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Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies
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Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2022) | Viewed by 22094

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Carlos Pozo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
LEPAMAP Research Group, University of Girona, C/Maria Aurèlia Capmany 61, 17003 Girona, Spain
Interests: mathematical programming; energy systems; sustainability; bioenergy; circular economy; carbon dioxide removal; planetary boundaries; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ángel Galán Martín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Interests: sustainable engineering; life cycle thinking; process systems engineering; energy systems design and optimization; carbon dioxide removal; bioenergy; energy transition

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

We are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on “Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies”. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which define a path toward sustainable development. The energy sector is at the heart of many of these SDGs such as providing “affordable and clean energy”, promoting “sustainable industry, innovation, and infrastructure” or “combating climate change”. Currently, the energy sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions due to the prevailing use of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation, but it is also responsible for significant impacts on other environmental categories that should not be neglected. Hence, designing sustainable energy systems making the best use of technological advances is a major challenge which calls for advanced tools to support the decision-making process. In this context, the combination of life cycle thinking with optimisation has emerged as a powerful tool to address different energy-related problems across multiples scales. It is our ambition to collect papers on this topic for this Special Issue. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

  • Modelling, simulation, and optimisation of energy systems
  • Economic, social and environmental impacts of energy systems and technologies
  • Demand-side management for smart grids, smart houses
  • Analysis and development of energy and environmental policies
  • Techno-economic and environmental assessment of energy storage options
  • Environmental protection technologies for energy production systems: carbon capture
  • Biomass supply chains design and analysis for bioenergy and biorefining
  • Electric vehicles: routing, efficiency, autonomy, power supply distribution
  • Techno-economic and environmental assessment of alternative biofuels and fuels for aviation and marine transport
  • The role of hydrogen technologies and fuel cells systems in the future energy paradigm
  • Simulation and optimisation of energy use in buildings

Dr. Carlos Pozo
Dr. Ángel Galán Martín
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable energy
  • optimization, modelling and simulation of energy systems
  • life cycle assessment
  • energy systems design, planning and operation
  • renewable energy systems
  • energy storage
  • energy efficiency
  • environmental policy and economics
  • hydrogen and fuel cell systems
  • fuels

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 4842 KiB  
Article
Application of the Navigational Air-Sea Methane Exchange Flux Observation System in the Qiongdongnan Basin of the Northern South China Sea
by Chao Zhong, Jing’an Lu, Dongju Kang and Qianyong Liang
Energies 2023, 16(1), 507; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16010507 - 02 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1113
Abstract
The sources and sinks of dissolved CH4 in offshore waters are becoming diversified with the rapid increase in human activities. The concentration and air–sea exchange flux of dissolved CH4 present new characteristics of more intense spatiotemporal evolution, and the contribution to [...] Read more.
The sources and sinks of dissolved CH4 in offshore waters are becoming diversified with the rapid increase in human activities. The concentration and air–sea exchange flux of dissolved CH4 present new characteristics of more intense spatiotemporal evolution, and the contribution to atmospheric CH4 continues to increase. Herein, a new model based on navigable air–sea exchange flux observations was proposed, which replaced the traditional station-based sampling analysis and testing method, realizing the synchronous measurement of methane in the atmosphere and surface seawater carried by ships. Based on the Marine Geological Survey project of the China Geological Survey, comprehensive environmental surveys were conducted in April 2018, September 2018, and June 2019 in the Qiongdongnan area in the northern part of the South China Sea, and the dissolved methane content in the sea surface atmosphere and surface seawaters in 2019 were simultaneously obtained. The methane exchange flux ranges of the southeastern sea area were calculated as −0.001~−0.0023 μmol·m−2·d−1 and −0.00164~−0.00395 μmol·m−2·d−1 by using the Liss and Merlivat formula (LM86), the Wanninkhof formula (W92), and the field-measured wind speed. The feasibility of the navigational air–sea methane exchange flux observation system was proven in a sea trial, and the measurement accuracy and observation efficiency of air-sea flux were improved with the designed system, providing a new technical means for further research on multiscale air–sea interactions and global climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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16 pages, 1069 KiB  
Article
Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in Nigeria: A Prospective Study
by Oluwaseun Nubi, Stephen Morse and Richard J. Murphy
Energies 2022, 15(23), 9173; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15239173 - 03 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2181
Abstract
Globally, rising population and rapid urbanisation have resulted in the dual issues of increased electricity demand and waste generation. These exacerbate diverse global problems, ranging from irregular electricity supply and inadequate waste management systems to water/air/soil pollution, climate change, etc. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) approaches [...] Read more.
Globally, rising population and rapid urbanisation have resulted in the dual issues of increased electricity demand and waste generation. These exacerbate diverse global problems, ranging from irregular electricity supply and inadequate waste management systems to water/air/soil pollution, climate change, etc. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) approaches have been proposed and developed to address simultaneously these two issues through energy recovery from waste. However, the variety of available waste materials and different WtE technologies make the choice of an appropriate technology challenging for decision-makers. The evaluation of the different WtE technologies in terms of their sustainability could provide a solid comparative base for strategic decision making in the power and waste management domains. This paper presents research conducted using a multidimensional Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) approach to estimate and compare the environmental, economic, and social impacts associated with the generation of electricity from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in two major cities, Lagos and Abuja, in Nigeria. These cities provide case studies in a developing world context to explore how their similarities and differences may influence the LCSA impacts for four WtE systems (Anaerobic Digestion, Incineration, Gasification, and Landfill Gas to Energy), and this is the first research of its kind. An LCSA ranking and scoring system and a muti-attribute value theory (MAVT) multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) were employed to evaluate the overall sustainability of the prospective use of WtE over a 20-year timeframe. The results from both approaches indicated that the adoption of WtE offered sustainability benefits for both cities, marginally more so for Lagos than Abuja. It was concluded that, for optimal benefits to be achieved, it is vital for decision-makers to think about the various trade-offs revealed by this type of analysis and the varying priorities of relevant stakeholders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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20 pages, 2038 KiB  
Article
The Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity Production in New York State from Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Systems
by Atif Ali, Theodore W. Koch, Timothy A. Volk, Robert W. Malmsheimer, Mark H. Eisenbies, Danielle Kloster, Tristan R. Brown, Nehan Naim and Obste Therasme
Energies 2022, 15(19), 7278; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15197278 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3708
Abstract
New York State’s (NYS) Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requires that 100% of the state’s electricity supply be greenhouse gas emissions-free by 2040 and that 6000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy must be installed in NYS by 2025. This study aims [...] Read more.
New York State’s (NYS) Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requires that 100% of the state’s electricity supply be greenhouse gas emissions-free by 2040 and that 6000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy must be installed in NYS by 2025. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact of electricity generation from New York State distributed solar photovoltaic systems. This cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) follows the International Standardization Organization (ISO) framework for LCA, including the goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. The study is based on operational data from 120 existing solar installations. Global Warming Potential varies substantially by site, with the minimum and maximum impact values varying from 25.2 to 88.5 gCO2eq/kWh, and with a mean of 45.6 gCO2eq/kWh. Regression analysis shows this range is attributable to differences in site location, capacity factor, and system design (i.e., monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels, area power ratio). Based on absolute percentage, the inclusion of the end-of-life process reduces the total environmental impact from 2% in Ozone Depletion to 16% in Acidification, indicating a positive impact of engaging in end-of-life management across all categories. This analysis can help policymakers understand the implications of the solar PV installation mandate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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32 pages, 4600 KiB  
Article
ENECO2Calc—A Modeling Tool for the Investigation of Energy Transition Paths toward Climate Neutrality within Municipalities
by Martin Hammerschmid, Johannes Konrad, Andreas Werner, Tom Popov and Stefan Müller
Energies 2022, 15(19), 7162; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15197162 - 29 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1492
Abstract
The paper focuses on developing an energy-modeling tool called ENECO2Calc, which allows the determination of current ecologic and economic footprints based on calculating the final energy demand within several sectors for municipalities. Furthermore, different energy transition paths until 2050 can be [...] Read more.
The paper focuses on developing an energy-modeling tool called ENECO2Calc, which allows the determination of current ecologic and economic footprints based on calculating the final energy demand within several sectors for municipalities. Furthermore, different energy transition paths until 2050 can be investigated and compared to the business-as-usual reference scenario. ENECO2Calc is the first municipality-based energy-modeling tool that allows the development of meaningful scenarios until 2050 by considering climate policy goals and RES potentials, and it involves the mobility emission forecast tool “PROVEM”. ENECO2Calc is exclusively based on consistent statistical datasets. Additionally, the energy-modeling process was demonstrated as exemplary for the Austrian municipality St. Margareten im Rosental. For the selected municipality, three different scenarios were investigated. It could be concluded that a mix of decentral RES technologies and central cogeneration units in the heat sector, a mix of solar PV and cogeneration units in the electricity sector, and the use of synthetic biofuels coupled with a higher share of electrification in the fuel sector seemed to be most promising in the considered region. ENECO2Calc is a helpful energy-modeling tool toward climate neutrality to support municipalities in developing appropriate economic and ecological footprint strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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21 pages, 415 KiB  
Article
Distributed Optimization of District Heating Networks Using Optimality Condition Decomposition
by Jona Maurer, Jochen Illerhaus, Pol Jané Soneira and Sören Hohmann
Energies 2022, 15(18), 6605; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15186605 - 09 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1202
Abstract
The optimal operation of District Heating Networks (DHNs) is a challenging task. Current or future optimal dispatch energy management systems attempt to optimize objectives, such as monetary cost minimization, emission reduction, or social welfare maximization. Typically, this requires highly nonlinear models and has [...] Read more.
The optimal operation of District Heating Networks (DHNs) is a challenging task. Current or future optimal dispatch energy management systems attempt to optimize objectives, such as monetary cost minimization, emission reduction, or social welfare maximization. Typically, this requires highly nonlinear models and has a substantial computational cost, especially for large DHNs. Consequently, it is difficult to solve the resulting nonlinear programming problem in real time. In particular, as typical applications allow for no more than several minutes of computation time. However, a distributed optimization approach may provide real time performance. Thereby, the solution of the central optimization problem is obtained by solving a set of small-scale, coupled optimization problems in parallel. At runtime, information is exchanged between the small-scale problems during the iterative solution procedure. A well-known approach of this class of distributed optimization algorithms is Optimality Condition Decomposition (OCD). Important advantages of this approach are the low amount of information exchange needed between the small-scale problems and that it does not require the tuning of parameters, which can be challenging. However, the DHNs model equation structure brings along many difficulties that hamper the application of the OCD approach. Simulation results demonstrate the applicability range of the presented method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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18 pages, 24305 KiB  
Article
Energy Minimisation in a Protected Cropping Facility Using Multi-Temperature Acquisition Points and Control of Ventilation Settings
by Premaratne Samaranayake, Chelsea Maier, Sachin Chavan, Weiguang Liang, Zhong-Hua Chen, David T. Tissue and Yi-Chen Lan
Energies 2021, 14(19), 6014; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14196014 - 22 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1631
Abstract
Energy management in protected cropping is critical due to the high cost of energy use in high-tech greenhouse facilities. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the optimal strategy to reduce cooling energy consumption, by regulating the settings (opening/closing) of either [...] Read more.
Energy management in protected cropping is critical due to the high cost of energy use in high-tech greenhouse facilities. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the optimal strategy to reduce cooling energy consumption, by regulating the settings (opening/closing) of either vents or curtains during the day, at the protected cropping facility at Western Sydney University. We measured daily changes in air temperature and energy consumption under four treatments (open/closed combinations of vents and shade screens) and developed an optimal cooling strategy for energy management using multi-temperature acquisition points at different heights within a greenhouse compartment. The optimal treatment (vents open/curtains closed) reduced energy load at the rooftop, thereby maintaining a desirable plant canopy temperature profile, and reducing cooling energy. Daily energy consumption was lowest for vents open/curtains closed (70.5 kWh) and highest for vents closed/curtains open (121 kWh). It was also found that delaying the operation of opening and closing of vents and curtains until the plant canopy temperature reached 25 °C reduced cooling energy consumption and decreased heating energy consumption in the morning (e.g., 08:00 to 10:00). The estimated savings of 1.83 kWh per 1 °C cooling between the optimal (vents open/curtains closed) and least optimal (vents closed/curtains open) conditions had the potential for significant energy savings at 494 kWh per °C over a crop cycle of nine months in warm weather conditions. However, selection of the optimal cooling strategy utilising control of vents and curtains must also account for the impact from other greenhouse environmental factors, including light, humidity, and CO2 concentration, which may be crop specific. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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17 pages, 4470 KiB  
Article
Performance Optimization of Solar-Assisted Heat Pump System for Water Heating Applications
by Chandan Swaroop Meena, Binju P Raj, Lohit Saini, Nehul Agarwal and Aritra Ghosh
Energies 2021, 14(12), 3534; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14123534 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3608
Abstract
The use of solar energy in water heating applications, such as in solar-assisted heat pump systems, has great benefits, such as reductions in heat transfer losses, control over incident solar heat, and generation of environmentally benign water heat. In the present study, we [...] Read more.
The use of solar energy in water heating applications, such as in solar-assisted heat pump systems, has great benefits, such as reductions in heat transfer losses, control over incident solar heat, and generation of environmentally benign water heat. In the present study, we performed parametric optimization based on an experimental model of a solar-assisted heat pump system for water heating (SAHPSWH) in the context of colder climatic regions receiving minimal solar radiation. Various parameters were investigated, such as the different glazing arrangements, the distances between fluid-circulating tubes, and the absorber sheet arrangement. The results showed that double glazing was more efficient than single glazing, with average COP values of 3.37 and 2.69, respectively, and with similar heat gain rates. When the evaporator tube was soldered below the absorber plate, the COP was 1.19 times greater than when the tube was soldered above the absorber plate. We also analyzed whether the collector efficiency factor F′ has an inverse relationship with the tube distance and a direct relationship with the absorber plate thickness. Through this experimental study, we verified that the SAHPSWH is reliable if designed judiciously. This promising energy-saving system is particularly suitable for areas abundant in solar radiation, such as in India, where the needs for space conditioning and water heating are constant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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18 pages, 11655 KiB  
Article
Efficient Control of DC Microgrid with Hybrid PV—Fuel Cell and Energy Storage Systems
by Subramanian Vasantharaj, Vairavasundaram Indragandhi, Vairavasundaram Subramaniyaswamy, Yuvaraja Teekaraman, Ramya Kuppusamy and Srete Nikolovski
Energies 2021, 14(11), 3234; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14113234 - 01 Jun 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4095
Abstract
Direct current microgrids are attaining attractiveness due to their simpler configuration and high-energy efficiency. Power transmission losses are also reduced since distributed energy resources (DERs) are located near the load. DERs such as solar panels and fuel cells produce the DC supply; hence, [...] Read more.
Direct current microgrids are attaining attractiveness due to their simpler configuration and high-energy efficiency. Power transmission losses are also reduced since distributed energy resources (DERs) are located near the load. DERs such as solar panels and fuel cells produce the DC supply; hence, the system is more stable and reliable. DC microgrid has a higher power efficiency than AC microgrid. Energy storage systems that are easier to integrate may provide additional benefits. In this paper, the DC micro-grid consists of solar photovoltaic and fuel cell for power generation, proposes a hybrid energy storage system that includes a supercapacitor and lithium–ion battery for the better improvement of power capability in the energy storage system. The main objective of this research work has been done for the enhanced settling point and voltage stability with the help of different maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods. Different control techniques such as fuzzy logic controller, neural network, and particle swarm optimization are used to evaluate PV and FC through DC–DC boost converters for this enhanced settling point. When the test results are perceived, it is evidently attained that the fuzzy MPPT method provides an increase in the tracking capability of maximum power point and at the same time reduces steady-state oscillations. In addition, the time to capture the maximum power point is 0.035 s. It is about nearly two times faster than neural network controllers and eighteen times faster than for PSO, and it has also been discovered that the preferred approach is faster compared to other control methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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9 pages, 2595 KiB  
Article
Thermal Analysis of Energy Storage Capacity According to Thickness of Nickel/Chromium Alloy Layer
by Yonghyeon Kim, Hyeokjoo Choi, Seokhun Kwon, Seokwon Lee, Hyunil Kang and Wonseok Choi
Energies 2021, 14(11), 3217; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14113217 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1766
Abstract
This paper examines a microconstruction consisting of nickel (Ni)/chromium (Cr) alloy thin-film. The total length of the microconstruction was 28 mm, the width was 0.2 mm, and the height was designed to be 1 μm. A thin-film of Ni/Cr alloy was co-sputtered on [...] Read more.
This paper examines a microconstruction consisting of nickel (Ni)/chromium (Cr) alloy thin-film. The total length of the microconstruction was 28 mm, the width was 0.2 mm, and the height was designed to be 1 μm. A thin-film of Ni/Cr alloy was co-sputtered on a silicon dioxide wafer patterned with photoresist via a RF magnetron sputtering system. The RF power ratios applied to the 4 inch target of Ni and Cr were 300 W:100 W (3:1), 300 W:150 W (2:1), and 150 W:150 W (1:1). The electrical resistance of the manufactured microconstruction was calculated and measured through Hall measurements. The temperature generated by applying 1–10 V to the microconstruction electrode was observed by using an infrared camera, and was summarized using a linear equation according to the power applied to each sample. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Assessment and Optimization of Energy Systems and Technologies)
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