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Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES 2021)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 14892

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A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Cities Research Institute & Australian Rivers Institute Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia
Interests: water quality monitoring and modelling; water treatment optimisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environmental Systems, is dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of methods, policies, and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from the use of natural resources and by transitioning to a knowledge-based economy by considering all the economic, environmental, and social pillars of sustainable development.

One of the main challenges of the coming decades is to improve efficiency by integrating various life-supporting systems, using the excess from one as a resource for another at the correct moment. Integrating electricity, heating, cooling, transport, water, buildings, waste, wastewater, industry, forestry, and agriculture systems will be pivotal towards sustainable development. To make efficiency improvements happen, the political aspects of sustainable development need to be considered as well, thus implying the need for taking account of, among others, sustainable development goals, resource and political security, long term planning, the role of political leaders and voters, energy democracy, and community and citizen participation in the energy transition.

Sustainability is also a perfect field for interdisciplinary and multi-cultural evaluation of complex systems. Taking all of this into consideration, this Special Issue is meant to provide an opportunity for researchers in a wide range of areas to originate, discuss, share, and disseminate new ideas.

Prof. Dr. Oz Sahin
Dr. Edoardo Bertone 
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

  • sustainability comparisons and measurements
  • green economy and better governance
  • sustainable resilience of systems
  • environmental policy and management
  • energy policy
  • energy systems
  • renewable energy sources
  • waste and wastewater treatment
  • water-energy nexus
  • energy and water efficiency

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 190 KiB  
Editorial
Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES)
by Oz Sahin and Edoardo Bertone
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14184; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142114184 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1087
Abstract
Earth’s natural systems provide essential resources such as water, food, energy, and materials that we all are dependent upon [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 919 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Petroleum Investment Environment in African Oil-Producing Countries Based on Combination Weighting and Uncertainty Measure Theory
by Hujun He, Wei Li, Rui Xing and Yichen Zhao
Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 5882; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14105882 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1582
Abstract
Recognizing that the evaluation of the overseas petroleum investment environment is affected by many uncertain factors and that there are problems with current evaluation methods, this paper proposes a mathematical evaluation model of an overseas oil resources investment environment, based on a combination [...] Read more.
Recognizing that the evaluation of the overseas petroleum investment environment is affected by many uncertain factors and that there are problems with current evaluation methods, this paper proposes a mathematical evaluation model of an overseas oil resources investment environment, based on a combination of the weighting and uncertainty measure theory. Combining international investment environment theory with the characteristics of the petroleum industry, this paper establishes an evaluation index system for the overseas petroleum investment environment and the linear uncertainty measure function of each index. Using the subjective weight obtained using an analytic hierarchy process together with the objective weight obtained using the entropy weight method, the optimal weight of each evaluation index was obtained using minimum relative information entropy. A multi-index evaluation matrix of the top 12 oil-producing countries in Africa was calculated. Finally, the credible degree recognition criterion was used to judge the order and level of the oil investment environment. This model provides an effective method for the evaluation of the overseas petroleum investment environment. The results show that Nigeria and Angola have the best investment climate, followed by Algeria, Egypt, and Libya. In general, Africa is an important strategic partner of China and is rich in oil resources. Although Africa’s oil industry is fraught with complex challenges and headwinds, challenges also present opportunities. Full article
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29 pages, 6181 KiB  
Article
Towards Energy-Positive Buildings through a Quality-Matched Energy Flow Strategy
by Nick Novelli, Justin S. Shultz, Mohamed Aly Etman, Kenton Phillips, Jason O. Vollen, Michael Jensen and Anna Dyson
Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4275; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14074275 - 04 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1952
Abstract
Current strategies for net-zero buildings favor envelopes with minimized aperture ratios and limiting of solar gains through reduced glazing transmittance and emissivity. This load-reduction approach precludes strategies that maximize on-site collection of solar energy, which could increase opportunities for net-zero electricity projects. To [...] Read more.
Current strategies for net-zero buildings favor envelopes with minimized aperture ratios and limiting of solar gains through reduced glazing transmittance and emissivity. This load-reduction approach precludes strategies that maximize on-site collection of solar energy, which could increase opportunities for net-zero electricity projects. To better leverage solar resources, a whole-building strategy is proposed, referred to as “Quality-Matched Energy Flows” (or Q-MEF): capturing, transforming, buffering, and transferring irradiance on a building’s envelope—and energy derived from it—into distributed end-uses. A mid-scale commercial building was modeled in three climates with a novel Building-Integrated, Transparent, Concentrating Photovoltaic and Thermal fenestration technology (BITCoPT), thermal storage and circulation at three temperature ranges, adsorption chillers, and auxiliary heat pumps. BITCoPT generated electricity and collected thermal energy at high efficiencies while transmitting diffuse light and mitigating excess gains and illuminance. The balance of systems satisfied cooling and heating demands. Relative to baselines with similar glazing ratios, net electricity use decreased 71% in a continental climate and 100% or more in hot-arid and subtropical-moderate climates. Total EUI decreased 35%, 83%, and 52%, and peak purchased electrical demands decreased up to 6%, 32%, and 20%, respectively (with no provisions for on-site electrical storage). Decreases in utility services costs were also noted. These results suggest that with further development of electrification the Q-MEF strategy could contribute to energy-positive behavior for projects with similar typology and climate profiles. Full article
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12 pages, 2487 KiB  
Article
Development of a Bio-Digital Interface Powered by Microbial Fuel Cells
by Jiseon You, Arjuna Mendis, John Greenman, Julie Freeman, Stephen Wolff, Rachel Armstrong, Rolf Hughes and Ioannis A. Ieropoulos
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1735; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031735 - 02 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1727
Abstract
This paper reports the first relatable bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that was developed to inform the public and introduce the concept of using live microbes as waste processors within our homes and cities. An innovative design for the MFC [...] Read more.
This paper reports the first relatable bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that was developed to inform the public and introduce the concept of using live microbes as waste processors within our homes and cities. An innovative design for the MFC and peripherals system was built as a digital data generator and bioreactor, with a custom-built energy-harvesting controller that was connected to the system to enable efficient system operation using adaptive dynamic cell reconfiguration and transmit data for the bio-digital interface. This system has accomplished multiple (parallel) tasks such as electricity generation, wastewater treatment and autonomous operation. Moreover, the controller demonstrated that microbial behaviour and consequent system operation can benefit from smart algorithms. In addition to these technical achievements, the bio-digital interface is a site for the production of digital art that aims to gain acceptance from a wider-interest community and potential audiences by showcasing the capabilities of living microorganisms in the context of green technologies. Full article
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11 pages, 3073 KiB  
Article
Influence of Temperature and Lignin Concentration on Formation of Colloidal Lignin Particles in Solvent-Shifting Precipitation
by Johannes Adamcyk, Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Stefan Beisl, Martin Miltner and Anton Friedl
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1219; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031219 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1680
Abstract
Colloidal lignin particles offer a promising route towards material applications of lignin. While many parameters influencing the formation of these particles in solvent-shifting precipitation have been studied, only a small amount of research on the influence of temperature has been conducted so far, [...] Read more.
Colloidal lignin particles offer a promising route towards material applications of lignin. While many parameters influencing the formation of these particles in solvent-shifting precipitation have been studied, only a small amount of research on the influence of temperature has been conducted so far, despite it being a major influence parameter in the precipitation of colloidal lignin particles. Temperature influences various other relevant properties, such as viscosity, density, and lignin solubility. This makes investigation of both temperature and lignin concentration in combination interesting. The present work investigates the precipitation at different temperatures and initial lignin concentrations, revealing that an increased mixing temperature results in smaller particle sizes, while the yield is slightly lowered. This effect was strongest at the highest lignin concentration, lowering the hydrodynamic diameter of the particles from 205 to 168 nm. Decreasing the lignin concentration resulted in significantly smaller particles (from 205 to 121 nm at 20 °C mixing temperature) but almost no change in particle yield (between 81.2 and 84.6% at 20 °C mixing temperature). This opens up possibilities for the process control and optimization of lignin precipitation. Full article
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18 pages, 862 KiB  
Article
Recovery of Salts from Synthetic Erythritol Culture Broth via Electrodialysis: An Alternative Strategy from the Bin to the Loop
by Laura Daza-Serna, Katarina Knežević, Norbert Kreuzinger, Astrid Rosa Mach-Aigner, Robert Ludwig Mach, Jörg Krampe and Anton Friedl
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 734; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14020734 - 10 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1874
Abstract
Sustainability and circularity are currently two relevant drivers in the development and optimisation of industrial processes. This study assessed the use of electrodialysis (ED) to purify synthetic erythritol culture broth and for the recovery of the salts in solution, for minimising the generation [...] Read more.
Sustainability and circularity are currently two relevant drivers in the development and optimisation of industrial processes. This study assessed the use of electrodialysis (ED) to purify synthetic erythritol culture broth and for the recovery of the salts in solution, for minimising the generation of waste by representing an efficient alternative to remove ions, ensuring their recovery process contributing to reaching cleaner standards in erythritol production. Removal and recovery of ions was evaluated for synthetic erythritol culture broth at three different levels of complexity using a stepwise voltage in the experimental settings. ED was demonstrated to be a potential technology removing between 91.7–99.0% of ions from the synthetic culture broth, with 49–54% current efficiency. Besides this, further recovery of ions into the concentrated fraction was accomplished. The anions and cations were recovered in a second fraction reaching concentration factors between 1.5 to 2.5 times while observing low level of erythritol losses (<2%), with an energy consumption of 4.10 kWh/m3. Full article
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14 pages, 1504 KiB  
Article
Effect of Anaerobic Digestate on the Fatty Acid Profile and Biodiesel Properties of Chlorella sorokiniana Grown Heterotrophically
by George Papapolymerou, Athanasios Kokkalis, Dorothea Kasiteropoulou, Nikolaos Gougoulias, Anastasios Mpesios, Aikaterini Papadopoulou, Maria N. Metsoviti and Xenofon Spiliotis
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 561; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010561 - 05 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1819
Abstract
The growth kinetics and the lipid and protein content of the microalgal species Chlorella sorokiniana (CS) grown heterotrophically in growth media containing glycerol and increasing amounts of anaerobic digestate (AD) equal to 0%, 15%, 30%, and 50% was studied. The effect of the [...] Read more.
The growth kinetics and the lipid and protein content of the microalgal species Chlorella sorokiniana (CS) grown heterotrophically in growth media containing glycerol and increasing amounts of anaerobic digestate (AD) equal to 0%, 15%, 30%, and 50% was studied. The effect of the AD on the fatty acid (FA) distribution of the bio-oil extracted from the CS, as well as on the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) properties such as the saponification number (SN), the iodine value (IV), the cetane number (CN), and the higher heating value (HHV) was also estimated. The percentage of AD in the growth medium affects the rate of carbon uptake. The maximum carbon uptake rate occurs at about 30% AD. Protein and lipid content ranged from 32.3–38.4% and 18.1–23.1%, respectively. Fatty acid distribution ranged from C10 to C26. In all AD percentages the predominant fatty acids were the medium chain FA C16 to C18 constituting up to about 89% of the total FA at 0% AD and 15% AD and up to about 54% of the total FA at 30% AD and 50% AD. With respect to unsaturation, monounsaturated FA (MUFA) were predominant, up to 56%, while significant percentages, up to about 38%, of saturated FA (SFA) were also produced. The SN, IV, CN, and HHV ranged from 198.5–208.3 mg KOH/g FA, 74.5–93.1 g I/100 g FAME, 52.7–56.1, and 39.7–40.0 MJ/kg, respectively. The results showed that with increasing AD percentage, the CN values tend to increase, while decrease in IV leads to biofuel with better ignition quality. Full article
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13 pages, 2503 KiB  
Article
Integral Analysis of Liquid-Hot-Water Pretreatment of Wheat Straw: Evaluation of the Production of Sugars, Degradation Products, and Lignin
by Sebastian Serna-Loaiza, Manuel Dias, Laura Daza-Serna, Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho and Anton Friedl
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 362; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010362 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2057
Abstract
Developing sustainable biorefineries is an urgent matter to support the transition to a sustainable society. Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a crucial renewable feedstock for this purpose, and its complete valorization is essential for the sustainability of biorefineries. However, it is improbable that a [...] Read more.
Developing sustainable biorefineries is an urgent matter to support the transition to a sustainable society. Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a crucial renewable feedstock for this purpose, and its complete valorization is essential for the sustainability of biorefineries. However, it is improbable that a single pretreatment will extract both sugars and lignin from LCB. Therefore, a combination of pretreatments must be applied. Liquid-hot-water (LHW) is highlighted as a pretreatment for hemicellulose hydrolysis, conventionally analyzed only in terms of sugars and degradation products. However, lignin is also hydrolyzed in the process. The objective of this work was to evaluate LHW at different conditions for sugars, degradation products, and lignin. We performed LHW at 160, 180, and 200 °C for 30, 60, and 90 min using wheat straw and characterized the extract for sugars, degradation products (furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, and acetic acid), and lignin. Three conditions allowed reaching similar total sugar concentrations (~12 g/L): 160 °C for 90 min, 180 °C for 30 min, and 180 °C for 60 min. Among these, LHW performed at 160 °C for 90 min allowed the lowest concentration of degradation products (0.2, 0.01, and 1.4 g/L for furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, and acetic acid, respectively) and lignin hydrolysis (2.2 g/L). These values indicate the potential use of the obtained sugars as a fermentation substrate while leaving the lignin in the solid phase for a following stage focused on its extraction and valorization. Full article
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