On-site solar powered refueling stations for green hydrogen production and distribution: performances and costs

Today, the hydrogen is considered an essential element in speeding up the energy transition and generate important environmental benefits. Not all hydrogen is the same, though. The “green hydrogen”, which is produced using renewable energy and electrolysis to split water, is really and completely sustainable for stationary and mobile applications. This paper is focused on the techno-economic analysis of an on-site hydrogen refueling station (HRS) in which the green hydrogen production is assured by a PV plant that supplies electricity to an alkaline electrolyzer. The hydrogen is stored in low pressure tanks (200 bar) and then is compressed at 900 bar for refueling FCHVs by using the innovative technology of the ionic compressor. From technical point of view, the components of the HRS have been sized for assuring a maximum capacity of 450 kg/day. In particular, the PV plant (installed in the south of Italy) has a size of 8MWp and supplies an alkaline electrolyzer of 2.1 MW. A Li-ion battery system (size 3.5 MWh) is used to store the electricity surplus and the grid-connection of the PV plant allows to export the electricity excess that cannot be stored in the battery system. The economic analysis has been performed by estimating the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) that is an important economic indicator based on the evaluation of investment, operational & maintenance and replacement costs. Results highlighted that the proposed on-site configuration in which the green hydrogen production is assured, is characterized by a LCOH of 10.71 €/kg.

The correlation between economic development and self -employment of the population in Kazakhstan

The purpose of the article is to determine the place of self-employment in the development of the economy of Kazakhstan and analyze its relationship. In the specifics of the development of the market economy of Kazakhstan, the development of the labor market is always in the spotlight. The functioning of the national economy directly depends on the dynamism and state of this labor market. The problem of unemployment in the labor market is one of the most important indicators of economic development. It is known that an increase in the unemployment rate has a negative effect on the development of the economy, accordingly, the economic and social burden in the state increases. One of ways out of this problem is to involve the unemployed in economic activity through selfemployment and the creation of individual jobs. This practice makes it possible to eliminate the social consequences of the rise in unemployment for many countries in the cyclical development of the economy by opening their own enterprises without hired workers. The information base of statistical analysis in the article is mainly the data of the National Bureau of Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. To determine the correlation between self-employment and economic development in Kazakhstan, the main economic indicator - the dynamics of GDP growth was obtained.

Energy, Economic and Environmental Assessment of Thermal Barrier Application in Building Envelope Structures

Thermal engineering requirements for building structures are becoming more and more strict. Thermal barriers (TBs) are energy-active elements integrated into the building structure in which a heat transfer medium (water or air) flows. A survey of the scientific literature on the subject points to the fact that this is a very topical and promising area of research and, so far, most studies on TBs are based on calculations, computer simulations and experimental measurements. Few studies have focused on the economic and environmental aspects of TB use. Following the research results presented by authors from all over the world, as well as our contributions in this scientific field that are described in a European patent, three utility models and scientific articles, in this study we have focused on the evaluation of the TB in terms of energy performance, economic efficiency and environmental friendliness by comparing the use of a classical envelope wall with the required thickness of thermal insulation meeting the normative requirements for thermal resistance R ((m2K)/W) and a perimeter wall with an integrated TB significantly eliminating the thermal insulation thickness. We evaluate the use of the thermal barrier using: economic indicator one, where we compare the cost of heat delivered to the TB in a structure with significantly eliminated thermal insulation and the saved cost of thermal insulation at the standard thickness; economic indicator two, where we compare the cost of heat delivered to the TB in a structure with significantly eliminated thermal insulation with the potential gain from the sale of the useful area of the building gained compared to the area at the normative thickness of thermal insulation; and economic indicator three, where we compare the cost of heat delivered to the TB in a structure with significantly eliminated thermal insulation with the cost of grey energy at the normative thickness of thermal insulation. Based on a parametric study based on theoretical assumptions, it can be concluded that the thermal barrier shows a very promising and efficient solution in terms of the evaluation of economic indicators one to three, which are even more significant if we use heat for the TB from renewable energy sources (RES) or waste heat.

Reassessing Ireland’s economic development through the lens of sustainable development

After a century of Irish independence, this study constructs long run Genuine Savings estimates, a leading economic indicator of sustainable development, to reassess Irish economic history from the vantage of sustainable development. The main difference uncovered surrounds the post-1950 period where Ireland failed to achieve economic convergence and was considered an economic failure in growth terms. From a sustainability perspective, Ireland may have been an overachiever during a “great transition” of sustainable development driven by improved institutions and policies. The findings show the value of the sustainable development perspective in shedding new light on a country’s development experience.

Productive and technological characteristics of goat farmers in Comondú, Baja California Sur

To identify productive characteristics through the technological indicators adopted by goats farmers at theComondú municipality, state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. A survey consisting of semi-structured questionswas designed to obtain multi-criteria information on the variables of technological, economic, social, andmultilevel indicators. The production units (PUs) were classified by the cluster analysis of means statisticalmethod in the SAS software, allowing to identify four groups of producers of 10.33, 69, 10.33, and 10.33 % ofthem. The social indicator demonstrated differences between UPs regard their education level, non-inclusionof women in the activity, total annual income, and whether or not they are members of an association. Thetechnological indicator revealed differences in their distance from the UPs to the community, road conditions,area of the UP, available area for planting, water sources, herd size, availability to facilities, machinery, andequipment. The economic indicator showed differences between UPs in their agricultural complementaryactivities, economic dependence, milk production, cheese production, animal wastes, goat production, andtheir respective sales values. The conclusion is that this information is useful for particularly attending to theneeds and will allow defining the precise kind of intervention in the management practices or the requiredmanagement.

Study on Feasibility of Photovoltaic Power to Grid Parity in China Based on LCOE

Today, photovoltaic (PV) power generation accounts for a relatively small proportion of total power generation in China. If photovoltaic power can achieve grid parity, it can replace the original traditional thermal power generation, which has positive significance on the environment. The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) is the main general economic indicator for the evaluation of power generation technology in the world. Based on the traditional LCOE evaluation model and considering the shortcomings of the previous LCOE evaluation models, the cost of photovoltaic power generation is refined in this paper. The cost of the taxation with calculating the depreciation, the loss, and the income of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) are taken into consideration. Hence, a more accurate and more comprehensive LCOE model is presented. Moreover, combined with other investment indicators, a photovoltaic power generation benefit model corresponding to the current development status is proposed. Taking a 3-MW distributed photovoltaic power station project in Nanjing as a case study, the sensitivity analysis of factors that affect the benefit of photovoltaic power generation is carried out to further explore the feasibility of photovoltaic power to grid parity.

Clustering of provincial administrative regions of China by economic indicator

Subject. This article considers the key economic parameters of the Chinese economy. Objectives. The article aims to group the regions of China by economic development level. Methods. For the study, we used the k-means method. Results. Based on the clustering of China's regions by economic parameter, the article determines the ranges that help subsume a region under a particular category, and describes four categories of provinces according to the growth rates of economic indicators and economic growth factors. Conclusions. It is necessary to classify the regions of China to determine the areas of transformation of the regional economic structure to ensure the transition to an intensive development model. It is also necessary to develop recommendations for the even and balanced development of regions.

Spatial assessment of socio-economic vulnerability to climate-related disasters at the local level: Study of coastal villages in Indramayu, Indonesia

Climate change has brought ecological impacts in the coastal area, such as seawater intrusion, coastal floods, and erosion, which have caused broader effects on non-physical aspects of human activities, including the coastal economy and society. This study aims to assess the socio-economic vulnerability to climate-related disasters in the coastal villages of Indramayu, Indonesia. Secondary data were collected based on available sources. Spatial and statistical analyses were applied. This study uses ten indicators to measure the socio-economic vulnerability of 41 coastal villages. These indicators include seven socio-demographic indicators and three economic indicators. The analysis shows that ten villages (24.39%) are socially vulnerable, and five villages (4.87%) are economically vulnerable. Overall, two out of seven socio-demographic indicators have high vulnerability levels, namely disaster mitigation systems and established community groups. Two out of three economic indicators also have high degrees of vulnerability, namely the availability of economic facilities and the employment-based sector. The other indicators with medium to low degree of vulnerability are population density, the elderly population, the disabled population (socio-demographic indicators), and poverty (economic indicator). From this study, local governments and other relevant actors can prioritize climate-related disaster reduction strategies in particular sectors and locations through spatial and development plans.