Energy Use In Production Research Articles

Productive use of energy of women-owned micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises: Insights from food and textile businesses in selected African countries

This paper presents a descriptive study focusing on the productive energy use of women-owned micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises that operate in Africa's food and textile sectors. Through a multidisciplinary approach, combining primary and secondary data collection methods, and integrating quantitative and qualitative tools, this study examines the relationship between the gender-based ownership structure of enterprises (i.e., sole female, female-female, and female-male) and energy consumption patterns, including demand levels, carrier use, access type (on-grid or off-grid), and expenditure. Despite limitations in scope and sample size, the findings shed light on gender-specific productive use practices.Findings show that female-owned businesses primarily rely on single or dual energy carriers, contrasting with female-male enterprises, which typically employ two or more energy carriers. Fuel usage varies among ownership structures, with diesel, biomass, and liquified petroleum gas being notable choices. Increasing diversity in ownership correlates with heightened awareness of energy metrics and monthly demand for electric and mechanical power, with some of the latter correlation also observed for thermal energy. Moreover, as ownership diversity increases, energy expenditure per kilogramme of production output decreases. Some sole female-owned enterprises surpass 100 USD/kg/month, female-female partnerships may reach 100 USD/kg/month, whereas female-male co-owned enterprises remain below 10 USD/kg/month.Beyond contributing to understanding gendered productive energy practices, this research also emphasises the importance of gender mainstreaming in productive use and energy access interventions. It highlights the need for renewable energy solutions, capacity-building programmes, and further research to address efficiency and accessibility challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.

Water-Energy Nexus: Optimizing Water Use in Energy Production

The water-energy nexus represents a critical interdependence between water resources and energy production, highlighting the need for sustainable management strategies. This abstract explores the optimization of water use in energy production, focusing on the key challenges, solutions, and potential benefits of integrating water and energy systems efficiently. Challenges arise from the significant water requirements of traditional energy sources such as thin able practices. Various strategies can enhance water efficiency in energy production, including technological advancements like dry cooling systems for power plants, water recycling and reuse techniques, and the development of water-saving renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power. These approaches aim to minimize water consumption, reduce pollution, and enhance overall resource resilience thermal power plants and hydropower, leading to water scarcity concerns and environmental impacts. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, emphasizing the urgency of adopting just a Moreover, optimization techniques such as mathematical modeling, data analytics, and decision support systems play a crucial role in managing water resources effectively within the energy sector. These tools facilitate real-time monitoring, predictive analysis, and adaptive management, enabling informed decision-making and resource allocation. The benefits of optimizing water use in energy production are multifaceted.

The complex interplay between sectoral energy consumption and economic growth: Policy implications for Iran and beyond

Iran's abundant energy reserves starkly contrast with recent power and gas shortages, particularly impacting the industrial sector. Furthermore, long-term trends reveal a concerning pattern where total primary energy consumption has outpaced economic growth, doubling in recent decades. These challenges emphasize the need for a thorough evaluation of the intricate interplay between sectoral energy consumption and economic output in Iran, bearing profound policy implications. The current study employs ARDL and VECM approaches to analyze empirical long- and short-term dynamics. Regarding Iran, the results unveil causal relationships from industrial energy consumption to GDP and from GDP to energy consumption in buildings. Notably the significant positive value of elasticity of GDP with respect to industrial energy use highlights the need for nuanced energy management measures. Variations across sectors underscore the justification for recognizing industrial energy consumption as productive energy use. The results gain additional support from a panel data analysis spanning fourteen diverse countries, bearing significance for IAMs applied in climate change research. While IAMs traditionally employ total energy consumption or the sectoral energy uses collectively, as production factors, the research highlights the need to reevaluate model frameworks for potential different outcomes from established practices.

Estimating Lost Dividends from Incomplete Energy Access Transitions

Abstract Energy access is often considered a catalyst for development. Yet, the binary classification of household electrification misses important variation in service quality and in how households use electricity. To examine the benefits of household electrification and illustrate the importance of using more nuanced classifications of energy access, this article develops a metric called the Energy Access Dividend (EAD), which quantifies the electrification benefits forgone due to slow and incomplete energy transitions. This framework is flexible, allowing for the estimation of a variety of electrification benefits such as reduced lighting and cell phone charging expenditures, environmental improvements, time use and asset ownership changes, and improvements associated with productive energy use. To demonstrate the applicability of this framework, we calculate the EAD for several proposed electrification trajectory alternatives in Honduras. We find that in Honduras, a country with high rates of basic electricity access, achieving immediate universal, high-quality electricity would generate nearly $697 million in benefits over the period leading up to 2050. We also estimate the EADs associated with more limited immediate electrification as well as geographically based electrification scenarios, demonstrating that these calculations can inform priorities for energy policy design.

Environmental Energy Production and Wastewater Treatment Using Synthesized Pd Nanoparticles with Biological and Photocatalytic Activity

AbstractMetallic nanoparticles have attracted great attention in catalytic, medical diagnosis, and treatment research in recent years. The formation of palladium nanoparticles using rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract was carried out using the green synthesis method. The plant was extracted using 70% ethanol by microwave techniques. The novelty of this study is the investigation of the biological activities of green synthesis of Pd nanoparticles, such as DNA cleavage activity, antimicrobial activity, DPPH scavenging activity, and its electro-catalytic performance in alcohol oxidation. Additionally, photocatalytic activities were also evaluated. The characterization of synthesized palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) was performed by UV-spectrometry, XRD, FTIR, and TEM. According to TEM results, Pd nanoparticles were observed to have a spherical shape and an average particle size of 4.91 nm. The Pd NPs showed the photodegradation of MB solution by up to 79.9% at 120 min. The newly synthesized plant-mediated green synthesized Pd NPs showed the max and the min antimicrobial activity at 16 µg/mL and 256 µg/mL against L. pneumophila and C. albicans, respectively. The current density ratio of 48.22 mA/cm2 obtained in the study indicates that the obtained materials may be of interest in different applications. According to the results obtained, a direct relationship of extract use is observed in the synthesis of Pd nanoparticles and is a good way to reduce and stabilize metal salts. It has been determined that green Pd NPs have potential for use in energy production from alcohol oxidation and in medical applications.

The Exponential-based Carbon Credit Cap in Carbon Cap-and-Trade Markets

The concept of carbon markets as developed in 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol was a good idea whose adoption and implementation by all counties and states would have significantly reduced the rate of emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The Carbon markets were proposed to be based on cap-and-trade whose forces of supply and demand would discourage the increase or steady emission of greenhouse gases and force companies to, gradually, revert to the use of clean energy in production. This would promote the net zero carbon emission target. The carbon markets were designed to have a cap whose nature is a specific number for all entities. The number represents the carbon quantity whose regulator would keep reducing until the net zero carbon is achieved. This nature of the cap encourages large emitters of greenhouse gases to shift to other jurisdictions that have soft regulations. It also encourages restructuring into smaller companies whose net emissions could be almost the same or more than before. In this paper, we have proposed an exponential-based cap that would leave little or no room for such market strategies. We have also demonstrated how the proposed cap can be implemented.

Cover Picture: Steel Construction 1/2024

AbstractThe circular economy approach has been introduced to the construction sector to design out waste, reduce carbon emissions and energy use in production of primary materials and achieve resource efficiency. With this background, research has been conducted to facilitate the use of demountable composite beams in steel‐framed structures. The article presents the results of two 6m full‐scale composite beam tests with prefabricated composite slabs (paper: Kozma, A. et al.).

Demountable composite beams for a circular economy: Large‐scale beam tests

AbstractThe circular economy approach has been introduced to the construction sector to design out waste, reduce carbon emissions and energy use in production of primary materials and achieve resource efficiency. ‘Design for deconstruction’ is increasingly important for a sustainable economy, especially for composite structure that is deemed as resource‐efficient in the first cycle of use. With this background, research has been conducted to facilitate the use of demountable composite beams in steel‐framed structures. This article presents the results of two 6 m full‐scale composite beam tests with prefabricated composite slabs. Demountable shear connectors were used, which have been newly developed within the frame of an EU project. The nominal degree of shear connection of the composite beam specimens was 0.37, which was slightly below the required 0.4 specified in EN1994‐1‐1 for welded shear studs. Based on the experimental observations, it can be demonstrated that (1) the tested demountable composite beam produced higher resistance but lower stiffness values than a comparable reference composite beam with welded shear studs; (2) the beam specimens showed a good plastic behaviour with high ductility despite the non‐ductile nature of the applied demountable shear connectors. Remarks on the demountability of the developed demountable composite beams are provided.

Energy aspects of automobile transport development

Problem. Improving automobile transport means increasing fuel economy and environmental indicators. Fuel, in a broad sense, means energy used to activate the car's power plant. Potential energy is dispersed in the earth’s interior, on its surface, in the atmospheric air, and even in space. Moreover, some of them exist in different substances. On the one hand, the efficiency of an energy product use is assessed by its energy intensity; on the other hand, it is evaluated by the costs of its production (transportation) and the quality of its transformation into a consumer type of energy. Special attention is paid to renewable and unlimited kinds of energy sources. Goal. The purpose of the study is a qualitative analysis of the road transport development direction from the standpoint of the alternative energy sources use, taking into account the factors that comprehensively determine the economic and environmental indicators at the stages of production and processing of fossil raw materials, production of power plants and conversion, transformation, and transportation of energy in the field of transport technologies. Methodology. The first direction consists of the adaptation (conversion) of the design of thermal internal combustion engines for alternative liquid or gaseous fuel types. The advantage of this approach is minimal costs for engine conversion and fuel production. The second approach involves using hybrid power plants, consisting of a main and auxiliary engine, an energy source or accumulator, an energy converter, and a braking recuperation system. The third direction is the use of non-traditional energy sources. Results. The directions of the development of power plants for motor vehicles related to the increase in the energy density of hydrocarbon fuels, the use of hybrid power plants, and the use of alternative energy sources have been determined. A qualitative assessment of the considered approaches is given. Originality. A comprehensive approach to evaluating the effectiveness of using alternative types of energy in road transport is considered in terms of energy, economic, and environmental indicators. Practical value. The obtained results can be regarded as recommendations when drawing up plans for the evolution of industries of fossil extraction and transformation of other energy resources, the development of motor vehicles, and transport infrastructure technologies, taking into account the natural and industrial potential of the country

New Foods as a Factor in Enhancing Energy Security

Increasing energy security is a crucial component of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Three main factors influence energy security: (1) the efficiency of resource use in energy production, (2) the extent of energy losses, and (3) the use of new energy sources. Novel food products can impact these factors, and this paper explores whether they are being studied in the context of reducing energy consumption. Specifically, we investigate the role of technical progress and know-how in the creation and development of novel food products and whether novel methods of food production using artificial intelligence aim to reduce energy expenditures while improving product quality, variety, and the use of new energy sources. This paper seeks to examine the impact determinants of novel foods on energy security, considering economic, technological, social, and environmental aspects of knowledge about new food. To implement the study, the relevant international literature published in the past ten years have been reviewed and methods of modeling, visualization, and descriptive statistics applied. The review is structured into three sections: the first section presents ways to save energy and other resources in the food production chain through the intensive use of artificial intelligence tools; the second section presents the development of novel food products; and the last section presents marketing challenges for novel foods. The findings show that the topic addressed by this paper is currently critical, with many authorities, research centers, food producers, and energy producers interested. However, the research problem remains open, as a systematic review of secondary sources revealed little knowledge of the topic under study, and each author’s study presents a new solution. The conclusion is that utilizing new foods and innovative production techniques that require less energy not only enhances production diversity but also improves its quality.

Investigating the nexus of energy consumption, economic growth and carbon emissions in selected african countries

The study is focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 8, and 13. At the nexus of energy consumption, economic growth, and carbon emissions, we investigated the interactive effect of energy consumption and economic growth on carbon emissions for seventeen selected African countries using static panel estimation techniques using annual data from 2000 to 2017. The result shows that an increase in energy consumption positively affects economic growth and negatively affects carbon emissions. However, the impact of energy consumption on economic growth is greater than its adverse environmental effect. We found that economic growth (due to the energy transition in Africa) reduces or dampens the negative effect of energy usage on the environment (indirectly, mitigating carbon emissions). A notable implication of our finding is that the transition to renewable energy is moderating the adverse effects of increasing energy consumption and economic growth on the environment. So, in applying the energy intensity theory to sub-Saharan Africa, a modification is proposed: carbon emissions are directly proportional to the amount of fossil fuel energy consumed per unit of output. We recommend the prioritization of economic growth and productive use of energy towards effectively reducing the negative impact of energy consumption on the environment. Future studies could consider increasing the number of countries, and, if data is available, an artificial intelligence experiment could be undertaken to check the reliability of previous results. We also suggest that future studies consider investigating the persistence of emissions using energy and growth as key independent and moderating variables.

Evaluation of Sustainability Supply Chain Performance in the Food Industry: A Case Study

Evaluating sustainability in the food supply chain has multiple benefits, including reducing environmental impact, meeting regulations, satisfying consumer demands, improving efficiency, and enhancing business reputation. This paper outlines a Sustainability Supply Chain Management (SSCM) framework using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to weigh Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). With 12 variables and 39 KPIs, the method involves data collection, performance measure selection, and analysis. KPIs with lower weight values highlight areas needing improvement, such as recycling costs, personnel expenses, sales responsiveness, eco-friendly labelling, distribution efficiency, green product development, recycled material usage, employee capabilities, product reputation, worker satisfaction, and stakeholder trust. Based on KPI weights, recommendations include prioritizing energy use in production and marketing, ensuring timely product delivery, maintaining product quality, streamlining production processes, focusing on energy efficiency, promoting eco-labelling, fostering eco-awareness, and advancing environmental technology.

A comprehensive analysis of biomass energy in India for agricultural and domestic use

Biomass is an abundant and renewable resource in India, with vast potential for use in energy production, agricultural applications, and waste management. The country has made significant strides in developing and utilizing biomass resources for various purposes in recent years. One of the primary uses of biomass in India is for energy production. Biomass fuels, such as wood chips, agricultural residues, and municipal waste, are used in rural areas for cooking and heating. Additionally, the government has implemented policies and initiatives to promote the use of biomass for electricity generation. Biomass-based power plants have been established nationwide, with a total installed capacity of over 9,000 MW. Biomass is also used in agricultural applications in India. The country is a major producer of sugarcane, and bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane processing, is commonly used as a feedstock for producing biofuels and biogas. Additionally, farmers are increasingly using biomass-based fertilizers and pesticides to improve soil health and reduce chemical inputs. Regarding waste management, biomass is a valuable resource for converting organic waste into useful products. Anaerobic digestion and composting are popular methods for treating organic waste, with the resulting biogas and compost being used for energy generation and agricultural applications, respectively. Overall, biomass is an essential resource for India, providing energy, supporting agriculture, and promoting sustainable waste management practices. With continued investment and innovation, biomass has the potential to play an even more significant role in the country's energy and agricultural sectors in the coming year.

Weather-Driven Complementarity between Daily Energy Demand at One Location and Renewable Supply at Another

Abstract In a future world where most of the energy must come from intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind or solar energy, it would be more efficient if, for each demand area, we could determine the locations for which the output of an energy source would naturally match the demand fluctuations from that area. In parallel, meteorological weather systems such as midlatitude cyclones are often organized in a way that naturally shapes where areas of greater energy need (e.g., regions with more cold air) are with respect to windier or sunnier areas, and these are generally not collocated. As a result, the best places to generate renewable energy may not be near consumption sites; these may be determined, however, by common meteorological patterns. Using data from a reanalysis of six decades of past weather, we determined the complementarity between different sources of energy as well as the relationships between renewable supply and demand at daily averaged time scales for several North American cities. In general, demand and solar power tend to be slightly positively correlated at nearby locations away from the Rocky Mountains; however, wind power often must be obtained from greater distances and at altitude for energy production to be better timed with consumption. Significance Statement Weather patterns such as high and low pressure systems shape where and when energy is needed for warming or cooling; they also shape how much renewable energy from winds and the sun can be produced. Hence, they determine the regions where more energy is likely to be available in periods of unusually high need for each demand location. Finding where those areas are may result in more timely renewable energy production in the future to help reduce fossil fuel use for energy production.

Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste—A Short Review

In recent years, growing environmental awareness, the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the energy crisis have led many countries to seek alternative energy sources. One of the most promising solutions is biogas production via anaerobic digestion (AD), whose substrate can be organic-rich and easily biodegradable food waste (FW). This waste is a significant part of the global waste problem, and its use for energy production is beneficial to both the environment and the economy. This paper presents important issues concerning the monitoring of the AD process, as well as standard and innovative, for the implementation of this process, technological solutions. The aim of the measures taken to optimise the process is to increase AD efficiency and obtain the highest possible methane content in biogas. Two approaches—pretreatment and anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD)—have been integral to the implementation of AD of food waste for years. They are presented in this paper based on a review of recent research developments. Pretreatment methods are discussed with particular emphasis on mechanical, chemical and biological methods. The AcoD of FW with different organic substrates has been extensively reviewed, as confirmed by numerous studies, where higher buffer capacity and optimum nutrient balance enhance the biogas/methane yields. Attention was also paid to the parameters, operating mode and configurations of anaerobic digesters, with a thorough analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. The article concludes with a brief presentation of the development perspectives for the discussed FW management method and recommendations.

Heterogeneous effects of energy productivity improvement on consumption-based carbon footprints in developed and developing countries: The relevance of improving institutional quality

Economic expansion often causes multifaceted damages to environmental well-being. Thus, the persistent degradation in the global environment has become a concerning issue for both developed and developing regions across the world. Against this backdrop, this study checks how the per capita carbon footprint figures of the developed Group of Seven (G7) and the developing Emerging Seven (E7) countries are influenced by energy productivity improvement, institutional quality, and other key macroeconomic factors. Considering annual data from 2000 to 2020, advanced panel data estimation techniques that are robust against data-related problems such as endogeneity, heterogeneous slope coefficients, and dependency among the cross-sectional units are utilized. Overall, the results certify that making productive use of energy reduces consumption-based carbon footprints in E7 countries but not in G7 countries. Besides, improving institutional quality is seen to not only reduce carbon footprints in both samples directly but also indirectly mediate and moderate the energy productivity-carbon footprint nexus in G7 and E7 countries, respectively. Moreover, financial globalization is observed to minimize carbon footprints in G7 countries while boosting them in E7 countries. Contrastingly, financial development is observed to homogeneously boost the carbon footprint levels of both G7 and E7 countries. Lastly, international trade is found not to influence the carbon footprint levels in both samples of countries. Therefore, taking these major findings into consideration, a set of policies apart from making optimal use of energy are recommended for inhibiting the consumption-based carbon footprint figures of the concerned countries.

Complex methodology for optimizing local energy supply and overall resilience of rural areas: A case study of Agrovoltaic system with Miscanthus x giganteus plantation within the energy community in the Czech Republic

The article presents a proposal for a comprehensive methodology designed to increase the energy self-sufficiency and overall resilience of rural areas. The methodology aims to maximize the synergy and economic benefit of the agrovoltaic system with the cultivation of the energy crop Miscanthus x giganteus and its use for energy production in CHP sources within the local energy community. Primary data from Miscanthus × giganteus cultivation from long-term field trials and commercial plantations and initial agrovoltaic experiments were used. The analysed data show the high resistance and adaptability of Miscanthus × giganteus to climate change and confirm its expected long-term high yields of around 15 t DM ha−1 y−1 with a Higher Heating Value of 17–19 GJ t−1. The application of the methodology to a case study in the Czech Republic shows a reduction in electricity consumption by more than 40% (2 GWh) and a reduction in thermal energy consumption by more than 15% (4 GWh). The technical-economic analysis shows the high potential, financial and non-financial benefits of local production of energy fuels from biomass as part of subsequent production and energy distribution in the agrovoltaic field.

An integrated framework for energy performance improvement in manufacturing: From mapping to optimization

Energy performance improvement in manufacturing is hindered by the lack of information on energy use in production and by the predominant economic vision in the assessment of energy interventions. This paper proposes a framework that integrates energy performance mapping with energy systems optimization. The framework introduces a new dimension to energy performance mapping by tracing energy use along processing and energy conversion steps and revisits multi-criteria assessments by assigning penalties to the energy performance gap with best practice. The suitability of food manufacturing for the application of the framework is exemplified from both a top-down and bottom-up perspective. More than 80% reductions in purchased energy carriers and non-renewable energy sources are achieved in a representative process through interventions coupling sector-specific manufacturing knowledge and energy expertise. With regard to one of the interventions, the introduction of the penalty is shown to shift the optimal solution, yielding more than 25% reductions in energy consumption compared to a purely economic assessment. The proposed framework can help industrial stakeholders identify improvement opportunities and develop more sustainable energy systems in manufacturing. Its widespread use can encourage poor performing companies to align with best practice and virtuous companies to continuous innovation to maintain their competitive advantage.

The effect of income inequality and economic growth on carbon dioxide emission

Most of the developing and emerging countries are focusing to increase economic growth, enhance the living standard of the people, and reduce income inequality. Increasing economic growth through the factors such as agriculture, energy use for production, and other related activities can harm the environment. Considering this situation, this study utilizes data from the Belt and Road Initiative countries for the period of 1999 and 2018 to explore the nexus between income inequality, agricultural value added, and carbon dioxide using two-step system GMM model. The findings of the study indicate that income inequality, economic growth, energy consumption, and agriculture significantly contribute to an increase in carbon emissions and a decrease in environmental quality. On the other hand, the findings also indicate that manufacturing and service industries significantly contribute to an improvement in environmental quality by reducing carbon emissions. The findings lend even more credence to the environmental Kuznets curve, but the results do not indicate that there is a strong relationship between income inequality and economic growth. The outcomes of this study have crucial policy implications for the sample countries to build environmental regulations.

A review on solar energy intensified biomass valorization and value-added products production: Practicability, challenges, techno economic and lifecycle assessment

Solar technology is a viable alternative which can be used in place of conventional energy sources. Conversion of biomass to valuable high-end products have also been touted as potential sources of energy which can replace conventional fossil fuel sources. The integration of solar energy in aiding the conversion of biomass to products seeks to completely transform the process into using renewable energy only, without aid of fossil fuel-based electricity. This review discusses the various applications of solar thermal energy and solar photovoltaic energy in various thermochemical processes like solar pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction and gasification. The use of solar energy in production of biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen and biomethane is elucidated on. The integration of all these process into a biorefinery aided by solar technology also has been briefly looked upon, with emphasis on the techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis of the biorefineries. Finally, opportunities and challenges regarding solar technology has been elucidated with respect to the bioprocess industry.