scholarly journals Assessment of Energy Use on Urban Kathmandu from Energy Cultures Framework in Gender Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-316
Author(s):  
Bindu Shrestha ◽  
Sushil B Bajracharya ◽  
Sudarshan R Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Gender Perspective ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Cleaner Technology ◽  
Reduce Carbon Emission ◽  
Women's Role

The urban household has a high potential for energy saving to reduce carbon emission; however, it has been scant attention in Nepalese energy policy. Though sustainable development has set 2030 goals to achieve high impact on energy with a focus on women’ role, Nepal is still lagged for effective participating women properly in the energy sector. Urban women have a triple role with significant responsibility for household chores, and efficient cooking is one of pertinent attitudes to reduce energy in Kathmandu. Household energy is highly influenced by human behavior, energy culture, and practices, more significant role for shifting technology, that has less consideration in the policy. This paper aims to assess the energy practices identifying trade-offs of an energy transition to cleaner technology from the questionnaire survey, observation, interviews, and quantitative analysis in terms of a gender perspective. The analysis is based on energy cultures framework in gender perspective with primary attributes of cognitive norms, energy practices, and material culture to understand urban Kathmandu neighborhood. The field study showed that urban households are suffered from energy inaccessibility, inequality, and insecurity resulting in fuel stacking, socio-economic disparity, and environmental impacts. In conclusion, the energy-saving and reduced carbon emissions can be solved through prioritizing women’s role as a change of agent with active participation, incentives, two-way communication, and awareness to improve the situation.

scholarly journals Review on the Importance of Gender Perspective in Household Energy-Saving Behavior and Energy Transition for Sustainability

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7571
Author(s):  
Bindu Shrestha ◽  
Sudarshan R. Tiwari ◽  
Sushil B. Bajracharya ◽  
Martina M. Keitsch ◽  
Hom B. Rijal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy Sustainability ◽  
Gender Perspective ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Clean Environment ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Saving Behavior ◽  
And Gender

Energy-saving and efficiency represent a crucial role in achieving a clean environment as well as economic and social development, providing substantial benefits to stakeholders, including householders. Better cost savings can be achieved by simply changing behavior. However, real energy users lack proper technical energy knowledge, awareness, and education in most cases. In most countries, women are involved in a higher percentage of energy activities in household chores but have less gender participation in energy decisions. In this regard, a gender perspective effectively understands energy users’ pragmatic and strategic needs for energy-saving behavior improvement. Previous literature reviews have been focusing on specific aspects of energy sustainability; however, no review has focused on energy-saving from a gender perspective to the best of our knowledge. It aims to provide a systematic review of literature on energy-saving and management, highlighting the importance of gender roles and fulfilling the literature’s study gaps that provide future possible research streams. The review finds that females use lower energy than males in household activities that has supported in household energy-saving behavior. In addition, gender, income, family composition, ownership, and education are significant influencing factors in energy-saving behavior, and gender differences are rooted in socialization, responsibility, and choice of energy appliances that have impacted energy decisions influencing energy-saving behavior and sustainability goals.

Towards energy transition at the Faculty of Education of Bilbao (UPV/EHU): diagnosing community and building

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1277-1296
Author(s):  
Unai Ortega Lasuen ◽  
Maria Arritokieta Ortuzar Iragorri ◽  
Jose Ramon Diez
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Literacy ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
Current Energy

Purpose This paper aims to present the results of a study aimed at performing a first diagnosis of energy literacy and energy use in a Faculty of Education, by means of identifying energy consumption patterns, as well as energy literacy and commitments regarding energy transition. This diagnosis is the basis for establishing the foundations of a path toward energy transition in the faculty and further designing energy saving and education strategies. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in a mixed-method approach. A survey was arranged to assess the attitudes, habits and knowledge regarding the current energy system within the community of the Faculty (407 responses). Comparisons among the main collectives that make up the community were performed, i.e. students, teaching and research staff and management and services staff. In parallel, the general electric consumption of the faculty was monitored. The results of these diagnostics were presented at several forums and workshops on energy transition held in the faculty where personal commitments in favor of energy transition were gathered and further categorized (105 initiatives). Findings Positive attitudes toward energy saving were observed, reflecting in different generic habits. Additionally, some belief or hope for a technological solution for current and future energy problems was detected, as well as a lower level of implication or commitment when specifying personal attitudes. Similarly, widespread ignorance of the current energy context was revealed, regarding both the energy system and household energy consumption. Concerning the undertaking of personal commitments, low impact energy saving habits prevailed, and knowledge was not identified as being a necessary element of energy saving education in attitudes and habits. Practical implications This research provides relevant information for the design of educational interventions to promote energy literacy in higher education institutions. Originality/value The survey provides valuable insights regarding future educators’ and their current teachers’ energy literacy in a challenging energy context. The lack of general knowledge about the energy context in the community, together with the limited impact of the commitments gathered among students, stresses the need for integration of basic energy contents, both within education degrees and the management strategy of the faculty.

The effects of user interface designs on lighting use

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-78
Author(s):  
Pimkamol Maleetipwan-Mattsson ◽  
Thorbjörn Laike ◽  
Maria Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Basic Field ◽  
Content Type ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
Design Characteristics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to differentiate human responses to different light switch designs to determine the effects of these common interfaces on user perceptions and use of electric lighting in public buildings. Design/methodology/approach Empirical studies were conducted to assess and examine user perceptions with regard to design characteristics of light switches, and occupants’ use of electric lighting was examined through field observations made in a public toilet. Findings The results point to the possibility of identifying characteristics of light switches that attract user attention and thereby encourage energy-saving behaviour in public buildings. A light switch perceived as simple but oversized affected occupants to turn off the lights more frequently when leaving the space under study as compared to switches of normal size. Research limitations/implications Information on user perceptions of light switches may be limited by the assessments being carried out only in controlled environments. Assessing user perceptions in field observations is thus desirable, as it will provide more information on the perceptions in actual settings. Practical implications Effective design of user interfaces could provide a means of lowering energy use from electric lighting by affecting the behaviour of users. Using user perceptions to define critical design characteristics could contribute to design improvements in the interfaces with respect to users’ viewpoints. Originality/value This paper contributes to the subject with a basic, field-based approach to formulating an understanding of how design via user perceptions may encourage energy-saving behaviour.

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Energy Performance of Buildings: A Review of Their Life Cycle Impact

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia MIRABELLA ◽  
Martin RÖCK ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes SAADE ◽  
Carolin SPIRINCKX ◽  
Marc BOSMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Operational Energy

Globally, the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of energy use and it contributes approximately 30% of the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This high contribution stimulates research and policies to reduce the operational energy use and related GHG emissions of buildings. However, the environmental impacts of buildings can extend wide beyond the operational phase, and the portion of impacts related to the embodied energy of the building becomes relatively more important in low energy buildings. Therefore, the goal of the research is gaining insights into the environmental impacts of various building strategies for energy efficiency requirements compared to the life cycle environmental impacts of the whole building. The goal is to detect and investigate existing trade-offs in current approaches and solutions proposed by the research community. A literature review is driven by six fundamental and specific research questions (RQs), and performed based on two main tasks: (i) selection of literature studies, and (ii) critical analysis of the selected studies in line with the RQs. A final sample of 59 papers and 178 case studies has been collected, and key criteria are systematically analysed in a matrix. The study reveals that the high heterogeneity of the case studies makes it difficult to compare these in a straightforward way, but it allows to provide an overview of current methodological challenges and research gaps. Furthermore, the most complete studies provide valuable insights in the environmental benefits of the identified energy performance strategies over the building life cycle, but also shows the risk of burden shifting if only operational energy use is focused on, or when a limited number of environmental impact categories are assessed.

scholarly journals Application of Pd-Based Membrane Reactors: An Industrial Perspective

Membranes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Palo ◽  
Annarita Salladini ◽  
Barbara Morico ◽  
Vincenzo Palma ◽  
Antonio Ricca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Chemical Industry ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Membrane Reactors ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Chemical Production ◽  
Synthetic Fuels ◽  
Technical Feasibility

The development of a chemical industry characterized by resource efficiency, in particular with reference to energy use, is becoming a major issue and driver for the achievement of a sustainable chemical production. From an industrial point of view, several application areas, where energy saving and CO2 emissions still represent a major concern, can take benefit from the application of membrane reactors. On this basis, different markets for membrane reactors are analyzed in this paper, and their technical feasibility is verified by proper experimentation at pilot level relevant to the following processes: (i) pure hydrogen production; (ii) synthetic fuels production; (iii) chemicals production. The main outcomes of operations in the selected research lines are reported and discussed, together with the key obstacles to overcome.

scholarly journals Energy Security Problem amid Global Energy Transition

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 772-784
Author(s):  
Yury V. Borovsky
Keyword(s):  
Energy Security ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

In the early 2020s the worlds transition from carbon-intensive to climate-neutral energy use has already become a discernible and a difficult-to-reverse process. With Joe Bidens election as US president, the United States have returned to the Paris Climate Agreement and have become a key driver of this process (along with the EU and China). As a result, the international community has reached a consensus on the ongoing energy transition. This process will require considerable effort and may take several decades. Nevertheless, the impact of energy transition on traditional approaches to energy security, which emerged largely as a result of the global oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s and are centered around the supply of fossil fuels, is already a relevant research topic. This problem is examined relying on the relevant terminological, theoretical and factual material. The article concludes that energy transition will ultimately undermine the carbon paradigm that has underpinned energy security policies since the 1970s. Rapid development of renewable and other low-carbon energy sources will certainly remove key energy security risks of energy importers and, possibly, allow them to achieve energy independence. However, a post-carbon era may also generate new risks. For countries that rely heavily on oil, gas and coal exports, energy transition will result in the loss of markets and revenues. It may present an energy security threat for them as well as it will require a costly and technologically complex process of the energy sector decarbonization. Some exporters, especially those with high fuel rents and insufficient financial reserves, may face serious economic and social upheavals as a result of energy transition. The EU and the US energy transition policies reflect provisions of all three fundamental international relations theoretical paradigms, including realism. This means that the EU and the US policy, aimed at promoting climate agenda, may be expected to be rather tough and aggressive. China as the third key player in energy transition is still following a liberal course; however, it may change in the future.

scholarly journals Energy saving potential of occupancy sensors in intermittent-use space types.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Georgia Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
User Survey ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
Energy Saving Potential

<p>For decades, studies have been suggesting the idea of occupancy sensors in intermittent use spaces for energy savings. This work investigates the potential energy savings of occupancy sensors in hallways, stairwells, seminar rooms and lavatories of an education building. Lighting is one of the largest consumers of energy in the building industry and these space types are often fully illuminated for long periods of vacancy. Lighting is for the user, not the building. Discussions centre around light use habits, energy saving behaviours and sensor technology such as time delay and daylight sensors. The experiment uses wireless light sensors and PIR sensors to measure light energy use and occupant use of 20 intermittent use spaces. A user survey was planned to run alongside the experiment to investigate user perceptions of changes in lighting but was discontinued due to unresolved software issues. Results of the experiment encouraged the use of occupancy sensors in intermittent use spaces. Lavatories attained highest energy saving potential 54%, seminar rooms highest annual cost savings per fitting $15.47 and highest annual energy savings 482kWh and hallways calculated the quickest payback of 8.6 years. Hallways, stairwells, seminar rooms and lavatories all offer potential for energy savings, supporting the theoretical ideas and success of occupancy sensors in intermittent use spaces.</p>

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