Implementing Energy Conservation Research Articles

Dynamic pricing for perishable product in the presence of low-carbon preference

ABSTRACT As countries worldwide strive to implement energy conservation and emission reduction measures, modeling consumers’ low-carbon preferences and purchasing decisions has become a crucial factor in implementing dynamic pricing strategies for firms. This paper investigates the dynamic pricing problems for a single perishable product and substitutable perishable products, respectively, where consumer is affected by low-carbon preference. We first propose the decision framework of consumer choice with low-carbon preference based on the multinomial logit model. On this basis, we establish dynamic pricing models by the dynamic programming method and obtain the optimal pricing strategies. We analytically show that consumer’s low-carbon preference has a positive effect on the optimal price for a single perishable product. Meanwhile, numerical examples illustrate that consumer’s low-carbon preference has a positive effect on the optimal prices for substitutable perishable products. Finally, we give some suggestions to increase firm’s revenue when consumer’s low-carbon preference is present.

Adoption of Energy Conservation Practices and their Effects on the Performance of Kenyan Lodges and Camps

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess energy conservation practices implemented by lodges and camps in Kenya and to determine their effect on performance of Kenyan lodges and camps. 
 Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive correlation research design where data was collected from 294 lodge and camp managers in Kenya using self-administered questionnaires. Sample selection was through multistage sampling technique consisting of stratification, proportionate and simple random sampling. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis in SPSS. 
 Findings: Lodges and camps in Kenya mainly implemented energy conservation practices related to daylighting (M = 4.06, SD =.88) and use of renewable sources of energy (M = 4.02, SD =.87). Further results indicate that energy conservation practices (F [1, 292] = 124.76, p < .001, R2 = .30) significantly effected performance of Kenyan lodges and camps (β = .55, t = 11.17, p < .01). the findings imply that energy conservation practices accounts for 30% of the variation in performance of Kenyan lodges and camps.
 Recommendations: The current study makes theoretical and empirical contributions to eco-friendly practices and the performance of lodging facilities by providing insights into implementation of energy conservation practices, which seems to be lacking in the Kenyan context. As a result, the study recommends that lodging facilities should focus on implementing energy conservation practices, such as use of renewable sources of energy and installation of energy efficient systems in order to achieve positive performance ratings by stakeholders in the industry.

CO2 emissions change in Tianjin: The driving factors and the role of CCS

The environmental damage caused by the greenhouse effect is intensified by the continuous rise of carbon dioxide emissions. As a major industrial base in northern China, Tianjin has been emitting more carbon and thus faces a greater challenge to reduce its emissions. To meet the dual carbon goals of Tianjin, it is critical to identify influencing factors of carbon emissions and to find suitable technologies to effectively reduce emissions. In this study, the energy consumption data of Tianjin from 2005 to 2020 were analyzed via the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). The carbon emission driving factors were decomposed and the contributions of four primary factors, including energy structure, energy intensity, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and population to CO2 emissions of this region, were evaluated. The ideal characteristics of the oil reservoirs with low permeability and the suitable carbon dioxide sinks make carbon capture and storage(CCS) technology implementation feasible in Tianjin. Despite this, the effect of CCS technology on CO2 emissions in the future is still uncertain. Thus, the Bass model was firstly introduced to assess the future development trend of CCS technology and its capacity of CO2 emission reduction. The results revealed that energy intensity was the primary contribution to reducing carbon emissions, while GDP per capita was the main contributor to the overall increase of CO2 emissions in 2005–2020. The CCS technology diffusion process is fast, with rapid growth starting in 2030 and reaching growth saturation in 2040. According to the scenario analysis, CCS could make a substantial contribution of 2674.78× 104 tons per year after 2040 to the carbon emission reduction of Tianjin. Therefore, the implementation of energy conservation and emission reduction policies as well as the expansion of CCS projects are essential to ensure that Tianjin achieves its carbon neutrality goal by 2060. This study offers helpful guidance for other cities to forecast their carbon emission reduction trajectories and establish emission reduction strategies.

Urbanization, rural energy-poverty, and carbon emission: unveiling the pollution halo effect in 48 BRI countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a significant economic development strategy directed by China. Its primary objective is to establish connectivity across a vast region encompassing over 70 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa. This endeavor significantly impacts worldwide development, economic advancement, and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, insufficient pertinent evidence exists when exploring the correlation between urbanization, rural energy poverty (Rural_EP), and carbon emissions (CO2_Em) in the BRI region. The present study examines panel data encompassing 48 countries participating in BRI from 2001 to 2020. This research addresses existing gaps by employing the System-GMM and Driscoll and Kraay Standard Error (DKSE) models to investigate factors influencing CO2_Em. The findings indicate that the presence of energy poverty in rural areas is associated with higher levels of CO2_Em, while urbanization has a mitigating effect on such emissions. Furthermore, adopting production methods and environmentally sustainable technologies by foreign corporations leads to a decrease in CO2_Em, thereby providing evidence of a pollution halo effect in BRI. Moreover, economic growth and industrialization have detrimental environmental consequences, primarily through the amplification of CO2_Em. Based on the empirical evidence, the study proposes policy measures that advocate for promoting renewable energy sources, adopting sustainable urban development practices, implementing energy conservation strategies, and establishing carbon pricing mechanisms.

Efficiency Analysis using Economizer Alternative Energy in Boilers

Efficiency is one of the efforts in implementing energy conservation. Economizers are an alternative source of energy that can survive because of the potential for energy efficiency. Economizer equipment in producing electrical energy and steam produces less than 10-30% fuel needed for a conventional energy plant. The Economizer system that was assumed in this study, there was an increase in boiler efficiency with an Economizer system of 19%. As for the need for burning calories in the combustion chamber with an Economizer system of 46,868,200,68 kcal/hour compared to a system without an Economizer of 61.003.054,86 kcal/hour. Thus the fuel requirement will be less with an Economizer system of 7,735 kg/hour compared to a system without an Economizer of 10.069 kg/hour. So that the results obtained with the same ratio and type of fuel, there is a fuel efficiency of 2.334 kg/hour.

Influence of Hotel Green Energy Practices on Competitive Advantage of Hotels in Nyeri County, Kenya

The hotel industry is one of the major economic segments to achieving the Kenya Vision 2030. The hotel sector is a significant contributor to GDP and a source of employment for thousands of Kenyans. However, many hotels have relied much on the quality of products as an avenue to achieving competitive advantage, disregarding the role of green energy influence on competitive advantage in the hotel sector. This study aimed to determine the influence of green energy practices on the competitive advantage of tourist hotels in Nyeri County. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to guide the study. The study population was 170 tourist hotels and nine government officers concerned with tourism. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and interview schedules. A reliability test was employed to measure the questionnaire's consistency and adequacy by using the Cronbach alpha coefficient technique with only items of 0.70 and above selected. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. A p-value of 0. 005 determined the overall significance of the study. The study revealed that green energy conservation practices and competitive advantage are significantly and positively related (β= 0.838, p=0.000). The study found that every unit change in energy conservation practices leads to an increase in competitive advantage. The study concluded that green energy practices reduce hotel operation costs, leading to a competitive advantage. The study recommends that hotels consider implementing energy conservation practices and using renewable energy, such as solar power. Keywords: Green energy practices, Competitive advantage, Hotels, Nyeri County, Kenya   &nbsp

AUDIT ENERGI PADA BANGUNAN GEDUNG – STUDI KASUS PADA GEDUNG PERKANTORAN

Energy usage is constanly increasing with regard to technology invention, equipment number growth and people growth. So, we have to do energy conservation. The first step in energy conservation implementation is energy audit. By doing energy audit, we are able to identify energy saving potential in audit object. In this paper, we provide a study case of energy audit in office building in Indonesia performed on 2018. This office building has an area of approximately 1.120 m2 with Rp 10,889,658 of average of energy use per month. Energy audit had performed on electricity system, air conditioning system, lighting system dan energy management system. Energy usage profile had been identified and modeled using linear approximation so the main factor of energy usage can be known. Energy saving potential that can be obtained is about 2.358 kWh (30,45%) with Rp 2,431,359 of cost saving approximation per month or Rp 29,176,308 per year.

Study of the effect of regenerative heat transfer enhancement on the silicothermic reduction process

As the main process for industrialized production of crude magnesium, the silicothermic reduction technology has problems such as high energy consumption per ton of magnesium and serious pollution. Under the policy of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, the implementation of energy conservation and pollution reduction technology reform has become an urgent issue in the silicothermic reduction process. Although the thermal conductivity of the briquettes used for magnesium production is low, they will absorb a lot of heat during the reduction reaction. As a result, the heat cannot be transferred quickly enough for the chemical reaction endothermic, leading to a slow magnesium production reaction and low production efficiency. Therefore, in-depth study on the kinetic mechanism of the improved heat transfer coupled chemical reaction is required to decrease the production cycle and increase efficiency. In this work, the effect of filling the voids of briquettes with regenerative particles of different materials on heat transfer process was first studied by means of experiments. It has been discovered that as the thermal conductivity of the filling material increases, the heat transfer process is accelerated, but the endothermic behavior of the regenerative particles at room temperature during the heating process seriously affects the heat transfer to the briquettes. On this basis, the models of heat transfer and magnesium reduction kinetics were combined and the recycling technology of high temperature regenerative particles with different materials was studied by numerical calculation method. The findings demonstrate that the production cycles for filling aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and silicon nitride are reduced to 6, 4 and 1 h, respectively, at the initial temperature of 1373 K for the regenerative particles, compared with the 8 h of the traditional method. However, when the voids of the briquettes are filled with quartz sand with a thermal conductivity close to that of the briquettes, the period increases to more than 10 h. When the initial temperature of the filled regenerative particles decreases, the production cycle also increases. In industrial production, materials with high thermal conductivity should be selected as regenerative particles as far as possible on the basis of considering the cost, and thermal insulation measures should be taken to minimize the heat loss during the recycling of regenerative particles.

Assessment of latent energy storage systems for thermal management applications in hot and dry climatic condition

Currently, energy is the driving force behind almost everything and its demand is rapidly increasing, with a projected rise of 77 % by 2050. Amidst this, it is imperative to use the available energy more judiciously. Energy conservation and efficiency needs to be implemented in every domain of application. The use of passive measures can be utilized for implementing energy conservation. One such method is to use Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which has the potential to absorb enormous amounts of thermal energy by undergoing phase change. PCMs can be applied for refrigeration, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and thermal management applications. One of the drawbacks of PCM is their low thermal conductivity for which PCM enhancement is to be studied and implemented. The objective of this study is to discuss PCMs, their properties and potential applications for energy conservation and energy efficient operation. The study discusses heat transfer enhancement of PCMs using nanoparticle incorporation. It also assesses the potential energy savings that can be incurred with PCM implementation within building elements and efficiency improvement of solar photovoltaic panels. It is observed that PCM incorporation in buildings can result in heat transfer reduction by 50% and energy storage potential can be increased by 22%. It is also observed PCM implementation in PV panels increase their efficiency by 0.5–3% which is passive solution, with no auxiliary power input required.

Who Needs to Save Energy and Reduce Emissions? Perspective of Energy Misallocation and Economies of Scale.

With the rapid development of the economy, human survival and socio-economic development are facing the severe challenges of climate threats. Global warming is one of the greatest threats to human survival and political stability that has occurred in human history. The main factor causing global warming is the extensive use of energy; therefore, it is imperative to spend more effort in energy conservation and emission reduction. In this context, this paper provides a reference and basis for decision making on emission-reduction paths through the perspective of energy input misallocation and economies of scale of CO2 emissions. The results show that for cities with relatively low energy inputs, the impact of excessive energy input on CO2 emissions is stronger than the effect of the scale of energy input on reducing CO2 emissions. Therefore, these cities need to prioritize energy conservation and emission reduction. On the other hand, in cities with large energy inputs, the impact of the scale of energy input on reducing CO2 emissions is more significant than the effect of excessive energy input on CO2 emissions. Therefore, these areas should also focus on energy conservation and emission reduction. The results of this paper have theoretical value and practical significance for scientifically implementing energy conservation and emission reduction strategies, as well as reasonably planning energy conservation pathways.

A Rational Plan of Energy Performance Contracting in an Educational Building: A Case Study

Energy performance contracting (EPC) is the best solution for an educational building to implement energy conservation measures (ECMs) because of its high capital expenditure and operational expenditure needed for retrofit and maintenance. It is also considered a win–win mechanism for organising building energy efficiency retrofit projects. It aims to assist educational buildings in acquiring new high-efficiency equipment and maximising energy use reduction, as guaranteed by energy service company (ESCO). This study developed an EPC model using regression analysis, in which the inputs are based on the data collected during the preliminary energy audit in University A. As a result, with a quantum sharing ratio of 0.95/0.5 for ESCO/University A, the forecasted energy savings from the proposed ECMs, chiller optimisation and replacement, lighting retrofit, and energy management system are estimated to save 25.6% energy use, which reduces 5,672,057 kilowatt-hour (kWh) in electricity consumption; saves RM 2,762,291.76/year; carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation equal to 3,771,061.22 kgCO2/year; return of investment of 4.2 years with a 5% interest rate; and building energy intensity of 93.55 kWh/m2/year. A sensitivity analysis of various quantum sharing ratios found that the saving value of ESCO is inversely proportional to that of University A as the client when the quantum sharing ratio for the former is increasing.

Incentive Strategy for Energy Efficiency Programs in Industries Consuming 6 000 TOE/year with Sustainable Energy Performance

This study aims to obtain the incentives strategy that can increase the participation of energy users greater than or equal to 6000-TOE in fulfilling their obligations on energy conservation through energy management with Sustainable Energy Performance (SEP). Several steps need to be carried out. First, data collection on industries that must carry out energy management, and will be analyzed to determine the level of compliance of energy users. Second, ensure that already have carried out an energy-saving program with the SEP. Third, formulating incentive schemes for energy users. Fourth, the interest deduction for the company when they implement the SEP. The results show that only 10.25 % fully comply with the regulation, 36.89 % are partially compliant and 52.87 % are not compliant with energy management activities at all. For industries that have implemented energy conservation and SEP, several benefits are obtained, including capital expenditure (capex) savings when purchasing new imported equipment for creating another energy efficiency, by up to 30 % and incentives in the form of lowering interest rates by up to 4 %.

Energy Conservation Studies in an Air-Conditioning System of a Battery-Operated Electric Bus using CFD

Battery-Electric Buses (BEBs) are expensive compared to diesel buses and the biggest problem in the battery operated electric vehicle is always the range. The electric consumption is very high during extreme cold and extreme hot climates. Around the world, the developing economies are deploying BEBs on a large scale with the idea of sustainable green mobility. In this context it is required to reduce the energy consumption required for BEBs during extreme cold and hot weather. For this purpose, it is required to implement energy conservation procedures to prevent the heat entry and heat loss in the HVAC system of the BEBs. For simulating the transient effect of external solar load on the air-conditioning system of the vehicle, commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software is used. In this project, simulation of energy consumption in a BEB is carried out using ANSYS FLUENT software. An energy conservation parametric study with different types of glass and wall materials has been carried out. There is a reduction in energy consumption of 20.52 % when using hard-coated solar glass and 26.07 % reduction when polyethylene insulation is used.

Climate responsibility optimization model for the cooperative game between steel sector and consumer side in China

The implementation of energy conservation and emission reduction is significant for China's iron and steel sector. Currently, the carbon emission responsibility accounting method cannot reasonably classify steel enterprises' responsibility and does not effectively promote cooperative emission reduction between steel enterprises and the consumption side. The baseline value of the carbon emission responsibility accounting method is used for the cooperative emission reduction model of steel enterprises and the consumption side in this study. The carbon quota allocation among steel enterprises before and after cooperative emission reduction, as well as the one for cooperative emission reduction between enterprises and the consumption side, are optimized using the Shapley model of the cooperative game of benefit distribution. The research results show that: (1) the carbon emission responsibility obtained by enterprises that do not purchase outside coke is lower and that this is contrary to the goal of reducing carbon emissions, as it does not reduce the total amount of carbon emissions produced by enterprises and consumers. (2) The transfer of carbon emission responsibility from steel enterprises with high responsibility to those with low responsibility would result in cooperative emission reduction among steel enterprises, which could reduce the activeness and competitiveness of enterprises with low carbon emission responsibility. (3) The increased low carbon level λ of crude steel will minimize the overall amount of carbon emission responsibility shared by enterprises and the consumption side. Therefore, the mutual transfer of carbon emission responsibility between enterprises has less impact on the cooperation between enterprises and the consumption side to reduce emissions. However, the benefit of carbon emission responsibility will increase as both parties sell to the outside market.

Causality between energy consumption and economic growth in the presence of GDP threshold effect: Evidence from OECD countries

This study aims to investigate the threshold effect of GDP on the causality between GDP and energy consumption (EC), using panel data of 26 OECD countries over the period 1971–2014. Threshold regression technique is employed to explore whether there exists a threshold of GDP in the relationship between GDP and energy consumption and Granger causality testing procedure based on panel VECM is applied to test the causality across GDP regimes. The empirical results highlight the existence of GDP threshold in which the effects of GDP on energy consumption and the direction of the energy-growth causality depend on the initial value of GDP. When real GDP per capita is less than US$ 48,170, there exists unidirectional causality from EC to GDP in both the short and long run. However, when GDP exceeds US$ 48,170 per capita, there is no causality relationship in the short run but GDP is found to Granger cause EC in the long run. The findings urge for the attention of policymakers to take the initiative in implementing energy conservation policies when the economy reaches certain high levels of development and to switch energy policies appropriately in different periods of economic growth, to foster sustainable development.

The Energy Potential of Harvested Wood Fuel by Refugees in Northern Uganda.

For the last three decades, Uganda has lost considerable natural vegetation cover in the refugee settlements and buffer zones due to the high demand for wood fuel and timber. It is worthy to note that the supplies of wood fuel are more likely to dwindle in the near future. This study explored the determinants of harvested wood-fuel choices and their energy potential. It also examined the implemented energy conservation measures and constraints faced by the refugees both in Palorinya and Imvepi refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. The data were collected by conducting household interviews and collection of wood species samples for energy potential laboratory analysis. Findings indicate that the major sources of wood fuel were firewood, charcoal, briquettes, and biomass fuels. The major refugee choices that determined wood-fuel collection included the family size of the house hold, culture, method of cooking, type of food cooked, high poverty levels, and availability of family labour (P ≤ 0.05). The sampled wood tree species had the highest energy potential were Celtis durandii (5,837 kcal/kg), Parkinsonia aculeata (5,771 kcal/kg), Delonix regia (5,153 kcal/kg), and Bligihia unijugata (5,034 kcal/kg). Access to wood fuel by the households was mainly constrained by limited household income levels, long distances trekked, and inadequate awareness about wood fuel sources and availability. To conserve wood fuel, the refugees deploy several measures including the use of mobile solar gadgets for cooking and lighting, taking up agroforestry, use of briquettes, adoption of energy-saving cooking stoves, and establishment of new woodlots. Therefore, to reverse this trend, the Ugandan government and development partners should prioritise energy investments by supporting cheaper energy alternatives such as mobile solar gadgets and energy-saving cooking technologies, and establishment of woodlots.

Comparative lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and their reduction potential for typical petrochemical enterprises in China

Petrochemical enterprises have become a major source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet, due to the unavailability of basic data, there is still a lack of case studies to quantify GHG emissions and provide petrochemical enterprises with guidelines for implementing energy conservation and emission reduction strategies. Therefore, this study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis to estimate the GHG emissions of four typical petrochemical enterprises in China, using first-hand data, to determine possible emission reduction measures. The analytical data revealed that Dushanzi Petrochemical (DSP) has the highest GHG emission intensity (1.17 tons CO2e/ton), followed by Urumqi Petrochemical (UP) (1.08 tons CO2e/ton), Dalian Petrochemical (DLP) (average 0.58 tons CO2e/ton) and Karamay Petrochemical (KP) (average 0.50 tons CO2e/ton) over the whole life cycle. At the same time, GHG emissions during fossil fuel combustion were the largest contributor to the whole life cycle, accounting for about 77.31%–94.27% of the total emissions. In the fossil-fuel combustion phase, DSP had the highest unit GHG emissions (1.20 tons CO2e), followed by UP (0.89 tons CO2e). In the industrial production phase, DLP had the highest unit GHG emissions (average 0.13 tons CO2e/ton), followed by UP (0.10 tons CO2e/ton). During the torch burning phase, torch burning under accident conditions was the main source of GHG emissions. It is worth noting that the CO2 recovery stage has "negative value," indicating that it will bring some environmental benefits. Further scenario analysis shows that effective policies and advanced technologies can further reduce GHG emissions.

Spatial and temporal changes of the ecological footprint of China's resource-based cities in the process of urbanization

The development of resource-based cities is under the dual stress of negative externality and urbanization caused by resource exploitation. In order to investigate the pressure faced by China's resource-based cities, this paper took the ecological footprint model to estimate the ecological sustainability in the urbanization process of China's resource-based cities from 2010 to 2016 on different scales. The results show that, the per capita ecological footprint of resource-based cities at the national scale is generally on the rise, and on the regional scale, the per capita ecological footprint of northeast and eastern regions is on the decline, while that of central and western regions is on the rise. Resource-based cities at both the national and regional scales are in the state of ecological deficit, which indicating that the development of resource-based cities in China has exceeded the local biological capacity during the urbanization process from 2010 to 2016. Since the small biological capacity is the main reason for the ecological deficit of China's resource-based cities at the national scale, and the ecological deficit at the regional level is closely related to the natural and social conditions of local development as well as the continued urbanization. Therefore, it is suggested that the local government should formulate scientific and reasonable planning, strengthen the ecological improvement of land resource, change the way of land use, implement energy conservation and emission reduction and promote the sustainable development of resource-based cities.

Comparison of improving energy use and mitigating pollutant emissions from industrial and non-industrial activities: Evidence from a variable-specific productivity analysis framework

This paper seeks to account for differences in productivity of the industrial and non-industrial activities in the productivity analysis framework. The Luenberger productivity indicator is widely applied to analyze the productivity change, and can be decomposed as it follows the additive structure. But there have been few studies on sector operation performance and industrial structure involving both the industrial and non-industrial inputs, output and air pollutant emissions. Resorting on the China's province-level data on energy, output and air pollutants from 2006 to 2019, we find that the industrial SO2 emissions, energy consumption and NOX emissions are the major factors leading to sector operation inefficiency. By decomposing the operation performance indicator (OPI), we observe that contribution to productivity change by energy consumption, air pollutant emissions and output is higher than contribution by the non-industrial variables. Furthermore, technical progress offsets negative efficiency growth. In order to implement energy conservation, emissions reduction and industrial restructuring at the provincial level, China's government should take efforts to improve the efficiency of non-industrial energy consumption and support the development of cleaner industries.

What Position Should Indonesia Have in Placing Its Renewable Energy Development and Energy Transition Plan?

Indonesia’s energy face a situation of giddiness in deciding a transition that requires a much larger use of renewable energy, as the country is basically a fossil fuels one but in the other side it is demanded to contribute a bigger role in efforts to mitigate global climate change. Development of Indonesia's energy-environment policies, particularly on renewable energy is highlighted. International agreements on global climate change and Indonesia's participation are described. Foundations of the successful renewable energy development are emphasized. It recommends publishing a renewable energy law, establish regulation regarding renewable energy pricing, develop a carbon pricing system, establish organizational unit regarding energy-climate change, develop renewable energy technology, improve data quality dan grid intrconnection, implement energy conservation, encourage development of REBID and REBED.