Energy-efficiency strategy for CO2 emissions in a residential sector in Japan

The regulation of vehicular CO2 emissions determines the permissible emissions of vehicles in units of g CO2/km. However, these values only partially provide adequate information because they characterize only the vehicle but not the emission of the associated energy supply technology system. The energy needed for the motion of vehicles is generated in several ways by the energy industry, depending on how the vehicles are driven. These methods of energy generation consist of different series of energy source conversions, where the last technological step is the vehicle itself, and the result is the motion. In addition, sustainability characterization of vehicles cannot be determined by the vehicle’s CO2 emissions alone because it is a more complex notion. The new approach investigates the entire energy technology system associated with the generation of motion, which of course includes the vehicle. The total CO2 emissions and the resulting energy efficiency have been determined. For this, it was necessary to systematize (collect) the energy supply technology lines of the vehicles. The emission results are not given in g CO2/km but in g CO2/J, which is defined in the paper. This new method is complementary to the European Union regulative one, but it allows more complex evaluations of sustainability. The calculations were performed based on Hungarian data. Finally, using the resulting energy efficiency values, the emission results were evaluated by constructing a sustainability matrix similar to the risk matrix. If only the vehicle is investigated, low CO2 emissions can be achieved with vehicles using internal combustion engines. However, taking into consideration present technologies, in terms of sustainability, the spread of electric-only vehicles using renewable energies can result in improvement in the future. This proposal was supported by the combined analysis of the energy-specific CO2 emissions and the energy efficiency of vehicles with different power-driven systems.

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Lump-sum vs. energy-efficiency subsidy recycling of carbon tax revenue in the residential sector: A French assessment

Ecological Economics ◽

10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 184 ◽

pp. 107006

Author(s):

Cyril Bourgeois ◽

Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet ◽

Philippe Quirion

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Carbon Tax ◽

Tax Revenue ◽

Residential Sector ◽

Lump Sum

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Evaluation of Sustainable Energy Development Progress in EU Member States in the Context of Building Renovation

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14144209 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (14) ◽

pp. 4209

Author(s):

Rita Remeikienė ◽

Ligita Gasparėnienė ◽

Aleksandra Fedajev ◽

Marek Szarucki ◽

Marija Đekić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Investment Efficiency ◽

The European Union ◽

Energy Usage ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

The Eu

The main goal of setting energy efficiency priorities is to find ways to reduce energy consumption without harming consumers and the environment. The renovation of buildings can be considered one of the main aspects of energy efficiency in the European Union (EU). In the EU, only 5% of the renovation projects have been able to yield energy-saving at the deep renovation level. No other study has thus far ranked the EU member states according to achieved results in terms of increased usage in renewable sources, a decrease in energy usage and import, and reduction in harmful gas emissions due to energy usage. The main purpose of this article is to perform a comparative analysis of EU economies according to selected indicators related to the usage of renewable resources, energy efficiency, and emissions of harmful gasses as a result of energy usage. The methodological contribution of our study is related to developing a complex and robust research method for investment efficiency assessment allowing the study of three groups of indicators related to the usage of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and ecological aspects of energy. It was based on the PROMETHEE II method and allows testing it in other time periods, as well as modifying it for research purposes. The EU member states were categorized by such criteria as energy from renewables and biofuels, final energy consumption from renewables and biofuels, gross electricity generation from renewables and biofuels and import dependency, and usage of renewables and biofuels for heating and cooling. The results of energy per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions per million inhabitants (ECO2), energy per capita, the share of CO2 emissions from public electricity, and heat production from total CO2 emissions revealed that Latvia, Sweden, Portugal, Croatia, Austria, Lithuania, Romania, Denmark, and Finland are the nine most advanced countries in the area under consideration. In the group of the most advanced countries, energy consumption from renewables and biofuels is higher than the EU average.

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