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Engineering and Decision Support for Sustainable Development

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 11620

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Christos Vlachokostas

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: sustainable management; energy resources; environmental engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Alexandra V. Michailidou

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Heat Transfer and Environmental Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: sustainable tourism; environmental engineering; environmental management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On a planet that is constantly changing, and in a society that is constantly evolving, applied engineering should be reshaped to consider modern global needs. Thus, in an extremely dynamic period for humanity, with evolution moving at a very fast pace, engineering science is required to adapt to global conditions.

The “Engineering and Decision Support for Sustainable Development” Special Issue calls for high-quality research papers that promote multi-disciplinary tools and techniques to robustly support decision making and solve practical problems towards sustainable development. Τhe issue covers an interdisciplinary area related to the sustainability characterization literature, since it delves into all aspects of the three pillars of sustainability: economy, society and environment. On this basis, the issue will usefully supplement currently available related literature.

Dr. Christos Vlachokostas
Dr. Alexandra V. Michailidou
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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 engineering practices and case studies
Sustainable energy engineering
Assessment methods/tools
Decision support systems
Policymaking

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 794 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Sustainability-Related Parameters and Decision Support Tools for Kinetic Green Façades

by Cansu Iraz Seyrek, Barbara Widera and Agata Woźniczka

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10313; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131810313 - 15 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2593

Abstract

Constant challenges, environmental threats, and rapid changes of living conditions on the earth make it necessary to seriously take up the topic of resilience and sustainability. The interdisciplinary and holistic approach is more important than ever before, and engineering science is required to adapt to global conditions. This article presents the results of research aimed at the identification of sustainability-related parameters for kinetic green façades in the preliminary design phase and evaluation of current decision support tools. The authors carried out the comparative analysis of existing decision support methods and tools for sustainable development, used in fields and disciplines such as architectural design, environmental engineering, and structural design. The particular focus of the research was on the preliminary concept design of kinetic green façades. Specific methods such as forecasting and backcasting linked to post-occupancy evaluation tools were also taken into account. Parametric modeling based on optimization algorithms was recognized as the most adequate method. As a result of the conducted research, the steps to be taken at the early design stage for sustainable façade design were identified based on the example of the innovative system of kinetic green façade. The first step is to determine the design criteria of the façade considering the factors related to climate, culture, environment, and special design requirements. In the next step, the design parameters of the façade system are defined depending on the aforementioned criteria. In the third step, system design and modeling are done. Finally, the performance of the façade system is evaluated. If the desired performance is not achieved, the designer returns to the 2nd and 3rd steps. These last three steps of the preliminary design stage of sustainable façade systems are critical since they allow us for the façade design optimization, which in turn has a significant influence on the whole building performance and sustainability parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering and Decision Support for Sustainable Development)

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21 pages, 1049 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Efforts towards and Challenges of Greece’s Post-Lignite Era: The Case of Megalopolis

by Vangelis Marinakis, Alexandros Flamos, Giorgos Stamtsis, Ioannis Georgizas, Yannis Maniatis and Haris Doukas

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10575; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su122410575 - 17 Dec 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3892

Abstract

Greece has historically been one of the most lignite-dependent countries in Europe, due to the abundant coal resources in the region of Western Macedonia and the municipality of Megalopolis, Arcadia (region of Peloponnese). However, a key part of the National Energy and Climate Plan is to gradually phase out the use of lignite, which includes the decommissioning of all existing lignite units by 2023, except the Ptolemaida V unit, which will be closed by 2028. This plan makes Greece a frontrunner among countries who intensively use lignite in energy production. In this context, this paper investigates the environmental, economic, and social state of Megalopolis and the related perspectives with regard to the energy transition, through the elaboration of a SWOT analysis, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the municipality of Megalopolis and the regional unit of Arcadia. The analysis is based on four main pillars, namely “clean energy”, “smart agricultural production”, “sustainable tourism”, and “other (e.g., industry, technology, and education)”. The integration of the “Energy Efficiency First” principle, the mitigation of household energy poverty (especially in a region with district heating installations), and collectively driven energy actions for engaging and empowering younger generations (e.g., in the form of next-generation energy communities) are among the solutions that are expected to have a significant contribution towards Megalopolis’ just energy transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering and Decision Support for Sustainable Development)

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15 pages, 1477 KiB

Open AccessConcept Paper

Closing the Loop Between Energy Production and Waste Management: A Conceptual Approach Towards Sustainable Development

by Christos Vlachokostas

Sustainability 2020, 12(15), 5995; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12155995 - 25 Jul 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4344

Abstract

Interactions between technological solutions for managing waste and energy supply chains are multilateral and can vary significantly, depending on multiple criteria and different characteristics. This concept paper puts forward a conceptual framework for sustainable development based on the notion of “intelligence” for Waste-to-Energy (WtE) strategies. The pillars of intelligence are defined and the quadruple helix model for energy transitions based on waste management is established. The “smart” nodes of a WtE supply chain management are analytically presented and discussed. Nevertheless, the intelligent notion for a supply chain cannot stand on its own. Systematical support of a participatory process is needed via Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and e-techniques to be promoted for collective facilitation and sustainable management. This process encompasses intelligent residents and professionals as producers of waste and smart managers to supervise the supply chain towards sustainable management of energy and waste resources. It is argued that the ICT participatory interface has a multiplying effect, especially when adopting the middle pathway approach in local and/or decentralized level towards smart energy production from waste. Innovative solutions to maximize waste efficiency through the collaborative power of ICT networks is critical to be deployed within local communities. These can be based on internet of things, big data, operational modeling, complex systems science, games and narratives, and social networks. The conceptual framework presented herein provides a basis for decision support towards sustainable development and interaction through a creative pathway of collaboration applicable to all the levels of potential synergies. Main conclusions and future challenges indicate that more research effort is required by the scientific community to leverage on the collaborative power of social networks and to efficiently apply ICT methods for adopting the “socially-oriented” middle pathway approach within communities’ empowerment. Only on this basis may the tale of two challenges have a happy end, both for energy transition and waste management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering and Decision Support for Sustainable Development)

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