Energy Efficiency Measures Research Articles

Multidimensional Role of Agrovoltaics in Era of EU Green Deal: Current Status and Analysis of Water–Energy–Food–Land Dependencies

The European Green Deal has set climate and energy targets for 2030 and the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while supporting energy independence and economic growth. Following these goals, and as expected, the transition to “green” renewable energy is growing and will be intensified, in the near future. One of the main pillars of this transition, particularly for Mediterranean countries, is solar photovoltaic (PV) power. However, this is the least land-efficient energy source, while it is also highly competitive in food production, since solar parks are often developed in former agricultural areas, thus resulting in the systematic reduction in arable lands. Therefore, in the context of PV energy planning, the protection and preservation of arable lands should be considered a key issue. The emerging technology of agrovoltaics offers a balanced solution for both agricultural and renewable energy development. The sustainable “symbiosis” of food and energy under common lands also supports the specific objective of the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy, regarding the mitigation of and adaptation to the changing climate, as well as the highly uncertain socio-economic and geopolitical environment. The purpose of this study is twofold, i.e., (a) to identify the state of play of the technologies and energy efficiency measures of agrovoltaics, and (b) to present a comprehensive analysis of their interactions with the water–energy–food–land nexus. As a proof of concept, we consider the plain of Arta, which is a typical agricultural area of Greece, where we employ a parametric analysis to assess key features of agrovoltaic development with respect to energy vs. food production, as well as water saving, as result of reduced evapotranspiration.

Increasing Sustainability in Vocational Education System: Latvia Case Study

Promoting sustainability in educational systems is crucial for preserving resources and diminishing negative impacts on the environment. A key aspect of this is enhancing energy efficiency within educational institutions. By implementing energy-efficient building systems, advancing the use of renewable energy sources, and incorporating sustainable practices into the curriculum, educational institutions can decrease their environmental impact and conserve resources for future generations. Active participation from all stakeholders, including managers, teaching staff, and students, is essential for the success of these efforts. Providing students with a comprehensive education on sustainability equips them to apply this knowledge in their future professions, thus contributing to a more sustainable society. This research paper aims to explore ways to increase sustainability in Latvia's vocational education system, with a specific focus on reducing energy consumption in buildings and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. A study of 23 professional schools has been conducted to understand the current state of sustainability in the educational system, including data collection on energy consumption and surveying the schools on their current energy efficiency practices, renewable energy sources, and environmental policies. The energy efficiency and renewable energy production measures have been optimized for each school. A composite indicator has been developed to rank and compare schools based on their sustainability, promoting the use of energy-efficient and renewable energy sources within a limited budget. Results of the study show that by implementing mandatory and optional measures, the schools can significantly decrease primary energy consumption by 32% and greenhouse gas emissions by 33%.

The Influence of Young People on Household Decisions on Energy Efficiency

Young people are the future members of the energy communities and form part of a climate-responsible society already now. However, in the context of the geopolitical and economic events of 2022, the awareness of young people in Latvia about energy efficiency issues and the readiness to engage in climate change mitigation processes, as well as the influence of their attitude on the decisions of adult household members in the field of energy efficiency have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge of Latvian youth about energy efficiency issues, associations about a climate-responsible society, attitudes towards daily habits in the field of energy efficiency, as well as whether climate change issues are also discussed in young people’s families and whether young people believe that they can influence the family’s opinion or habits. 71 participants participated in the study, and the methods used are group questionnaires and interviews. The results of the research show that young people in the regions of Latvia are well aware of measures of energy efficiency, and the answers provide an insight into the various experiences they have had in their households. More than half of the research participants between the ages of 14 and 19 are aware of the amount of utility expenses and discuss with their relatives the possibilities of saving energy resources. The research also highlighted negative aspects, for example, concerning to reducing the level of household comfort in the name of climate change, young people are not strongly supporting – only a little more than half would be willing to live in cooler rooms. Young people believe that they can influence the attitude and behaviour of other household members in matters of energy resource management. The results of the study lead to the conclusion that more attention should be paid to messages dedicated to young people in public space, so that they associate themselves more as an existing or future part of the energy community, and they should be given the opportunity to set an example and explain why their actions are important to reduce climate change. The results obtained in the study can potentially contribute to the development of the digital tool designed within the RTU project ‘BRIDGE’ to promote the development of energy communities.

Profile of Hard-to-Reach Energy Consumers: Definitions, Needs and Barriers

According to the European Union, household energy consumption accounts for up to 30% of total energy consumption. Therefore, the household sector has great potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The introduction of energy efficiency measures and the renovation of multi-apartment buildings are important solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving climate neutrality in Latvia. However, this potential is not being fully exploited because the renovation process in the multi-apartment building sector is extremely slow. One of the reasons for this is the lack of interest and willingness of residents to engage and agree on the implementation of energy efficiency measures in buildings. The study examines the main groups of energy consumers, their definitions, needs, as well as the most common obstacles and barriers that prevent energy consumers from fully engaging in the implementation of energy efficiency measures. To get an idea of the groups, publicly available information on the characteristics of hard-to-reach consumers was analysed, media content was analysed and interviews with energy experts were conducted. The results showed that the literature mentions different definitions, audience characteristics, barriers, and needs of hard-to-reach energy consumers. These definitions, barriers, and needs vary across countries and research contexts. There is a strong focus on overcoming barriers, but little research on the needs of the groups. Defining the audience accurately and studying the needs of the groups in depth are essential steps in developing and implementing appropriate policies for engaging hard-to-reach energy consumers. These findings highlight an important knowledge gap in this research field.

Factors Influencing Residents to Implement Energy Efficiency Measures in Multi-Apartment Buildings

The review examines in detail the types of factors that may influence residents’ motivation to implement energy efficiency measures in multifamily housing. When analyzing heating energy consumption in multi-apartment buildings, three influencing factors must be considered: the condition of the building, technology-based solutions, and occupant behaviour. Studies show that in more developed countries, energy consumption of buildings can be reduced by 30 % to 80 % if energy efficiency is improved. Technology based solutions aim to reduce heat consumption, improve resource productivity, or replace outdated technologies, but these solutions often require large investments. Occupant behavior contributes to nearly 80 % of the variation in energy use. One of the ways to achieve these goals is to improve energy efficiency in multifamily buildings, because according to available literature, residential and commercial thermal energy consumption accounts for up to 20 % of total energy consumption in underdeveloped countries and up to 40 % in more developed countries. Changing people’s habits not only reduces heating energy consumption, but also does not require large investments for implementation.

How energy benchmarking in healthcare facilities supports greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Energy benchmarking of Horizon Health Network's facilities has been the foundation of an energy management system for the health authority that has led to greenhouse gas emission reductions. Benchmarking energy consumption and appropriately understanding the true impact of energy consumption is the first step in setting target greenhouse gas emission reduction. ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® is the benchmarking tool used by Service New Brunswick for all Government of New Brunswick owned buildings, including all 41 owned Horizon healthcare facilities. This web-based tracking tool then produces benchmarks which supports identification of energy conservation opportunities and efficiencies. Progress for energy conservation and efficiency measures can then be monitored and reported. Since 2013, this approach has supported 52,400metric tonnes reduction in greenhouse gas emission from Horizon facilities.

Towards Positive Energy Districts: Energy Renovation of a Mediterranean District and Activation of Energy Flexibility

The paper presents the analysis of energy retrofitting, integration of renewable energy and activation of energy flexibility in a cluster of buildings in the surroundings of a port on the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Italy, with the aim of checking the potential for it to achieve the status of positive energy district (PED). The objective of this study is to improve the contemporaneity between local energy generation and energy demand and reduce CO2eq emissions by considering signals that reflect the environmental variability of the electricity grid, through flexibility solutions applied to the HVAC system. The proposed scenarios are based on the dynamic simulation of the district and analyze the effect of actions that activate the energy flexibility of buildings through advanced control strategies of the air conditioning system. The results show that the joint action of energy efficiency strategies, integration of solar energy and energy flexibility improves the environmental sustainability of the district and the balance of energy flows. Specifically, the activation of energy flexibility contributes to a 10% reduction in operational CO2eq emissions and increases in self-consumption of energy per year. The operational emissions of the district vary from the base value of 33.37 tons CO2eq/y to 19.52 tons CO2eq/y in the scenario based on the integration of solar energy systems and energy efficiency measures, and to 17.39 tons CO2eq/y when also the demand-side energy flexibility is activated.

Investigating energy saving and climate mitigation potentials in cement production – A case study in Ethiopia

The cement industry is one of the most energy and emission-intensive sectors, accounting for approximately 7% of total-industrial energy use and 7% of global CO2 emissions. This study investigates the potential energy savings and CO2 abatement in the cement plants of Ethiopia. A Benchmarking and Energy Saving Tool for Cement is used to compare the energy use performance of the individual cement plants to best practices. The study reveals that all the surveyed plants are less efficient, with an average energy saving potential of 36% indicating a significant potential for energy efficiency improvement. Then, twenty-eight energy efficiency measures are identified and analyzed using a bottom-up energy conservation supply curve model. The results show that the cost-effective electrical energy and fuel-saving potentials of these measures are estimated to be 99 Gigawatt hours per year which is about 11.5% of the plants’ annual electrical energy consumption and, 2.7 Petajoules per year which is to be 12.5% of the plants’ annual fuel consumption, respectively. The cost-effective fuel measures have an annual average CO2 emission reduction potential of 254 kilo-tonnes per year which covers about 5% of the total CO2 emission. Sensitivity analysis is conducted using the key parameters that show some discrepancy in the base case results. This study could be used as a reference for policymakers to understand the potential for energy savings and CO2 abatement. It could also be used to design policies in improving energy efficiency in the cement sector.

The drivers and barriers of energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is “the first fuel” due to its abundant availability and low cost in terms of supply, based on the IEA. The primary energy intensity was often employed to measure energy efficiency. Among 46 countries, the improvement of energy efficiency from 2000 to 2020 ranged between 61.54% and −3.16%, suggesting the situation and influence factors of energy efficiency may be different across countries. To systematically find the drivers and barriers of energy efficiency, panel regression models were built. The variation of energy efficiency can be explained by not only the traditional GDP and structure effects in the decomposition methods, but also the weather, trade, and infrastructure effects. For the heterogeneous countries, the average performer, instead of the best one in the data envelopment analysis, was compared. Estimated results indicated that key drivers of energy efficiency were the growth of GDP, increases of renewable energy, and electrification. The global warming decreased heating degree days and increased cooling degree days, causing the climate factors partially offset each other. Other factors of the energy efficiency improvement included the industrial transformation, trade openness, and increasing population. These influences were different across countries; thus, the country-specific routes of energy efficiency improvement were found.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE ENERGY INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the global economy and the energy industry, which is a critical component in powering the world's economies and societies. Energy companies have been affected by changes in energy demand, workforce, supply chains, and investment in sustainable energy solutions. This study aims to investigate the sustainability challenges faced by energy companies during the pandemic and the implications for the transition to a more sustainable energy mix. To achieve the study's objectives, a mixed-methods approach was used, combining a literature review and data analysis of primary and secondary data. The literature review provided a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge in this field, examining existing research on sustainability challenges faced by energy companies during the pandemic. The data analysis included primary data collected through surveys, interviews, focus groups with energy companies and stakeholders, and secondary data collected from publicly available reports, articles, and other publications. The study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to several sustainability challenges energy companies face. Firstly, reduced energy demand due to economic slowdowns and changes in consumer behavior has decreased revenue for energy companies, making it challenging to invest in sustainable energy solutions. Secondly, supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have made it difficult for energy companies to access the necessary materials and equipment to invest in sustainable energy solutions. Thirdly, workforce reductions have impacted energy companies' ability to invest in sustainable energy solutions and maintain sustainable practices. Finally, the shift in energy mix caused by the pandemic has resulted in some countries reducing their reliance on fossil fuels due to lower demand, while others are relying more heavily on fossil fuels due to reduced renewable energy production. This shift can hinder the transition towards more sustainable energy solutions, posing significant implications for the achievement of climate and sustainability goals. The study recommends a range of measures to incentivize investment in sustainable energy solutions, support the renewable energy sector, and promote sustainability in the energy industry. Firstly, policy incentives could include subsidies for renewable energy projects, tax credits for companies that invest in sustainable energy solutions, and regulatory support for clean energy technologies. These incentives would encourage energy companies to invest in sustainable energy solutions, even during times of economic uncertainty. Additionally, financial support for renewable energy projects could come in the form of government grants or low-interest loans, which would help to reduce the financial burden of investing in sustainable energy solutions. In terms of supporting the renewable energy sector, the study recommends investing in energy storage technologies such as batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. These technologies can help to address the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. The study also recommends investing in grid infrastructure to improve the efficiency and reliability of the energy system, which is essential for the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid. Carbon pricing is another policy tool that can promote sustainability in the energy industry. This policy tool puts a price on carbon emissions, either through a tax or a cap-and-trade system. It incentivizes energy companies to reduce their emissions and invest in low-carbon technologies by creating a financial penalty for emitting greenhouse gases. By pricing carbon emissions, energy companies are encouraged to invest in renewable energy sources, energy efficiency measures, and other low-carbon solutions that can reduce their carbon footprint. Carbon pricing policies can also provide revenue that can be used to fund further investment in sustainable energy solutions or offset the costs of transition. Finally, regulations on energy efficiency are another policy tool that can promote sustainability in the energy industry. These regulations can require energy companies to adopt more efficient practices, such as improving the energy efficiency of buildings and industrial processes, which would reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency regulations can take many forms, such as setting minimum standards for equipment and appliances or requiring energy audits for buildings. By requiring energy companies to prioritize energy efficiency, these regulations can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions, while also providing cost savings to consumers Keywords: sustainability, COVID-19, pandemic, energy market, energy companies

Algorithm for the formation of a system of multi-criteria metrics for evaluating the activity of energy companies taking into account ESG criteria

The article emphasizes the challenges facing Ukraine's energy sector, in particular, the energy crisis caused by Russian strikes on critical infrastructure facilities and their wear and tear. To overcome them, Ukraine needs significant investments in the energy sector to restore, modernize and expand this infrastructure, developing new energy sources and implementing energy-efficient measures. By disclosing ESG criteria and aligning their activities with the Sustainable Development Goals in their reports, companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability initiatives, the achievement of global goals and responsible business conduct, thereby increasing their own investment attractiveness and attracting more investment for the energy sector. The work also emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency and green energy for increasing Ukraine’s energy independence and reducing dependence on imports, which can be achieved with the help of the proposals of the UN General Assembly and the Marshall Plan for post-war recovery of Ukraine. The peculiarities, advantages and disadvantages of the methodologies of scientists are considered, in particular: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE). Transparency and commitment to sustainable development at the corporate level is covered by various ratings. The methodologies of Energy Transparency Index 2021 (II international edition), DJSI, MSCI ESG Ratings, FTSE4Good Index and Corporate Knights’ index 100 most sustainable corporations were analyzed. The article highlights the differences in approaches and sets of criteria used by different rating agencies, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. A multi-criteria metric system is proposed for evaluating the activity of energy companies in Ukraine taking into account ESG criteria and the stages of development of such a system are outlined, namely the selection of research objects, criteria for analysis, data collection, scoring of companies, comparison of indices, consideration of quality factors, analysis, verification and generalization of research results.

Experimental analysis of thermal power plant operating Efficiency Improvements

Boiler efficiency "The percentage of the total suction heating value of the output steam to the total supply heating value." The main objective of thermal power plants is to meet the energy needs of the market and meet these requirements; Factories need technical availability with parts reliability and maintenance strategies. The current energy situation in India strongly supports the economic security, stability and future development of the country and the social and economic well-being of the people, all of which depend on the wise use of available domestic resources and imported energy. Increasing energy demand. Our future lies in taking extreme measures to combat energy waste caused by the use of inadequate equipment and poor work practices. The industrial and commercial sector of any economy is its pillar. Since they are the main energy users and are few in number, they are easy to approach and target. Thus, they offer a significant opportunity to save considerable energy in their operations by implementing appropriate energy efficiency measures. However, we must not forget that this is a nursery school for developing energy efficient skills as a nation. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that innovation is the key to growth and success. Therefore, we as a nation must think ahead and quickly to utilize the alternative energy sources that exist in our country to utilize our conventional energy sources and use innovative technologies. It is true that boilers are highly desirable for efficient operation / reducing production costs, saving energy and reducing unwanted emissions. If possible, immediate replacement of inefficient boilers should be considered. Here is a review of the following aspects: · Basic Priority Boiler Efficiency and Area Management · Estimate the energy performance of earth boilers and calculate the efficiency. · Factors affecting boiler efficiency · Identification and rational use of alternative renewable energy sources It contains relevant theoretical material and information and is a practical guide for students to identify and implement energy efficiency and savings opportunities in steam boilers. Our project is concerned with determining the current operating efficiency of boilers and calculating the main losses of boilers in thermal power plants. Then determine the reason for the decline in productivity. It also improves boiler efficiency. Boilers are widely used in power generation, chemical and processing industries. This project attempts to explore available methods to maintain and improve boiler efficiency.

Estimates of energy savings from energy efficiency improvements in India using Index Decomposition Analysis

Energy efficiency plays a central role in climate change mitigation policies. Countries are using different methods to estimate energy savings from energy efficiency improvements. Improved methods to measure energy efficiency savings are adopted mainly in countries with mandatory energy efficiency targets. They use bottom-up and top-down methods to enhance the reliability of savings estimates. India has implemented various energy efficiency measures, and the impact of most of the schemes is estimated using the simplified deemed savings bottom-up approach. Index Decomposition Analysis is a top-down approach, but its use in India is limited due to a lack of reliable national energy balances. This study uses India’s energy balances from International Energy Agency to estimate the energy efficiency savings in India during 2011–19. It is found that the IDA estimates are lower than the government’s deemed savings estimates. The underlying assumptions in the simplified deemed savings approach may overestimate savings, or savings from index decomposition analysis may be underestimated due to data limitations. Improved methods and reliable and timely data is essential for measuring energy savings from energy efficiency. National-level targets on energy efficiency can push improvements in energy savings measurement techniques. The targets can also address several barriers in the energy efficiency markets.

Comparative Analysis Optimal Designs for Passive, Electrified, and Net Zero Energy Residential Buildings

Abstract In this paper, a life cycle cost-based optimization analysis is carried out to compare the energy and cost performance of diverse sustainable designs of a residential building. These designs include code optimal, net zero energy building, and passive house. It is found that in the case where natural gas is employed, a total energy savings of 77% is optimal. The cost optimal design for electrification achieves 100.12% of energy savings relative to the baseline design but results slightly high life cycle cost than that of the gas cost optimal design. In addition, the results indicate that due to the additional capital costs for the required energy efficient measures, the passive house case is less economically optimal than NZEB design options. Overall, the most cost-optimal designs are found to be for natural gas heated homes with marginally better energy performance than the applicable currently energy efficiency code with 10 kW solar panels.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MANAGEMENT FORMS FOR THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN UKRAINE AND OTHER COUNTRIES

Problem statement. Ukraine's reform of its housing and communal services gave impetus to the creation of co-owners' associations of multi-apartment buildings. Every year the number of such associations increases, which indicates the interest of co-owners in managing the property on their own, engage in its repair and maintenance. Co-owners, having formed such an association, can not only effectively manage and maintain their own housing, but also receive co-financing for thermal modernization and energy efficiency measures. The property management of co-owners in Ukraine is not only the responsibility of associations of co-owners, but also of residents' initiative groups, professional managers and municipal companies. The reform of the housing and communal services system, which has been ongoing since 2016, needs strong practical support, which can be based on many years of experience in housing management in other countries. The purpose of the article. Conduct a comparative analysis of management forms for co-owned property in Ukraine and beyond, finding common and distinctive features in different EU countries and the world for further use of positive experience in housing management. Conclusions. Improving the acquired experience and applying it in practice will help domestic managers and co-owners' associations of multi-apartment buildings to improve their skills in managing multi-apartment buildings and establish competitive conditions in the housing management market. Based on international experience, it was determined that condominiums in Ukraine need support from local self-government bodies in order to improve the management of the housing and communal sector of the economy. In addition, the effective development of Ukrainian condominiums is facilitated by co-financing for the maintenance and repair of the existing housing stock in a condition according to existing norms, which significantly raises the standards of residents’ comfort in their homes.

Integrating Hydrokinetic Energy into Hybrid Renewable Energy System: Optimal Design and Comparative Analysis

Renewable energy resources and energy efficiency measures are effective means of curtailing CO2 emissions. Solar and wind technologies have been mostly developed to meet the energy demand of off-grid remote areas or locations without grid connections. However, it is well-known that the power generation of these resources is affected by daily fluctuations and seasonal variability. One way to mitigate such an effect is to incorporate hydrokinetic resources into the energy system, which has not been well investigated yet. Therefore, this study examines the prospects of designing a hybrid system that integrates hydrokinetic energy to electrify an off-grid area. Hydrokinetic energy generation depends on water flow velocity (WFV). We estimate WFV by a model-based approach with geographical and weather data as inputs. Together with the models of the other components (wind turbine, PV panel, battery, and diesel generator) in the micro-grid, an optimization problem is formulated with the total net present cost and the cost of energy as performance criteria. A genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve this problem for determining an optimal system configuration. Applying our approach to a small community in Nigeria, our findings show that the flow velocity of a nearby river ranges between 0.017 and 5.12 m/s, with a mean velocity of 0.71 m/s. The resulting optimal micro-grid consists of 320 kW of PV, 120 units of 6.91 kWh batteries, 2 (27 kW) hydrokinetic turbines, an 120 kW converter, zero wind turbines, and a 100 kW diesel generator. As a result, the total energy generated will be 471,743 kWh/year, of which 12% emanates from hydrokinetic energy. The total net present cost, the cost of energy, and the capital cost are USD 1,103,668, 0.2841 USD/kWh, and USD 573,320, respectively.

Decarbonizing real estate portfolios considering optimal retrofit investment and policy conditions to 2050

Retrofitting existing buildings is crucial for achieving Net Zero emissions. Institutional real estate owners play a key role because of their significant ownership, especially of large buildings. We utilize an interdisciplinary approach to evaluate cost-optimal decarbonization conditions for three Swiss real estate portfolios owned by a global institutional investor. We leverage a bottom-up optimization framework for building asset retrofitting, scaled to the portfolio-level, to study the effect of policy scenarios and implementations. Results indicate that achieving Net Zero necessitates significant investments, largely through thermal energy efficiency measures and low-CO2 energy systems, as early as possible to avoid locked-in emissions. Owners will be challenged to smooth long-term capital investments, pointing to a potential liquidity crisis. Consequently, hard-to-decarbonize assets are unable to reach regulatory benchmarks largely because of lingering embodied emissions. To lower transition risk, we recommend that policymakers move toward average CO2 benchmarks at the real estate portfolio-level, emulating automotive fleets.

Energy-Efficient Solutions in Design, Construction and Operation of Thermal Power Plants and Heating Networks

The article deals with topical issues related to the introduction of energy-efficient measures in the energy sector of Russia. A comprehensive study and research of the current situation in the field of technological processes for generating electric and thermal energy of thermal power plants (hereinafter TPP), transportation and distribution of energy in thermal networks has been carried out. The analysis of the main equipment and the parameters of the working environment influence on the efficiency of the thermal power plant, taking into account the technological features and energy losses of the steam power cycle of heat and electric power generation, was carried out. The main existing problems and sources of energy losses in heat supply systems are considered. Recommendations are given for introduction and development of energy-efficient solutions and technologies in the design, construction and operation of thermal power plants and heating networks. Promising measures aimed at maximum effect of energy saving are proposed for consideration, including the design and construction of new or modernization of existing thermal power plant equipment, the introduction of combined-cycle power plants, the use of frequency drives of critical rotating mechanisms, the introduction of automatic or remote manual process control systems, the introduction of digital production, including digital counterparts of objects, digital heating points and electrical substations, installation of additional sensors and metering devices with the introduction of monitoring systems and predictive prognostics of equipment, the use of geo-information systems with visualization of three-dimensional schemes and the development of mathematical models of heating networks, carrying out a full-scale instrumental control of critical pipelines metal using robotic complexes. Practical examples of energy-efficient measures application at existing thermal power plants and heating networks are given.

Energy Waste in Public Universities: A Study on Alternative Energy and Best Practices

A 2013 EC report suggests that buildings are big energy consumers in current society. Characterized by steady infrastructure growth and staff strength, the University of Education, Winneba, has witnessed an overall increase in its energy load. As part of global measures for energy efficiency and tackling global warming, it is of the essence that states institutions like public universities champion efforts for reduced energy consumption; this is essential for meeting sustainable development goals. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this research is a longitudinal study that investigates energy waste at the University of Education, Winneba. The study establishes the existence of energy waste in public universities which has seen very little research, and explores the alternative approaches to mitigating energy waste on campus to reduce the financial burden created by an increase in expenditure on (utility) electricity bills in the university.

Effect of risk aversion on supply chain performance and energy contracting design with financial asymmetry

AbstractEnergy performance contracting is a contractual arrangement between clients and energy service companies. At present, it is a key tool to implement energy efficiency measures in the existing supply chain management. In this paper, we study the efficiency of the energy performance contracting in a supply chain including one risk‐averse supplier and two risk‐neutral manufacturers with financial asymmetry. The manufacturer with weak finance has no funds to order enough raw materials; thus, the supplier offers a trade credit financing to ensure her normal operation and participate in the competition with the financially strong manufacturer in the market. However, neither manufacturer has extra capitals to develop emission reduction activities. Therefore, the upstream supplier acts as an energy service company and provides an energy performance contracting for two downstream manufacturers to reduce carbon taxes. We analyze important factors such as risk aversion coefficient, carbon tax saving sharing ratio, and variable cost coefficient to explore whether and which manufacturer the supplier should select to provide an energy performance contracting. The results show that, when the risk aversion is high, the supplier will not provide energy‐saving services for any manufacturer. When the risk aversion and the variable cost are low, the supplier tends to offer an energy performance contracting for the manufacturer with weak finance, because the supplier can get more utility from higher wholesale price. However, with the increase of costs, the supplier with a low risk aversion is more willing to provide emission reduction services for the financially strong manufacturer. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis demonstrates that there is always a Pareto region to optimize the utility of supplier and manufacturers, when the supplier provides energy performance contracting for both manufacturers.