Draining bodies without care: worker energy depletion and recharging at Amazon, Poland

This 44th volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management presents contemporary work on photo voltaic (PV) systems – both their resource and economic assessment. Other work explores the use of batteries in renewable energy communities, focusing on their economic feasibility under current conditions as well as development prospects for these. Other flexibility measures are also addressed – however with a focus on use engagement rather than technical options. Lastly, energy savings and energy management in small and medium sized enterprises are addressed in alignment with ISO 50001 standards.

The future of energy and technology management is being shaped by innovations, data-driven insights, and the development of smart solutions that aim to address global energy challenges while promoting sustainability. As the demand for energy continues to rise, there is a growing need for advanced technologies that optimize energy production, distribution, and consumption. Key innovations, such as renewable energy technologies, smart grids, and energy storage systems, are paving the way for more efficient and sustainable energy management. The integration of data analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) devices allows for real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, enabling better decision-making in energy systems. These technologies are driving the shift towards decentralized energy models, where consumers can generate, store, and manage their energy consumption autonomously. Data-driven insights are crucial in optimizing energy usage and enhancing system reliability. Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are being utilized to predict energy demands, identify inefficiencies, and optimize operational processes in real-time. By leveraging big data, energy managers can gain a deeper understanding of consumption patterns, enabling the creation of tailored energy solutions that reduce waste and lower costs. Furthermore, the development of smart cities and smart homes is transforming how energy is consumed, with interconnected systems that adjust energy use based on real-time conditions. As energy management becomes more sophisticated, the role of technology in developing smart solutions for energy efficiency and sustainability will continue to expand. The convergence of AI, IoT, and renewable energy will play a critical role in building a resilient and low-carbon energy infrastructure. The future of energy and technology management is not only about meeting the growing energy demand but also about achieving environmental sustainability and operational efficiency. Embracing these innovations will be key to unlocking the full potential of energy systems in the years ahead.

This paper investigates the application of utility theory in decision-making related to energy use behavior and management practice in the energy sector. By conducting a systematic literature review, this study aims to understand the theoretical and practical applications of utility theory in optimizing energy consumption and management strategies. The review targets a comprehensive collection of academic works that apply utility theory to various aspects of energy use behavior and management decisions, including efficiency initiatives, renewable energy adoption, and sustainable infrastructure development. A systematic literature review methodology was adopted, which encompassed a rigorous selection process to identify relevant studies, followed by a detailed analysis of how utility theory has been employed to influence energy-related decisions in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. The review findings were synthesized to outline the implications for both policy and practice, highlighting the role of utility theory in guiding more efficient and sustainable energy management practices. Through this exploration, the paper provides a discussion on bridging the gap between economic theoretical models and practical energy management applications. It also offers insights into how decision-making influenced by utility theory can lead to enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability. The findings offer valuable guidance for policymakers and energy managers in designing and implementing energy systems and policies that maximize utility while considering environmental and economic impacts. This paper serves to advance the theoretical framework of utility theory and its practical application in energy management, facilitating better-informed strategies that align with global sustainability goals.

Sustainable energy and good environmental management practices are potent factors that can be used to achieve clean energy and sustainable economic growth. This is a global problem that needs immediate action and intervention to reduce the adverse impact of climate change to humanity. This study investigated the sustainable energy and environmental management practices in the recreation and tourism industries in Nsukka metropolis of Enugu State. The descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 209 recreation and tourism service providers in Nsukka Metropolis. Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was validated by three experts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The instrument has a reliability coefficient of 0.81. Frequency and percentages were used to determine level of sustainable energy and environmental management practices, while phi coefficient was used to determine relationship between sustainable energy and environmental management practices. Findings showed that recreation and tourism possess very low level of knowledge of sustainable energy use. They however showed positive attitude towards sustainable energy through the adoption of energy saving devices like energy bulbs, solar PVs etc. There is strong positive relationship between knowledge of sustainable energy and environmental management practices. The researchers recommended that government should improve on its effort to create awareness of sustainable energy use and environmental management practices among the populace if the problem of climate change is to be abated.

As the number of Internet of Things devices is rapidly increasing, there is an urgent need for sustainable and efficient energy sources and management practices in ambient environments. In response, we developed a high-efficiency ambient photovoltaic based on sustainable non-toxic materials and present a full implementation of a long short-term memory (LSTM) based energy management using on-device prediction on IoT sensors solely powered by ambient light harvesters. The power is supplied by dye-sensitised photovoltaic cells based on a copper(ii/i) electrolyte with an unprecedented power conversion efficiency at 38% and 1.0 V open-circuit voltage at 1000 lux (fluorescent lamp). The on-device LSTM predicts changing deployment environments and adapts the devices' computational load accordingly to perpetually operate the energy-harvesting circuit and avoid power losses or brownouts. Merging ambient light harvesting with artificial intelligence presents the possibility of developing fully autonomous, self-powered sensor devices that can be utilized across industries, health care, home environments, and smart cities.

The purpose of the research was to identify the factors determining the improvement of the sustainable energy management strategy in the process of building lasting value for stakeholders, identifying key activities supporting the process of improving the sustainable energy management strategy, and analyzing the degree of use of environmental indicators by organizations in Poland. In the research process, to achieve the assumed research goals, it was decided to use the following research methods: The “Delphic Method” and the CAWI method (Computer-Assisted Web Interview). The research was carried out on a sample of 102 organizations in Poland. The study identifies goals for the sustainable development of the organization, activities supporting the process of sustainable energy management, and indicators in the field of energy management. The key factors for the improvement of energy management strategies have been identified, including implementation of modern technologies, reduction of energy consumption, development of procedures, increase of employee awareness, and clearly defined goals in the field of energy management. The strategy of the organization’s future actions towards achieving sustainable development determines the process of creating value for stakeholders. Dialogue with stakeholders is one of the basic conditions for proper planning and implementation of the organization’s strategy and taking actions in the field of sustainable energy management. Effective energy management becomes a necessity. Organizations must take a number of steps to achieve maximum resource efficiency. This can only be achieved through a holistic approach to the process of formulating the goals of the organization, which is necessary in decision-making processes and in the approach to energy management. The Polish economy has been built on coal and other fossil fuels. So far, the majority of polish organizations have not cared about the natural environment and energy management, which is why the research on redefining their strategies is a novelty.

Energy management can be defined as the process of planning, directing, implementing and controlling the process of generation, transmission and energy consumption. Energy management is a kind of synthesis of phenomena and concepts of modern energy management (management), or the use of modern settings management in the energy sector. Furthermore, when outlining the basic settings for power management Modern management is based on the assumptions of sustainability and conservation of energy stability for present and future generations. Therefore, modern energy management can be seen as a kind of synthesis of three actuarial sciences: energy, sustainable development and management. Sustainable Energy Management is a unique new concept, idea and approach that require many changes in the traditional way of understanding and interpretation of energy management at all levels. Sustainable energy management concept can not therefore be construed as an adopted and defined the concept, but must be constantly modified and adjusted in accordance with changes in the three areas that define it, and in accordance with the specific country or region where applicable. Accordingly, sustainable energy management can be defined as the process of energy management that is based on fundamental principles of sustainable development.

This 46th volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management presents contemporary work within the diverse field of energy planning with important new contributions on local energy system transition and district heating transition – both scenario-based analyses applying the EnergyPLAN model. The volume also probes into spatial carbon emission factors for China. Moving towards implementation of energy transition measures, the volume includes work on community ownership models as well as trust and acceptance of geothermal projects in East Africa. Lastly, and novel to this journal, a final article addresses links between religious practise and energy management in Indonesian households.

This article draws on a study conducted over a period of 17 months, including chatnography and semi-structured interviews with 30 female platform drivers working in China’s hail-riding industry, and makes three important contributions to the labour process and the social reproduction process scholarship. First, it fills a gap in the burgeoning literature on the gendered experience of gig work and of work–family flexibility in an on-demand economy. Women’s surplus production, as a means of subsistence for oneself and the family, is contradictory to childcare commitments in the labour process. Second, it theorises that the communicative space is a space for social reproduction in which labour-power is replenished outside the household. Labour productivity is not solely determined by algorithmic logic and platform control, but rather is organised by the social reproduction process. Third, it discusses how female platform workers negotiate technological insecurity and resist the platform’s control over and sexual exploitation in the communicative space. This sheds light on how the social reproduction process creates a potential for women’s solidarity. Women fight against sexual harassment and gender-based violence by utilising communication technologies, such as WeChat and TikTok. The social reproduction process organises labour resistance in a time of individual and collective crisis.

This article suggests that Labour Process Theory (LPT) could engage more substantially with the spheres of ecology and social reproduction. By drawing on ecological and feminist Marxist literatures, it seeks to recast a materialist analysis of the capitalist labour process, which is reconstructed as an ecological process as well as a process structurally shaped by spaces and institutions where the social reproduction of workers and the working class take place. Drawing from the collective and individual work done over the last few years within these areas, the article translates abstract observations in more operative analytical categories by reinstating the relevance of socio-ecological indeterminacy of the labour process, the materiality of the body, the commodity and the workplace, the intertwining between exploitation and disciplining and by introducing the notion of reproductive subsumption.

This paper summarizes the outcomes of the international sustainable energy management workshop as part of the Water Research Foundation project “Decision Support System for Sustainable Energy Management.” This paper provides a review of key decisions and barriers to water utility energy management. This paper also provides a discussion of a decision framework to address sustainable energy management in the water/wastewater industry. This work represents a 17 utility, international cooperative project, aimed at creating a Decision Support System (DSS). When concluded, the assembled tool is expected to help identify energy, greenhouse, and cost-saving approaches that will be of wide practical benefit to water utilities.

The industrial sector has recently been at the forefront of discussions over sustainable energy management and the increasing demand for power on a worldwide scale. This paper analyzes a wide class of sustainable energy technologies and industrial energy management techniques that enable low-carbon operations and energy efficiency. In addition to working with advancements in energy storage technologies and energy-efficient manufacturing processes, it investigates the incorporation of green hydrogen, sustainable wind, solar, biomass, and other renewable energy sources. Optimization, predictive maintenance, and real-time energy monitoring are some of the digital technologies studied in this context. Digital information processing through Big Data analytics, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are all part of these technologies. The circular economy methods, such as smart grids, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, Waste to Energy (WtE) technologies, etc., are also reviewed in the paper. Furthermore, thermos socks are supportive in that it needs global regulatory reach, such as ISO 50001, corporate and sustainability reporting support energy transition goals. This work synthesizes recent developments and best practices to provide valuable insights about the emerging field of sustainable industrial energy management, carrying a dedicated potential to advance an industrial community to a future in which the industrial sector is more sustainable, efficient, and robust

Energy utilization has been the most influential parameter in recent decades, especially in the smart city model. The energy management system has been a more attractive research problem due to its utility, ability, and applications. This paper has an objective that the article discusses innovative energy management methods for sustainability and highlights the potential for integrated smart energy sources. The discussion also touches on the understanding of energy management and production, various storage systems, and their potential future applications. This paper explores challenges in sustainable smart energy management, focusing on methodologies like smart energy systems, PV calculations, electric grid models, and energy management strategies in smart cities. The passive infrared receiver (PIR) sensor has been used in real-time energy management systems to integrate these methodologies into the city's infrastructure. The energy management design aims to coordinate electrical appliances such as fans and lights to minimize energy consumption. The article proposes new energy management and security techniques based on data sources to enhance city intelligence, adaptability, and sustainability by reducing human involvement in controlling electrical appliances in residential buildings. The proposed design and development system optimizes energy utilization more efficiently and effectively than conventional systems, meeting real-time energy management objectives.

Guidelines for efficient and sustainable energy management in hospital buildings

This chapter shifts the attention to the realm of workers’ social reproduction to understand the power of labour mobility. The authors draw from research on dormitory labour regimes and on feminist approaches to transnational migration to establish migration itself as a strategy of social reproduction, but also of labour subsumption. Feminist research has shown how reproductive activities are interlinked with labour processes through various capital strategies including wage reduction; control of workers beyond the formal working time; and home work. The authors explore how these modes of incorporation of social reproduction map onto the terrain of labour migration and how the high turnover of labour through migration partly disrupts these processes of value generation. Considering the role of transnational families and migrant social networks in cheapening costs for employers, and the strategic use of welfare vis-à-vis its differential access for non-citizens, the chapter concludes with a focus on worker dormitories as paradigmatic sites of value extraction and the seclusion of migrant bodies. It identifies four different functions of dormitories as key forms of control of migrant social reproductive practices and the ambivalent effects that they have in increasing or decreasing the associational power of migrant workers.