Technological Efficiency Improvements Research Articles

Regional disparities and dynamic evolution of suicide prevention and intervention efficiency in Japan.

This study investigates the cost-effectiveness of suicide prevention and intervention (SPI) efforts by prefectural governments in Japan. It represents the first application of a public sector efficiency evaluation model to assess government SPI initiatives. The research aims to identify spatial disparities and dynamic evaluation in SPI efficiency, providing actionable insights for policymakers. We employed a three-stage Modified Slacks-Based Measure of Super Efficiency to evaluate the SPI implementation efficiency of prefectural governments. This approach accounted for exogenous environmental and stochastic factors to isolate actual managerial efficiency. Additionally, the Luenberger productivity index was utilized to analyze the changes in SPI efficiency over time, focusing on the contributions of technological advancements and efficiency improvements. The analysis revealed significant spatial disparities in SPI efficiency across prefectural governments. However, a substantial portion of these differences was attributable to exogenous environmental and stochastic factors, indicating relatively limited variations in actual managerial efficiency. The Luenberger productivity index indicated an overall upward trend in SPI productivity, driven primarily by technical change. Conversely, the analysis highlighted a decline in efficiency changes, predominantly due to reduced scale efficiency. The findings underscore the importance of considering external environmental and stochastic factors when evaluating SPI efficiency. While technical advancements have positively influenced SPI productivity, policymakers should address the deteriorating trend in scale efficiency changes to ensure sustainable improvements in efficiency. Strategies that balance technical change and efficiency enhancements are essential for optimizing local SPI efforts.

A Study on the Exploration of the Development Process of Regenerative Applications of Energy Technologies in Industrial Warehouse Buildings: Bibliometric Research from 2004 to 2024

Due to the high energy consumption characteristics of industrial warehouse buildings, the demand for energy regeneration technology is increasingly urgent. In recent years, with the rapid development of building energy technology, warehouse building energy regeneration technology has made remarkable progress in energy conservation and sustainable development. A deep understanding of the previous research progress and trends can provide the scientific basis for guiding subsequent in-depth research. Through the bibliometric analysis of 145 journal articles collected from the Web of Science (WoS) database between 2004 and 2024, this research has studied the research trends and progress on the application of energy regeneration in industrial warehouse buildings. This study first revealed the overall development trend of energy regeneration technology in warehouse buildings through quantitative analysis, indicating that related research is growing rapidly. Core scholars in the field such as Lund H. and Mathiesen B.V., as well as major journals such as Energy and Sustainability, have been identified through the analysis of the literature. Five core research themes, including energy efficiency improvement and regeneration technology, renewable energy system design, life cycle sustainable technology, renewable energy utility assessment, and policy support and energy consumption simulation, were identified through cluster analysis. Through evolutionary analysis, this study demonstrates the development process of energy regeneration in warehouse buildings and the critical role played by advances in new energy technologies in the field of warehouse construction. On this basis, this study proposes current key research directions, including energy life cycle assessment, energy regeneration environment optimization, and energy system management. The research on the energy regeneration of warehouse buildings has gradually become an important cross-subject of architecture and energy technology, providing technical support for the transformation of low-carbon storage buildings. The analysis of the current research status, evolutionary logic, and research trends can provide scientific references for further in-depth research and technological applications in this field.

A Comprehensive Systematic Review of CO2 Reduction Technologies in China’s Iron and Steel Industry: Advancing Towards Carbon Neutrality

The iron and steel industry, a major energy consumer, faces significant pressure to reduce CO2 emissions. As the world’s largest steel producer, China must prioritize this sector to meet its carbon neutrality goals. This study provides a comprehensive review of various carbon reduction technologies to drive decarbonization in the steel industry. China’s iron and steel sector, which accounted for approximately 15% of the country’s total CO2 emissions in 2022, predominantly relies on coke and coal combustion. This study provides a comprehensive review of a variety of carbon reduction technologies to advance decarbonization in the iron and steel industry. This study categorizes carbon reduction technologies in the steel sector into low-carbon, zero-carbon, and negative-carbon technologies. Low-carbon technologies, which are the most widely implemented, are further divided into energy structure adjustment, material structure adjustment, energy efficiency improvement technologies, etc. This study specifically reviews dry quenching technology, high-scale pellet technology for blast furnace, and top pressure recovery turbine power generation technology. As a zero-carbon technology, hydrometallurgy is a central focus of this study and a key area of research within China’s iron and steel industry. While negative-carbon technologies are primarily centered around carbon capture, utilization technologies are still in early stages. By presenting the latest advancements, this study offers valuable insights and guidance to facilitate the iron and steel industry’s transition to a low-carbon future, crucial for mitigating global climate change.

Already at the minimum? Narratives of energy-use reduction in Finnish households

To combat the global problem of unsustainability, absolute reductions in energy use are needed, particularly in the Global North. There is an urgent need for a better understanding of the possible routes for reduction that go beyond abstracted technological solutions or efficiency improvements, as well as a need for a deeper insight into how the potential for reduction is currently framed. We use a citizen survey on perceptions of energy-use reduction as a means of exploring the perceived possibilities for reduction. Four ‘narratives of energy-use reduction’ that circulate among the public are identified: no reduction; price-enabled reduction; technology-enabled reduction; and competence-enabled reduction. We argue that these interlinking narratives are informative in understanding how change is understood amidst the bundle of practices related to energy-use reduction. They highlight the meanings related to energy use and allow us to explore the understandings of how the potential for energy-use reduction is positioned in society, particularly in regard to the notion of minimum consumption. Our findings are useful in providing a more nuanced understanding of the (de)constitution of energy use, and they contribute to identifying possibilities for steering energy use by providing insight into the general understandings of the current levels of energy use.

The impact of energy efficiency on ecological footprint in the presence of EKC: Evidence from G20 countries

Energy efficiency is the force behind economic growth that has a significant impact on the environment. This study investigated the impact of energy efficiency on ecological footprint by incorporating the environment Kuznets curve (EKC) model. Analysing data from G20 economies, the basic outcomes indicated that energy efficiency reduced ecological footprint and EKC is valid. Robustness test results validated the above conclusion. Institutional quality weakened the positive effect of energy efficiency on the environmental quality. Besides that, the mediation outcomes confirmed that energy efficiency leads to reduced fossil fuel consumption, thereby decreasing ecological pressure. When crossing the threshold value of the energy consumption structure, the parameter of energy efficiency underwent a transition from positive to negative. When the manufacturing proportion exceed a certain value, the influence of energy efficiency on ecological degradation was swift from negative to positive. By focusing on energy efficiency as an approach to address the ecological strain in the G20 economies, this research topic can serve as a springboard for policy conversations between researchers and governments. The study also proposed the following policy implications based on the findings: (1) governments should increase investments in energy efficiency improvement technologies; (2) policies should be strategically integrated to address a variety of concerns, including those related to the environment; and (3) energy and industrial structures should be upgraded to improve the environment.

Long-Term Forecast of Energy Demand towards a Sustainable Future in Renewable Energies Focused on Geothermal Energy in Peru (2020–2050): A LEAP Model Application

The present study aims to describe the potential sources of energy in Peru with the purpose of implementing them to achieve a sustainable system, taking advantage of the natural resources in the Peruvian land. To achieve this, three alternative scenarios have been defined and analyzed using the LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning) software [Software Version: 2020.1.112]. The scenarios are as follows: the first one, the Business-as-Usual scenario, is based on normal trends according to historical data and referencing projections made by Peruvian state entities; the second one is focused on Energy Efficiency, the highlighted characteristic is taking into consideration the efficient conditions in transmission and distribution of electric energy; and the third one, centered on Geothermal Energy, focused on the development of this type of energy source and prioritizing it. The primary purpose of this analysis is to identify the advantages and disadvantages inherent in each scenario in order to obtain the best out of each one. In this way, the intention is to propose solutions based on Peru’s national reality or possible uses of the country’s energy potential to supply its energy demand. Currently, Peru’s energy demand relies on fossil fuels, hydraulic, and thermal energy. However, there is the possibility of transforming this system into a sustainable one by strengthening existing and growing energy sources such as solar and wind energy and new technologies for hydraulic and thermal energy, in addition to considering geothermal energy as the main energy source in the third scenario. The new system mentioned satisfactorily indicates that the CO2 equivalent emissions decrease significantly in the third scenario, with a 15.8% reduction compared to the first scenario and a 9.7% reduction in comparison to the second. On the other hand, the second scenario shows a 5.6% decrease in CO2 emissions compared to the first, resulting from improvements in technology and energy efficiency without requiring significant modifications or considerable investments, as in the third scenario.

Effects of ignition methods and control parameters on the lean combustion performance and flame geometry of jet ignition based on constant-volume combustion chamber

Pre-chamber jet ignition provides one of the most reliable thermal efficiency improvement technologies for future gasoline engines, especially hybrid gasoline engines. The effects of jet ignition control parameters on the jet flame morphology and combustion characteristics are still unclear, for example, the fuel injection mass in the pre-chamber and the time interval between low-flow injection and ignition. The paper explored the effects of jet ignition stoichiometric and lean combustion performance on the flame propagation process of high-energy spark ignition, passive and active pre-chamber, using direct flame imaging in a constant-volume combustion chamber. The jet ignition performance under lean combustion conditions is further enhanced by optimizing the jet ignition control parameters. Based on the luminance characterization of the image, the active pre-chamber with additional low-flow injection can provide 281% of the ignition intensity equivalent to high-energy spark plug ignition. Increasing the fuel injection mass in the pre-chamber can improve heat release and enhance ignition performance. However, the jet ignition performance will drop sharply due to the too-rich pre-chamber gas mixture. Extending the mixing time interval after ignition will enrich the lean ambient mixture outside the pre-chamber and increase the ignition performance. Over-mixing will occur if the mixing time interval is too long, especially under a few injected fuel mass situations. The radial stretch coefficient of the jet flame is defined to characterize the flame geometry during the jet flame propagation process. The jet ignition performance reaches its best when the jet flame propagates at high speed in both radial and circumferential directions, namely a wide jet flame.

Exploration of the Application of Green Mining Technology in Coal Mines under the New Situation

This paper discusses the application of green mining technology in coal mines under the new situation, considering the environmental pressures and requirements for sustainable development faced by coal mining. Firstly, it introduces the definition and principles of green mining, along with its development history, and analyzes the importance of relevant policies and regulations. Subsequently, it analyzes the demands faced by coal mining under the new situation, including the relationship between environmental issues and sustainable development, the impact of new energy development on coal mines, and social demands and public opinion pressure. Furthermore, through application cases, it showcases the specific practices of green mining technology in coal mines, involving environmental protection technology, energy efficiency improvement technology, and green mining technology. When discussing the challenges and issues of technology application, it focuses on technical difficulties, economic feasibility, and human resources and training needs. Finally, it looks ahead to the prospects of green mining technology in coal mines, emphasizing the importance of sustainable development and proposing suggestions regarding technological innovation, policy support, and corporate responsibilities.

The Study of The Impact of Digital Finance on Corporate Green Investment

Green investment is an important way to strengthen pollution control and improve environmental quality. In recent years, in the rapid development of the economy at the same time, China is facing the serious problem of serious environmental pollution and lack of resources, change the mode of development, construction of a set of innovation, wisdom, high efficiency, green as one of the development model has become the future of China's enterprise development strategy of a major shift. In the future development of enterprises, green investment is a crucial part of breaking the traditional development model that has long relied excessively on high inputs, high pollution and high emissions, and shifting to a green and high-quality development model that relies more on technological advancement, efficiency improvement, and pollution and carbon reduction. Compared with traditional finance, digital finance expands the breadth and depth of financial development, and is a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and efficient mode of financial development, which may be able to become an important engine for corporate green investment.Based on the data of Chinese listed companies from 2011-2021, this paper studies the impact of digital finance development on corporate green investment. The empirical results show that digital finance significantly increases firms' green investment, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests.

Developing a Platform for Energy Efficiency Monitoring

This paper describes the R&D project that CIDISPGaya and WideSkills are developing in the field of renewable energies and the support of monitoring technologies for efficiency improvement. The aim of the project is to develop a prototype that enables a ubiquos access to a set of functionalities in a conventional and renewable energy facility.

Advancements in renewable energy sources (solar and geothermal): A brief review

This scientific article provides an in-depth review of recent advancements in renewable energy sources, examining their significance in addressing global energy challenges. The paper covers various types of renewable energy, including solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass, emphasizing technological developments, efficiency improvements, and environmental considerations. Additionally, the article discusses the current state of renewable energy adoption globally and its potential impact on reducing carbon emissions. The analysis integrates findings from recent studies and research papers to present a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of renewable energy technologies.

Lithium Battery Technologies for Improvement of Energy Efficiency

With the process of economic globalization and the continuous improvement of energy demand, the search for new energy with higher efficiency has become a hot spot of social concern. Lithium-ion battery (LIB), as the current battery system with the best comprehensive performance, has the characteristics of high specific energy, high cycle life, small size and lightweight, and has rapidly developed into a new generation of energy storage power supply for information technology, new energy vehicles, aerospace and other fields of power support. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of LIB is the most suitable choice in the current energy shortage. The core and key of LIB is the development and application of new lithium storage materials and electrolyte materials. This paper summarizes the research and application status of the main key materials of LIB. By analyzing the development status and existing problems of mainstream energy efficiency improvement technologies, it can be seen that the energy efficiency of LIB still has great room for improvement in the aspects of key materials and manufacturing technologies. At present, the research status of new anode materials and solid electrolytes is very active, and these technologies are expected to improve the energy efficiency, safety and reliability of lithium batteries. In the future, with more research and innovation, we can expect to see these technologies make even greater breakthroughs in the battery field, driving the development of electric mobility and renewable energy storage.

Modeling and stability analysis for autonomous surface manipulator systems

An Autonomous Surface Manipulator System (ASMS) is a versatile system with a robotic manipulator installed onto an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), which can bring important technological innovations and efficiency improvements to various ocean applications. To develop a high-performance ASMS, an accurate model of the ASMS is required. However, existing models have limitations, such as neglecting the dynamic coupling between manipulators and USVs and not being suitable for stability analysis of ASMS. Hence, this paper proposed a modeling method for ASMS considering the dynamic coupling between the manipulator and the USV and performed stability analysis of the ASMS with the proposed model. Firstly, a six-degree-of-freedom ASMS model is introduced using the Newton-Euler equations. Then, an ASMS prototype is developed to validate the model, with its parameters identified through experiments. Subsequently, the motions of the USV are measured and compared with the calculated values under various motions of the manipulator. The accuracy of the proposed ASMS model is validated by the calculated errors of maximum roll angles and stable roll angles of the USV, which are less than 2deg and 1.1deg, respectively. Finally, a stability indicator is proposed, and the stability of the ASMS is analyzed.

Analysis and Prediction of Energy, Environmental and Economic Potentials in the Iron and Steel Industry of China

The green and low-carbon transformation of the iron and steel industry stands as a pivotal cornerstone in the development of China. It is an inevitable trajectory guiding the future of industry. This study examined the energy consumption and carbon emission trends in the iron and steel industry. Variations under different scenarios were analyzed while emphasizing production control, changes in production structure and energy efficiency improvement. The analysis integrated the extreme energy efficiency model. This study proposed methods to enhance energy efficiency in the iron and steel industry. The costs of energy efficiency improvement and production structure changes were assessed using marginal energy saving and abatement cost curves. The findings showed that the carbon emission reduction contribution of crude steel production decline is the highest, while energy efficiency improvement technology offers the smallest, whose contribution, however, is substantial and cannot be overlooked by 2030. Energy efficiency improvement in the Chinese iron and steel industry results in an average unit energy saving and abatement cost of 27.0 yuan. It results in a total abatement cost of 21.02 billion yuan and a potential abatement of 780 Mt. Considering abatement potential, altering production structure offers significantly higher cumulative abatement compared to energy efficiency improvement technology. This is because the per unit abatement cost of production structure change is 702.7 yuan. However, this high cost poses a challenge to widespread adoption. The integration of the iron and steel industry into the carbon trading system necessitates reinforcing market constraints and expediting process adjustments. These steps are crucial to achieving the green and low-carbon transformation of the industry.

The induction effect: why the rebound effect is only half the story of technology's failure to achieve sustainability

The concept of the rebound effect is important in understanding the limits to how much technological efficiency improvements can reduce energy and resource consumption. However, due to the concept's focus on efficiency, it neglects other environmental implications of technological change. We use the term “induction effect” to grasp additional important mechanisms stemming from new technologies. We define an induction effect as an increase in the level of energy or resource consumption that was caused or enabled by the emergence of “new options” arising from technological change. Our investigation of three cases of new technologies - online consumption, smart homes, and pace of life - shows how including both rebound and induction effects into the analysis helps in understanding the relationship between technological change and energy and resource consumption. Integrating induction effects into the analysis underpins the importance of sufficiency as a strategy for sustainability and helps to develop comprehensive policy measures.

Is green growth happening? An empirical analysis of achieved versus Paris-compliant CO2–GDP decoupling in high-income countries

Scientists have raised concerns about whether high-income countries, with their high per-capita CO2 emissions, can decarbonise fast enough to meet their obligations under the Paris Agreement if they continue to pursue aggregate economic growth. Over the past decade, some countries have reduced their CO2 emissions while increasing their gross domestic product (absolute decoupling). Politicians and media have hailed this as green growth. In this empirical study, we aimed to assess whether these achievements are consistent with the Paris Agreement, and whether Paris-compliant decoupling is within reach. We developed and implemented a novel approach to assess whether decoupling achievements in high-income countries are consistent with the Paris climate and equity goals. We identified 11 high-income countries that achieved absolute decoupling between 2013 and 2019. We assessed the achieved consumption-based CO2 emission reductions and decoupling rates of these countries against Paris-compliant rates, defined here as rates consistent with national fair-shares of the remaining global carbon budgets for a 50% chance of limiting global warming to 1·5°C or 1·7°C (representing the lower [1·5°C] and upper [well below 2°C] bounds of the Paris target). The emission reductions that high-income countries achieved through absolute decoupling fall far short of Paris-compliant rates. At the achieved rates, these countries would on average take more than 220 years to reduce their emissions by 95%, emitting 27 times their remaining 1·5°C fair-shares in the process. To meet their 1·5°C fair-shares alongside continued economic growth, decoupling rates would on average need to increase by a factor of ten by 2025. The decoupling rates achieved in high-income countries are inadequate for meeting the climate and equity commitments of the Paris Agreement and cannot legitimately be considered green. If green is to be consistent with the Paris Agreement, then high-income countries have not achieved green growth, and are very unlikely to be able to achieve it in the future. To achieve Paris-compliant emission reductions, high-income countries will need to pursue post-growth demand-reduction strategies, reorienting the economy towards sufficiency, equity, and human wellbeing, while also accelerating technological change and efficiency improvements. None.

Decarbonizing ceramic industry: Technological routes and cost assessment

The ceramic industry is a primary contributor to carbon emissions, but its technological decarbonization routes remain underexamined. This article is one of the first to explore the decarbonization routes available to the ceramic industry in reducing carbon emissions and to assess the economic feasibility of these options. We considered 14 green technologies across four categories: energy substitution, energy efficiency improvement, material consumption reduction, and process improvement. We developed a methodological framework to evaluate the decarbonization potential and costs of these technologies through quantitative models and to construct a decarbonization route based on the evaluation results. Using Huida Group Co. Ltd., a world-leading ceramic manufacturer, as a case study, we identified technological decarbonization routes for the ceramic industry. Our findings showed that replacing coke oven gas with natural gas or green hydrogen results in the most significant carbon reduction. Considering the economic feasibility, energy efficiency improvement technologies, lightweight product design, and waste recycling are the most effective, reducing total emissions by 4.31%, 2.58%, and 1.83%, respectively, while also increasing profits. Clean energy and electrification are the most promising long-term decarbonization pathway. The use of green hydrogen in the firing process can reduce emissions by 30.10% with an added cost of 907.54CNY/t of products. This cost will be reduced to zero when the price of hydrogen is lower than 8.70 CNY/kgH2 and the price of carbon trading is higher than 500 CNY/tCO2. Finally, using an electric heater and microwave drying technique can reduce carbon emission by 6.09% and 12.23%, respectively, for producing one ton of ceramic products, when the emission factor of the power grid is 0.23 tCO2/MWh.

Path Optimization of Technological Innovation Efficiency Improvement in China’s High-Tech Industries Based on QCA and GA-PSO-BP Neural Network

Innovation is the main driving force to promote national technological progress. It is of great significance to explore the optimal path to improve innovation efficiency by using the qualitative method and neural network prediction model to promote the high-quality development of the national economy. This study focuses on high-tech industries in the eastern, central and western regions of China; a factor-dependent research framework for innovation efficiency improvement in high-tech industries is constructed in China. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method (QCA) is used to explore multiple paths to enhance the innovation efficiency of China’s high-tech industries. Then, a GA-PSO-BP neural network is used to construct an optimization model for the enhancement path of technological innovation efficiency, which clarifies the optimal path for the enhancement of innovation efficiency of high-tech industries in the eastern, central and western regions of China. Finally, innovation management strategies for high-tech industries are presented with regional features. The study finds that none of the individual conditions are necessary to promote the innovation efficiency of China’s high-tech industries, and only the linkage effect of the factors can achieve the goal of improving the innovation efficiency level of China’s high-tech industries. There are four configuration paths to improve the innovation efficiency of China’s high-tech industries, which are: “Multinational company (MNC) innovation—economic development—government support”; “MNC innovation—government support”; “economic development—government support”; and “economic development”. The characteristics of regional heterogeneity make differences in the optimal paths of innovation efficiency improvement in high-tech industries in eastern, central and western regions of China.

Synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation in the digital economy

Synergetic control of environmental pollution and carbon emissions (SCEPCE) is essential to green development. The emergence of the digital economy has become a significant component in regional economic growth. Investigating the digital driving mode for SCEPCE in developing countries is crucial. This paper empirically analyzes the effect of establishing big data comprehensive experimental areas (BDCEAs) on air pollutants and carbon emissions using panel data of prefecture-level cities from 2009 to 2020 and the time-varying difference-in-differences method. The research found that (1) BDCEA inhibits pollution and carbon emissions, and the policy effect is sustainable. (2) The synergistic effect is significant, particularly in small and medium-sized cities and old industrial-base cities. The benefit of reducing pollution is only significant in the east. The effect of reducing CO2 emissions is only significant in the west. (3) The pollution reduction effect of digital economic development has the characteristics of an increasing marginal effect, and the marginal effect of its carbon reduction effect is not apparent. (4) The technological innovation and energy efficiency improvement effects are effective mechanisms. This paper enriches the studies on the factors influencing SCEPCE, which will help to realize SCEPCE and the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in developing countries. However, policy incentives and green development strategies must be fine-tuned to achieve global SCEPCE.

Optimizing the sustainable energy transition: A case study on Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is a small island developing state (SIDS) with one of the largest emitters of CO2 per capita globally - linked to a reliance on oil and gas. With the country’s commitment to sustainable development goals and climate change agreements, rapid redesign of the national power sector is critical to promoting a sustainable energy transition. Our study examines the minimisation of electricity costs (LCOE) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGLC), using a mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP) across 5 scenarios describing the national power generation system. Our results show an LCOE of $USD 61.72 per MWh and GHGLC of 756 kgCO2eq per MWh, attributed to current take-or-pay Power Purchasing Agreements (PPA) aligned to Scenario 1 A. Coupled improvements in power generation technology and resource efficiency (Scenario 2), results in LCOE and GHGLC reductions of up to 40% ($USD 36.94 per MWh) and 24% (572 kgCO2eq per MWh), respectively. Furthermore, the incorporation of low carbon H2, MeOH and NH3 into the process system was deemed infeasible at current prices, despite potential avoided emissions when compared to local business-as-usual operations. Lastly, looking ahead to 2030 shows a general increase in LCOE of $USD 8.5 – 14 per MWh and GHGLC of 8 – 27 kgCO2eq, attributed to higher grid demand and natural gas prices. Thus, our results support the need for new policies linked to active decarbonisation within the national energy sector and removal of current legislation that discourages the application of low carbon technologies linked to sustainable development. Ultimately, through a multi-objective optimisation framework, our results highlight the value of systems-based planning and implementation in the sustainable energy transition across the Caribbean region, in accordance with sustainable development goals (SDGs).