Energy Paradox Research Articles

The Energy Effect of Blockchain Technology Innovation in the Industry 5.0 Era--From the Perspective of Carbon Emissions

In the era of Industry 5.0, innovation in blockchain technology is expected to have a significant impact on energy efficiency and carbon emissions, especially in hybrid energy systems. This paper has obtained the innovation data on the blockchain patent of listed companies in China from 2010 to 2022 by machine learning and text analysis methodology of large language model. On this basis, the relationship between the enterprises’ blockchain technology innovation and the intensity of fossil energy consumption has been discussed. The study found that (1) the enterprises’ blockchain technology innovation is able to reduce the intensity of fossil energy consumption, and this conclusion remains valid via controlling for endogeneity and upon the completion of robustness test. (2) In terms of the mechanism, the enterprises’ blockchain technology innovation can achieve energy transition by reducing the cost of internal control, strengthening external supervision, improving the efficiency of resource allocation and strengthening the channels of supply chain management. (3) Further research has found that the energy effects as a result of blockchain technology innovation help to improve operational efficiency and lower the level of carbon emission. Our research provides scientific support for breaking the "technological energy paradox" in the field of energy economy while providing empirical evidence of "blockchain carbon reduction" for technologies such as blockchain BaaS alliance, cross-operator network spectrum, and shared base stations that will be applied on a large scale in the Industry 5.0 Era.

Minnesota’s energy paradox: Household energy insecurity in the face of racial and economic disparities

The “Minnesota Paradox” points to the nation-leading socioeconomic indicators enjoyed in Minnesota that belie some of the largest racial disparities between the state’s majority White and minority Black populations. The Minnesota Paradox has been identified in indicators with complex, structural social determinants: income, employment, educational outcomes, incarceration rates, home ownership, and even drowning. In this paper, we ask if similar disparities exist in access to shared infrastructure systems, focusing on the electric system, an essential service delivered by heavily regulated public utilities. We examine disparities in access to electricity service across three dimensions: utility disconnection, service reliability, and availability of the grid to host distributed energy resources. We quantify disparities across Census block groups by leveraging unique, high-resolution datasets that have only recently been made publicly available. We find significant and pervasive evidence of the Minnesota Paradox across utility disconnection and service reliability. Across a battery of regression models, we find that living in neighborhoods with a greater concentration of people of color is associated with a statistically and practically significant difference in the likelihood of disconnection from service due to non-payment and the experience of extended power outages. We also find a positive association between communities with larger populations of people of color and hosting capacity, suggesting a potential opportunity to affirmatively address disparities in energy insecurity in the energy transition. These findings shed light on the pervasive nature of the Minnesota Paradox in the electric system, which underscores the pressing need for policy initiatives to rectify deep-seated inequalities and ensure all communities have equitable access to universal basic utility service and reliable, clean energy.

Green nickel, electric vehicles and mining governance challenges in the U.S.

New critical metals mines are being prospected throughout the U.S. to meet the needs for batteries for electric vehicles, as well as solar and wind technologies. Mineral prospecting is meeting growing opposition from coast to coast, including Arizona, Idaho, California and Alaska. This article draws attention to the northern state of Minnesota where a complex social movement is emerging to challenge the devastating local contamination that might result from new “green nickel” mining. Focusing on Talon Metal's Tamarack project as a case study, the article describes how tribal communities and their social movement allies are challenging this green energy paradox through cultural, legal and political strategies.

Investigation of Macrokinetic Parameters of Combustion of (Ti + C)-Based Powder and Granular Mixtures: Elucidation of the Negative Activation Energy Paradox

Investigation of Macrokinetic Parameters of Combustion of (Ti + C)-Based Powder and Granular Mixtures: Elucidation of the Negative Activation Energy Paradox

A ubiquitous, nearby reservoir of electromagnetic energy hidden in the fourth spatial dimension as a consequence of Kelvin’s rule (for constant electric currents) and of the Poynting vector

When applying what is called Kelvin’s principle to the elementary currents of two permanent magnets that attract each other, an apparent energy paradox appears. For Kelvin’s principle says that when constant electric currents are displaced with respect to one another, the mechanical work yielded as a result of the action of magnetic forces is equal in amount to the increase (not decrease) in the energy of the total magnetic field. The energy provided by the power supply in order to keep the currents constant is thus twice as large as the mechanical work yielded during the displacement of the current-carrying wires. But when dealing with permanent magnets and their polarization currents, there is still the yield of mechanical work and also the increase in energy of the total magnetic field, but no such thing as a visible power supply. In this article, things are analyzed by using the Poynting vector as an instrument. As a result, the topological assumption of a hidden reservoir of energy sitting in the direction of a fourth spatial dimension turns out to be indispensable in order to save the principle of local conservation of energy and of action by contact. A recognition of this kind was foreshadowed by Mie 100 years ago, who postulated that, in certain, but nevertheless common situations, energy flowed into ambient space out of the particles themselves both in the gravitational and the electromagnetic case.

China’s climate and energy policy paradox revisited – domestic and international implications of a carbon lock-in ‘with Chinese characteristics’

ABSTRACT Juxtaposing China’s current situation and policies toward coal and renewables at home and abroad, we argue that China remains in a paradoxical state of carbon lock-in. We analyze the techno-economic, institutional and political factors that contribute to China’s coal-related policies following a novel approach that blends different theories and frameworks to establish an interdisciplinary dialogue between various strands of research that were hitherto unconnected. This is accomplished by applying a political economy framework through the lens of techno-institutional carbon lock-in theory in three case studies encompassing China itself, as well as China’s climate and energy policy abroad in Pakistan and Mozambique. The article draws four major conclusions about China’s energy paradox: 1) An imperative for economic growth lies at the heart of the Chinese governance system’s incentive structure, which has resulted in a coal-based energy and industrial policy. 2) China’s government should use the experimental, decentralized nature of its regionally-decentralized regime and energy sector to their advantage by promoting disruption rather than incumbency. 3) To address the structural and institutional deficiencies that maintain or even strengthen carbon lock-in, energy governance should be shaped around the primary challenge of strengthening renewable energy advocates throughout all levels of government. 4) The discussion of coal financing abroad must now go beyond the discontinuation of new projects; the building of alternative cleaner projects should be considered and the ones in progress should be halted.

Investigating a Hampered NRE Utilization in Kaltim’s Energy System: Is there an Energy Policy with a Syndrome of the Energy-abundant Area?

Kaltim presumably experiences an energy paradox, where the energy system is unreliable and unsustainable, despite energy-rich. This study presumes that the paradox is caused by the ‘ill-advised energy policy’ shown by ‘energy-area incompatibility’ that is exacerbated by the ‘energy-rich syndrome’ (a mindset of feeling secure due to energy-abundance leading to a wasteful behavior). This study investigates the indication of the syndrome in Kaltim energy policy by first investigating ‘the incompatibility’ and its impacts by examining Kaltim’s geographical characteristics, energy potential, population-distribution, electricity system, and infrastructure. Also, the impacts of retaining the syndrome through cost analyses. This study finds the incompatibility between energy-sources utilization and geographical characteristics, by conducting a descriptive method with data collection and analyses. Kaltim is forest-dominated with scattered-population, suitable with an off-grid system. However, the electricity development is mostly on-grid, fossil-based designed, explaining the difficulties of electrifying the entire Kaltim, although electricity is surplus. While off-grid should be applied to NRE, the massive use of diesel-gen-sets shows wasteful behavior. By conducting a linear-regression method, this study finds that Kaltim’s electricity consumption (indicating the infrastructure sufficiency) is lower than it should be, given its incredible economic performance. The incompatibility causes infrastructure insufficiency. The cost analysis finds that the massively-used fuel oil is the most expensive. The subsidy would be around 0.003%-0.275% of Kaltim GDRP or 17 billion-1.55 trillion IDR. As the new Capital location, NRE is a must for Kaltim. To conclude, NRE utilization is very low, although its potential is huge, and Kaltim’s forested characteristics suit it. NRE only covers 3% of Kaltim’s electricity, while the potential (hydro alone) is more than 6,900MW. The incompatibility causes an unreliable electricity system, although electricity is surplus. Following Kaltim’s geographical characteristics, NRE should be optimized. This study intends to aware the policy-makers of the syndrome, thereby develop a ‘proper energy policy’.

8T - High Energy Paradox

8T - High Energy Paradox

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ПОРУШЕННЯ РІВНОВАГИ ЕНЕРГІЇ СТОХАСТИЧНИХ ПРОЦЕСІВ І СИСТЕМ З МЕТОЮ ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЇХ ЕНЕРГОЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ

Purpose. The results are based on the study of the paradox of disturbed energy balance and the introduction of the virial theorem on the initial state of equilibrium energy and the formalized physical mechanism of energy accumulation due to the violation of its equilibrium. Methodology. According to the results of the analysis of the mathematical apparatus of the model of energy accumulation dynamics on the basis of the energy paradox of the disturbed lever equilibrium, the previously undescribed property of the probability of occurrence of random events is revealed. This property is related to the concept of entropy in its information and energy interpretations, and this makes it possible to establish information criteria for assessing the energy performance of processes and systems of different nature, and vice versa. Results. A positive result of qualitative assessment of general opportunities to increase energy efficiency of stochastic processes and systems by violating their energy balance was obtained by creating conditions to improve energy efficiency of information transmission systems by quality assessment, which combines information and energy performance indicators based on the concept of entropy, namely - the signal/noise ratio. Originality. The previously described property of the probability of occurrence of random events, which quantitatively describes the relationship of information and energy performance of stochastic processes and systems. Practical value. The set of obtained results and previous researches testifies that the property of probability of dynamics of random events revealed by results of the analysis of mathematical device of model of dynamics of accumulation of energy, is display of the fundamental principle of imbalance, and provides a way of management of indicators and criteria increasing the energy efficiency of deterministic and stochastic processes and systems of different physical nature. Based on the identified property of the probability of random events, a method of controlling the probability of occurrence of random events is proposed, which is that to double the increase in the difference of probabilities of opposite random events it is enough to increase the probability of only one of these events. W. Pauli's hypothesis about the reduction of symmetry serves in favor of the concept of energy imbalance. There is good reason to believe that, regardless of whether Pauli considered the reduction of symmetry by division at the level of the particle or not, the nature and mechanism of the reduction of symmetry reflects the paradox of energies of disturbed lever equilibrium. Figures 14, references 11.

The ASEAN climate and energy paradox

This article carries out a multisectoral qualitative analysis (MSQA) and policy integration analysis of six sectors important for climate mitigation in Southeast Asia in order to assess the status of the climate-energy nexus in the region. It concludes that Southeast Asia will be heavily affected by climate change but the mitigation efforts of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are incommensurate with the threat they face. Their nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement are modest, they have a low proportion of renewable energy in their energy mixes, a modest target for raising the share of renewable energy and they are not likely to reach this target. The ASEAN countries have also been slow to adopt electric vehicles and to accede to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), while continuing to burn their forests, channel subsidies to fossil fuels and invest in new coal power plants. If ASEAN accelerated decarbonization, it could seize business opportunities, secure its standing in the international political system and climate justice discussions, and increase its chances of reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Energy Intensity and Long- and Short-Term Efficiency in US Manufacturing Industry

We analyze energy use efficiency of manufacturing industries in US manufacturing over five decades from 1960 to 2011. We apply a 4-component stochastic frontier model, which allows disentangling efficiency into a short- and long-term efficiency as well as accounting for industry heterogeneity. The data come from NBER-CES Manufacturing Industry Database. We find that relative to decade-specific frontiers, the overall efficiency of manufacturing industries, which is a product of transient and persistent efficiencies has deteriorated greatly in the 1970s and rebounded only in the 2000s. The industries are very efficient in the short-term and this has not changed over five decades. The high level of overall inefficiency is almost completely due to the structural inefficiency which can be explained by what is referred to as the “energy paradox”. Finally, higher energy-intensive industries perform worse in terms of energy use efficiency than their low energy-intensity counterparts.

Behind the scenes: Why are energy efficient home appliances such a hard sell?

This paper wishes to add to the rich literature of studies exploring the reasons behind the energy efficiency gap. To this direction, it presents the results of a stated preference survey conducted on a representative sample of Greek households via computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) in the context of the “Consumer Energy Efficiency Decision making (CONSEED)” project. The survey was designed and conducted so as to reach every type of household and gather information on the factors influencing households’ energy efficiency choices. The emphasis was given on certain issues that previous studies identified as needing further research, such as the impact of EU labelling scheme on consumers’ decision-making, the connection between pro-environmental behaviour and willingness to invest in more energy-efficient appliances and the role of peer effects, misinformation about current electricity prices and imperfect understanding of energy operating costs on the energy efficiency gap. The findings of the survey are not an end-to-itself but a vehicle for behavioural research in energy efficient decisions. The data collected and analysed can be used to populate theoretical models regarding energy efficiency gap and determine the degree to which each factor contributes to the phenomenon. Moreover, they could help decision-makers in better understand the energy paradox, and, thus, could contribute to crafting better public policy responses that would maximise private and social benefits associated with the adoption of energy-efficient choices.

FINDING EVIDENCE OF GREEN LEASING IN UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT-LEASED PROPERTIES

ABSTRACT Although the term “green leasing” is not yet well defined, its primary purpose is clear. With an aim to create a collaborative environment through legal provisions between a building owner and a tenant, green leasing may ultimately help resolve the energy paradox in tenanted properties. Issues surrounding split-incentives are driven by a mismatch between owners' capital expenditures on improving building energy efficiency and an uncertainty of tenant or occupant behavior that might affect a building's energy consumption. Though some countries have started to develop guidelines promoting the adoption of green leasing, especially in government buildings and commercial real estate, implementation has not been overly successful globally. This study has two focuses, the first of which is to compare green leasing guidelines from various countries and to suggest six comprehensive categories of green leasing components: management relationships, information sharing, certificates, legal stipulations, financial factors, and operation. The second core area of research places government-tenanted properties' lease agreement contracts. The goal is to find any evidence in a legal condition between a building owner and a tenant, in this case federal government, to improve building energy efficiency with less environmental impact in the United States. The findings of the study indicated 41 out of 400 leases had green clauses. Three out of six categories proposed in this study were found in the U.S. government-tenanted properties, while the other three types were not shown. The findings of this study also suggest categories of green leasing clauses can contribute to defining green leasing and provide empirical evidence of green leasing in governmenttenanted properties. Ultimately, this study produces arguments for possible reasoning behind the employment of some green lease categories but the lack of use of others, specifically in the U.S. office market and government-tenanted buildings.

Examining the decreasing share of renewable energy amid growing thermal capacity: The case of South America

Concerns about climate change have required energy policy to be reconsidered around the world. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy has the potential to contribute significantly to the goals of the Paris Agreement (2015), particularly in the developing world. The recent evolution of total installed capacity of electricity mix in eight South American countries and the current renewable energy policy is considered. Indications of an energy paradox are seen: the installed share of thermal capacity increases as energy demand grows, decreasing the share of renewable energy despite the government's stated policy and commitment to increasing renewables in electricity generation through incentives and regulations. The share of installed hydro compared to thermal generation declined from 2007 to 2017 in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Furthermore, South American countries are unlikely to reach the aforementioned share of renewables in the energy matrix, with the exception of Uruguay. Thus, organic growth of renewables may not be enough in a region with high potential and a long history of low emissions from electricity. It may be necessary for governments to more actively prioritize, regulate, and support inclusive subsidies for both public and private investors in the electricity sector to reduce the risk of climate change and achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Two typical merging events of oceanic mesoscale anticyclonic eddies

Abstract. The long-term theoretical “energy paradox” of whether the final state of two merging anticyclones contains more energy than the initial state is studied by considering two typical merging events of ocean mesoscale eddies. The results demonstrate that the total mass (volume), total circulation (area integration of vorticity), and total angular momentum (AM) are conserved if the orbital AM relative to the center of mass is taken into account as the eddies rotate around the center of mass before merging. For subsurface merging, the mass trapped by the Taylor–Proudman effect above the subsurface eddies should also be included. Both conservation laws of circulation and orbital AM have been overlooked in previous theoretical studies. As a result of fusion during merging, the total eddy kinetic energy decreases slightly. In contrast, the total eddy potential energy (EPE) increases after merging. The increase in EPE is mostly supported by the loss of gravitational potential energy (PE) via eddy sinking below the original level prior to merging. This implies that the merging of eddies requires background gravitational PE to be converted to EPE. In contrast, the vorticity and enstrophy consequently decrease after merging. Thus, the eddy merging effect behaves as a “large-scale energy pump” in an inverse energy cascade. It is noted that eddy conservation and conversion laws depend on the laws of physical dynamics, even if additional degrees of freedom can be provided in a mathematical model.

The energy paradox in seemingly competitive industries: The use of energy-efficient equipment on heavy-duty tractor trailers

Several federal agencies claim the existence of an energy paradox in competitive markets in their benefit-cost analyses: firms fail to use energy-saving equipment that on net would reduce their costs. Such findings appear incompatible with neoclassical views that private firms in competitive markets will seek to minimize costs. EPA and NHTSA (2016) justify their findings in part by claiming that owners of trailers pulled by others underinvest in energy-saving equipment because the trailer owners incur the costs of such investments while tractor owners get the benefits. We collected roadside data over three summers and model use of energy-saving equipment on trailers. We find associations consistent with cost-reducing behavior in the use of energy efficiency devices, such as skirts and automatic tire inflation devices, but no evidence that different ownership of tractors and trailers is associated with reduced use of energy-saving equipment on trailers. We recommend that EPA and NHTSA assess the in-use cost-effectiveness of such equipment and rigorously review the empirical basis for claims of market failures in competitive markets before claiming significant private economic gains in rulemakings.

Vehicle choice and utilization: Improving estimation with partially observed choices and hybrid pairs

This paper exploits differences in fuel efficiency between hybrid vehicles and their gasoline counterparts to investigate two key questions relating to fuel economy standards: whether consumers properly value fuel economy (the energy paradox) and whether improved fuel efficiency increases travel (the rebound effect). Several vehicles, such as the Honda Civic, are available in both hybrid and gasoline versions. Such vehicles share many of the same attributes, with the main difference being fuel efficiency, and provide a unique setting to examine these issues. We emphasize methodological and data issues that typically have not been a focus in prior studies, such as partial observability, endogeneity, and measurement error. Estimates of the rebound effect and consumer valuation of fuel economy remain imprecise despite the use of the detailed household level data and sound methodology to handle limitations with these data. The inability to precisely estimate these important policy questions suggests it is useful to obtain reliable, detailed data on household vehicles, paired with rich household- and person-level survey data.

The Energy Paradox and the Adoption of Energy-Saving Technologies in the Trucking Industry

Several federal benefit-cost analyses report an energy paradox among firms in competitive markets and conclude that firms would benefit from mandates to increase the use of energy-saving technologies. Such findings appear incompatible with neoclassical views that private firms in competitive markets minimize costs. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, presumes that owners of trailers pulled by tractors belonging to others underinvest in energy-saving technologies because trailer owners incur the costs while tractor owners get the benefits. We test this hypothesis by collecting data and modeling the use of energy-saving technologies as a function of fleet size, the intensity of truck usage, and proxies for management quality. We find effects consistent with conventional models but no evidence that different ownership of tractors and trailers is associated with reduced use of energy-saving technologies on trailers. Regulators should refrain from making claims that firms underuse energy-saving technologies without first rigorously evaluating evidence for such claims.

The Energy Paradox Revisited: Analyzing the Role of Individual Differences and Framing Effects in Information Perception

In the ongoing debate about the “energy paradox”, a recent stream of literature highlights the importance of behavioural anomalies such as bounded rationality and self-control problems. However, the role of individual-level factors in explaining the energy paradox is still not fully understood. Combining literature on behavioural anomalies and consumer heterogeneity, the current paper analyses how individual differences influence the perception of energy-related information and susceptibility to choice-framing effects. A choice-based conjoint experiment about energy-saving home improvements was conducted with 363 homeowners in Switzerland. Results show that numeracy and energy literacy have no influence on how much attention individuals pay to energy cost savings. However, impulsivity and risk aversion are found to significantly impact homeowners’ weighting of future energy cost savings. Further, it is found that impulsive homeowners are significantly more susceptible to energy cost-framing effects. A key implication for consumer policy is that general educational programs targeted at enhancing citizens’ knowledge and cognitive abilities are unlikely to increase energy conservation investments. The findings further suggest that consumer policies and business models aimed at reducing impulsiveness and influencing risk perception might foster the uptake of energy-saving measures in the residential housing sector.

Disrupting glucose-6-phosphate isomerase fully suppresses the "Warburg effect" and activates OXPHOS with minimal impact on tumor growth except in hypoxia.

As Otto Warburg first observed, cancer cells largely favor fermentative glycolysis for growth even under aerobic conditions. This energy paradox also extends to rapidly growing normal cells indicating that glycolysis is optimal for fast growth and biomass production. Here we further explored this concept by genetic ablation of fermentative glycolysis in two fast growing cancer cell lines: human colon adenocarcinoma LS174T and B16 mouse melanoma. We disrupted the upstream glycolytic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), to allow cells to re-route glucose-6-phosphate flux into the pentose-phosphate branch. Indeed, GPI-KO severely reduced glucose consumption and suppressed lactic acid secretion, which reprogrammed these cells to rely on oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial ATP production to maintain viability. In contrast to previous pharmacological inhibition of glycolysis that suppressed tumor growth, GPI-KO surprisingly demonstrated only a moderate impact on normoxic cell growth. However, hypoxic (1% O2) cell growth was severely restricted. Despite in vitro growth restriction under hypoxia, tumor growth rates in vivo were reduced less than 2-fold for both GPI-KO cancer cell lines. Combined our results indicate that exclusive use of oxidative metabolism has the capacity to provide metabolic precursors for biomass synthesis and fast growth. This work and others clearly indicate that metabolic cancer cell plasticity poses a strong limitation to anticancer strategies.