scholarly journals Modelling Future Agricultural Mechanisation of Major Crops in China: An Assessment of Energy Demand, Land Use and Emissions

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6636
Author(s):  
Iván García Kerdan ◽  
Sara Giarola ◽  
Ellis Skinner ◽  
Marin Tuleu ◽  
Adam Hawkes
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Bioenergy Crops ◽  
Direct Energy ◽  
Total Investment ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Global Emissions

Agricultural direct energy use is responsible for about 1–2% of global emissions and is the major emitting sector for methane (2.9 GtCO2eq y−1) and nitrous oxide (2.3 GtCO2eq y−1). In the last century, farm mechanisation has brought higher productivity levels and lower land demands at the expense of an increase in fossil energy and agrochemicals use. The expected increase in certain food and bioenergy crops and the uncertain mitigation options available for non-CO2 emissions make of vital importance the assessment of the use of energy and the related emissions attributable to this sector. The aim of this paper is to present a simulation framework able to forecast energy demand, technological diffusion, required investment and land use change of specific agricultural crops. MUSE-Ag & LU, a novel energy systems-oriented agricultural and land use model, has been used for this purpose. As case study, four main crops (maize, soybean, wheat and rice) have been modelled in mainland China. Besides conventional direct energy use, the model considers inputs such as fertiliser and labour demand. Outputs suggest that the modernisation of agricultural processes in China could have the capacity to reduce by 2050 on-farm emissions intensity from 0.024 to 0.016 GtCO2eq PJcrop−1 (−35.6%), requiring a necessary total investment of approximately 319.4 billion 2017$US.

Assessment of the Life Cycle Energy Efficiency of a Primary School Building in Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 887 ◽  
pp. 335-343
Author(s):  
Nazanin Moazzen ◽  
Mustafa Erkan Karaguler ◽  
Touraj Ashrafian
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Embodied Energy

Energy efficiency has become a crucial part of human life, which has an adverse impact on the social and economic development of any country. In Turkey, it is a critical issue especially in the construction sector due to increase in the dependency on the fuel demands. The energy consumption, which is used during the life cycle of a building, is a huge amount affected by the energy demand for material and building construction, HVAC and lighting systems, maintenance, equipment, and demolition. In general, the Life Cycle Energy (LCE) needs of the building can be summarised as the operational and embodied energy together with the energy use for demolition and recycling processes.Besides, schools alone are responsible for about 15% of the total energy consumption of the commercial building sector. To reduce the energy use and CO2 emission, the operational and embodied energy of the buildings must be minimised. Overall, it seems that choosing proper architectural measures for the envelope and using low emitting material can be a logical step for reducing operational and embodied energy consumptions.This paper is concentrated on the operating and embodied energy consumptions resulting from the application of different architectural measures through the building envelope. It proposes an educational building with low CO2 emission and proper energy performance in Turkey. To illustrate the method of the approach, this contribution illustrates a case study, which was performed on a representative schoold building in Istanbul, Turkey. Energy used for HVAC and lighting in the operating phase and the energy used for the manufacture of the materials are the most significant parts of embodied energy in the LCE analyses. This case study building’s primary energy consumption was calculated with the help of dynamic simulation tools, EnergyPlus and DesignBuilder. Then, different architectural energy efficiency measures were applied to the envelope of the case study building. Then, the influence of proposed actions on LCE consumption and Life Cycle CO2 (LCCO2) emissions were assessed according to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method.

scholarly journals Perception of tools for assessing on-farm nutrient losses and mitigation options

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Maggie Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Land Use Models ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Degraded Water Quality

<p>This research focuses on the prominent issue of degraded water quality in New Zealand caused by the intensification of agricultural land use, resulting in increased levels of diffuse pollutants such as sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways (Duncan, 2017). Degraded water quality is a critical issue that needs to be addressed both socially and scientifically. It needs to be addressed socially as human behaviour is influencing this degradation, and the science is needed to further our understanding and implementation of the best mitigation solutions.  The aim of this study was to evaluate how information surrounding potential nutrient mitigation measures provided by decision support tools is understood and interpreted by farmers facing tightening environmental regulations and a changing social outlook on environmental sustainability. To achieve this aim, the following activities were conducted: (i) A review of current theories and tools available to understand and encourage pro-environmental behaviour. (ii) A case study using the Land Utilisation Capability Indicator (LUCI) model to determine stakeholder engagement was carried out through interviews with 6 farmers in the Mangatarere Catchment.  The review showed that while information alone does not drive behaviour change, it is an essential component that when used in collaboration with other methods and incentives, can be very successful (Kennedy, 2010; Mackenzie-Mohr, 2000; Stern, 2000). From this review a method that was identified as having huge potential in terms of managing water quality was the use of land use models alongside targeted on-farm advice (Bouraoui & Grizzetti, 2014).  To understand the stakeholder perception and uptake of the information this method provides a case study was carried out using the LUCI model with 6 farmers in the Mangatarere Catchment. The results showed that LUCI proved to be a valuable tool for both the case study farmers and the wider farming community. Farmer feedback highlighted the importance of ensuring that information provided by such tools is communicated in a consolidated manner. This thesis shows that land use models such as LUCI have the potential to be a beneficial method of engaging stakeholders in prominent issues such as degrading water quality.</p>

scholarly journals Perception of tools for assessing on-farm nutrient losses and mitigation options

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Maggie Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Land Use Models ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Degraded Water Quality

<p>This research focuses on the prominent issue of degraded water quality in New Zealand caused by the intensification of agricultural land use, resulting in increased levels of diffuse pollutants such as sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways (Duncan, 2017). Degraded water quality is a critical issue that needs to be addressed both socially and scientifically. It needs to be addressed socially as human behaviour is influencing this degradation, and the science is needed to further our understanding and implementation of the best mitigation solutions.  The aim of this study was to evaluate how information surrounding potential nutrient mitigation measures provided by decision support tools is understood and interpreted by farmers facing tightening environmental regulations and a changing social outlook on environmental sustainability. To achieve this aim, the following activities were conducted: (i) A review of current theories and tools available to understand and encourage pro-environmental behaviour. (ii) A case study using the Land Utilisation Capability Indicator (LUCI) model to determine stakeholder engagement was carried out through interviews with 6 farmers in the Mangatarere Catchment.  The review showed that while information alone does not drive behaviour change, it is an essential component that when used in collaboration with other methods and incentives, can be very successful (Kennedy, 2010; Mackenzie-Mohr, 2000; Stern, 2000). From this review a method that was identified as having huge potential in terms of managing water quality was the use of land use models alongside targeted on-farm advice (Bouraoui & Grizzetti, 2014).  To understand the stakeholder perception and uptake of the information this method provides a case study was carried out using the LUCI model with 6 farmers in the Mangatarere Catchment. The results showed that LUCI proved to be a valuable tool for both the case study farmers and the wider farming community. Farmer feedback highlighted the importance of ensuring that information provided by such tools is communicated in a consolidated manner. This thesis shows that land use models such as LUCI have the potential to be a beneficial method of engaging stakeholders in prominent issues such as degrading water quality.</p>

scholarly journals Climate Change Effect on Building Performance: A Case Study in New York

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3160
Author(s):  
Kristian Fabbri ◽  
Jacopo Gaspari ◽  
Licia Felicioni
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New York ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Winter Time ◽  
Indoor Comfort

The evidences of the influence of climate change (CC) in most of the key sectors of human activities are frequently reported by the news and media with increasing concern. The building sector, and particularly energy use in the residential sector, represents a crucial field of investigation as demonstrated by specific scientific literature. The paper reports a study on building energy consumption and the related effect on indoor thermal comfort considering the impacts of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 report about temperature increase projection. The research includes a case study in New York City, assuming three different scenarios. The outcomes evidence a decrease in energy demand for heating and an increase in energy demand for cooling, with a relevant shift due to the summer period temperature variations. The challenge of the last decades for sustainable design was to increase insulation for improving thermal behavior, highly reducing the energy demand during winter time, however, the projections over the next decades suggest that the summer regime will represent a future and major challenge in order to reduce overheating and ensure comfortable (or at least acceptable) living conditions inside buildings. The growing request of energy for cooling is generating increasing pressure on the supply system with peaks in the case of extreme events that lead to the grid collapse and to massive blackouts in several cities. This is usually tackled by strengthening the energy infrastructure, however, the users’ behavior and lifestyle will strongly influence the system capacity in stress conditions. This study focuses on the understanding of these phenomena and particularly on the relevance of the users’ perception of indoor comfort, assuming the IPCC projections as the basis for a future scenario.

scholarly journals The impact of increasing temperatures in transition zones on energy demand

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
State Spaces ◽  
Transition Zones ◽  
Communal Areas ◽  
Comfort Parameters ◽  
The Impact

This paper describes the transitional zones of modern buildings and the impact of raising their temperature. A transitional zone is described as none steady-state spaces like entrance lobbies, corridors, lift-lobbies and landings, which allow occupants to transition through to more steady-state spaces. This paper presents the results of a dynamic simulation, where a typical case study building is used for an intervention of 1-5ºC increases in indoor temperature on energy demand. The results show raising the temperature in the transitional zones can result in a saving of 0.63% per ºC reduction of cooling for the whole building. The recommendation of this paper is to investigate a broadening of the thermal comfort parameters of these communal areas not serviced by the ASHRAE-55: 2-13, or any other standard, in order to identify the potential for reducing electricity used for cooling. Applying sensible engineering design load calculations will ensure comfort conditions and energy use are treated separately to occupied zones.

scholarly journals It Is Still Possible to Achieve the Paris Climate Agreement: Regional, Sectoral, and Land-Use Pathways

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2103
Author(s):  
Sven Teske ◽  
Thomas Pregger ◽  
Sonja Simon ◽  
Tobias Naegler ◽  
Johannes Pagenkopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Co2 Removal ◽  
Land Restoration ◽  
Paris Climate Agreement

It is still possible to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement to maintain a global temperature ‘well below +2.0 °C’ above pre-industrial levels. We present two global non-overshoot pathways (+2.0 °C and +1.5 °C) with regional decarbonization targets for the four primary energy sectors—power, heating, transportation, and industry—in 5-year steps to 2050. We use normative scenarios to illustrate the effects of efficiency measures and renewable energy use, describe the roles of increased electrification of the final energy demand and synthetic fuels, and quantify the resulting electricity load increases for 72 sub-regions. Non-energy scenarios include a phase-out of net emissions from agriculture, forestry, and other land uses, reductions in non-carbon greenhouse gases, and land restoration to scale up atmospheric CO2 removal, estimated at −377 Gt CO2 to 2100. An estimate of the COVID-19 effects on the global energy demand is included and a sensitivity analysis describes the impacts if implementation is delayed by 5, 7, or 10 years, which would significantly reduce the likelihood of achieving the 1.5 °C goal. The analysis applies a model network consisting of energy system, power system, transport, land-use, and climate models.

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