Weighted minimum $$\alpha$$-Green energy problems

PurposeThe discussion of climate change and energy problems is generally based on the assumption that technical solutions are possible and that the task is essentially to determine the most effective ways. This view relies heavily on the expectation that renewable energy sources can be substituted for fossil fuels. The purpose of this paper is to improve on an earlier attempt to estimate the investment cost that would be involved in deriving total world energy supply from renewable sources.Design/methodology/approachThis discussion improves on an earlier attempt to estimate the investment cost that would be involved in deriving total world energy supply from renewable sources. It takes common assumptions re future energy demand and estimates of future output and capital costs of major renewable energy sources and explores four strategies for supplying global energy demand in 2050.FindingsThis paper finds that the greenhouse and energy problems cannot be solved by action on the supply side, i.e. by technical developments which promise to provide quantities taken for granted in energy‐intensive societies. This general “limits to growth” perspective is that these and the other major global problems can only be solved by action on the demand side, i.e. by moving to ways, values, institutions and systems which greatly reduce the need for materials, energy and ecological resources.Research limitations/implicationsConfidence in the conclusions is limited mainly by the lack of evidence at this point in time on the actual difficulties set by the problem of integrating the intermittent sources, and the resulting need for redundant plant.Practical implicationsEach of the four strategies explored requires large amounts of redundant plant to be able to cope with the intermittency problem. Each leads to total system capital costs which are well beyond affordable levels.Social implicationsThe findings add to the general “limits to growth” case that solutions to the global energy and other sustainability problems cannot be achieved within consumer‐capitalist society but must be sought via dramatic reductions in production, consumption and GDP. This would require radical system change from the commitment to growth, market systems and affluent lifestyles, to what is described as The Simpler Way.Originality/valueIt does not seem that this approach has previously been taken to the specific issue of the potential and limits of renewable energy. Little or no attention has been given to the thesis that global sustainability and justice require transition to some kind of Simpler Way.

The rising influence of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from burning fossil fuels on climate change has led to a demand for clean energy. The only consequence of H2's combustion is water vapor, making it a clean energy source. As a clean energy source, hydrogen contributes significantly to energy and environmental sustainability and helps mitigate the world's energy problem and climate change. Microalgae have recently been found to hold tremendous promise for producing biodiesel and biohydrogen. Under certain conditions, sunlight is used by green microalgae to split water particles, resulting in the production of molecular hydrogen and oxygenation. With an emphasis on green microalgae, this review outlined possible algal strains for hydrogen production. In addition, a comprehensive review procedure aimed at presenting the importance of using microalgae to produce green hydrogen. More significantly, this review included an overview of present constraints and potential future directions for the sustainable synthesis of biohydrogen from microalgae.

Modern energy and environmental problems are related to the depletion of oil, gas and environmental pollution. Therefore, in recent years, countries with developed economies have been developing and implementing alternative energy. Unlike depleted resources, alternative energy does not depend on the intensity of their use. Timely reorientation of Ukraine to alternative energy will be able to significantly improve the state of its fuel and energy sector and make it energy independent of other countries. Energy production can be divided into traditional and alternative. Traditional energy sources include oil, gas and coal. Their main disadvantage is the impossibility of their recovery. This is an important factor that encourages the search for other ways to produce energy. Due to some of the richest deposits will be depleted and this factor stimulates the search for new ways of energy production. Some elements of "green" investment have appeared and spread in Ukraine. They arose not because of a specific political and well-thought-out strategy, but as a response to pressing problems in economic development as a result of international commitments. Alternative energy must solve two main problems. These problems include energy efficiency and environmental safety, which are particularly pronounced in eastern Ukraine. The work of many industrial enterprises of Ukraine is quite energy-intensive and requires innovative energy-saving technologies. This situation is caused by the inefficient structure of production. This situation can be remedied by improving the local and national economy. This will help accelerate the development of alternative energy sources and create conditions for compliance with the norms of sustainable development and high international environmental principles of economic activity. In the electricity market of Ukraine, alternative types of alternative energy are gradually becoming more and more popular. Although they will not soon be able to reach the level of traditional sources. Green investments should also contribute to this. In recent years, Ukraine, following the example of Europe, is actively implementing and investing in alternative energy. This applies to different types of renewable energy sources: sun, wind, tides, hot springs and others. All this was caused by the depletion of oil and gas fields in Ukraine. Also negative are the consequences of their processing on the environment.

It is my honor to present the proceedings of the 2024 3rd International Conference on Smart Grid and Green Energy (ICSGGE 2024). ICSGGE 2024 is an event that brings together the world’s leading experts and scholars in the fields of smart grid and green energy, and is also an excellent platform for sharing the latest research results and discussing the application of cutting-edge technologies in related research domains. With the increasing severity of global climate change and energy crisis, smart grid and green energy, as the key means to solve the energy problem, have received extensive attention from the international community. In order to further promote technological innovation, academic exchanges and cooperation in the fields of smart grid and green energy, ICSGGE 2024 was held from April 19th to 21st, 2024 in Chengdu, China (virtual conference). ICSGGE 2024 brought together top scholars and researchers from all over the world, who shared their latest research results and practical experiences in the fields of smart grid and green energy in this conference. Such topics as The Role of Smart Grids to Drive Cities Towards Carbon Neutrality (by Prof. Steivan Defilla, Tianjin University, China), Role of Energy Conservation & Management in Energy Transition (by Prof. Muhammad Asif, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia), among others were discussed during the keynote speech part. Through exchanges and discussions, we have jointly explored the development trends and future research direction of smart grid and green energy, stimulated innovative thinking, and promoted academic exchanges and cooperation. This proceedings of ICSGGE 2024 contains excellent academic papers from all around the world, which not only cover the basic theories, teaching methods, and evaluation systems of smart grid and green energy, but also discuss in depth the applications and innovations in many fields. Topics include but are not limited to Smart Grid Security, Energy Transfer and Interactive Technology, Communication-Based Control and Protection, Photovoltaic Systems and Solar Energy Engineering, Power Electronics and Drives, Wind Energy Generation, etc. Each paper has been strictly reviewed and screened to ensure its academic value and practical application value. We would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the experts and scholars, organizers, sponsors and participants who have contributed to and supported this conference. And we believe that all the experts and scholars have harvested fruitful results and inspired new inspirations in this event. Through our joint efforts and wisdom, the ICSGGE 2024 has become a grand event in the fields of smart grid and green energy, and made a new contribution to the promotion of electronic and energy engineering. The Committee of ICSGGE 2024 List of Committee Member is available in this Pdf.

The society is making continuous progress, and the results of urban planning and construction are obvious to all. However, there are still many problems in the planning and construction of villages and towns, resulting in relatively backward development. The purpose of this article is to study the planning of ecological villages and towns and the design of green buildings from the perspective of rural environmental aesthetics. This article briefly introduces the principles and problems of ecological village planning through literature research and investigation and puts forward some suggestions on ecological village planning. Through investigation and experiment, the energy problem, structural material problem, and planning problem in green building design are analyzed. The results show that due to various limitations, the use and promotion of solar energy are blocked. Only by helping farmers solve their difficulties can clean energy be used in green buildings and the burning of straw be reduced. Nationwide, the proportion of brick-concrete structures, brick-wood structures, and reinforced concrete structures in rural housing reached 57.2%, 26%, and 12.5%, respectively. Many rural buildings pursue reinforced concrete structures, but brick and wood structures may be more suitable for most rural areas.

The worldwide quest for sustainable energy solutions has led to a thorough investigation of the integration of renewable energy sources based on micro and smart grids into national electricity systems. This case study focuses on Bangladesh's particular situation, as a nation attempting to find workable solutions to its energy problems. The study explores how cutting-edge smart grid technology and decentralized energy systems, such as microgrids, can be integrated to improve the country's energy environment. The report commences by evaluating the current condition of Bangladesh's national grid, outlining the obstacles that still need to be overcome, and stressing the importance of having a variety of reliable energy sources. After that, the emphasis switches to microgrids, where their potential to support energy autonomy, harvest renewable energy locally, and lessen load on the centralized grid is examined. A thorough analysis of the technical, financial, and legal factors is carried out, considering how well micro and smart grid technologies work with the country's grid infrastructure. A case study that highlights a particular implementation in a chosen area of Bangladesh provides useful information. To assess the effectiveness and difficulties of the integration process, key metrics such the penetration of renewable energy, grid stability, and economic viability are described. In addition to providing resilience against power outages, increasing energy efficiency, and promoting a sustainable energy ecosystem, the results highlight the potential advantages of a synergistic strategy in which micro and smart networks supplement the national grid. Regulatory framework, technology standardization, and community participation challenges are all noted, and these call for the implementation of policy interventions and strategic planning. This case study provides insightful information about how Bangladesh's national system integrates renewable energy sources based on micro and smart grids. In the context of a developing nation's energy transition, it advocates for a comprehensive approach that considers technological breakthroughs, economic viability, and regulatory frameworks to unlock the full potential of decentralized and smart grid solutions.

The energy problem is one of the most challenging issues in the twenty-first century. Many energy applications for portable electronics, electric vehicles, spacecraft, and renewable energy are under extensive investigation worldwide. New alternative energy with renewable energy devices are competitive with fossil fuels. To develop the advanced energy storage and harvesting/conversion system, renewable energy nanomaterials are in high demand. Two-dimensional nanomaterials composed of graphene and two-dimensional transition-metal chalcogenides (2D-TMDs) have attracted a great deal of interest due to their unique properties. From the prospect of energy applications, graphene and 2D-TMD nanosheets have many interesting properties, such as large surface area, atomically thin sheet with high flexibility, and a wide range of electrical conductivity. Graphene has proved to be a good material for nanoscale devices used in energy harvesting/conversion and storage applications. Recently, 2D-TMDs are also attracting significant attention in many energy-related applications. In this chapter, we focus on the recent advances in graphene (including graphene oxide, GO) and 2D-TMD nanosheets research for energy devices: electrodes in solar cell, electrocatalysts or photocatalysts for fuel cell, electrodes in Li-ion battery, and electrodes for supercapacitors.

Limited supplies of fossil fuels and concerns about global warming have created a strong desire to solve the resource issue in the age "beyond petroleum". This reference book, from the "Green Chemistry Series", contains the essential areas of green chemistry and sustainability in modern economies. It is the first book to outline the contribution of chemistry, and of renewable chemical or biological resources, to the sustainability concept and to the potential resolution of the world's energy problems. It describes the current status of technical research, and industrial application, as well as the potential of biomass as a renewable resource for energy generation in power stations, as alternative fuels, and for various uses in chemistry. It outlines the historical routes of the sustainability concept and specifies sustainability in metrics, facts and figures. The book is written by European experts from academia, industry and investment banking who are world leaders in research and technology regarding sustainability, alternative energies and renewable resources. The sustainability aspects covered include: * consumer behaviour and demands, lifestyles and mega trends, and their impact on innovation in the industry * consumer industry requirements and their impact on suppliers * emerging paradigm changes in raw material demand, availability, sourcing, and logistics * the contribution of the industry to restore the life support systems of the Earth * socially responsible banking and investment * sustainability metrics The book highlights the potential of the different forms of renewable raw materials including: * natural fats and oils * plant-based biologically active ingredients * industrial starch * sucrose * natural rubber * wood * natural fibres It also covers the actual status of biomass usage for green energy generation, green transportation, green chemistry and sustainable nutrition and consumer goods, and it depicts the potentials of green solvents and white biotechnology for modern synthesis and manufacturing technologies. The book is aimed at technical and marketing people in industry, universities and institutions as well as readers in administrations and NGOs. The book will also be of value to the worldwide public interested in sustainability issues and strategies as well as others interested in the practical means that are being used to reduce the environmental impact of chemical processes and products, to further eco-efficiency, and to advance the utilization of renewable resources.

The world is facing a serious energy problem which destroying the environment. In addition, fossil fuel such as oil and coal that caused global warming and the environmental problems due to acid rain had been gradually exhausted. To solve this problem that has crisis of energy, it is necessary time and effort for research and development of renewable energy in the future. As alternative energy, small hydropower generation which has output of less or equal to 100㎾ is attracting considerable attention. This is because of its small, simple, renewable, and large amount of energy resources. By using a small hydropower generator of which main concept is based on using the different water pressure levels in pipe lines, energy which was initially wasted by use reducing of a valve at the end of the pipeline, is collected by turbine in the small hydropower generator. In this study, we investigated the influence of the number of runner vanes on the characteristics of tubular-type hydroturbine.

Glasgow climate change conference (COP26) and its implications in sub-Sahara Africa economies

Energy problem is a global issue that has a serious effect on many countries in the world. The demand for energy is currently growing far greater than the supply of the nationally generated energy. In order to overcome energy crisis and the output pollution of the generation, it is suggested to use the Microbial Fuel Cell (M.F.C). M.F.Cs are devices that use bacteria as a catalyst to oxidize organic and inorganic matters and generate electric current. With the modifications that are suggested by this study, there will be clean, available and suitable energy source. Besides having the property of being efficient, eco-friendly and cheaper than the other resources, it can utilize the sewage to generate electricity and produce clean water, which mean cleaner environment with a great supply of energy and clean drinkable water. Facing challenges that affect the development of the M.F.Cs is an important aspect to be studied, so our study suggests solutions nearly for all the challenges facing them like the types of the electrodes, output pollutants, the catalyst in the cathode chamber and the real application.

The International Symposium on Clusters and Nanomaterials was held in Richmond, Virginia during October 26-29, 2015. The symposium focused on the roles clusters and nanostructures play in solving outstanding problems in clean and sustainable energy and life sciences applications; two of the most important issues facing science and society. Many of the materials issues in renewable energies, environmental impacts of energy technologies as well as beneficial and toxicity issues of nanoparticles in health are intertwined. Realizing that both fundamental and applied materials issues require a multidisciplinary approach the symposium provided a forum by bringing researchers from physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering fields to share their ideas and results, identify outstanding problems, and develop new collaborations. Clean and sustainable energy sessions addressed challenges in production, storage, conversion, and efficiency of renewable energies such as solar, wind, bio, thermo-electric, and hydrogen. Environmental issues dealt with air- and water-pollution and conservation, environmental remediation and hydrocarbon processing. Topics in life sciences included therapeutic and diagnostic methods as well as health hazards attributed to nanoparticles. Cross-cutting topics such as reactions, catalysis, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties were also covered. The symposium attracted 132 participants from 24 countries in the world. It featured 39 invited speakers in 14 plenary sessions, in addition to one key-note session. Eighty-five contributed papers were presented in two poster sessions and 14 papers from this list were selected to be presented orally at the end of each session to highlight hot topics. Papers presented at the symposium were reviewed and published in SPIE so that these can reach a wide audience. The symposium was highly interactive with ample time allotted for discussions and making new collaborations. The participants’ response was that this was a high quality conference and covered topics at the cutting edge of science and technology. The symposium was endorsed by the American Physical Society, The Materials Research Society, SPIE, The Metallurgical Society, and the American Vacuum Society. The symposium was supported by external grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy as well as by internal grants from Virginia Commonwealth University (Offices of the President, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of Research, Vice Provost for Life Sciences, Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences, and the Dean of the School of Engineering). The funding from DOE was used to support partial expenses of invited speakers, students and postdoctoral fellows.

Sustainable Fleet Operations in the Postal Sector

This is an exclusively prepared special issue containing papers selected from two well-established events, namely, International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems (ICENES) and International Conference on Nuclear and Renewable Energy Resources (NURER) and some invited papers in order to make a unique source to reflect the progress in the area of novel nuclear energy technologies. ICENES, with a long scientific tradition, started in 1978 as an autonomous, self-organized event by a group of independent nuclear scientists. The goal was to find unconventional new routes for improving the use of the atomic energy beyond the commercial grounds. It was evident that the field of “strong interactions” still has a broad way for further developments to harness the most powerful source of energy of our universe, in a safe way and with better use of natural resources. The Nuclear Field is plenty of opportunities, and no free from risks, and it is the spirit of human vocation to explore those domains where new findings can change some essential aspects of our world, as is the case of Energy. Nuclear energy is considered the ultimate energy to secure the future of the mankind. Hence, considerable research activities and international collaboration are continuing on innovative nuclear energy systems, such as fusion energy, fusion-fission hybrids, GEN-IV reactors, space nuclear reactors, and power systems and accelerator-driven systems. Asian countries are considerably progressing in the construction of new nuclear reactor as well as in the research and the development of innovative nuclear energy technologies. A sort of new international merging is needed to recover capability and potential in this field of Physics and Technology, which should play an important role in coping with the energy problem and its environmental effects. NURER is a relatively younger one, which was initiated in 2010 as an independent event to look inside the long-term future of energy problems, without forgetting to bridge the gap between the present time and the future, parallel to the ICENES series in alternating years. Both are unique conferences in their nature, considering that nuclear energy, and other newly emerging alternative and renewable energy technologies as complementing and not competing directions with each other. On that way, ICENES and NURER conferences represent two alternating fora, where present and future technologies and systems are discussed under the same umbrella and establish a bridge with closer communication and mutual understanding between nuclear and renewable energy communities. The mankind needs both of them. In that sense, both conferences cover a wide range of topics related to nuclear power production; nuclear hydrogen production; hydrogen energy, energy efficiency, and management; solar energy; wind energy; hydrogen production and storage; renewable energy; fuel cells; bio-energy, etc. In closing, this particular special issue aims to make a unique collection on “progress in novel nuclear energy technologies” from the papers selected from the above listed conferences along with some invited papers which have peer-reviewed, improved, enhanced, and accepted for publication in IJER. The guest editor would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank the editor-in-chief, Prof Dr Ibrahim Dincer; Journal Manager, Peter Creaton; and the authors of the special issue papers to make this special issue a fruitful outcome.

Recent technical approaches for improving energy efficiency and sustainability of PV and PV-T systems: A comprehensive review