Sustainable Energy Transition Research Articles

Unlocking carbon finance: Empowering energy communities for mutual benefit

This study investigates the potential of utilizing carbon credits to finance innovative local energy communities in Europe, addressing a significant gap in academic literature. Despite the growing interest in voluntary carbon credits as a mechanism for offsetting carbon emissions, there is limited evidence connecting local energy systems to voluntary carbon markets. The study explores whether carbon credits could serve as a practical tool for funding the development of energy communities, contributing to sustainable energy transitions and climate mitigation strategies. The research employs a comprehensive methodology to assess the quality of carbon credit projects and examines ten innovative energy community projects in Europe. Key findings reveal there is potential for using carbon credits to finance energy community initiatives. However, challenges persist, particularly regarding financing barriers and the volatile nature of carbon markets. The study underscores the importance of policy support in establishing clear standards for voluntary markets and promoting the accessibility of carbon offsets. Furthermore, it suggests potential solutions such as pre-financing agreements and the utilization of carbon market derivatives to enhance project viability. Overall, the study offers insights into the intersection between voluntary carbon markets and local energy initiatives, providing a foundation for further research and policy development in the field of local sustainable development and climate change mitigation.

Consumer Awareness and Willingness Level at Banlat Gas Stations Regarding Biofuel Act: Bases for Sustainable Energy Transition and Education Strategies

In the pursuit of sustainable energy practices, the study focuses on assessing the awareness and willingness of selected respondents at 11 well-known gas stations in Banlat regarding the Biofuel Act. Against the backdrop of global efforts to mitigate environmental impact and promote renewable energy sources, understanding consumer perspectives becomes paramount. This study aims to shed light on the intricate interplay between consumer awareness, demographic characteristics, and their willingness regarding the Biofuel Act. Using a quantitative research approach with 440 respondents sampled through quota sampling, the study examines the demographic profile (age, education, socio-economic status). Findings show most respondents are aged 23–44, with bachelor’s degrees, and from the lower-middle-income bracket. While awareness of the Biofuel Act is low ("Slightly Aware"), there's notable willingness ("Somewhat Willing") to support it. There's a weak relationship between demographic factors and awareness, except for education level, which has a moderate impact, suggesting higher education correlates with greater awareness. Similarly, demographic factors show weak correlation with willingness. These insights are crucial for policymakers and stakeholders to refine consumer education strategies and promote sustainable energy practices.

Towards High-Efficiency Buildings for Sustainable Energy Transition: Standardized Prefabricated Solutions for Roof Retrofitting

Enhancing energy efficiency in buildings plays a pivotal role in realizing the ambitious objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as outlined in the European Green Deal. Roofs represent the technical element most affected by energy phenomena related to heat transfer: in winter, roofing can lose up to 35% of heat, and the summer heat flux can even be higher. This paper provides a catalogue of optimized and sustainable solutions, with a specific focus on standardization and prefabrication principles, for enhancing the energy efficiency of the most prevalent types of roofs that characterize the national residential building heritage. The methodological approach that guided the research presented in this article was based on the identification and study of the most common roofings in the diverse national residential building heritage, followed by their classification according to their construction era. In the context of essential energy retrofitting of deteriorated residential building stock, 21 optimized standardized solutions have been identified. The outcome of performance evaluations of the proposed solutions allowed the implementation of a matrix that can be a valuable support for designers in selecting the most efficient precalculated and prefabricated solutions for the national residential building heritage based on energy performance and sustainability criteria.

Assessment of Solar-Biomass Hybrid Power System for Decarbonizing and Sustainable Energy Transition for Academic Building

A solar-biomass hybrid power system may be a feasible approach for decarbonizing and achieving a sustainable energy transition in an academic building. This cutting-edge technology generates clean, sustainable power by fusing the advantages of biomass and solar energy. The present research analyses and optimises a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University (located at 28°44' N and 77°06' E). Hybrid optimization model for electric renewable (HOMER) software is employed for simulation, and analysis primarily focuses on the techno-environomic assessment of the system. HRES is designed to fulfil daily energy consumption of 588 kWh at a peak load of 65kW. System generates 3,76,780 kWh of power every year. The cost of energy (COE) is ₹16.96 (US$ 0.207)/kWh and the gross net present cost (NPC) is ₹41,603,969.8 (US$ 5,07,737). Throughout lifetime (25 years), biomass gasifier and solar PV contribute 23.4% and 76.6% of the total energy production. Around 161 metric tons of CO2 is prevented from entering the atmosphere. Therefore, proposed HRES is technically consistent, dependable, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable.

Analyzing Crisis Dynamics: How metal-energy Markets influence green electricity investments

The world continues to face major economic challenges due to crises that have a considerable impact on energy consumption. Since the global energy crisis, energy commodity costs have risen, and economic slowdowns in various regions continue to influence electricity market trends.Clean energy markets, propelled by the growing interest of economic entities and investors, are now interconnected with several commodity markets. In this context, energy metals play a crucial role in influencing the dynamics of the clean energy and particularly electricity markets. This study takes a close look at the complex interconnections between clean energy indices and the metals market, focusing on volatility dynamics. Drawing on advanced methodologies, including the Diebold and Yilmaz method, we unveil the complex relationships that link these markets. Our results reveal distinct patterns and interactions, highlighting the nuanced nature of the connection between clean energy indices and metal prices. The insights revealed have significant implications for policymakers and investors seeking to align their strategies with sustainable energy transitions and ensure financial stability. By enhancing our understanding of the interdependencies between clean energy indices and metals markets, this research provides valuable guidance for navigating the changing clean energy investment landscape.

Decision-making dynamics in urban energy transition: A statistical analysis of policy frameworks, stakeholder collaboration and technological innovations

This research explores the intricate dynamics of decision-making in the context of urban energy transition, focusing on the interplay between policy frameworks, stakeholder collaboration, and technological innovations. The study makes three key contributions to the field. Firstly, it proposes an innovative approach to enhance market price prediction accuracy by integrating a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) model. Leveraging the Adaptive Bat Algorithm (ABA) for GAN parameter optimization, the model exhibits improved precision in forecasting electricity prices, thereby providing stakeholders with more reliable insights. Secondly, the research introduces optimized model parameters for efficient energy decision-making, employing the ABA to dynamically adapt GAN parameters. This adaptive process enhances the overall performance of the model, facilitating better-informed decisions for stakeholders in the energy sector. Lastly, the integration of the ABA for GAN parameter optimization contributes to informed decision-making by generating more accurate market price values. This precision empowers policymakers, utilities, and investors with reliable insights, facilitating the development and implementation of strategies aligned with the goals of sustainable and efficient urban energy transition. The research underscores the significance of accurate market price predictions in shaping a resilient and sustainable energy landscape.

Energy transitions across household distributions in northern India

This paper investigates sustainable household energy transitions including a reduction in kerosene lamp use and increases in solar home systems and solar lanterns. We use a large and detailed survey of around 9,000 households in northern India in 2015 and 2018. Our key analytical insights focus on inequality across economic and wealth distributions, including the lack of major distributional changes between the two survey waves. We find that a positive relationship between economic resources and solar home system use is driven by the upper end of economic distributions. Kerosene use is also substantially lower for the top of the economic distribution, especially in the 2018 survey. In contrast, economic resources have a weak relationship with solar lantern use. Future policies can be devised with reference to our results showing a more robust relationship between assets, rather than income, and household energy transitions. The stronger influence of assets is evident for a range of asset variables and for a composite wealth index which we construct. Detailed analysis of socio-economic distributions has value for informing policy attempts to target support to constrained households.

Bridging fiscal decentralization and circular economy for sustainable energy transition: an examination of BRICS economies in highly decentralized settings

Bridging fiscal decentralization and circular economy for sustainable energy transition: an examination of BRICS economies in highly decentralized settings

Analysis of Hydrogen Value Chain Events: Implications for Hydrogen Refueling Stations’ Safety

Renewable hydrogen is emerging as the key to a sustainable energy transition with multiple applications and uses. In the field of transport, in addition to fuel cell vehicles, it is necessary to develop an extensive network of hydrogen refueling stations (hereafter HRSs). The characteristics and properties of hydrogen make ensuring the safe operation of these facilities a crucial element for their successful deployment and implementation. This paper shows the outcomes of an analysis of hydrogen incidents and accidents considering their potential application to HRSs. For this purpose, the HIAD 2.0 was reviewed and a total of 224 events that could be repeated in any of the major industrial processes related to hydrogen refueling stations were analyzed. This analysis was carried out using a mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative techniques, considering the following hydrogen value chain: production, storage, delivery and industrial use. The results provide general information segmented by event frequency, damage classes and failure typology. The analysis shows the main processes of the value chain allow the identification of key aspects for the safety management of refueling facilities.

POLICY RECOMMENDATION FOR INTEGRATED SMART HEATING SYSTEM

In the context of the challenges posed by global climate change and the need for a sustainable energy transition, this study addresses the ways in which innovative strategies contribute to the formulation of public policies aimed at optimising heating systems. This research aims to identify solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to increase energy efficiency in the field of heating, essential aspects in achieving global sustainability goals to formulate policy recommendations for an integrated heating system. Adopting a mixed methodological approach, this analysis combines the literature review with a systematic examination of different initiatives and solutions adopted at the urban level to extract patterns of good practice and highlight relevant relationships and differences. The research emphasises the importance of the synergy between innovation, governance, and financing mechanisms in promoting sustainable and effective solutions. In the light of good practices and lessons learned from cities such as Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Vancouver, and Freiburg, the authors' contribution focuses on identifying governance strategies that facilitate the transition to optimised heating systems. These cities demonstrate how the implementation of well-designed public policies can act as a catalyst for the adoption of sustainable heating solutions, highlighting the essential role of public policy in mediating urban development needs and the effective implementation of sustainability initiatives. The research results show that adopting an integrated and participatory approach involving all relevant actors can speed up the adoption of more efficient heating systems with reduced environmental impact. This underlines the importance of adopting legislative and public policy frameworks that stimulate heating innovation and encourage collaboration between the public, private and community sectors. Beneficiaries of this research include policy makers, energy professionals, and the academic community, providing them with a solid foundation for the development and implementation of effective public policies. The study concludes that it is essential to develop public policy strategies that promote the adoption of sustainable heating solutions, based on lessons learned from cities that have successfully implemented such initiatives. Thus, progress towards a sustainable energy future can be accelerated, contributing significantly to global efforts to reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Sustainable energy transition in cities: A deep statistical prediction model for renewable energy sources management for low-carbon urban development

This study proposes a novel approach to sustainable energy transition in urban environments, focusing on the prediction and management of renewable energy outputs for low-carbon urban development. We introduce a new intelligent prediction model based on Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) Networks to forecast the output power of both tidal and biomass units. The GRU model, known for its capability in capturing sequential dependencies, is employed to enhance the accuracy of renewable energy predictions in the context of urban sustainability. To address the interpretability challenges inherent in complex deep learning models, we leverage LIME (Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations). By integrating LIME into our GRU-based prediction model, we enhance transparency and understandability. This approach facilitates the identification of key factors influencing predictions, providing stakeholders and decision-makers with valuable insights for effective sustainable energy management. The proposed hybrid model is applied to the digital model of real tidal and biomass sites in China, allowing for a statistical examination of renewable integration and energy management strategies. The results offer a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics between renewable energy sources and urban development, paving the way for informed decision-making in the pursuit of low-carbon and resilient cities. This research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable urban development by offering a robust statistical framework for renewable energy integration and management in urban environments.

Energy citizenship as people's perceived (collective) rights and responsibilities in a just and sustainable energy transition - scale development and validation

The concept of energy citizenship (i.e., “people's belief that they as individuals and as collectives have rights and responsibilities for a just and sustainable energy transition, and their motivation to act upon those rights and responsibilities” Hamann et al., 2023, p. 3) is central for achieving energy and climate goals by involving citizens in the energy transition. The European Commission therefore strives for policies and interventions to increase energy citizenship. Yet, a concise and practically useable scale to measure energy citizenship in individuals is still lacking. The aim of this paper is to develop and validate a scale to reliably measure people's level of energy citizenship. Based on a literature search and expert review, we developed an item pool that was narrowed down after a pre study (N = 51). We then tested the resulting scale in four empirical studies (including two preregistered studies) conducted in Austria and the Netherlands (overall N = 2705). We found support for the factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, and criterion validity. This scale enables quantitative assessment of energy citizenships and builds a base for evidence-based interventions and policies.

Sustainable energy transition in Bangladeshi academic buildings: A techno-economic analysis of photovoltaic-based net zero energy systems

Bangladesh faces challenges with global carbon emissions and energy security due to its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. This paper investigates the techno-economic viability of photovoltaic (PV) systems for achieving net-zero energy in academic buildings as a sustainable alternative. The study evaluates the performance of PV systems based on factors including annual energy production, capacity factor, net-zero energy potential, self-consumption/sufficiency ratio, renewable fraction, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), net present value (NPV), payback period, profitability index (PI), and carbon emission reduction. The results indicate that optimally sized PV systems can generate net positive energy: 6.18 MWh for universities, 4.04 MWh for high schools, and 3.62 MWh for primary schools. Economic viability was assessed under two billing methods (net metering and all energy buy/sell), and all cases showed positive NPV and PI values greater than 1. Decarbonization analysis revealed significant reductions in CO2 emissions: 2026.5 tons for universities, 18.9 tons for high schools, and 9.7 tons for primary schools. Finally, a sensitivity analysis assessed the optimal PV system size for seven other regions in Bangladesh. These findings suggest that the widespread adoption of PV systems in academic buildings can play a crucial role in achieving net-zero energy, contributing significantly to the government and policymakers' pursuit of sustainable development goals.

Innovations in supply chain management for sustainable energy transition: lessons from leading enterprises

Innovations in supply chain management for sustainable energy transition: lessons from leading enterprises

Towards informed decision-making: A comprehensive statistical study of economic and financing models for sustainable energy transition in urban environments

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to optimizing renewable energy allocation in urban environments. Our methodology integrates statistical economic modeling and decision-making techniques to address the complex challenges associated with renewable energy management. By employing stochastic programming and robust optimization, we optimize renewable energy allocation to minimize operational costs, reduce emissions, and enhance system reliability. Our analysis demonstrates significant reductions in operational costs (15.2%) and emissions (20.5% for NOx and 18.9% for CO2) compared to baseline scenarios. Moreover, our approach improves system reliability by reducing load shedding (25.1%) and enhancing overall system reliability (12.3%). These findings underscore the effectiveness of our proposed strategy in fostering economic, environmental, and operational sustainability in urban energy environments.

Promoting active citizen engagement in sustainable energy transitions: a co-creation approach

ABSTRACT The shift towards sustainable and decentralised energy production has encountered a notable gap between the need to establish energy communities and the existing technological and infrastructural basis provisions for their facilitation. A concerted effort is thus required to align capabilities with the requirements for fostering energy transitions. This paper introduces the ACeT method, a novel decision-making approach aimed at involving citizens in the context of sustainable energy transitions. The aim is to support the collaborative development of visions and roadmaps by citizens and regional/local authorities, who co-create strategies to mitigate broader societal impediments to the adoption of renewable energy. By addressing issues such as bureaucratic procedures, inequitable tariffs, and legal constraints, this approach offers valuable insights for stakeholders. Policymakers can further scrutinise and substantiate these insights and recommendations derived from this novel approach.

ASSESSMENT OF REANALYSIS DATA FOR SOLAR PV OUTPUT FORECASTING IN THE PHILIPPINES: CASE OF PANGASINAN, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, AND DAVAO DEL NORTE

Abstract. The sustainable energy transition in the Philippines requires accurate forecasting of solar PV output to optimize energy efficiency and grid management. While existing studies have emphasized the positive correlation between solar irradiance and PV production, this study aims to explore whether forecasting improves with the inclusion of weather data. This research conducts a comparative analysis between relying solely on solar irradiance against integrating various weather parameters to enhance solar PV output forecasting. The study focuses on three distinct locations (Pangasinan, Negros Occidental, and Davao Del Norte) and employs two models per each site: Model 1 (M1), which relies only on solar irradiance as predictors, and Model 2 (M2), which incorporates solar irradiance and weather parameters. Using Fifth Generation ECMWF Reanalysis (ERA5) Data, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is conducted on the significant weather parameters. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) with 5-fold nested cross-validation is applied for solar PV output forecasting. Models are assessed using Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and skill scores. Results showthat while solar irradiance alone suffices for predicting solar PV output in Negros Occidental, incorporating weather parameters improves forecasting accuracy in Davao Del Norte and Pangasinan. This paper recommends caution in generalizing the findings to different regions with varying weather patterns, as the forecasting performance of the models is influenced by data quality, specific location, and prevailing weather conditions.

3D Printed Microlattices of Transition Metal/Metal Oxides for Highly Stable and Efficient Water Splitting

AbstractDeveloping affordable electrocatalysts is crucial for driving the sustainable energy transition to green hydrogen. Here, a generalizable method known as polymer infusion additive manufacturing is reported for transforming 3D‐printed photopolymers into core–shell micro lattice electrodes for electrocatalytic water splitting with transition metal/metal oxides/carbon heterointerfaces. The optimized free‐standing architectures integrate Cu/CuOx on carbon (Cu/CuOx/C) microlattices, yielding high electrocatalytic activity (overpotential of 145 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 134 mV dec−1) and excellent durability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) (>100 h), surpassing state‐of‐the‐art Cu foams. Additionally, for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), Co/CoOx on carbon (Co/CoOx/C) microlattices display exceptional activity with the lowest overpotential (1.40 V to gain 10 mA cm−2) among all reported PGM‐free electrodes. The study explores the gas phase mass‐transport properties of these 3D microlattices via microscopic imaging of bubble evolution, finding that the outstanding electrocatalytic performance and long‐term stability of microlattice electrodes leverages their mesoscale (100–300 µm) pores, providing accessibility of electrolytes, maximizing utilization of active sites, and ensuring rapid evolution of gas bubbles. Thus, a simple but pioneering method is introduced for manufacturing 3D mesostructured electrocatalysts with deep control of liquid and gas phase mass‐transport, enhancing the efficacy of alkaline water electrolysis.

The role of green financing in enabling sustainable energy transition and economic development

The role of green financing in enabling sustainable energy transition and economic development

EMB3Rs: A game-changer tool to support waste heat recovery and reuse

At a time when European countries try to cope with escalating energy prices while decarbonizing their economies, waste heat recovery and reuse arises as part of the solution for sustainable energy transitions. The lack of appropriate assessment tools has been pointed out as one of the main barriers to the wider deployment of waste heat recovery projects and as a reason why its potential remains largely untapped.The EMB3Rs platform emerges as an online, open-source, comprehensive and novel tool that provides an integrated assessment of different types of waste heat recovery solutions, (e.g. internal or external) and comprises several analysis dimensions (e.g. physical, geographical, technical, market, and business models). It has been developed together with stakeholders, and tested in a number of representative contexts, covering both industrial and heat network applications. This has demonstrated the enormous potential of the tool in dealing with complex simulations, while delivering accurate results within a significantly lower time-frame than traditional analysis.The EMB3Rs tool removes important barriers such as analysis costs, time and complexity for the user, and aims at supporting a wider investment in waste heat recovery and reuse by providing an integrated estimation of the costs and benefits of such projects. This paper describes the tool and illustrates how it can be applied to help unlock the potential of waste heat recovery across European countries.