challenge along the way. In this report, we synthesized vanadium telluride and carbon nanotube (VTe–CNT)‐based nanocomposite via facile hydrothermal route. The VTe–CNTs are characterized by X‐ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. These characterizations depict nanosphere structures, morphology, and high surface area that maintains high porosity, which are essential for inclusive water‐splitting phenomena in 1.0 M solution of KOH. Additionally, the electrochemical performance of VTe–CNTs has shown best O2 evolution reactions activity with of onset potential of 1.42 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and required 10 mA/cm2 of current density at 278 mV overpotential, which is excellent among other electrocatalysts, VTe (342 mV@10 mA/cm−2) and CNTs (365 mV@10mA/cm−2). Moreover, VTe–CNT exhibits remarkable stability for almost 20 h. It also requires a low onset potential of 0.05 V with a small Tafel slope of 47 mV/dec for H2 evolution reactions. Hence, this research might facilitate the easy transportation of electrons and open up the new era, serving as an excellent replacement for noble metal–derived materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocalisations are increasingly being recognised as an important aspect of normal rodent behaviour yet little is known of how they interact with other spontaneous behaviours such as sleep and torpor, particularly in a social setting. We obtained chronic recordings of the vocal behaviour of adult male and female Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) housed under short photoperiod (8 h light, 16 h dark, square wave transitions), in different social contexts. The animals were kept in isolation or in same-sex sibling pairs, separated by a grid which allowed non-physical social interaction. On approximately 20% of days hamsters spontaneously entered torpor, a state of metabolic depression that coincides with the rest phase of many small mammal species in response to actual or predicted energy shortages. Animals produced ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) with a peak frequency of 57 kHz in both social and asocial conditions and there was a high degree of variability in vocalisation rate between subjects. Vocalisation rate was correlated with locomotor activity across the 24-h light cycle, occurring more frequently during the dark period when the hamsters were more active and peaking around light transitions. Solitary-housed animals did not vocalise whilst torpid and animals remained in torpor despite overlapping with vocalisations in social-housing. Besides a minor decrease in peak USV frequency when isolated hamsters were re-paired with their siblings, changing social contexts did not influence vocalisation behaviour or structure. In rare instances, temporally overlapping USVs occurred when animals were socially-housed and were grouped in such a way that could indicate coordination. We did not observe broadband calls (BBCs) contemporaneous with USVs in this paradigm, corroborating their correlation with physical aggression which was absent from our experiment. Overall, we find little evidence to suggest a direct social function of hamster USVs. We conclude that understanding the effects of vocalisations on spontaneous behaviours, such as sleep and torpor, will inform experimental design of future studies, especially where the role of social interactions is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and the current energy crisis are creating new challenges to agriculture and new technological solutions must be developed to increase agricultural machinery efficiency. Researchers and machinery manufacturers identified electrified powertrains as a possible solution to meet this demand. The development of field-effective electrified powertrains is challenging mostly due to the wide variability of operating conditions of agricultural tractors. While the automotive industry adopted reference driving cycles for the design and evaluation of hybrid powertrains, the tractor industry has not been able to easily record external load in real-world conditions as it requires dedicated systems that cannot be used under prolonged field usages. This study aims to provide a methodology for estimating a reference working cycle from a multi-year dataset using technologies available in current commercial tractors. Data were collected on a tractor used for 3 years of agricultural work. Data were first clustered into work states, then, for each state, signal features from on-tractor sensors were used to extract key factors to compute the reference work state. With an optimisation solver and a hidden Markov model, the reference working cycle that synthesised the real-world tractor use was calculated. This cycle was compared with established cycles for non-road mobile machinery. The new reference cycle better represented real-world tractor usage as it also complied with low engine operations, which are frequent in farming and mostly associated with machine setup. The new reference working cycle permits a reliable estimation of fuel consumption of real-world farming. • Reference working cycles are necessary for designing field-effective drivetrains. • A reference working cycle aiming to synthesise real-word usage was calculated. • The reference cycle makes the engine operates in its operating domain. • The cycle better reproduces real-world usage than established cycles for NRMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of sustainable supply chain management and logistics, this work tackles the complex challenge of optimizing inventory levels across varied storage facilities. It introduces a comprehensive many-objective optimization model designed to minimize holding costs, energy consumption, and shortage risk concurrently, thereby integrating sustainability considerations into inventory management. The model incorporates the distinct energy consumption profiles associated with various storage types and evaluates the influence of stock levels on energy usage. Through an examination of a 60-day production schedule, the dynamic relationship between inventory levels and operational objectives is investigated, revealing a well-defined set of optimal solutions that highlight the trade-off between energy savings and shortage risk. Employing a 30-day rolling forward analysis with daily optimization provides insights into the evolving nature of inventory optimization. Additionally, the model is extended to encompass a five-objective optimization by decomposing shortage risk, offering a nuanced comprehension of inventory risks. The outcomes of this research provide a range of optimal solutions, empowering supply chain managers to make informed decisions that strike a balance among cost, energy efficiency, and supply chain resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy crisis we are currently experiencing is merely the start of a very challenging and wide transformation. The sectors of power, coal, and natural gas encountered the biggest vibrations. To help with energy conservation, a compact and effective heat exchanger was made available that may be utilized to collect waste heat from power plants and industries. This study investigates the effects of combining passive techniques on the performance of a double-pipe heat exchanger equipped with a metal turbulator on the hot side and Al2O3 nanofluid on the cold side. The experiments used different volume fractions of Al2O3 nanofluid (Vol.%: 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15) as cold fluid with varying flow rates (500 ≤ Re ≤ 5000) in the annulus, as well as variously configured twisted tapes (Twist ratio: 20, 13.3, and 9.8) and frequently spaced helical screw tapes (Number of helices: 5, 7 and 9). The results show that the Nusselt number increases by 11.11% and the thermal performance factor increases by 1.116 times in case of twisted tapes with twist ratio 20 and 0.05% nanofluid combination, and by 24.93% and 1.269 times in case of frequently spaced helical screw tape with 9 number of helices and 0.15% nanofluid combination, respectively. Therefore, even at the expense of a small amount of pressure loss, 9 helices with 0.15% of Al2O3 nanofluid offered better performance in the combinations evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensifying global energy crisis and environmental issues, electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a crucial direction for future transportation development due to their high efficiency and zero emissions. However, EVs still face numerous technical challenges in practical use, particularly in braking energy management and thermal management system optimization. This paper aims to deeply analyze the regenerative braking process of EVs based on the second law of thermodynamics to uncover the irreversible losses and optimization pathways in energy conversion. Furthermore, a comprehensive vehicle thermal management system model is established, with detailed parameter settings and optimization to ensure efficient operation under various conditions. The research results indicate that the thermodynamics-based braking energy management strategy can significantly enhance the energy efficiency and range of EVs. Additionally, optimizing the vehicle's thermal management system contributes to improving overall vehicle performance and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensifying global energy crisis and environmental issues, the energy consumption and environmental impact of the construction sector have garnered significant attention. The development and application of green building materials have become crucial research areas. Traditional building materials cause substantial resource waste and environmental pollution during production, usage, and disposal. In contrast, green building materials based on thermodynamic principles, owing to their superior thermal performance and energy storage capabilities, have gradually gained attention. This paper aims to systematically optimize the thermal performance of green building materials through a research approach grounded in thermodynamic principles. The study consists of two main parts: first, constructing the control equations for the phase change thermal storage process of green building materials, and analyzing the thermodynamic characteristics during the phase change process in detail; second, conducting an in-depth analysis of the heat transfer process in phase change thermal storage green building materials to explore their thermal performance in practical applications. Despite extensive research on the thermal performance of green building materials, there are still shortcomings in the systematic analysis and optimization of material thermal performance, and existing research methods often fail to comprehensively and accurately reflect the actual thermal behavior of materials. This paper aims to provide a scientific basis for the optimized design of green building materials, further promoting their application and development in the construction field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy crisis of the early 1970s briefly opened up a radically new horizon of energetic possibilities that played out differently around the world. For India, that energy crisis did not begin with the famous Arab oil embargo of 1973. Instead, like many poor oil-importing nations, it experienced the first oil shock as merely one component of a broader climate-food-energy emergency that reverberated throughout the political system. This crisis brought a twinned set of fateful changes. By June 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had resorted to imposing a constitutional dictatorship—the Emergency—for the first and only time in independent India's existence, one among a series of coups and authoritarian takeovers that swept the Global South. Less noticed was a second transformation with planetary ramifications. Rising popular expectations collided with the energy crisis to impel a state-led embrace of coal, despite elite reservations about the environmental damage that would follow. Analyzing these dynamics is crucial to understanding India's intensifying coal dependence, and its rapidly rising carbon emissions, in the decades that followed. Only when we accurately recognize the forces that created and hold carbon-intensive energy regimes in place can we begin to see how they might be dislodged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal challenges such as climate change and the energy crisis are putting bicycles at the centre of many people's mobility considerations ‐ but not all. In addition to the need for improved infrastructure, stability and comfort when cycling also play a major role. Simulations offer the possibility to investigate the influence of biometric differences on comfort and stability more cost‐effectively than the measurement methods currently used for bike fitting. Bicycle dynamics and multibody simulation of cycling motions have been the subject of research for a long time. Often data‐driven models are used that follow pre‐established measurement data. Moreover, optimal control simulations for competitive sports are available, where for example, the travel distance during a given time is maximised. However, such models are usually based on the biometric data of an average 18–25 year old male, while the influence of gender differences on cycling motions are rarely explored. Yielding towards closing this gender data gap, we use a discrete mechanics and optimal control framework (DMOCC), which benefits from its structure preserving formulation and has been successfully used for biomechanical applications before. The implemented multibody model of a leg performing a cycling motion can be adapted to individual 3D scans via the geometry parameters and the bounds on the joint angles and torques, providing the possibility to investigate the influence of biometric diversity on the resulting motions. In this first approach, we discuss several possibilities to formulate appropriate objective functions for cycling. The final aim of this study is to supplement a given bike frame by software chosen adaptations so that it optimally fits to individual biometric conditions, thus increasing comfort, the sense of safety and performance, which ultimately enables greater participation in the mobility transition for women, children, and seniors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By utilizing greenhouse gas CO2 and renewable energy-sourced H2 to produce methanol, the "methanol economy" can replace fossil fuels and H2 as the energy storage medium, which not only reduces CO2 emissions, but also mitigates the energy shortage issue. However, the traditional Cu-based catalysts for CO2-to-methanol conversion suffer from low activity at low temperature and high vulnerability to sintering and deactivation. In this contribution, rapidly quenched skeletal Cu catalysts (RQ Cu) are prepared by leaching the RQ Cu–Al alloy with NaOH aqueous solutions of different concentrations. It is found that high NaOH concentration of 10 wt% favors the preparation of the RQ Cu-10 catalyst with higher porosity, lower residual Al content, and larger active Cu surface area (SCu) than the RQ Cu-3 catalyst leached with 3 wt% of NaOH solution. However, in aqueous-phase CO2 hydrogenation at 473 K and 4.0 MPa, the CO2 conversion over the RQ Cu-3 catalyst is more than two times greater than that over the RQ Cu-10 catalyst, and the selectivity and productivity of methanol are 1.20 and 2.69 times of the corresponding values over the RQ Cu-10 catalyst. At 5.0 MPa, the selectivity and productivity of methanol are further boosted to 97.9% and 1.329 mmol gCu–1 h–1 on the RQ Cu-3 catalyst. It is identified that the SCu of the RQ Cu-3 catalyst is well preserved after reaction, while dramatic growth of the Cu crystallites occurs for the RQ Cu-10 catalyst. The better catalytic performance and stability of the RQ Cu-3 catalyst are tentatively attributed to the presence of more residual Al species by using NaOH solution with lower concentration for Al leaching, which acts as the dispersant for the Cu crystallites during the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid a war in Southeast Asia, fomenting campus radicalism, and a looming energy crisis, a number of physicists shifted from the big science endeavors of post-war physics toward a new and little science of energy efficiency. These moves were actively supported by the American Physical Society, which took various ongoing crises as an opportunity to create employment opportunities and harness enthusiasm for more socially engaged physics. The Society's 1974 Summer School on efficient energy use was illustrative. Participants came from universities, national laboratories, industry organizations, and utility companies. Together, they estimated efficiency savings believed achievable at certain points in the US energy system. The summer school attendees argued energy efficiency should be redefined according to the second law of thermodynamics rather than the first. This approach allowed energy-using appliances to be reconceived of as sources of energy supply as well as demand. Rigorous estimates of potential savings were made. However, to the ire of more radical physicists, the school placed the onus to conserve on the consumer, ignored industrial energy use, and had avoided drastic measures. In revisiting these events, their lead-up and afterlife, this paper historicizes a now-central tenet of energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that energy efficiency is a potent shield against oil price uncertainty in an increasingly interconnected world fraught with geopolitical tensions. By reducing dependence on oil, enhancing economic resilience, and improving energy security, energy efficiency measures offer multifaceted benefits for both national economies and global stability. Specifically, a wavelet coherence analysis is conducted to study the response of global energy efficiency to geopolitical oil price uncertainty. Quantile-on-quantile and quantile regressions are additionally employed to separate the impacts of various geopolitical oil price risk quantiles on the quantiles of energy efficiency. These methods are utilized in the examination of global time-series data covering the timeframe 2004:Q1–2020:Q4. The wavelet coherence outcomes indicate a positive correlation between geopolitical oil price uncertainty and energy efficiency, particularly during the energy crisis of the 2000s and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also reveal that geopolitical oil price uncertainty leads to energy efficiency, indicating that an upsurge in geopolitical oil price uncertainty causes energy efficiency to increase. Moreover, the results from quantile-on-quantile and quantile regressions affirm the predominantly positive effects of geopolitical oil price uncertainty on global energy efficiency. Our conclusion therefore is that through strategic investments, innovative policies, and international collaborations relating to energy efficiency, nations can fortify themselves against the destabilizing effects of geopolitical conflicts on energy markets. This would ensure a more sustainable and secure energy future for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the dual pressure of the fossil energy crisis and the global low carbon emission target, the utilization of various types of renewable energy has received widespread attention worldwide. In view of this, this study develops a geothermal-hydrogen integrated energy system (integrating geothermal power, power to hydrogen, and energy storage), which can generate "near-zero" CO2 emissions and obtain additional benefits by selling hydrogen. However, random fluctuations in market electricity prices and heat demand severely interfere with the economic, environmental, and reliable operation of the system, hindering its sustainability operation and development. Therefore, this paper proposes a two-stage distributionally robust optimization model considering multiple uncertainties. Specifically, a moment-based ambiguity set is constructed to portray the uncertain distribution of forecasting errors in heat demand and market electricity prices. In the first stage, the daily operating profit of the system is maximized through electricity, hydrogen, and heat scheduling decisions according to the forecast information. In the second stage, the operations of flexibility resources are adjusted from their schedules in the first stage to resist the interference of the "worst-case" distribution in the ambiguity set. Finally, the model is transformed into a mixed-integer linear programming for solution feasibility. Simulations verify that: (1) integrating geothermal and hydrogen energy improves the economic and environmental benefits of system operation; and (2) the model keeps low computational complexity and decision conservativeness, which can realize the benefits of cost-saving, profit improvement, emission reduction, and interference resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy shortage and excessive carbon emissions have become the main constraints to the sustainable development of China's logistics industry. Improving the efficiency of the logistics industry is crucial to promoting regional ecological environment protection and sustainable development of the logistics industry. In this paper, the efficiency of China's logistics industry in 2013–2019 is evaluated by using the non-oriented EBM model considering the unexpected output, and then the influencing factors of the efficiency of the logistics industry in the central region are analyzed by using the panel Tobit model. The results show that the logistics industry in the central region is at a low efficiency level. Factors, such as the level of economic development, industrial structure and technical level have a significant positive impact on the efficiency of the logistics industry in the central region, while factors such as government support and logistics infrastructure have a significant negative impact on the efficiency of the logistics industry in the central region. Finally, the paper puts forward some targeted recommendations for the sustainable development of the logistics industry in the central region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2008 financial crisis and environmental issues are driving a profound change in economic governance. Over the last few decades, economic management has been marked by the neoliberal doctrine, which tends to use market forces as a tool for valuation, and to put the state at the service of the smooth running of the market. However, since the subprime crisis, interest rates have been placed under the strict surveillance of central banks through quantitative easing policies. Other events, such as the European energy crisis of 2022, show that market prices sometimes have to be circumvented. This article aims to define the principles of neoliberal governance and explain why it is in crisis today. It then sets out to develop four principles for a democratic economy, aimed at rearranging the relationship between the state and the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The article aims to draw attention to energy poverty in Krakow and analyze its consequences. Design/methodology/approach: The article is based on a questionnaire survey conducted in 411 households in Krakow. Findings: 13% of households in Krakow experience energy poverty measured subjectively, based on declarations regarding the ability to heat their homes according to their needs, with 2% indicating that they can never afford to heat their homes to their preferred level. Most (almost 80% of households) of such households drastically reduce energy consumption at home, or (20% of households) leave the apartment for most of the day. As a result, these households report frequent colds and a lack of stability and security. Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted in November 2022. Therefore, its results may reflect a particular issue that existed during a period after the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine, amid the energy crisis. It should be noted that the changing macroeconomic and political situation in the country can heavily impact the material situation of households and, as a result, energy poverty. Additionally, the study focused on specific aspects of poverty without considering all its dimensions, and it was conducted based on subjective questionnaire responses without incorporating objective measures or direct measurements. Therefore, the article merely provides a glimpse into existing problems highlighted by the residents of Krakow rather than a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon. Originality/value: So far, no other studies have focused solely on the issue of energy poverty in Krakow. Such studies are rarely conducted in cities because this problem is often associated with rural areas. From the perspective of the authors of this work, this viewpoint is flawed because households living in apartment buildings also face difficulties in paying bills and thermal problems daily. Therefore, this study serves as a starting point for measuring the phenomenon's scale in cities and filling a gap in the extensive literature on energy poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the current energy crisis and climate change, sustainable urban planning and building design are a priority to achieve a net-zero future, as energy use in buildings for thermal comfort is one of the major carbon emission contributors. To adapt to a rapidly growing and stringent urban environment, where buildings are causing more emissions due to more frequent and severe extreme hot weather events, the parametric design approach has great potential and flexibility in providing a sustainable solution by simulating different design scenarios. This study aims to analyse urban geometry and identify the impact of various built environment scenarios on outdoor thermal comfort under certain climates. The Grasshopper program was used along with the Ladybugs plug-in to provide visualised outcomes of outdoor thermal comfort, with simulation models on Rhinoceros 3D Version 7 SR37 (7.37.24107.1500). Comparing the thermal comfort performance of different design scenarios, based on building height, orientation and urban geometry, helps to identify which factors are more impactful on building design. This study demonstrates the workflow of parametric design in analysing the microclimate pattern and outdoor thermal comfort performance of the existing built environment in Melbourne, Australia, to provide an insight for stakeholders and builders to inform better decision-making in urban planning and building design in order to achieve a zero-emission future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Relations & Politics is the property of Journal of International Relations & Politics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In recent years, with the outbreak of the global energy crisis, renewable solar energy has become a focal point of research. However, the utilization efficiency of natural photosynthesis (NPS) is only about 1%. Inspired by NPS, artificial photosynthesis (APS) was developed and utilized in applications such as the regeneration of coenzymes. APS for coenzyme regeneration can overcome the problem of high energy consumption in comparison to electrocatalytic methods. Microreactors represent a promising technology. Compared with the conventional system, it has the advantages of a large specific surface area, the fast diffusion of small molecules, and high efficiency. Introducing microreactors can lead to more efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly coenzyme regeneration in artificial photosynthesis. This review begins with a brief introduction of APS and microreactors, and then summarizes research on traditional electrocatalytic coenzyme regeneration, as well as photocatalytic and photo-electrocatalysis coenzyme regeneration by APS, all based on microreactors, and compares them with the corresponding conventional system. Finally, it looks forward to the promising prospects of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Económico de ICE is the property of S.G.E.E.I.P.C., Secretaria de Estado de Comercio, Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Motivation: Improving the energy efficiency of enterprises is now not only a postulate of inter-national and national energy transition strategies towards climate neutrality, but also a requirement for maintaining their profitability and competitive capacity. Rising energy fuel prices and the unstable geopolitical situation, and above all, the war in Ukraine, are causing many enterprises to take energy-saving actions (ESA’s). One of them is investing in renewable energy sources (RES) for their own consumption, understood as investing in future energy purchase savings. Aim: The article aims to identify the involvement of enterprises affiliated with the Metal Processing Cluster (MPC), which has the status of the Polish Key National Cluster, in RES investments in the context of the energy crisis. It also attempts to verify the hypothesis: greater interest in investing in RES is shown by enterprises that have seen a strong negative impact of energy price increases on their operations. The research was carried out on the basis of literature studies, analysis of Polish Central Statistical Office statistical data and analysis of reports of various institutions. Empirical verification of the hypothesis was possible on the basis of the results of surveys conducted in the enterprises of the MPC. Results: The research showed that in 2022, more than half of the surveyed companies affiliated with the MPC felt the negative (very strong and strong) effect of rising energy prices. It primarily had an impact on the decline in their profitability. In 73% of the surveyed companies, this situation influenced the decision to start investments in renewable energy sources, with the majority of these investments being in photovoltaic panels. The survey contributes to the knowledge of the impact of the energy crisis on RES investments in metal companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tax regulation issues have been the focus since the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent EU energy crisis. From the Keynesian approach, the expansionary fiscal policy of states can contribute to stimulating aggregate demand and, as a consequence, economic growth, on the other hand, the post-crisis macroeconomic policy trend has become fiscal compression (budget consolidation), corresponding to the neoliberal paradigm. This policy has been actively promoted by the supranational institutions of EU, which, with the help of various instruments of fiscal regulation, have effectively imposed budgetary consolidation on member countries. Considering that the European Commission continues to urge countries to better the sustainability of their public finances and believes that the situation with the tax system is only safe in some EU countries, while in others, it finds significant imbalances, exceptionally high levels of public debt, which need to be corrected by the Stability and Growth Pact mechanisms, the relevance of this study is beyond doubt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Association of Arab Universities Journal of Engineering Sciences (JAARU) is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The global climate and energy crisis have underscored the importance of sustainability in energy systems and their efficiency. In the case of vertical axis turbines (VATs) for hydrokinetic applications, the increment in efficiency is a topic of interest. Using winglets as passive flow control devices has the potential to improve the power coefficient of straight-bladed (SB) Darrieus turbines highly due to their impact in the dynamics of the flow close to the tip blade and the general impact in the hydrodynamic performance of each blade. The aim of the present work is to study the influence of the geometric parameters of a symmetric winglet in the performance of an SB-VAT for hydrokinetic applications via numerical simulations based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Several simulations were performed in Star CCM+ v2206 varying the cant and sweep angles of the designed winglet. Numerical results show that a cant angle of 45° in combination with a sweep angle of 60° achieved the highest power coefficient with an increment around 20% with respect to the model without winglets. Furthermore, the vortical flow structures that form around straight and winglet blades are examined. This involves assessing the distribution of pressure and skin friction coefficients at different blade azimuthal positions during a turbine revolution. In general, the predicted increment in performance is related to the influence of the winglets in the strength of the tip vortices and in the delay in the flow separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the exponential increase in energy consumption, energy shortages, and augmented energy costs have become a significant problem for households. Solar cells are used in many homes and/or buildings to address these problems. However, managing renewable energy sources in homes can be difficult due to the irregular nature of renewable energy production. Internet of Things (IoT) devices can provide real-time data on energy production and consumption, offering a promising solution to this issue. The current study proposes a framework based on IoT and blockchain technology for home energy management by predicting future energy consumption patterns and optimizing energy use in real time. The blockchain module facilitates peer-to-peer energy trading between renewable energy-generating homeowners and consumers. The proposed framework was tested employing a dataset based on smart homes with solar panels and wind turbines. The results manifest a reduction in energy costs and a possible 30% increase in their traditional gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Internacional de Educación para la Justicia Social is the property of Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The G7 countries account for about 40% of the global gross domestic product and emit 25% of energy-related emissions due to their energy use, releasing so much carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. This study uses competing count data models to model carbon emissions between 2002 and 2021. All the hypotheses are significant and with varied effects on the energy use of the G7 economies, backing the increasing levels of emissions. The findings show that emissions from manufacturing and construction have mixed effects on the energy use of the G7 countries, increasing by 2.37% and reducing by 6.65% and 8.39% in some countries. The study proves that the transport sector is the hard-to-abate sector as the effects of the transport covariate impact minimally between 6.49% and 4.13% of the G7. This means that the transport sector is the high-hanging fruit for deep decarbonization due to the low level of technology readiness. Also, emissions from solid fuels increase between 6.49% and 4.13% in the G7 countries, implying that coal consumption has peaked due to the current energy crisis. The cross-sectional dependence (CD) analysis proves a strong significant dependence among the study countries depicting the global nature of pollution. The fitness of the model was performed using the Akaike and Bayesian information criteria to determine the appropriate method to present robust and consistent results. The panel's negative Poisson regression model obtains the lowest Akaike information criteria and Bayesian information criteria values and is therefore the most appropriate model for the analysis. This will serve as a rallying point for achieving net zero emission (NZE) targets by mid-century and for scaling technologies to achieve that goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2022, the Title Transfer Facility (TTF) prices spiked at unprecedented levels. For various reasons, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe was facing an energy crisis: gas supply was significantly reduced while demand remained unchanged. Policymakers responded with a variety of measures, including regulatory interventions on the TTF market. While seeking to improve the situation in the 'real world economy', these measures have an important financial regulatory angle. This article investigates the potential impact of these interventions, in particular of the Market Correction Mechanism, on the wholesale gas market from a financial markets perspective. Considering, amongst others, observations from the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, the European Securities and Markets Authority, and the European Central Bank, it appears that these interventions may have unintended negative consequences in light of the functioning and attractiveness of the Capital Markets Union and achieving strategic autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Crónica Tributaria is the property of Instituto de Estudios Fiscales, Ministerio de Hacienda y Funcion Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greek economy seems to have overcome the turmoil of the pandemic crisis as well as that of the following energy crisis. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to assume that the Greek economy has returned to a sound state, since this was not really the case even before the pandemic. Furthermore, the anemic growth rates of the pre-pandemic period were followed by an equally weak average growth rate (including the impact of the pandemic), as some of the significant fundamental weaknesses of the Greek economy, which had accumulated over time and constituted the real origin of the Greek crisis, have not been properly addressed yet. This paper attempts a complete mapping of the current state of the Greek economy, offering an insight into the external and internal determinants affecting it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of energy limitation has gained attention as a crisis faced by societies. Buildings play a major role, in energy consumption making it crucial to accurately predict their energy usage. This prediction problem has led researchers to explore machine learning techniques in the field of energy efficiency. In this study we investigated the performance of used machine learning methods like Random Forest (RF) Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) Linear Regression (LR) and deep learning methods for predicting building energy consumption. The findings revealed that deep learning outperformed methods in solving this problem. To address this we proposed a voting based solution that combines three CNN models with structures and a Deep Neural Network (DNN) method. We applied our proposed method to the WiDS Datathon dataset and achieved promising results. Each of the deep learning methods used in the proposed method provide suitable results and finally, the voting them is done by the averaging. Due to the fact that the proposed method obtains the final result from voting regression models with high accuracy, it is considered a robust model that will be able to provide a suitable prediction against new data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic water splitting seems to be an efficient strategy to deal with increasingly serious environmental problems and energy crises but still suffers from the lack of stable and efficient electrocatalysts. Designing practical electrocatalysts by introducing defect engineering, such as hybrid structure, surface vacancies, functional modification, and structural distortions, is proven to be a dependable solution for fabricating electrocatalysts with high catalytic activities, robust stability, and good practicability. This review is an overview of some relevant reports about the effects of defect engineering on the electrocatalytic water splitting performance of electrocatalysts. In detail, the types of defects, the preparation and characterization methods, and catalytic performances of electrocatalysts are presented, emphasizing the effects of the introduced defects on the electronic structures of electrocatalysts and the optimization of the intermediates' adsorption energy throughout the review. Finally, the existing challenges and personal perspectives of possible strategies for enhancing the catalytic performances of electrocatalysts are proposed. An in‐depth understanding of the effects of defect engineering on the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts will light the way to design high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for water splitting and other possible applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]