scholarly journals Complex Valuation of Energy from Agricultural Crops including Local Conditions

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1415
Author(s):  
Václav Voltr ◽  
Martin Hruška ◽  
Luboš Nobilis
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Energy Crops ◽  
Co2 Production ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Silage Maize ◽  
Marginal Areas

This paper provides values of economic, energy and environmental assessments of 20 crops and assesses the relationships of soil-climatic conditions in the example of the Czech Republic. The comparison of main soil quality indicators according to the configuration of land and climate regions is performed on the basis of energy and economic efficiency as well as a comparison of the level of environmental impacts. The environmental impacts are identified based on the assessment of emissions from production and also in the form of soil compaction as an indicator of the relationship to soil quality. As concerns soil properties, of major importance is soil skeleton, slope of land and the depth of soil, which cause an increase in emissions from the energy produced. Substantially better emission parameters per 1 MJ through energy crops, the cultivation of perennial crops and silage maize has been supported. Among energy crops, a positive relationship with the quality of soil is seen in alfalfa, with a significant reduction in soil penetrometric resistance; energy crops are also politically justifiable in competition with other crops intended for nutrition of population. The main advantage of energy crops for the low-carbon economy is their CO2 production to MJ, which is almost half, especially in marginal areas with lower soil depths, slopes and stoniness, which can be included in the new agricultural policy.

scholarly journals Green Banking Trends: Customer Knowledge and Awareness in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60
Author(s):  
V Chitra ◽  
R Gokilavani
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Financial Institution ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Private Sector Investment ◽  
Consumer Markets

Global warming is increasing; therefore, Change is the law of nature. The changes like the environmental and climatic conditions, are one of the most complicated issues faced by the growing society. The survival of the fittest contributes to the idea of adaptation to the changes in society. Today’s business is all about being green, and companies use this as a key strategy to expand its market and impact society. Even the top companies like Amazon to apple are moving in a great way towards green. The economic development lies in the palms of the banks being the financial organizations.Green banking means a financial institution, typically public or quasi-public, that uses innovative financing techniques and market development tools in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies. Green banks use public funds to leverage private investment in clean energy technologies that, despite being commercially viable, have struggled to establish a widespread presence in consumer markets. Green banks seek to reduce energy costs for ratepayers, stimulate private sector investment and economic activity, and expedite the transition to a low-carbon economy. Adoption of green banking practices will not only be useful for the environment but also benefit in greater operational efficiencies, minimum errors and frauds, and cost reductions in banking activities. The present paper aims to highlightIndian initiatives and adoption by various banks towards green banking in India. Further, an attempt has been made to highlight the major benefits, confronting challenges of Green Banking.

scholarly journals Emerging Photovoltaic (PV) Materials for a Low Carbon Economy

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 4131
Author(s):  
Ilke Celik ◽  
Ramez Hosseinian Ahangharnejhad ◽  
Zhaoning Song ◽  
Michael Heben ◽  
Defne Apul
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Acid Methyl Ester ◽  
Contact Layer ◽  
Inorganic Materials ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Cost

Emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies have a potential to address the shortcomings of today’s energy market which heavily depends on the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation. We created inventories that offer insights into the environmental impacts and cost of all the materials used in emerging PV technologies, including perovskites, polymers, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and quantum dots. The results show that the CO2 emissions associated with the absorber layers are much less than the CO2 emissions associated with the contact and charge selective layers. The CdS (charge selective layer) and ITO (contact layer) have the highest environmental impacts compared to Al2O3, CuI, CuSCN, MoO3, NiO, poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl (P3HT)), phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), poly polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), SnO2, spiro-OMeTAD, and TiO2 (charge selective layers) and Al, Ag, Cu, FTO, Mo, ZnO:In, and ZnO/ZnO:Al (contact layers). The cost assessments show that the organic materials, such as polymer absorbers, CNT, P3HT and spiro-OMeTAD, are the most expensive materials. Inorganic materials would be more preferable to lower the cost of solar cells. All the remaining materials have a potential to be used in the commercial PV market. Finally, we analyzed the cost of PV materials based on their material intensity and CO2 emissions, and concluded that the perovskite absorber will be the most eco-efficient material that has the lowest cost and CO2 emissions.

Green Ecological Principles in Cultural Architecture Design under the Background of Low Carbon

2013 ◽  
Vol 330 ◽  
pp. 768-772
Author(s):  
Li Ping Sun ◽  
Xiao Ping An
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Ecological Design ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Shape Coefficient ◽  
Ecological Principles ◽  
Specific Culture

In the background of low carbon economy,the necessity of green ecology for cultural buildings is stated briefly and some principles are put forward about the green ecological design of cultural buildings. That is, specific culture inheritance should be paid attention to; specific building should adapt to specific local conditions; location and layout should be decided scientifically and reasonably; and even energy saving technology should be applied to each monomer building. In the monomer building design, reasonable shape coefficient should be used; energy saving design for enclosure structure should be preceded; effective sunshade design should be adapted; solar energy should be made full use of; green design should be three-dimensional; collection and storage equipment of rain should be popularized in the little rain areas and so on to realize the harmony of building, environment, and the people.

scholarly journals Biogas generation potential from anaerobic digestion of “Ponkan” and “Montenegrin” Tangerine peel waste

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. e24
Author(s):  
Rafael Vieira de Carvalho ◽  
Thais Cristina Campos de Abreu ◽  
Celso Romanel
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Treatment Techniques

Due to the increase in human damage caused to the environment, there is a need for remediation measures and techniques to be applied in favor of a sustainable future for upcoming generations. One of the sectors that have potential in the use of low carbon economy stocks is agribusiness. In fact, part of agribusiness is fruit growing which is one of the sectors of greatest Brazilian economic prominence, with a wide variety of crops produced throughout the country and in different climates. In the food production chain, there are several post-harvest losses and the consequent generation of large amounts of waste. Anaerobic digestion presents itself as an excellent and promising option for the treatment of food waste, contributing to the fight against the increase of polluting emissions and generating biogas for use as thermal or electric energy or even as a fuel to replace fossil fuels. The anaerobic digestion of organic waste is a biological process characterized by the absence of oxygen which through the metabolic activities of microorganisms causes the complex organic material to be converted mainly into methane and carbon dioxide. In a scenario where the production of waste around the world is growing more and more, efficient waste treatment techniques are essential to ensure lower greenhouse gas emissions in the environment. In this study, the biodegradation capacity of the substrate formed with “ponkan” and “montenegrin” tangerine peels was investigated through BMP (Biochemical Methane Potential) tests with the determination of water content, total solids, and volatile solids in samples of laboratory under ideal conditions of pH, temperature, and humidity. The tests were carried out over a period of twenty-one days, having been found, in general, a greater production of gas until the twelfth day of testing, with a gradual reduction until stabilization around the twentieth day. The results obtained in laboratory show that there is a positive potential in the generation of biogas using tangerine peels in relation to the peels of other fruits researched in the literature (orange, banana, among others), with a biogas generation potential of 615.38 NmL/gSV for “ponkan” tangerine peel and 565.84 NmL/gSV for “montenegrin” tangerine peel. Brazil, due to its vast territorial extension and favorable climatic conditions, stands out in the international agricultural market and, therefore, holds great potential in the scenario of energy change. Despite the high potential of waste generated in the country, technologies for recovering organic matter are still incipient and even unknown. The results of this research are yet another contribution to reaffirm and publicize the benefits of treating organic matter via anaerobic digestion, with significant economic, social, and environmental advantages.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Spatial Effect of Fiscal Decentralization and Environmental Decentralization on Carbon Emissions under the Pressure of Officials’ Promotion

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1878
Author(s):  
Sailian Xia ◽  
Daming You ◽  
Zhihua Tang ◽  
Bo Yang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Fiscal Decentralization ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
The Impact

Using panel data of 30 provinces and regions in Mainland China (excluding Tibet) from 2006 to 2016, the Spatial Durbin Model was employed for the empirical research, and the spatial impact of fiscal decentralization and environmental decentralization on regional carbon emissions were analyzed from the perspective of promotion pressure of officials. The empirical study concludes: ➀ Fiscal decentralization, both within the region and in its neighborhood, will contribute to carbon emissions in the region; ② Environmental decentralization will help reduce carbon emissions, while environmental decentralization in neighboring regions will increase carbon emissions in the region; ③ The promotion pressure of officials plays a positive role in moderating the impact of fiscal decentralization on carbon emissions, and at the same time weakens the suppression of carbon emissions by environmental decentralization; ④ From a regional point of view, there is a positive relationship between fiscal decentralization and carbon emissions in various regions; but environmental decentralization has obvious spatial heterogeneity. The research suggests that reducing the degree of local fiscal decentralization, investment in major infrastructure projects involving high carbon emissions should be relatively centralized; appropriately increase the environmental management authority of local environmental protection agencies, fully use the advantages of local environmental protection departments to protect the environment according to local conditions; gradually improve the assessment system for local officials, moderately reduce the proportion of fiscal revenue and GDP assessment in areas with fragile ecological environment, and increase incentives for ecological performance assessment, put the development of low-carbon economy into practice.

scholarly journals How to Obtain Accurate Environmental Impacts at Early Design Stages in BIM When Using Environmental Product Declaration. A Method to Support Decision-Making

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Palumbo ◽  
Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer ◽  
Carmen Llatas ◽  
Marzia Traverso
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Data Consistency ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Early Design ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Early Design Stages ◽  
Lca Results

The construction sector plays an important role in moving towards a low-carbon economy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is considered one of the most effective methods of analytically evaluating environmental profiles and an efficient tool for calculating the environmental impacts in building design-oriented methodologies, such as building information modelling (BIM). At early design stages, generic LCA databases are used to conduct the life cycle inventory (LCI), while detailed stages require more detailed data, such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), namely documents that provide accurate results and precise analyses based on LCA. Limitations are recognized when using EPDs in BIM elements at different levels of development (LOD) in the design stages, especially related to the data consistency and system boundaries of the LCA. This paper presents a method of achieving accurate LCA results, that helps with decision-making and provides support in the selection of building products and materials. The method is validated by its application in the structural concrete of an office building located in Germany. The method defines a safety factor adopted for embodied impacts (“cradle-to-gate”), based on EPD results to predict the environmental impact of BIM elements at different LODs. The results obtained show that by integrating the method to conduct the LCA, the range of errors and possible inconsistencies in the LCA results can be reduced.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Potential of Biomass to Energy in Portugal—Conclusions from the CONVERTE Project

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Abreu ◽  
Alberto Reis ◽  
Patrícia Moura ◽  
Ana Luisa Fernando ◽  
António Luís ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Crops ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Mainland Portugal ◽  
Marginal Soils ◽  
Forest Waste ◽  
Waste Energy ◽  
Forestry Production ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Carbon Economy

The main objective of the Portuguese project “CONVERTE-Biomass Potential for Energy” is to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, identifying biomass typologies in mainland Portugal, namely agri-forest waste, energy crops and microalgae. Therefore, the aim was to design and construct a georeferenced (mapping) database for mainland Portugal, to identify land availability for the implementation of energy crops and microalgae cultures, and to locate agricultural and forestry production areas (including their residues) with potential for sustainable exploitation for energy. The ArcGIS software was used as a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool, introducing the data corresponding to the type of soil, water needs and edaphoclimatic conditions in shapefile and raster data type, to assess the areas for the implantation of the biomass of interest. After analysing the data of interest in each map in ArcGIS, the intersection of all maps is presented, suggesting adequate areas and predicting biomass productions for the implementation of each culture in mainland Portugal. Under the conditions of the study, cardoon (72 kha, 1085 kt), paulownia (81 kha, 26 kt) and microalgae (29 kha, 1616 kt) presented the greater viability to be exploited as biomass to energy in degraded and marginal soils.

scholarly journals A Review of Recent Advances in Emerging Alternative Heating and Cooling Technologies

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
Mubarak Ismail ◽  
Metkel Yebiyo ◽  
Issa Chaer
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Coefficient Of Performance ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Readiness Level

The heating and cooling industry underpins everything we do, e.g., manufacturing, commercial and residential applications. Many of these applications invariably use mechanical refrigeration technologies, consequently contributing significantly to the environmental impacts of the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) industry both through direct and indirect emissions of CO2. To reduce these emissions, research and development worldwide aim to improve the performance of conventional systems and the development of new refrigeration technologies of potentially much lower environmental impacts. As we transition to a low carbon economy, there are sizable environmental and economic benefits from developing and using efficient, innovative, low carbon heating and cooling technologies that reduce energy use and carbon emissions. This paper provides an up-to-date and comprehensive critical review and evaluation of recent advances in emerging alternative heating and cooling technologies that have the potential to reduce the environmental impacts of refrigeration in the RACHP sector. The paper highlights the basic working principle of operation, its main applications, the challenges and opportunities in penetrating the market. The paper also highlights further research and development needed to accelerate the development and adoption of these alternative refrigeration technologies by the sector. Most of the technologies reviewed have a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3–4, except electrocaloric technology which is less ready compared to its counterparts with a TRL of 1–2 at this stage. Furthermore, most technologies have capacities ranging between a few kilowatts to a maximum of 7 kW with a coefficient of performance COP between 1 and 10 reported in the literature.

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