scholarly journals The Efforts towards and Challenges of Greece’s Post-Lignite Era: The Case of Megalopolis

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10575
Author(s):  
Vangelis Marinakis ◽  
Alexandros Flamos ◽  
Giorgos Stamtsis ◽  
Ioannis Georgizas ◽  
Yannis Maniatis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Regional Unit ◽  
Phase Out

Greece has historically been one of the most lignite-dependent countries in Europe, due to the abundant coal resources in the region of Western Macedonia and the municipality of Megalopolis, Arcadia (region of Peloponnese). However, a key part of the National Energy and Climate Plan is to gradually phase out the use of lignite, which includes the decommissioning of all existing lignite units by 2023, except the Ptolemaida V unit, which will be closed by 2028. This plan makes Greece a frontrunner among countries who intensively use lignite in energy production. In this context, this paper investigates the environmental, economic, and social state of Megalopolis and the related perspectives with regard to the energy transition, through the elaboration of a SWOT analysis, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the municipality of Megalopolis and the regional unit of Arcadia. The analysis is based on four main pillars, namely “clean energy”, “smart agricultural production”, “sustainable tourism”, and “other (e.g., industry, technology, and education)”. The integration of the “Energy Efficiency First” principle, the mitigation of household energy poverty (especially in a region with district heating installations), and collectively driven energy actions for engaging and empowering younger generations (e.g., in the form of next-generation energy communities) are among the solutions that are expected to have a significant contribution towards Megalopolis’ just energy transition.

scholarly journals Agrivoltaics: A Climate-Smart Agriculture Approach for Indian Farmers

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1277
Author(s):  
Rakeshkumar Mahto ◽  
Deepak Sharma ◽  
Reshma John ◽  
Chandrasekhar Putcha
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
Sustainable Income ◽  
Commit Suicide

India is a leader when it comes to agriculture. A significant part of the country’s population depends on agriculture for livelihood. However, many of them face challenges due to using unreliable farming techniques. Sometimes the challenges increase to the extent that they commit suicide. Besides, India is highly populated, and its population is steadily increasing, requiring its government to grow its GDP and increase its energy supply proportionately. This paper reviews integrating solar farming with agriculture, known as Agrivoltaics, as a Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) option for Indian farmers. This study is further supported by the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of agrivoltaics. Using the SWOT analysis, this article presents how agrivoltaics can make agriculture sustainable and reliable. This paper identifies rural electrification, water conservation, yield improvement, sustainable income generation, and reduction in the usage of pesticides as the strengths of agrivoltaics. Similarly, the paper presents weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to agrivoltaics in India. The research concludes with the findings that agrivoltaics have the potential of meeting multiple objectives such as meeting global commitments, offering employment, providing economic stability, increasing clean energy production capacity, conserving natural resources, and succeeding in several others. The paper also includes a discussion about the findings, suggestions, and implications of adopting agrivoltaics on a large scale in India.

scholarly journals Nuclear cogeneration with high temperature reactors

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Wrochna ◽  
Michael Fütterer ◽  
Dominique Hittner
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Security Of Supply ◽  
Electric Power Sector ◽  
European Nuclear ◽  
High Temperature Gas

Clean energy production is a challenge, which was so far addressed mainly in the electric power sector. More energy is needed in the form of heat for both district heating and industry. Nuclear power is the only technology fulfilling all 3 sustainability dimensions, namely economy, security of supply and environment. In this context, the European Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative (NC2I) has launched the projects NC2I-R and GEMINI+ aiming to prepare the deployment of High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGR) for this purpose.

Gorontalo Province Tourism: Leading Sector In The Middle Of Weakness And Challenge

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Herwin Mopangga ◽  
Fitriaty Puhi
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
External Factors ◽  
The Other ◽  
Occupancy Rate ◽  
Regional Income ◽  
Sustainable Tourism Development ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Internal And External Factors

Tourism shows a significant contribution to foreign exchange and regional income in Indonesia. Defined as a priority and leading sector in the RPJMD, tourism development in the Regencies and the Province of Gorontalo must measure the results, benefits and impacts for all stakeholders. Contribution to regional income (PAD) and the composition of internal and external factors in each of the leading destinations is needed for the purpose of determining the strategy and policy of sustainable tourism development. The study concluded that tourism sector was relatively small in its contribution to each PAD total by Regencies in Gorontalo Province. The low of PADsp is relevant to the low occupancy rate (TPK) of the hotel and the length of stay (LoS). The lack of retribution income from recreation and sports spot is relevant to the lack of activities to support the attractiveness such as art and cultural attractions and local products that can be souvenirs for tourists. Infrastructure facilities at leading tourism objects are relatively incomplete or do not meet tourism standards. The low of PAD, TPK LoS can also explain that the increase in tourists to Gorontalo is only a transit to the other tourist objects outside of Gorontalo Province.Keywords: Tourism, Leading Sector, Gorontalo, Income, Swot Analysis

Retooling the Energy Charter Treaty for climate change mitigation: lessons from investment law and arbitration

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-87
Author(s):  
Elena Cima
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Energy Trade ◽  
Energy Charter Treaty ◽  
Scope Of Application ◽  
Modernization Process ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract In 2017, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) began a modernization process aimed at updating, clarifying, and modernizing a number of provisions of the Treaty. Considering the scope of application of the Treaty—cooperation in energy trade, transit, and investment—there is hardly any doubt that the modernization kicked off in 2017 offers a springboard for constructive reform and a unique opportunity to bring the Treaty closer in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Although none of the items selected by the Energy Charter Conference and open for discussion and reform mention climate change or clean energy, a careful analysis of the relevant practice in both treaty drafting and adjudication can provide valuable insights as to how to steer the discussions on some of the existing items in a climate-friendly direction. The purpose of this article is to rely on this relevant practice to explore promising avenues to ‘retool’ the Treaty for climate change mitigation, in other words, to imagine a Treaty that would better reflect climate change concerns and clean energy transition goals.

scholarly journals Developing and evaluating strategies to increase the material utilisation rate of hardwoods: a hybrid policy Delphi-SWOT analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Auer ◽  
Peter Rauch
Keyword(s):  
Energy Production ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Policy Delphi ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Delphi Round ◽  
Material Usage ◽  
Utilisation Rate ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Material Utilisation

AbstractThe indigenous hardwoods in German forests have a substantial ability to store carbon, and forestry reconstruction measures are anticipated to result in an increase in availability of hardwood on the wood market. Despite this, its material usage is declining with over two thirds of the harvested quantity being used for energy production. This study aims to identify policy measures and promising strategies for increasing hardwood utilisation using a combined policy Delphi-SWOT approach with literature review undertaken to identify the barriers and driving factors for an increase in its material use. The results were then ranked by a panel of experts and used as basis for the SWOT analysis, which was then applied to an extended SWOT approach. The resulting strategies were then discussed by the panel and ranked further in the 2nd and 3rd Delphi round. After three Delphi rounds, three strategies and associated policy recommendations were ranked as most effective by the experts: innovative hardwood products including manufacturing processes, research transfer and lobbying. This study provides both strategic analyses and effective strategies to stimulate the production of hardwood-based products and ends with a concise description of these strategies and policy recommendations, which are benchmarked against current literature and best practise examples.

scholarly journals DEFINITION OF DRIVING FACTORS FOR DESIGNING SOCIAL INNOVATIONS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 891-900
Author(s):  
Iban Lizarralde ◽  
Audrey Abi Akle ◽  
Mikhail Hamwi ◽  
Basma Samir
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Energy Community ◽  
New Criteria

AbstractCurrent development of renewable energy systems (RES) is characterised by an increasing participation of citizens in the upstream decision-making process. These citizens can be future users of the RES but also members of a Renewable Energy Community that develop RES. They can be at the same time Renewable Energy producer, investor and consumer. Moreover, several type of businesses and terms are used to cope with social innovations within the energy sector: local renewable projects, sustainable energy communities or community of renewable energy production. So, actors' engagement opens new solutions for designers who are induced to share alternatives before making decisions. They usually impose constraints since the early phases of the design process. This approach implies for designers to consider new criteria related to citizens motivations and barriers. This paper presents a study to define the main factors that drive people to contribute in social innovation schemes for clean-energy transition. After a state of the art, a survey about 6 main factors and 18 criteria is presented. The analysis based on the responses from 34 participants (i.e. experts) reveals 2 most important factors of motivation and 2 principal barrier sources.

scholarly journals Co-Movements between Eu Ets and the Energy Markets: A Var-Dcc-Garch Approach

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (15) ◽  
pp. 1787
Author(s):  
Pilar Gargallo ◽  
Luis Lample ◽  
Jesús A. Miguel ◽  
Manuel Salvador
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Stock Index ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Eu Ets ◽  
The Eu

This paper analyzes the co-movements of prices of fossil fuels, energy stock markets and EU allowances. This analysis is conducted in order to identify the spillover effect of volatility and correlation among these financial markets, and to provide a scientific basis that shows the interest of incorporating sustainable assets in the design of minimum risk strategies of investment. To achieve this goal, we have used a Vector Autoregressive-Dynamic Conditional Correlation-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (VAR-DCC-GARCH) model that also incorporates a stock index of industrial companies as a leading indicator of the level of economic activity. In addition, the paper conducts an impulse response analysis to determine how unexpected shocks to prices are propagated along time, and, in particular, how they affect prices of the others, both in mean, variance and correlation. Therefore, the results of this one- and two-dimensional analysis allow for the study of short and long run dynamics of the relationship among those prices, thus, providing greater meaning and information for investors, which has implications for building their portfolios. The analyzed period was from January 2010 to February 2021, so that the data include half of phase II, full phase III and the onset of phase IV of the EU ETS, as well as the COVID-19 outbreak in the European context. We also analyzed whether the EUA price impulses the demand of clean energy stocks, which has important implications for the objective of triggering the investment in clean energy. Our results show the transmission mechanism of all of those prices, which are relevant not only for investors but also for policymakers to construct an early-warning system, revealing the most important transmission channels. Moreover, from an investment viewpoint, we observe a decline in dirty energies and a rise in the clean energy market, which might be an indication of the progress towards the energy transition to renewables sources within a circular economy perspective. Therefore, this shows that the EU ETS is achieving its goals, and that clean energy companies, aligned with their role towards socially responsible initiatives, are also gaining acceptance in terms of investments, which would be beneficial for the environment.

GeoConnect³d: transforming geological data into a knowledge system in support of the clean energy transition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Barros ◽  
Kris Piessens ◽  
the GeoConnect³d team
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Knowledge System ◽  
Geological Data ◽  
Semantic Data ◽  
Structural Framework ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Framework Model ◽  
Geological Information

<p>The transition towards a clean and low carbon energy system in Europe will increasingly rely on the use of the subsurface. Despite the vastness of subsurface space, only a fraction of it is suitable for the exploitation of geo-resources. The distribution and fitting combination of required conditions is determined by geological processes. We are, therefore, constrained in where we can develop resources and capacities. Moreover, increased subsurface use in a restricted area will inevitably lead to high chances of interferences and conflicts of interest. This means that sound geological information is essential to optimise the subsurface contribution to a safe and efficient energy transition.</p><p>Within this scope, the main goal of the GeoConnect³d project is to convert existing geological data into an information system that can be used for various geo-applications, decision-making, and subsurface spatial planning. This is being accomplished through the innovative structural framework model, which reorganises, contextualises, and adds value to geological data. The model is primarily focused on geological limits, or broadly planar structures that separate a given geological unit from its neighbouring units. It also includes geomanifestations, highlighting any distinct local expression of ongoing or past geological processes. These manifestations, or anomalies, often point to specific geologic conditions and, therefore, can be important sources of information to improve geological understanding of an area.</p><p>Geological data in this model are composed of spatial data at different scales, with a one-to-one link between geometries and their specific attributes (including uncertainties), and of semantic data, with data organised conceptually and categorised and/or linked using SKOS hierarchical and generic schemes. Concepts and geometries are linked by a one-to-many relationship. The combination of these elements then results in a multi-scale, harmonised and robust model.</p><p>The structural framework-geomanifestations methodology has now been applied to different areas in Europe. The focus on geological limits brings various advantages, such as displaying geological information in an explicit, and therefore more understandable, way, and simplifying harmonisation efforts in large-scale geological structures crossing national borders. The link between spatial and semantic data is the essential step adding conceptual definitions and interpretations to geometries. Additionally, geomanifestation data successfully validates or points to inconsistencies in specific areas of the model, which can then be further investigated.</p><p>The model demonstrates it is possible to gather existing geological data into a comprehensive knowledge system. We consider this as the way forward towards pan-European integration and harmonisation of geological information. Moreover, we identify the great potential of the structural framework model as a toolbox to communicate geosciences beyond our specialised community. This is an important step to support subsurface spatial planning towards a clean energy transition by making geological information available to all stakeholders involved.</p><p>This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 731166.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document