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This work aims to advance the optimisation of the efficiency of thermal installations in buildings, contributing to the achievement of Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) in the context of maintenance and operation. This is achieved through an innovative proposal that merges machine learning techniques with thermoeconomics to perform diagnoses in building thermal systems and identify cost overruns generated by intrinsic anomalies in the components and quantify their induced effects on the rest of the components. To date, the few contributions combining these techniques have been limited to industrial applications and cost calculation, without addressing their application to building thermal systems, both from a dynamic perspective and for maintenance purposes. Research using Physics-Informed Neural Networks, PINNs, in this area is even scarcer, which underlines the complexity of defining a suitable methodology. Thus, the proposal integrates PINNs with a thermoeconomic diagnosis based on characteristic curves, allowing the comparison of the current operating condition with an anomaly-free reference condition to assess the existence of anomalies and their effects. For this reason, reference models are generated for the first time with PINNs, which represents a break with the conventional maintenance approaches used by professionals in the sector. Therefore, this methodology incorporates techniques that require specialised knowledge in thermodynamic and informatics areas, which motivates the present work to be focused on the exhaustive description of the methodology and to highlight the importance of continuing to explore lines of research in this unexplored field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, corporate assessment of performance has placed a significant emphasis on financial measures, while largely ignoring the broader environmental and resource efficiency implications of organizational operations. This paper introduces a novel framework that integrates thermoeconomic principles into performance measurement. Systemic Exergy Management (SYMΞX) The study employs a theoretical construction approach, deriving conceptual claims from an extensive literature review to bridge the gap between thermoeconomics and existing frameworks. These claims are then synthesized into a novel theoretical construct, designated the SYMΞX framework, through the process of abductive reasoning. This flexible paradigm focuses on measuring the effectiveness of resource consumption in organizations using exergy analysis. Moreover, it enables the development of sustainability performance indicators for assessing impacts on the environment, economy, society, and technology. SYMΞX offers a more comprehensive perspective on organizational performance, accounting not only for financial outcomes but also for resource efficiency and environmental impacts. The study posits that SYMΞX has the potential to advance business science in two main ways: by fostering ethical corporate practices and by enhancing performance measurement. In conclusion, the framework promotes systemic sustainability while offering new avenues for empirical validation and industry-specific applications, thereby ensuring adaptability to evolving business environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of different parameters on the energy, exergy and economic analysis in a combined heat and power (CHP) cycle was investigated. The optimization was based on a defined target function, exergy efficiency and total cost rate based on functional modelling in both hot and cold climates. The temperature of the condenser, turbine and pinch and also mass fraction of the heating section were used to optimize the CHP cycle using genetic algorithms. The main goal is to increase the efficiency of the exergy and reduce its production costs. To increase the power, it is necessary to increase the inlet temperature to the turbine and reduce the condenser pressure. The results showed that based on the use of the heating section and increasing the mass fraction in this section, the cycle efficiency can be increased up to 21%, in which, the production power was calculated to be 6:4kW. The findings also showed that by improving its performance, the solar sector can improve the exergy efficiency of the cycle by reducing the fuel flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar heat transfer fluid (HTF) plays a crucial role in the performance of parabolic trough solar collectors (PTSC) and the energy systems integrated with them. In this study, a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) analysis is employed to prioritize the HTFs for three solar-driven multi-generation energy systems. These systems are based on a direct-fed organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and bottom-cycle arrangement of a double-effect absorption refrigeration cycle and a Kalina cycle system. The ORC configurations include simple, regenerative, and ORC integrated with an internal heat exchanger. The MADM analysis shows that the optimal HTF for all systems is Therminol 66 for which ORC based system demonstrates the best performance in both energy (80.17 %) and exergy (33.21 %) viewpoints. Additionally, this system exhibits the highest performance in terms of net present value (82.6 M$), dynamic payback period (2.19 years) and cost of energy (0.018 $/kWh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The optimal design of technologies for the production of combined assortments, constitutes a profitable alternative for the development of the cultivation of Manihot esculenta Crantz (cassava) and its industrializable products. Objective: To develop the economic optimization for the design of a combined assortment plant of Manihot esculeta Crantz by semi-mechanized way. Materials and Methods: A hybrid semi-mechanized scheme was devised for the combined production of starch, cassava and flour. A second order extreme vertex design (EVD) was generated for the distribution of cassava in the three productions, and the quadratic models obtained for profit (G), net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and discounted payback period (DRP) were optimized. For the evaluation of the indicators, the design of the basic equipment and the material and energy balances were developed. Results and Discussion: The multipurpose semi-mechanized technology uses the same initial stages for the three processes and a common pneumatic drying for the starch and flour processes. The optimal operating parameters correspond to a profit of 236 882 USD/year, a NPV of 1 242 730 USD, an IRR of 33.10 % and a DRP of 3.97 years, and are achieved for a distribution of 60 % for starch, 10 % for cassava and 30 % for flour. Conclusions: With the raw material distribution that optimizes economic and profitability indicators, production feasibility is guaranteed with energetic and environmental compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this work is setting out an analysis of the reality of the Xikrin do Cateté indigenous people, focusing on the conflicts with the mining industry in their territory (Carajás Complex). The epistemological approach is grounded on an interdisciplinary analysis, theoretically centered on associating ecological economics and human geography. Methods-wise, we use qualitative research, aiming to understand the conceptual dichotomy between the “banal space” (Milton Santos) and the reality of the “full world” (Herman Daly). We observe that, differently from other historical periods, indigenous people are living surrounded by mining projects, their voices remaining overlooked. Once captured through the perspective of the full world, this territorial configuration is one whereby the indigenous population has no longer any capacity to move, remaining blocked in a region characterised by the most diverse conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the fundamentals of the thermoeconomic diagnosis theory. Thermoeconomic diagnosis is one of the main applications of the exergy cost theory used to identify the causes of additional resource consumption of a system due to inefficiencies in its components, published in the late 1990s. Thermoeconomic diagnosis has usually been applied to diagnose power plants with high consumption of fossil fuels and fixed production. However, it does not consider the final production and waste generation variation. In this paper, Circular Thermoeconomics is applied to analyze in depth the effect of malfunctions on additional waste generation and changes in the final output of the system. This new formulation can be applied to polygeneration systems, where there is a simultaneous variation of final products, and to process integration and industrial symbiosis, where a part of the waste generated by a plant could be reused in other processes or plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we propose to build a statistical model for factor productivity and illustrate our predictions on a common toy model : DICE. Data show that the variation of primary exergy , or simply called exergy is a good predictor of the TFP variation. That remark allows us to design new economic scenarios that respect the Paris Agreement. These scenarios are of particular interest for policy makers. Moreover, our model is capable to reconcile different projections by the introduction of environmental constraints. On one hand, if exergy increases, we have similar projections with standard economic models. On the other hand, if exergy decreases, we obtain projections closer to other Integrated Assessment Models, where economic output declines (Meadows et al., 2013; Capellán-Pérez et al., 2020). • Factor productivity variations are linked to exergy variations. • Our scenarios are more pessimistic than traditional ones due to exergy integration. • Great out of sample predictions achieved during the Covid crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To settle the theoretical and practical disputes over monetary policy cross-cycle adjustment, this paper explores the possible effects of China's monetary policy cross-cycle adjustment based on empirical data. By using China's macroeconomic data between the first quarter of 2000 and the fourth quarter of 2021, we use the HP filtering method to measure the trend of economic cyclical volatility, the three-stage SETAR model and the trend mutation point identification method to identify two types of cycles, respectively, and the FAVAR model to make empirical judgments on the effectiveness of monetary policy cross-cycle adjustment. We have the following research findings. First, monetary policy has certain cross-cycle adjustment effects on aggregate output, but has quite strong state dependence. Second, monetary policy has no cross-cycle adjustment effects on industrial output. Third, the higher the economic uncertainties, the worse the monetary policy cross-cycle adjustment effects, which, however, can be increased by intensifying monetary policy regulation. Fourth, in the economic recession stage, quantity-based monetary policy has advantage over price-based monetary policy in cross-cycle adjustments, while both of the above policies have no cross-cycle adjustment in the economic growth stage. Fifth, policy expectation plays an important role in cross-cycle adjustment, and reinforcing expectations is the key to realizing cross-cycle adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to explain the cause and proceedings of the 1930s Great Depression from a biophysical economic perspective. The Depression was a painful episode in the socio‐technological transition from a coal/railroad regime to one based on hydrocarbons, motor vehicles, and electricity. The beginning—the Great Crash of October 1929—corresponded with drastic cuts in oil prices and announcement of oil supply certainty, following discovery of huge oilfields in the US Southwest. The Depression principally centered on a change from railroads to motor‐vehicle‐based transportation, but was long and drawn‐out due to the hegemonic power that the railroads held over the US economy. The late 1920s saw increased use of hydrocarbon‐based technologies, but the emerging technologies were still reliant on the old technological system. Methods of biophysical economics, mapping energy flows to capital formation, show the critical role of railroads in the Depression. In 1929, railroads accounted for 24% of the non‐residential capital stock; they delivered between 70% and 76% of energy needs; and 69% of energy required for capital formation. Thus a hypothesis emerges that dwindling investment in the railroads was a major constraint on the economy. In biophysical terms, the US economy's main energy delivery system—coal carried by railcars—was hamstrung. Energy flow Sankey diagrams for 1929 and 1939 show the gradual change in energy systems that occurred over the Depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires a transformation of capital assets in the economy, especially those for energy supply. This paper explores the hypothesis that economically efficient decarbonization occurs when the demand for fossil fuels declines at the same rate as their capital assets depreciate. In theory this means that new investments in fossil fuel assets are avoided, but without incurring stranded assets. We examine the practicality of this hypothesis using a biophysical economic model of the US energy supply system, with an example focused on impacts of electric vehicles on the petroleum supply chain. We specifically address two questions: (1) What rate of market penetration for electric vehicles is necessary to avoid investments in the petroleum‐related assets? (2) How do the costs of upstream capital assets change with the transformation to electric vehicles? High annual depreciation rates for oil refineries (δ = 9.47%) and assets for crude oil extraction (δ = 8.23%) have important impacts on results. To avoid new investment in oil refining assets through widespread electrification of light‐duty vehicles, the vehicle stock would need to be transformed in just 4 or 5 years. Under most scenarios, some petroleum pipelines will likely become stranded assets due to their low rate of depreciation (δ = 2.48%). In some scenarios, additional investments in wind and solar power generation surpass oil and gas extraction for about 5 years during the transformation to electric vehicles. Once built, however, wind and solar capital assets last longer, as shown by their low rate of depreciation (δ = 3.26%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homegardens (HGs) serve as crucial 'Trees Outside Forest Sources' (TOFS) systems, offsetting tree cover loss resulting from extensive deforestation in the Upper Mahaweli Catchment (UMC) over the past two centuries. This study examined the temporal and spatial distribution of HGs in relation to agroecological regions (AERs) within the UMC boundary, assessed the tree density of HGs, and analyzed the biophysical and socioeconomic factors influencing tree density. Geospatial assessment utilized Landsat Images and tree density estimation was based on a random sample of 500 HGs in the UMC with a minimum diameter at breast height (dbh) of >10cm. Regression analysis was employed to identify factors affecting tree density. The spatial assessment revealed that in 2017, the AER of IM3a covered the highest percentage area (66.5%) whereas IM1a recorded the greatest incremental percentage change (22.8%) from 1992-2017, while the lowest change was observed in IL2 (0.03%). The highest tree density was observed in IU2 (858 trees/ha), and the average density in WM2a (505 trees/ha), comparable to that of South-Asian tropical rainforests. However, there is a concerning trend of rapid spread of exotic species contributing to the high tree density observed in IU2, WM2a, and IU3d. The multiple linear regression model (p<0.01, R2 = 58.62%) indicated spatial, agronomic and institutional factors positively influenced tree density. Conversely, the HG area square, and demographic factors had a significant negative impact on tree diversity (p<0.01). To ensure the ecological sustainability of the UMC, the study proposes to introduce an appropriate incentive package to enhance tree density in HGs, with native species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current theories of the discount rate have a theoretical basis focused on risk; risk-free rate and risk premium. The basic component of the discount rate, the risk-free rate as purely empirical has a natural infirmity which consequently weakens the final theory. Similarly, the risk premium category is not theoretically perfect. The fundamental shortcoming is that the theory of the discount rate does not relate to fundamental knowledge of capital and the natural rate of its potential growth. Therefore, the purpose of the discussion is to justify the discount rate structure with the constant of potential growth of capital; a = 0.08 [1/year] as the main component. It is proven that the theory of the discount rate is linked to the essence of time and the pace of its passage and is an essential component of the capital–labor–time triad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on regional resilience often neglects the timing of recessions and simply uses national cycles. Region‐specific cycles and turning points might bias the results, however, and affect the choice of regions to target with policies. This paper investigates the geography and determinants of regional resilience with a regional turning point approach, using data for Italy, a country with a well‐known and sizeable regional divide. The results show that the timing of regional cycles varies substantially and that the detected resilience determinants are different across the two approaches, implying that the policy levers may be wrongly estimated with national turning points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydro-economic modeling (HEM) addresses research and policy questions from socioeconomic and biophysical perspectives under a broad range of water-related topics. Applications of HEM include economic evaluations of existing and new water projects, alternative water management actions or policies, risk assessments from hydro-climatic uncertainty (e.g., climate change), and the costs and benefits of mitigation and/or adaptation to such events. This paper reviews applications of HEM in five different categories: (1) climate change impacts and adaptation, (2) water–food–energy–ecosystems nexus management, (3) capability to link to other models, (4) innovative water management options, and (5) the ability to address and integrate uncertainty. We find that (i) the increasing complexity and heterogeneity of water resource management problems due to the growing demand and competition for water across economic sectors, (ii) limited availability and high costs of developing additional supplies, and (iii) emerging recognition and consideration of environmental water demands and value, have inspired new integrated hydro-economic problems and models to address issues of water–food–energy nexus sustainability, resilience, reliability through water (re)allocation based on the relative "value" of water uses. In the past decade, the field of HEM has improved the integration of ecosystem needs, but their representation is still insufficient and mostly ineffective. HEM studies address how to sustainably manage water resources, including groundwater which has become an area of particular interest in climate change adaptation. The current most used spatial and temporal resolutions (basin-scale and yearly time-step) are appropriate for planning but not for operational decisions and could be underestimating impacts from extreme events (e.g., flood risk) captured only by sub-monthly time scales. In addition, HEM primarily focuses on biophysical and economic indicators but often overlooks preferences and perspectives of stakeholders. Lastly, HEM has been widely used to analyze transboundary cooperation, showing benefits for increasing water security and economic development, particularly as climate change develops. We conclude that the field of HEM would benefit from developing more operational models and enhancing the integration of commonly neglected variables, such as social equity components, ecosystem requirements, and water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effects of the sectoral structure on the economic resilience of Chilean regions during the shocks of the 1998 Asian and 2008 financial crises by employing cycle dissection, phase‐differentiated spatially extended shift‐share analysis, and regional analysis indices. Regions with more diversified structures exhibited better performance during the crises. Certain service sectors moderated the impacts of the crises in the resistance phases, and in turn, were drivers during the recovery phases. Remarkably, agriculture slowed the recovery of the southern regions. Some of these results were induced by the high demographic and economic concentration in the metropolitan region of Santiago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multifunctionality in agriculture is defined as the flux that is product of specific dynamics of subsystems in the farm scope, a condition, that in turn, is not usually explained in biophysical, social or economic contexts of reference. The purpose of this investigation is to design an indicator that allows to identify, make magnitude measurements and assess the multifunctionality of traditional production systems in the farm scope; in this case, assessment takes place in the traditional systems of the Antioquia's near west, under the referred contexts. To this end, a diversity index is proposed, which was adapted to identify and assess the multifunctionality in agriculture in the farm scope. Results suggest that the traditional production systems fulfill important environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural functions in the region of study. The assessed farms show diversity index values greater than one (1), which points out a high multifunctionality, however, each one of them reveal different magnitudeslso corresponds to each farm's particular characteristics. It is reasonable to conclude that the assessment of multifunctionality can become a way to acknowledge the relevance of traditional farms, as a consequence of the economic inefficiency that they apparently reflect when assessed from a conventional economic model that does not align with its logic. The multifunctionality approach explains, simultaneously, the continuity of these farms through flux diversification strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental law is pragmatic, inevitable, and intentional. In the aggregate, the numerous federal environmental statutes are not simply a patchwork of ad hoc responses or momentary political breakthroughs to isolated public health problems and resource concerns. Together, they are a group of repeated, legislatively-backed commitments to embrace selfrestraint for self-preservation. Self-restraint and discipline are the essence of environmental law. Indeed, if one studies the patterns and repeated choices in environmental law's many statutory texts, one can start to appreciate environmental law's indispensable role in society: it serves as an enduring "exoskeleton," a sort of protective armor created over time to protect ourselves from collective action problems that inevitably arise in a world of biophysical limits. Appreciating the exoskeleton-that is, appreciating the broader statutory and historical context in which these laws exist-has implications for the interpretation and implementation of environmental statutes. It has implications for the weight that regulators and jurists ought to give enacted purpose statements when interpreting the laws, for reviewing agency decisions made in the face of scientific uncertainty, and for the robust review that ought to be given to agency inaction. Absent a corrected understanding of environmental law, one that aligns the fundamental purpose of the laws with its implementation, the full fervor of Congressional commitment to self-restraint will continue to be met with judicial microscoping, apathy, and sidestepping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipping has a very important share in world trade. However, it has an inevitable effect on global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, there is a great motivation for the reduction of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Waste heat recovery systems based on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology have a significant potential to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. In this study, the optimization of the regenerative ORC was carried out for a bulk carrier. Multi-objective optimization was performed using a Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm that is a powerful and novel algorithm. Thermo-economic evaluations were carried out by considering the design and off-design working conditions of the ship. In addition, the impact of the optimized ORC system on decarbonization was investigated. The results showed that the annual average Wnet was determined as 372.78 kW. The annual average fuel saving and the annual average CO2 reduction were calculated as 522.83 tfuel/year and 1628.09 tCO2/year, recpectively. The findings indicated that using the RORC system on ships is a promising solution for increasing emission restrictions and environmental concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods cause severe damage to people as well as to properties. The same flood can cause different levels of damage to different households, but investigations into floods tend to be conducted on regional and national scales, thereby missing these local variations. It is therefore necessary to understand individual experiences of flood damage to implement effective flood management strategies on a local scale. The main objectives of this study were to develop a model that represents the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and flood damage at a local scale, and to understand the socioeconomic factors most closely tied to flood damage. The analysis is novel in that it considers not only the impact of flood characteristics, but also the impact of social, economic, and geographic factors on flood damage. This analysis derives from a quantitative modeling approach based on community responses, with the responses obtained through questionnaire surveys that consider four consecutive floods of differing severity. Path analysis was used to develop a model to represent the relationships between these factors. A randomly selected sample of 150 data points was used for model development, and nine random samples of 150 data points were used to validate the model. Results suggest that poor households, located in vulnerable, low‐lying areas near rivers, suffer the most from being exposed to frequent, severe floods. Further, the results show that the socioeconomic factors with the most significant bearing on flood damage are per capita income and geographic location of the household. The results can be represented as a cycle, showing that social, economic, geographic, and flood characteristics are interrelated in ways that influence flood damage. This empirical analysis highlights a need for local‐scale flood damage assessments, as offered in this article but seldom seen in other relevant literature. Our assessment was achieved by analyzing the impact of socioeconomic and geographic conditions and considering the relationship between flood characteristics and flood damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article substantiates the expediency of forming a modern system of financial and economic stimulation of the secondary resource use as a necessary prerequisite for activating the processes of utilization of secondary raw materials in the conditions of decentralization. The carried out studies have shown that the financial and economic stimulation of the secondary resource use is a logically ordered set of methods, instruments and levers of fiscal, budgetary, credit, price and reimbursement-penalty influence on the processes of involving the used industrial and household raw materials into economic circulation in order to use the resource value of its material and material substance. It is substantiated that the existing system of financial and economic stimuli for the secondary resource use, which operates at the national level, should receive its modification at the regional and local levels in order to make use of the most of the advantages and opportunities of decentralization in financial and investment support for the modernization of waste management infrastructure and the processes of disposal of the resource value of industrial and household waste. It is determined that the formation of a modern system of financial and economic stimulation of the secondary resource use should be based on a set of fundamental principles and the principles that imply compliance with the requirements of institutional transformations and conjuncture-cyclical fluctuations. It is substantiated that the fundamental principles of forming a system of financial and economic stimulation for the secondary resource use in the context of decentralization are the principles of environmental sustainability, economic efficiency and social responsibility, and the list of principles that provide for compliance with the requirements of institutional transformations and market-cycle fluctuations includes the principles of taking into account global benefits, decentralization and deregulation, adherence to the fiscal optimum, opportunity cost, complexity, prevention and elimination of negative externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting the customer's power demands is crucial for energy companies, even when unexpected and consecutive failures are present. This task has considerably increased its complexity due to the high integration of renewable energies and their intermittent behaviors. Therefore, it is important to achieve reliable power supply based on a criterion closer to real-life system operations and capable of addressing consecutive failures. The N-1-1 contingency involves the loss of a single transmission line or generation unit, followed by systems adjustments. Afterward, the power system experiences a subsequent loss of an additional generation unit or transmission line. This paper presents a power system unit commitment problem considering the N-1-1 reliability criterion with operations compliance check on economic dispatch and power flows under contingency states and renewable energy integration. Corrective actions are also included to determine the time that the failed components are restored. To address the complexity caused by renewable energy integration, the reliable unit commitment is achieved under the worst-case renewable output. The formulation results in an extremely large-scale adaptive robust mixed-integer linear programming model. For an efficient solution, a variation of the nested column-and-constraint generation algorithm is designed. Besides using the susceptance and phase angles to model the power flow, the linear sensitivity factors are also applied for improving the computational performance. The proposed models and algorithms are evaluated on modified IEEE 6-bus, 14-bus, and 118-bus test systems to confirm their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research illustrates several attempts that consumers have made to create new markets when marketing organizations have not responded to their desires; however, individual efforts alone are insufficient to assure success in having voices heard. The effectiveness of these efforts heavily depends on the democratization of institutions. Discussions regarding the "democratization of fashion" have had some historical appeal in academia and popular media. However, an incomplete appraisal of democracy may have led to premature conclusions regarding fashion's democratization. Affirming that democracy requires acceptance of differences and empowerment of different groups as a principle, this study conceptually and critically examines the history of the outcomes of fashion consumers' attempts to have their voices heard and assesses the degree of democratization of the fashion market. Our research contributes to prior debates regarding the democratization of fashion by reviewing the pivotal chronological events in fashion history. Contrary to some previous views, it shows that diffusion of fashion to larger consumer segments across history does not automatically imply democratization of fashion, which has been greatly limited despite the potentials presented by the advents of sustainable fashion and digitalization in contemporary times. We conclude that the cycle of fashion becoming a principle of economic interest is largely the culprit for retarding democratization, and we offer reflections for key stakeholders in order to have a more democratic, sustainable, and inclusive fashion system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern energy systems are more and more based on integrated technologies in a world evolving towards increasing concerns not only for economics but also for environmental issues with a growing focus on resources and emissions. In parallel, information technologies including advanced simulation and optimisation algorithms develop at a rapid pace. Thermoeconomics based on either the First Law or exergy, together with cost factors distributed through its equipment, also evolved during the last 30 years. However modern muti-objective evolutionary optimisation techniques, extending the capacity to tackle optimisation considering a growing number of parameters including the internalization of the costs of emissions of whole systems has also emerged. The latter is called environomics. So far, the supply of energy services was essentially dominated by fossil-based resources with a high focus on operational costs. The new trends towards renewable energies requires a growing need to consider the embedded exergies since renewable energy, like solar energy, is economically free and operational costs are inherently low. While economic factors can vary over a broad spectrum throughout the years of operation, the embedded exergies are more stable values, particularly because the systems are built in a known economic and energetic environment. A new class of methods is only emerging to deal with more complete exergy approaches to formulate more holistic exergy life cycle analyses. Those should provide a lower bound of the expected exergy payback over the lifetime of the systems to be compared with thermoeconomic or environomic optima. It is still a huge challenge ahead to provide practical tools to do it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing low-carbon tourism can not only improve the ecological environment, but also promote the development of economy in China. To select a desirable low-carbon tourism destination, we need to consider multiple conflicting and incommensurate criteria, simultaneously. However, traditional decision-making methods such as analytical hierarchy process and Delphi fail to model the complex cognition of decision makers. In this regard, this article proposes a novel multi-criteria decision making method called the thermodynamic feature-based method to aid decision makers to select the optional low-carbon tourism destination. The q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (q-ROFS), as a recently proposed information representation model, is used to express the imprecise information of decision makers. We first introduce new distance measures of q-ROFSs and investigate their desirable properties in detail. Afterwards, a thermodynamic feature-based method is developed from the aspects of energy, exergy and entropy of alternatives integrating both quantitative and qualitative decision information. Finally, a case study concerning the selection of low-carbon tourism destination is given to illustrate the applicability and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Reproduction of a herd of cattle is one of the most time-consuming processes in cattle breeding, since the productivity of cows, the efficiency of selection and breeding work, the duration and intensity of use of genetically valuable high-performance animals, the quality of products obtained from them and the profitability of its production depend on this process. Methods. During the research, modern general scientific and special methods of economic research were used, in particular: systemic approach, comparative economic and statistical methods. The results. It was established that the priority directions for increasing the economic efficiency of the reproductive process of the herd are: reducing the duration of the reproductive cycle; optimization of herd structure; reducing the number of barren cows to increase the intensity of selection of heifers for repair and extended reproduction of productive livestock; intensification of breeding repair (breeding) heifers; minimization of costs for breeding dairy cows due to the rational use of production resources based on the implementation of achievements of scientific and technical progress; increasing the productivity of dairy cattle to improve the quality of the main means of the new generation and financial support for the reproductive process. Discussion. In the post-war period of the revival of the agrarian economy, in particular dairy farming, the task of increasing the number of cattle in the farms of the corporate sector of the agrarian economy will arise. In the conditions of limited financial resources of agricultural enterprises, the main direction of increasing the cattle population will be the system of contracting with households for the purchase of heifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine young people's testimonies about their capacity to make important decisions and their livelihood experiences from agricultural communities that span Pakistan's countryside. Our analysis is guided by theories of agency that focus on how a young person's capacity to identify and act on goals is mediated by their local opportunity structure – shaping their household relations, livelihood choices, and prevailing social norms. We apply comparative and contextual qualitative analysis methods to our dataset of 12 village cases, which include 24 sex-specific youth focus groups. We also present a secondary survey analysis. We find high rural employment levels among young men in recent years, and a decline in rural young women's employment from already low levels. The young study participants mainly observe limited capacity to make important decisions. They repeatedly attribute this to expectations of strict deference to elders and other norms about their gender, young age, junior household position, marital status, and socio-economic standing. They also report negotiating and resisting confining norms; however, young women's agency appears especially constrained by norms that discourage their physical mobility and visible economic roles. We examine two villages where some youth express healthier levels of agency and more desirable economic opportunities than others, and the significance of kinship relations and fluid norms in this environment. We call for models of young people's agency that register more effectively the importance of household relations, the gatekeeper role of elders, and the contextual and fluid properties of norms, as these dynamics both constrain and enable young people's agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are other alternatives to conventional economics available, including the fields of ecological economics and my favorite, biophysical economics (e.g. Hall and Klitgaard [2]). Herman Daly is most widely known for an antidote to that, the concept of steady-state economics, an approach to economics that does not rely on growth to be successful. Although it is often cloaked in seemingly sophisticated and complex, impenetrable mathematics, Daly, Victor, and I find that conventional economics does not pass muster with real natural scientists. [Extracted from the article]

The paper builds on the concept of (shifting) involvements, originally proposed by Albert Hirschman (1982). However, unlike Hirschman, the concept is framed in class terms. A model is presented where income distribution is determined by the involvement of the two classes, capitalists and workers. Higher involvement by capitalists and lower involvement by workers tends to increase the profit share and vice versa. In turn, shifts in involvements are induced by the potential effect of a change in distribution on economic activity and past levels of distribution. On the other hand, as the profit share increases, the economy tends to become more wage led. The dynamics of the resulting model are interesting. The more the two classes prioritise the increase of their income share over economic activity, the more possible it is that the economy is unstable. Under the stable configuration, the most likely outcome is Polanyian predator–prey cycles, which can explain some interesting historical episodes during the twentieth century. Finally, the paper discusses the possibility of conflict and cooperation within each of the distribution-led regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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If a few years ago, with a twofold increase in yields and a severalfold increase in the export potential of the domesticgrain industry, there was a 140% shortage of capacity and almost 150% of drying capacity [4], now the deficit of thiscapacity has not only not decreased, but also increased. And the reason for this is not the low pace of construction or renewalof the production potential of grain procurement enterprises, but rather the outpacing of the growth rate of gross grainproduction over the pace of construction of new elevators.Given the deficit of the world balance in plant foods and the potential of domestic agricultural production, thedisparity between the rate of growth of grain growing capacity and post-harvest processing technologies will requireoperational research and investment decisions for a long time. An important component of them is the improvement ofexisting and the introduction of innovative technologies to intensify the processes of post-harvest processing of grain.In the period of the formed balance of domestic volumes of production of grain with capacities of grain-harvestingenterprises of the post-Soviet period the dominant share of grain drying units were dryers of mine type. Such well-studieddryers during the half-century period of their operation, domestic scientists have improved if not all parameters, then almostall. And producers have thoroughly studied their features and ways to adapt to the needs of drying different cereals, differentpurposes. However, the last few decades have been marked by the intensive introduction of modular grain dryers. It is theshare of which already accounts for the dominant volumes of dehydration of grain harvested.Of the great variety of manufacturers of modular grain dryers, the most innovative are the American ones. Given thegreat interest in dryers of American production, the peculiarities of their technology and methods of leveling layer-by-layeruneven heat and mass transfer, solutions to reduce energy losses of working gases and layer-by-layer grain differences inmoisture content and temperature, methods of controlling the recovered heat -technological features and attention is paid inthis work.As part of the tasks, the authors tried to identify the most distinctive features of such modular dryers, to analyze thedesign, technological, aerodynamic and thermophysical features on the example of American grain dryers modular type newmodels 40FIDPX. The publication presents an analysis of innovative solutions to improve drying technology and features ofproduction operation of such dryers. The causes of heat-aerodynamic imbalance of modular dryers are established and thedecision on their elimination is given. The reasons for the reduction of the active surface of heat and mass transfer arerevealed and the ways of reducing the energy losses of the working gases and unproductive losses of the heat and masstransfer surface are substantiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acute awareness of scarcity, land rent, fixed costs and environmental limits that characterized the classical period was largely forgotten during the hey-day of neoclassical growth economics. Awareness has now returned, and many scientists and engineers are devoting themselves to these issues. But a revolution in economic thought, bringing economics into line with biophysical principles and the challenges of climate change, consistent with the laws of thermodynamics, has not occurred. The paper closes with examples of the application of basic principles to the policy choices that lie ahead, and some suggestions for the future of economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this study, four new indirect heat pump assisted mechanical vapor compression humidification‐dehumidification (HDH) systems are proposed and their superiorities over the reference system are demonstrated from thermodynamics and thermoeconomics viewpoints. The proposed models are configured based on an HDH unit and a simple cascade heat pump, an HDH unit and a heat pump with an ejector, an HDH unit and a cascade heat pump with an ejector, and an HDH unit and a vapor injection heat pump. Although employing a heat pump with cascade and ejector configurations improved gain‐output‐ratio (GOR) and specific power consumption (SPC) values in comparison with the base system, the performance metrics of such layouts are still inferior to those of the HDH unit coupled with the vapor injection heat pump. It is found that the desalination unit with vapor injection mechanism has the highest GOR and the lowest SPC values of 9.22 and 71.29 kWh/m3, respectively, under constant electrical power of 31.26 kW. Overall, proposal of the cascade heat pump, heat pump with an ejector, cascade heat pump with an ejector, and a vapor injection heat pump instead of the conventional heat pump improved GOR by 4.83%, 10.03%, 11.52%, and 14.25%, respectively. Meantime, the SPC of the HDH unit coupled with a simple heat pump decreased by 4.6%, 9.1%, 10.26%, and 12.46% when a cascade heat pump, a heat pump with an ejector, a cascade heat pump with an ejector, and a vapor injection heat pump were used instead of the conventional heat pump, respectively. Also, it is found that a maximum improvement of 14.13% can be achieved in exergy efficiency with a cost penalty of only 1.59 $/m3. Also, it was found that with the use of a simple cascade heat pump instead of the simple heat pump, the exergy efficiency can be enhanced by 4.9%, while the unit cost of the distilled water (UCDW) was degraded by 51.32%. Likewise, the HDH unit coupled with the cascade heat pump with an ejector was resulted in high UCDW compared to the base system, while its exergy efficiency was not enhanced so significantly. Variation of exergy efficiency versus the intermediate temperature had a maximum value of 1.93% (for the HDH unit coupled with a simple cascade heat pump) and 2.05% (for the HDH unit coupled with a cascade heat pump with an ejector) at Tint = 315 K. Moreover, it was found that the UCDW can be decreased with the rise of the intermediate temperature and cascade heat exchanger temperature difference as the fresh water cost rate decreases as a result, while the exergy efficiency can be increased with the rise of the cascade heat exchanger temperature difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Thermoeconomics' was introduced and its foundations were laid down by Tribus, Evans and El-Sayed in the late 1950's – early 1960's as a method that combines Thermodynamics (in particular Second-Law quantities) and Economics for the analysis, evaluation and optimization of thermal systems. Since that time, many researchers throughout the world taking various roads helped in developing Thermoeconomics from theoretical point of view and applying it in a variety of systems, thus establishing it as a particular field. Today, questions such as the following may be posed: ⁃Is there room for further theoretical development of Thermoeconomics? ⁃Are there areas where Thermoeconomics has not been applied yet, however its application would be beneficial? ⁃What additional features should Thermoeconomics have, in order to be applied to these areas? ⁃Is it possible to introduce other considerations, in addition to thermodynamic and economic, in a more holistic approach? If yes, which are they? The progress to date is presented in brief by mentioning the main methodologies and application areas. Thermoeconomic methods at an early stage of development are mentioned and needs of further development are indicated. Further considerations and application areas of thermoeconomics are mentioned and needs of methodological development are highlighted. The text closes with remarks regarding the aforementioned four questions. • Progress to date of thermoeconomics. • Emerging and new areas of thermoeconomics. • New directions for applications in thermoeconomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a dual-ejector-based regenerative dual–pressure organic flash cycle (DEj–RDPOFC) with higher performance than the RDPOFC. The effects of high and low pressures and the entrainment ratio of the ejector on the DEj–RDPOFC performance were analyzed from the viewpoints of thermodynamics and thermoeconomics. An exergy-flow distribution diagram revealed why the DEj–RDPOFC outperformed the RDPOFC. Next, the performances of the DEj–RDPOFC and dual–pressure organic Rankine cycle (DORC) were compared under the same boundary conditions. Finally, the performance of the DEj–RDPOFC was optimized using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). According to the results, the power output of the high-pressure (HP) turbine of the DEj–RDPOFC can be increased by replacing the HP throttling valve (TV) with an ejector (which increases the working fluid dryness of the HP vapor separator and the mass flow rate of the HP turbine) and the low-pressure (LP) TV with an ejector (which increases the HP turbine expansion ratio). The DEj–RDPOFC achieves a higher maximum net power output (W net) and a lower corresponding levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) than the DORC. Under the optimum condition, the W net and LCOE of the DEj–RDPOFC are 9.71 % higher and 6.59 % lower, respectively, than those of the RDPOFC. • The effect of the HP and LP ejector on the performance of the regenerative DPOFC (RDPOFC) are analyzed. • The performance of the RDPOFC assisted by ejectors (DEj–RDPOFC) is compared with the dual-pressure ORC. • The DEj–RDPOFC is optimized using a multi-objective optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current study aims in finding the combined effect of using rectangular fins, gravels (G) and phase change material (PCM) on the performance of pyramid solar still. Two solar stills, one of conventional type (CSS) and other of modified solar still (MSS) which uses fins and PCM inside the basin, are fabricated. Experiments are conducted at Greater Noida (28°28′N, 77°30′E) of Uttar Pradesh, India, during May 2023. The influence of solar still design modifications (CSS and MSS) and adding gravels (CSS + G and MSS + G) on the performance of solar stills is investigated in terms of productivity, energy, exergy, economic, and environmental parameters. Experimental results show an enhancement of about 84 %, 38 % and 32 % in daily productivity for MSS + G, CSS + G and MSS, respectively, than CSS. The MSS + G shows the highest improvement in energy (81.1 %) and exergy efficiency (273 %) with significant reduction in costs per liter of yield produced (29.2 %) and payback period (29 %) when compared with CSS. About 76 % rise in carbon credits earned is observed for MSS + G than CSS while mitigating the CO 2 emission of 19.14 tons. Conclusively, the innovative design (MSS + G) not only offers cost-effective yield production but also plays a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability by reducing CO 2 emissions. • This paper develops and tests a modified solar still that uses PCM and fins. • The combined effect of fins, gravels and PCM is investigated. • The experiments conducted in Greater Noida, India, during May 2023. • MSS + G improved daily productivity by 84 %. • MSS + G reduces costs/l of water by 29 % and mitigates CO 2 emissions by 19.14 tons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many novel molten salts and their based nanofluids have been proposed, and their thermophysical properties have been extensively studied. However, their implications to performance and economic of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems are not well understood. This study has compared the performance of CSP generation systems by applying nitrate, carbonate, chloride and their based nanofluids. Based on the selected site of the study, Delingha City, Qinghai Province of China, different heat transfer fluids (HTFs) were applied to both parabolic trough collectors (PTC) systems and solar power tower (SPT) systems upon on their maximum operating temperatures. The solar multiple (SM) and thermal energy storage full-load hours of solar salt PTC and SPT systems were determined as the benchmarks, and then the results in each CSP system were compared to the benchmarks at annual, monthly and daily time scales, respectively. The results show that by comparing against the solar salt PTC systems with other HTFs, the nitrate nanofluid PTC system has the best performance, owing to an increase of 21.68% in its annual electricity generation (AEG) and an improvement of 6.0% in capacity factor (CF); among the five SPT systems, on the other hand, the performance of carbonate nanofluid SPT system is the best, and its AEG and CF are improved by 24.47% and 13.15% respectively while comparing with the solar salt SPT system. This work lends a fresh perspective to design and evaluate new CSP systems applying advanced molten salts and their based nanofluids. • Performance comparisons between CSP systems are made at multiple time scales. • Different heat transfer and storage fluids are applied to compare the performance of CSP systems. • The nitrate nanofluid PTC system shows an enhancement of AEG by 21.68% compared with a solar salt PTC system. • The carbonate nanofluid SPT system shows an enhancement of AEG by 24.47% compared with a solar salt SPT system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst worsening water scarcity in the urban region, exploring alternative water sources is crucial. Atmospheric water extraction (AWE) technology emerges as a cost-effective and efficient remedy for the escalating issue of water scarcity. The objective of this research is to experimentally explore a novel AWE system that incorporates phase change material (PCM). This system is designed to facilitate uninterrupted water generation, even when there is no solar energy. It comprises of a solar air heater based on both-sides open evacuated tube collector having an area of 4.86 m2, which is encapsulated with acetamide-PCM. Additionally, it incorporates a silica gel filled desiccant bed and an air-cooled heat exchanger for vapor condensation. The system is investigated for two different desiccant bed weights of 15 kg (case 1) and 20 kg (case 2), respectively. The system's effectiveness is examined based on rate of adsorption, rate of regeneration, thermal, overall & exergy efficiency. The economic, environmental & enviro-economic analysis is also presented to ensure the system's sustainability & feasibility for its practical use. The results demonstrate that for case 2 the system extracts 4.1 L/day (0.843 L/m2/day) fresh water with 12.65%, 10.48% and 5.65% thermal, overall and exergy efficiency, respectively, for 20 kg desiccant bed weight. The fresh water cost is 0.12 $/L with 2 years & 1 month of payback time and 4 years & 7 months of energy payback period. The environmental & enviro-economic analysis ensures the system's eco-friendliness. Additionally, rigorous quality testing of the extracted water is carried out to affirm its suitability for safe consumption. • PCM encapsulated solar air heater for atmospheric water extraction. • Both sides open evacuated tube collector produces hot air of 130.10 °C. • Maximum water extracted is 4.1 L/day using air-cooled heat exchanger. • Thermal & exergy efficiency reported is 12.65 % & 5.65 %, respectively. • Water generation cost is 0.12 $/L, with system payback time of 2 years & 1 month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gross Domestic Product is usually the reference indicator to quantify the socio-economic consequences of the national policies due to its link to the increase of the nation well-being. But it is used to evaluate the total monetary valuation of the productive systems, without any relation to the technological level or the environmental impact. These GDP characteristics represent the difficulties for sustainability to be realised. So, in this report, we wish to suggest a new indicator for the analysis of sustainability, with particular regards to the human wellbeing. This new indicator is based on the exergy analysis of dissipation and irreversibility. Moreover, energy is one of the fundamental drivers of the development, and of the economic growth. Last, in industrialized countries, the management of CO2 emissions represents one of the present imperative issues. Indeed, improving the energy efficiency and its rational use is one of the key economic strategies in order to achieve the target of moving towards a more sustainable development. The suggested indicator allows us to consider all these requests, for the progress towards a sustainable development, resulting a very interesting thermoeconomic quantity to be used by decision-makers. The Alessandria district is analysed as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no clear consensus on what will be the ontological foundations of ecological economics. A similar situation is valid for the epistemologies related to ecological economics and the methodologies to be constructed afterward. In this study, evaluations have been made on the subject area, which tries to contribute from many fundamentals. As a result of the evaluations, it was concluded that instead of subjective judgments about the foundation that is in the process of being formed, the ecological reality dominated by causation can be beneficial for a more effective scientific activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a productive process, the achievement of products occurs simultaneously with residues generation. Environmental impact of residues is an important issue in energy systems analysis due to environmental regulations and sustainability assessment. Many waste treatment methodologies have been proposed and applied in thermoeconomics. However, this is a complex problem and the solution depends on the residue nature and its formation process. Most conventional methodologies are based on productive diagrams, using productive flows only, and allocate the residues cost among the productive equipment. This work surveys the main conventional methodologies for treatment of waste and presents an improved/updated methodology based on a comprehensive diagram, in which both physical and productive flows are represented and their flows cost are assessed and the subsystems are connected using the same physical flows presented in the flowsheet of the plant. Both the CGAM system and a combined cycle are analyzed. Comparisons are made with literature results, considering the same case studies. The presented methodology obtains consistent results from the point of view of the cost allocation in thermoeconomics. The novelty of this updated approach concerns how the residue cost is allocated in the comprehensive diagram: it is reinternalized in the internal loop of physical flows, instead of in the productive unit. It represents advantages since the equipment product/fuel ratio index is not affected, which is beneficial for thermoeconomic diagnosis application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of humans has largely been carried out in isolation from the study of the non-human Earth system. This isolation has encouraged the development of incompatible philosophical, aspirational, and methodological approaches that have proven very difficult to integrate with those used for the non-human remainder of the Earth system. Here, an approach is laid out for the scientific study of the global human system that is intended to facilitate seamless integration with non-human processes by striving for a consistent physical basis, for which the name Earth system economics is proposed. The approach is typified by a foundation on state variables, central among which is the allocation of time amongst activities by human populations, and an orientation towards considering human experience. A framework is elaborated which parses the Earth system into six classes of state variables, including a neural structure class that underpins many essential features of humanity. A working example of the framework is then illustrated with a simple numerical model, considering a global population that is engaged in one of two waking activities: provisioning food or doing something else. The two activities are differentiated by their motivational factors, outcomes on state variables, and associated subjective experience. While the illustrative model is a gross simplification of reality, the results suggest how neural characteristics and subjective experience can emerge from model dynamics. The approach is intended to provide a flexible and widely applicable strategy for understanding the human–Earth system, appropriate for physically based assessments of the past and present, as well as contributing to long-term model projections that are naturally oriented towards improving human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]