Industry evolution, rational agents and the transition to sustainable electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarzynska, Karolina; Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. van den

2011-01-01

Guiding a transition to low carbon electricity requires a good understanding of the substitution of old by new technologies in the electricity industry. With the aim of explaining historical change from coal to gas in the British electricity industry, we develop a formal model of technological change, where energy technologies diffuse through the construction of new power plants. We considered two model versions: with rational and boundedly rational investors. In each model version, we look at the causal relations between price and output setting mechanisms, fuel and labour use, and investment decisions for different institutional arrangements. We quantify model parameters on data for the United Kingdom. We find that the version of the model with rational investors is capable of replicating well core features of UK electricity history. This includes a rapid diffusion of gas in electricity production, the evolution of the average size of newly installed plants, and a high percentage of electricity sales covered by (forward) contracts-for-difference. In this model setting, nuclear and renewable energies have no chance to diffuse on the market. In the version of the model with boundedly rational investors, nuclear power typically dominates electricity production. We discuss implications of our modelling results for making a transition to low carbon electricity in the future. - Highlights: → We propose a model of a transition from coal to gas in electricity production. → Energy technologies diffuse through the construction of new power plants. → We considered two model versions: with rational and boundedly rational investors. → We quantify model parameters on data for the UK for the period 1990-2002. → We draw policy conclusions for guiding a transition to low carbon electricity.

Product service systems and sustainable mobility : An electric vehicle introduction case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beella, S.K.; Silvester, S.; Brezet, J.C.; Van Timmeren, A.; Bauer, P.; Quist, J.; Van Dijk, S.

2010-01-01

A product service system (PSS) is a function-oriented business model aimed at providing sustainability of both consumption and production. A PSS is defined as a marketable set of products and services capable of jointly fulfilling user needs. In theory PSSs are normally shown realized with smart

Sustainable electric energy supply by decentralized alternative energy technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahedi, A., E-mail: Ahmad.Zahedi@jcu.edu.au [James Cook University, Queensland (Australia). School of Engineering and Physical Sciences

2010-07-01

The most available and affordable sources of energy in today's economic structure are fossil fuels, namely, oil, gas, and coal. Fossil fuels are non-renewable, have limited reserves, and have serious environmental problems associated with their use. Coal and nuclear energy are used in central and bulky power stations to produce electricity, and then this electricity is delivered to customers via expensive transmission lines and distribution systems. Delivering electric power via transmission and distribution lines to the electricity users is associated with high electric power losses. These power losses are costly burdens on power suppliers and users. One of the advantages of decentralized generation (DG) is that DG is capable of minimizing power losses because electric power is generated at the demand site. The world is facing two major energy-related issues, short term and long term. These issues are (i) not having enough and secure supplies of energy at affordable prices and (ii) environmental damages caused by consuming too much energy in an unsustainable way. A significant amount of the current world energy comes from limited resources, which when used, cannot be replaced. Hence the energy production and consumption do not seem to be sustainable, and also carries the threat of severe and irreversible damages to the environment including climate change.The price of energy is increasing and there are no evidences suggesting that this trend will reverse. To compensate for this price increase we need to develop and use high energy efficient technologies and focusing on energy technologies using renewable sources with less energy conversion chains, such as solar and wind. The world has the potential to expand its capacity of clean, renewable, and sustainable energy to offset a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions from conventional power use. The increasing utilization of alternative sources such as hydro, biomass, geothermal, ocean energy, solar and

Potential of brown algae for sustainable electricity production through anaerobic digestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fasahati, Peyman; Saffron, Christopher M.; Woo, Hee Chul; Liu, J. Jay

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Electricity production through anaerobic digestion of brown algae was assessed. • Breakeven electricity selling price of 18.81 ¢/kWh was calculated. • AD unit has highest energy consumption of 14% of generated electricity. • Seaweed cost has largest cost contribution of 11.95 ¢/kWh to the calculated BESP. • Impact of economic and process parameters on BESP was assessed. - Abstract: This paper assesses the economics of heat and power production from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of brown algae (Laminaria japonica) at a plant scale of 400,000 dry tons/year. The conversion process was simulated in Aspen Plus v.8.6 to obtain rigorous heat and material balance for energy assessments and the development of a techno-economic model. The breakeven electricity selling price (BESP) was found to be 18.81 ¢/kWh assuming 30 years of plant life and a 10% internal rate of return. The results show that the AD unit has the highest energy demand in the entire process and consumes approximately 14% of all electricity produced. In addition, the seaweed cost of 11.95 ¢/kWh is the largest cost component that contributes to the calculated BESP, which means that a reduction in the cost of seaweed cultivation can significantly decrease the electricity production cost. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the economic and process parameters in order to assess the impact of possible variations and uncertainties in these parameters. Results showed that solids loading, anaerobic digestion yield, and time, respectively, have the highest impact on BESP.

Photovoltaic. Solar electricity, a sustainable source of energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stryi-Hipp, Gerhard; Loyen, Richard; Knaack, Jan; Chrometzka, Thomas

2008-06-01

This German publication outlines that solar energy is now essential to any sustainable energy mix, and describes the operation principle of solar photovoltaic energy production. It describes how it can be applied for the production of electricity in isolated areas, and for individual housing as well as commercial buildings, and presents the concept of ground-based solar plants. The next part discusses the development of the photovoltaic market (its huge potential, its world size) and indicates the different associated arrangements of financial support or subsidy. It also discusses how photovoltaic markets can be developed, and proposes an overview of the German model

Sustainability evaluation of decentralized electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karger, Cornelia R.; Hennings, Wilfried

2009-01-01

Decentralized power generation is gaining significance in liberalized electricity markets. An increasing decentralization of power supply is expected to make a particular contribution to climate protection. This article investigates the advantages and disadvantages of decentralized electricity generation according to the overall concept of sustainable development. On the basis of a hierarchically structured set of sustainability criteria, four future scenarios for Germany are assessed, all of which describe different concepts of electricity supply in the context of the corresponding social and economic developments. The scenarios are developed in an explorative way according to the scenario method and the sustainability criteria are established by a discursive method with societal actors. The evaluation is carried out by scientific experts. By applying an expanded analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multicriteria evaluation is conducted that identifies dissent among the experts. The results demonstrate that decentralized electricity generation can contribute to climate protection. The extent to which it simultaneously guarantees security of supply is still a matter of controversy. However, experts agree that technical and economic boundary conditions are of major importance in this field. In the final section, the article discusses the method employed here as well as implications for future decentralized energy supply. (author)

ILK statement on sustainability - evaluation of nuclear energy and other electricity supply technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The electricity utility sector is of central importance for economic growth and societal development. While numerous societal and economic benefits arise from electricity consumption, its production can also have impacts which may not be fully and unanimously reconciled with the concept of sustainability. Consideration of sustainability issues plays an increasingly important role in decisions affecting the current and future energy supply. Judgements on the sustainability of specific electricity supply options are, however, mostly made in an ad hoc manner, and are susceptible to bias and arbitrariness. The German Federal Government singles out nuclear energy in particular as not sustainable for the future and considers it in a fundamentally critical manner separately from the other options. The ILK's opinion is that all options of interest, including nuclear, need to be evaluated in a comparative perspective based on a systematic and comprehensive approach. Therefore, the ILK considered it worthwhile to investigate this matter in more detail and express its views in the form of the present statement. The ILK statement on sustainability takes into consideration the most relevant international and national developments. These form the background and input for the establishment of ILK's position. A limited scope comparative study on the sustainability of different electricity supply technologies under German conditions was carried out by the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) in order to demonstrate the applicability of a systematic approach and generate reasonably consistent results from which robust conclusions can be derived. (orig.) [de

Stratum Electricity Markets: Toward Multi-temporal Distributed Risk Management for Sustainable Electricity Provision

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhiyong (Richard)

Motivated by the overall challenge of ensuring long-term sustainable electricity service, we view this challenge as a long-term decision making problem under uncertainties. We start by recognizing that, independent of the industry organization, the uncertainties are enormous and often exogenous to the energy service providers. They are multi-dimensional and are result of fundamental drivers, ranging from the supply side, through the demand side, to the regulatory and policy sides. The basic contribution of this thesis comes from the recognition that long-term investments for ensuring reliable and stable electricity service critically depend on how these uncertainties are perceived, valued and managed by the different stakeholders within the complex industry organization such as the electric power industry. We explain several reasons why price signals obtained from current short-term electricity markets alone are not sufficient enough for long-term sustainable provision. Some enhancements are presented in the thesis to improve the short-term electricity market price signals to reflect the true cost of operation. New market mechanisms and instruments are needed to facilitate the stakeholders to better deal with long-term risks. The problems of ensuring long-term stable reliable service in the sense of the traditional resource adequacy requirements are revisited in both the restructuring industry and regulated industry. We introduce a so-called Stratum Electricity Market (SEM) design as the basic market mechanism for solving the problem of long-term reliable electricity service through a series of interactive multi-lateral market exchange platforms for risks communication, management and evaluations over various time horizons and by the different groups of stakeholders. In other words, our proposed SEM is a basic IT-enabled framework for the decision making processes by various parties over different time. Because of the uniqueness of electricity as a commodity, the

An outlook for sustainable forest bioenergy production in the Lake States

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis R. Becker; Kenneth Skog; Allison Hellman; Kathleen E. Halvorsen; Terry Mace

2009-01-01

The Lake States region of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan offers significant potential for bioenergy production. We examine the sustainability of regional forest biomass use in the context of existing thermal heating, electricity, and biofuels production, projected resource needs over the next decade including existing forest product market demand, and impacts on...

World green electricity, sustaining investments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Jannic, N.

2013-01-01

The contribution of the green production to the world production of electricity reached 20.2% in 2011, it means a slight increase in respect to the figure of 2010: 19.8%. Green electricity is the second source of electricity behind fossil energy (67.9%) but before nuclear power (11.7%). The decrease in nuclear power due to the Fukushima accident has automatically benefited green electricity. The figures show the importance of China, China is now the first electricity producer in the world before US and also passed US for the production of green electricity. At the world scale the production of green electricity can break down into: hydro energy (80.5%), wind energy (10.3%), biomass (6.2%), geothermal energy (1.6%) and solar energy (1.4%). The crisis has slowed down the investment in renewable energies in Europe. (A.C.)

Electricity generation in a sustainable development perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkat Raj, V.; Saradhi, I.V.

2003-01-01

The increasing impact of energy technologies on the environment and possible effects on future generations has been a cause of concern in recent years. This has resulted in an awareness regarding the need for viewing the role of electricity production by different methods, using different fuels/sources, in a sustainable development perspective, which calls for the needs of the present generation to be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This papers deals with some of the relevant issues in this regard. The world and the Indian energy scenarios are presented, followed by the data on the consequent carbon-dioxide emissions. The green house effect and the possible means of carbon sequestration are explained briefly. The important role nuclear energy can play in a sustainable development perspective is discussed, considering the various aspects such as resources, safety, radiological protection, cost externalities and environment impact. (author)

Assessment of modularity architecture for recovery process of electric vehicle in supporting sustainable design

Science.gov (United States)

Baroroh, D. K.; Alfiah, D.

2018-05-01

The electric vehicle is one of the innovations to reduce the pollution of the vehicle. Nevertheless, it still has a problem, especially for disposal stage. In supporting product design and development strategy, which is the idea of sustainable design or problem solving of disposal stage, assessment of modularity architecture from electric vehicle in recovery process needs to be done. This research used Design Structure Matrix (DSM) approach to deciding interaction of components and assessment of modularity architecture using the calculation of value from 3 variables, namely Module Independence (MI), Module Similarity (MS), and Modularity for End of Life Stage (MEOL). The result of this research shows that existing design of electric vehicles has the architectural design which has a high value of modularity for recovery process on disposal stage. Accordingly, so it can be reused and recycled in component level or module without disassembly process to support the product that is environmentally friendly (sustainable design) and able reduce disassembly cost.

Commercial green electricity products; Zakelijke groenestroomproducten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wielders, L.M.L.; Afman, M.R.

2012-12-15

The Dutch 100% Sustainable Energy: Green ICT campaign initiated by Hivos targets data centres, appealing to these companies to consider the environmental footprint of the electricity they use. Hivos is keen for a debate on greener alternatives and wanted a review of the sustainability of the various options available for buying 'green power' on the commercial market in the Netherlands, with a reasoned discussion of each. That review, laid down in this report, examines and discusses the various 'green power products' for the commercial market, providing a springboard for data centres to switch to a 'greener' product. To that end 'green power products' were categorized to highlight the differences between them. The highest score was given to renewable energy produced without any operating subsidy (the so-called SDE+ scheme), or with the higher price being paid for entirely by customers. Supply in these two categories is still fairly negligible, as this essentially represents an energy market in which renewables are cost-competitive with 'grey' electricity, or one in which customers are willing to pay (far) more for their electricity. The lowest scores were assigned to renewable power sourced in other countries and to 'grey' electricity [Dutch] De Hivos-bedrijvencampagne 100% Sustainable Energy: Green ICT richt zich op de datacenterbedrijven. De datacenterbedrijven worden aangesproken op de duurzaamheid van hun keuze voor de ingekochte elektriciteit. Hivos wil het gesprek aangaan over meer duurzame alternatieven. Hiervoor heeft Hivos behoefte aan een overzicht van de duurzaamheid van de verschillende opties voor de afname van duurzame elektriciteit (groene stroom) zoals die op de zakelijke markt in Nederland worden aangeboden, inclusief een onderbouwing. Dit rapport geeft een overzicht en inzicht in de verschillende groenestroomproducten voor de zakelijke markt zodat de datacenters kunnen overstappen op een

Sustained orderly development of the solar electric technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aitken, D.W.

1992-01-01

This article examines the need of electric utilities to support the commercialization of solar electric technologies now in order to have the technology available for future energy resources. The topics of the article include deteriorating opportunities, sustained orderly development of solar electric technologies, historical aspects, and market forces in the solar electric industry

Life cycle assessment, electricity generation and sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aumonier, S.

1998-01-01

When making a choice between alternatives, in whatever field, it is essential to have regard for the complete set of costs and benefits, in the widest possible sense, that will result in each case. The preferred option should be that which confers the maximum benefit, although relevant objectives will often conflict and its identification may be far from straightforward. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an environmental accounting tool for measuring the inputs and outputs of an option, whether a product, a process or an activity. This paper explains the principles and methodologies involved in LCA, its application to the nuclear sector, and to electricity generating options and sustainable development. (author)

Time-of-use based electricity demand response for sustainable manufacturing systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yong; Li, Lin

2013-01-01

As required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, utility companies across the U.S. are offering TOU (time-of-use) based electricity demand response programs. The TOU rate gives consumers opportunities to manage their electricity bill by shifting use from on-peak periods to mid-peak and off-peak periods. Reducing the amount of electricity needed during the peak load times makes it possible for the power grid to meet consumers' needs without building more costly backup infrastructures and help reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. Previous research on the applications of TOU and other electricity demand response programs has been mainly focused on residential and commercial buildings while largely neglected industrial manufacturing systems. This paper proposes a systems approach for TOU based electricity demand response for sustainable manufacturing systems under the production target constraint. Key features of this approach include: (i) the electricity related costs including both consumption and demand are integrated into production system modeling; (ii) energy-efficient and demand-responsive production scheduling problems are formulated and the solution technique is provided; and (iii) the effects of various factors on the near-optimal scheduling solutions are examined. The research outcome is expected to enhance the energy efficiency, electricity demand responsiveness, and cost effectiveness of modern manufacturing systems. - Highlights: • We propose a TOU based demand response approach for manufacturing systems. • Both electricity consumption and demand are integrated into the system modeling. • Energy-efficient and demand-responsive production scheduling problems are formulated. • The meta-heuristic solution technique is provided. • The effects of various factors on the scheduling solutions are examined

Potential of sustainable biomass production systems in Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanderson, M.A.; Hussey, M.A.; Wiselogel, A.E.

1992-01-01

Biomass production for liquid fuels feedstock from systems based on warm-season perennial grasses (WSPG) offers a sustainable alternative for forage-livestock producers in Texas. Such systems also would enhance diversity and flexibility in current production systems. Research is needed to incorporate biomass production for liquid fuels, chemicals, and electrical power into current forage-livestock management systems. Our research objectives were to (i) document the potential of several WSPG in diverse Texas environments for biomass feedstock production, (ii) conduct fundamental research on morphological development of WSPG to enhance management for biomass feedstock production, (iii) examine current on-farm production systems for opportunities to incorporate biomass production, and (iv) determine feedstock quality and stability during storage

Sustainable Product Innovation : The Importance of the Front-End Stage in the Innovation Process

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewulf, K.R.

2013-01-01

With an overpopulated planet, hungry for electricity and resources, sustainability will be one of the biggest challenges in the future. Present production and consumption patterns are causing serious environmental and human problems and cannot be sustained in a world with rising human aspirations.

Sustainable Federal Fleets: Deploying Electric Vehicles and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) helps federal agencies reduce petroleum consumption and increase alternative fuel use through its resources for Sustainable Federal Fleets. To assist agencies with the transition to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), FEMP offers technical guidance on electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installations and site-specific planning through partnerships with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) EVSE Tiger Teams.

Beyond sustainable transport. Electric car features and services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malinen, P.; Pirhonen, V.; Giesecke, R. [Aalto Univ. School of Science, Espoo (Finland). BIT Research Centre

2011-07-01

The overall aim of the Finnish SIMBe project (www.SIMBe.fi) is to significantly accelerate the introduction of sustainable electric mobility in Finland. SIMBe stands for Smart Infrastructures for Electric Mobility in Built Environments. The fundamental assumption of the project is that electric (e-) mobility is inherently more sustainable than mobility based on fossil fuels. However, as has been widely recognized in the e-mobility field, the currently used batteries are expensive, often more expensive than the rest of the particular electric vehicle (EV) that they propel. There are two opposite schools of thought how to address this problem, which can be summarized as follows: a) Leave the battery in peace, as it is precious. Use it only to propel the EV of which it is an integral part. Use it instead of fuel, and do not use it for any other applications. The EV's sole purpose is that of a transportation device. b) Make as much use of the battery as possible, as it is precious. Involve vehicle to grid (V2G) or vehicle to house charging. Additionally, invent new features, meanings and services for the battery driven EV, which go distinctively beyond transport. The SIMBe project decided to opt for school (b), based on the smart energy production and distribution scenario, in which electric and hybrid vehicles' batteries will deliver energy on demand to the grid. SIMBe aims to prepare key Finnish industrial players and consumers for the transition to this new energy-transportation paradigm. But how can we replace the conservative understanding of the 'transport only' school by a holistic view of what features, meanings and services are actually possible by using a large scale fleet of 'batteries on wheels'? The Nordic Climate Festival (at) Aalto provided the unique opportunity to tap into the knowledge and creativity of students within the Nordic countries. Being properly prepared and facilitated, a workshop may provide some insights and

Beyond sustainable transport. Electric car features and services

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malinen, P; Pirhonen, V; Giesecke, R [Aalto Univ. School of Science, Espoo (Finland). BIT Research Centre

2011-07-01

The overall aim of the Finnish SIMBe project (www.SIMBe.fi) is to significantly accelerate the introduction of sustainable electric mobility in Finland. SIMBe stands for Smart Infrastructures for Electric Mobility in Built Environments. The fundamental assumption of the project is that electric (e-) mobility is inherently more sustainable than mobility based on fossil fuels. However, as has been widely recognized in the e-mobility field, the currently used batteries are expensive, often more expensive than the rest of the particular electric vehicle (EV) that they propel. There are two opposite schools of thought how to address this problem, which can be summarized as follows: a) Leave the battery in peace, as it is precious. Use it only to propel the EV of which it is an integral part. Use it instead of fuel, and do not use it for any other applications. The EV's sole purpose is that of a transportation device. b) Make as much use of the battery as possible, as it is precious. Involve vehicle to grid (V2G) or vehicle to house charging. Additionally, invent new features, meanings and services for the battery driven EV, which go distinctively beyond transport. The SIMBe project decided to opt for school (b), based on the smart energy production and distribution scenario, in which electric and hybrid vehicles' batteries will deliver energy on demand to the grid. SIMBe aims to prepare key Finnish industrial players and consumers for the transition to this new energy-transportation paradigm. But how can we replace the conservative understanding of the 'transport only' school by a holistic view of what features, meanings and services are actually possible by using a large scale fleet of 'batteries on wheels'? The Nordic Climate Festival (at) Aalto provided the unique opportunity to tap into the knowledge and creativity of students within the Nordic countries. Being properly prepared and facilitated, a workshop may provide some insights and ideas. In scope of the

Sustainable electricity options for Malaysia: the emerging importance of renewable electricity supply options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosli, M.M.; Yusop, Y.M.

2006-01-01

Rapid economic expansion in Malaysia over recent decades has led to a large growth in demand for electricity. Demand growth has put a strain on the ability of the economy to expand its electricity infrastructure capacity rapidly to meet the surge in demand. Over the next decade or two, assuming Malaysia will continue to grow at current growth rates of 4.0%, Malaysia will require enormous supply of electricity to meet demand growth. To congregate this challenge, Malaysia needs to consider the energy supply systems that can contribute to the long-term sustainability of economy in the future. Energy supply is critical to social and economic development, and they both have direct and indirect impacts on the environment. The idea of sustainable energy frequently focuses on renewable energy (RE) resources and consideration of these resources in meeting the energy requirements of Malaysia is given high priority in this paper. This paper will embrace the issue of electricity supply resources, technologies and energy policies in accommodating the economy towards energy sustainability over the long term, thus meeting immediate energy needs. It is also the intention of this paper to highlight new and existing RE technologies and their important roles in encouraging a sustainable electricity supply growth pattern in Malaysia. RE generation systems will begin to make significant contributions to new generation capacity installations. However, political and policy reform will have to occur at an unprecedented rate for this to materialise. Malaysia Vision 2020 envisions for a caring society to evolve as part of the country ambition of achieving developed nation status. A balanced growth using sustainable development principles is advocated in which today's needs are met without compromising the needs of future generation

Electricity economics. Production functions with electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Zhaoguang [State Grid Energy Research Institute, Beijing (China); Hu, Zheng [Delaware Univ., Newark, DE (United States)

2013-07-01

The first book studies on the economics of electricity consumption. Compares the sector production functions with electricity and the commercial production functions with electricity. Introduces the global E-GDP function, the European E-GDP function and 12 national E-GDP functions. Presents the gene characters of EAI production functions and E-GDP functions for USA to see why USA's economy is entering an up-industrialization period. Discusses China's economic growth by production functions with electricity. Electricity Economics: Production Functions with Electricity studies the production output from analyzing patterns of electricity consumption. Since electricity data can be used to measure scenarios of economic performance due to its accuracy and reliability, it could therefore also be used to help scholars explore new research frontiers that directly and indirectly benefits human society. Our research initially explores a similar pattern to substitute the Cobb-Douglas function with the production function with electricity to track and forecast economic activities. The book systematically introduces the theoretical frameworks and mathematical models of economics from the perspective of electricity consumption. The E-GDP functions are presented for case studies of more than 20 developed and developing countries. These functions also demonstrate substantial similarities between human DNA and production functions with electricity in terms of four major characteristics, namely replication, mutation, uniqueness, and evolution. Furthermore, the book includes extensive data and case studies on the U.S., China, Japan, etc. It is intended for scientists, engineers, financial professionals, policy makers, consultants, and anyone else with a desire to study electricity economics as well as related applications.

Electricity economics. Production functions with electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Zhaoguang; Hu, Zheng

2013-01-01

The first book studies on the economics of electricity consumption. Compares the sector production functions with electricity and the commercial production functions with electricity. Introduces the global E-GDP function, the European E-GDP function and 12 national E-GDP functions. Presents the gene characters of EAI production functions and E-GDP functions for USA to see why USA's economy is entering an up-industrialization period. Discusses China's economic growth by production functions with electricity. Electricity Economics: Production Functions with Electricity studies the production output from analyzing patterns of electricity consumption. Since electricity data can be used to measure scenarios of economic performance due to its accuracy and reliability, it could therefore also be used to help scholars explore new research frontiers that directly and indirectly benefits human society. Our research initially explores a similar pattern to substitute the Cobb-Douglas function with the production function with electricity to track and forecast economic activities. The book systematically introduces the theoretical frameworks and mathematical models of economics from the perspective of electricity consumption. The E-GDP functions are presented for case studies of more than 20 developed and developing countries. These functions also demonstrate substantial similarities between human DNA and production functions with electricity in terms of four major characteristics, namely replication, mutation, uniqueness, and evolution. Furthermore, the book includes extensive data and case studies on the U.S., China, Japan, etc. It is intended for scientists, engineers, financial professionals, policy makers, consultants, and anyone else with a desire to study electricity economics as well as related applications.

Energy-efficient biomass processing with pulsed electric fields for bioeconomy and sustainable development.

Science.gov (United States)

Golberg, Alexander; Sack, Martin; Teissie, Justin; Pataro, Gianpiero; Pliquett, Uwe; Saulis, Gintautas; Stefan, Töpfl; Miklavcic, Damijan; Vorobiev, Eugene; Frey, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Fossil resources-free sustainable development can be achieved through a transition to bioeconomy, an economy based on sustainable biomass-derived food, feed, chemicals, materials, and fuels. However, the transition to bioeconomy requires development of new energy-efficient technologies and processes to manipulate biomass feed stocks and their conversion into useful products, a collective term for which is biorefinery. One of the technological platforms that will enable various pathways of biomass conversion is based on pulsed electric fields applications (PEF). Energy efficiency of PEF treatment is achieved by specific increase of cell membrane permeability, a phenomenon known as membrane electroporation. Here, we review the opportunities that PEF and electroporation provide for the development of sustainable biorefineries. We describe the use of PEF treatment in biomass engineering, drying, deconstruction, extraction of phytochemicals, improvement of fermentations, and biogas production. These applications show the potential of PEF and consequent membrane electroporation to enable the bioeconomy and sustainable development.

A roadmap for production of sustainable, consistent and reliable electric power from agricultural biomass- An Indian perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Jaswinder

2016-01-01

The utilization of agricultural biomass for production of electric power can help to reduce the environmental emissions while achieving energy security and sustainable development. This paper presents a methodology for estimating the power production potential of agricultural biomass in a country. Further, the methodology has been applied to develop a roadmap for producing reliable power in India. The present study reveals that about 650 Mt/year of agricultural biomass is generated in India, while about one-third of this has been found to be surplus for energy applications. The cereal crops have major contribution (64.60%) in production of surplus biomass followed by sugarcane (24.60%) and cotton (10.68%). The energy potential of these resources is of the order of 3.72 EJ, which represents a significant proportion of the primary energy consumption in the country. These biomass resources can produce electric power of 23–35 GW depending upon the efficiency of thermal conversion. The delivery of biomass to the plants and selection of appropriate technology have been found as the major issues that need to be resolved carefully. In the end, the study summarizes various technological options for biomass collection and utilization that can be used for producing clean and consistent power supply. - Highlights: •The production of bioelectricity in India is imperative and inevitable. •About one-third of the agricultural biomass is available for power generation. •The power potential of these resources is of the order of 23–31 GW. •The delivery of biomass to plants and technology selection are the key issues. •India should exploit these resources for producing clean and reliable power.

Smart grids - intelligence for sustainable electrical power systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slootweg, J.G.; Cordova, C.E.P.; Montes Portela, C.; Morren, J.

2011-01-01

Due to the adverse impacts of the consumption of fossil fuels on our environment, the quest for a more sustainable energy supply is increasingly intensifying. Many renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and tidal power generate electricity. Therefore, the development towards a sustainable

Selecting future electricity generation options in conformity with sustainable development objectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juhn, P.E.; Rogner, H.-H.; Khan, A.M.; Vladu, I.F.

2000-01-01

The complexity facing today's energy planners and decision-makers, particularly in the electricity sector, has increased. They must take into account many elements in selecting technologies and strategies that will impact near term energy development and applications in their countries. While costs remain a key factor, tradeoffs between the demands of environmental protection and economic development will have to be made. This fact, together with the needs of many countries to define their energy and electricity programmes in a sustainable manner, has resulted in a growing interest in the application of improved data, tools and techniques for comparative assessment of different electricity generation options, particularly from an environmental and human health viewpoint. Although global emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, e.g. SO 2 , NO x and particulate, must be reduced, the reality today is that these emissions are increasing and are expected to continue to increase. In examining the air pollutants, as well as water effluents and solid waste generated by electricity production, it is necessary to assess the full energy chain from fuel extraction to waste disposal, including the production of construction and auxiliary materials. The paper describes this concept and illustrates its implementation for assessing and comparing electricity generation costs, emissions, wastes and other environmental burdens from different energy sources. (author)

A Comparison of Electricity Generation System Sustainability among G20 Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinchao Li

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Planning for electricity generation systems is a very important task and should take environmental and economic factors into account. This paper reviews the existing metrics and methods in evaluating energy sustainability, and we propose a sustainability assessment index system. The input indexes include generation capacity, generation cost, and land use. The output indexes include desirable and undesirable parts. The desirable outputs are total electricity generation and job creation. The undesirable outputs are external supply risk and external costs associated with the environment and health. The super-efficiency data envelopment analysis method is used to calculate the sustainability of electricity generation systems of 23 countries from 2005 to 2014. The three input indexes and three undesirable output indexes are used as the input variables. The two desirable outputs are used as the output variables. The results show that most countries’ electricity generation sustainability values have decreasing trends. In addition, nuclear and hydro generation have positive effects. Solar, wind, and fossil fuel generation have negative effects on sustainability.

New electricity 21. Designing a sustainable electric system for the twenty-first century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The five main sessions of the conference are opportunities to increase electricity use for sustainable development; electric system expansion and integration to meet growing competition; power producers and global climate change issues; technology for supplying electricity in developing and transitional economies; power industry structure, regulatory policies and technological innovation. All contributions have been indexed and abstracted for the INIS and Energy database. (R.P.)

LCA and external costs in comparative assessment of electricity chains. Decision support for sustainable electricity provision?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, A.

2002-01-01

The provision of energy and electricity plays an important role in a country's economic and environmental performance and the sustainability of its development. Sustainable development of the energy and electricity sector depends on finding ways of meeting energy service demands of the present generation that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable and do not jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their own energy needs. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and external cost valuation are considered to offer opportunities to assist energy policy in a comprehensive comparative evaluation of electricity supply options with regard to the different dimensions of sustainable energy provision as well as in the implementation of appropriate internalization strategies. The paper addresses life cycle assessment and external cost analysis carried out for selected electricity systems of interest under German conditions. Results from a comprehensive comparative assessment of various electricity supply options with regard to their environmental impacts, health risks, raw materials requirements as well as their resulting external cost will be summarised. The use of LCA based indicators for assessing the relative sustainability of electricity systems and the use of total (internal plus external) cost assessment as measure of economic and environmental efficiency of energy systems will be discussed. Open problems related to life cycle analysis of energy chains and the assessment of environmental damage costs are critically reviewed, to illustrate how in spite of existing uncertainties the state of the art results may provide helpful energy policy decision support. The paper starts with some remarks on what the concept of sustainability in terms of energy systems means. (author)

An integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of electricity generation in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atilgan, Burcin; Azapagic, Adisa

2016-01-01

This paper presents for the first time an integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of the electricity sector in Turkey, considering environmental, economic and social aspects. Twenty life cycle sustainability indicators (11 environmental, three economic and six social) are used to evaluate the current electricity options. Geothermal power is the best option for six environmental impacts but it has the highest capital costs. Small reservoir and run-of-river power has the lowest global warming potential while large reservoir is best for the depletion of elements and fossil resources, and acidification. It also has the lowest levelised costs, worker injuries and fatalities but provides the lowest life cycle employment opportunities. Gas power has the lowest capital costs but it provides the lowest direct employment and has the highest levelised costs and ozone layer depletion. Given these trade-offs, a multi-criteria decision analysis has been carried out to identify the most sustainable options assuming different stakeholder preferences. For all the preferences considered, hydropower is the most sustainable option for Turkey, followed by geothermal and wind electricity. This work demonstrates the importance for energy policy of an integrated life cycle sustainability assessment and how tensions between different aspects can be reconciled to identify win-win solutions. - Highlights: •First integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of the electricity sector in Turkey. •11 environmental, three economic and six social sustainability indicators estimated. •Multi-criteria decision analysis carried out to identify most sustainable options. •Hydro is the most sustainable option for Turkey, followed by geothermal and wind. •This work demonstrates how tensions among sustainability aspects can be reconciled.

Green power perspectives on sustainable electricity generation

CERN Document Server

Neiva de Figueiredo, Joao

2014-01-01

Green Power: Perspectives on Sustainable Electricity Generation; João Neiva de Figueiredo and Mauro GuillénAn Overview of Electricity Generation Sources; Akhil Jariwala and Saumil JariwalaGermany's Energy Revolution; José Carlos Thomaz, Jr. and Sean MichalsonChina's Energy Profile and the Importance of Coal; Julia Zheng and Xiaoting ZhengChina's Search for Cleaner Electricity Generation Alternatives; Julia Zheng and Xiaoting ZhengRenewable Energy in Spain: A Quest for Energy Security; José Normando Bezerra, Jr.Renewable Energy in French Polynesia: From Unpredictable to Energy Independence? Dia

Cork for sustainable product design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mestre, A.C.; Gil, L.

2011-01-01

Sustainable Product Design is currently accepted as one of the most promising trends in the “Sustainable Development” movement. It is often seen as a facilitation tool to implement Sustainability in practice, by improving the life cycle and eco-efficiency of products, by promoting dematerialization

The modular pebble bed nuclear reactor - the preferred new sustainable energy source for electricity, hydrogen and potable water production?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemeny, L.G.

2003-01-01

This paper describes a joint project of Massachusetts Institute of technology, Nu-Tec Inc. and Proto Power. The elegant simplicity of graphite moderated pebble bed reactor is the basis for the 'generation four' nuclear power plants. High Temperature Gas Cooled (HTGC) nuclear power plant have the potential to become the preferred base load sustainable energy source for the new millennium. The great attraction of these helium cooled 'Generation Four' nuclear plant can be summarised as follows: Factory assembly line production; Modularity and ease of delivery to site; High temperature Brayton Cycle ideally suited for cogeneration of electricity, potable water and hydrogen; Capital and operating costs competitive with hydrocarbon plant; Design is inherently meltdown proof and proliferation resistant

Microalgal cultivation and utilization in sustainable energy production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lakaniemi, A.-M.

2012-07-01

Microalgae are a promising feedstock for biofuel and bioenergy production due to their high photosynthetic efficiencies, high growth rates and no need for external organic carbon supply. However, microalgal biomass cultivation for energy production purposes is still rare in commercial scale. Further research and development is needed to make microalgal derived energy sustainable and economically competitive. This work investigated cultivation of fresh water microalga Chlorella vulgaris and marine microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta and their utilization in production of hydrogen, methane, electricity, butanol and bio-oil after bulk harvesting the biomass. Growth of the two microalgae was studied in five different photobioreactor (PBR) configurations especially concentrating on the quantification and characterization of heterotrophic bacteria in non-axenic microalgal cultivations and microalgal utilization of different nitrogen sources. Anaerobic cultures used for the energy conversion processes were enriched from a mesophilic municipal sewage digester separately for production of H{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and electricity from the two microalgal species. After culture enrichment, energy conversion yields of microalgal biomass to the different energy carriers were compared. In summary, this study demonstrated that both C. vulgaris and D. tertiolecta can be used for production of Hv(2), CHv(4), electricity, butanol and lipids. Based on this study C. vulgaris is more suitable for bioenergy production than D. tertiolecta. Depending on cellular lipid content, lipid utilization for bio-oil production and anaerobic digestion were the most potent means of converting C. vulgaris biomass to energy. The study also revealed diverse microbial communities in non-axenic microalgal photobioreactor cultures and in anaerobic consortia converting microalgal biomass to energy carriers

Sustainable biomass products development and evaluation, Hamakua project. Final draft report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

The PICHTR Sustainable Biomass Energy Program was developed to evaluate the potential to cultivate crops for energy production as an alternative use of lands made available by the closing of large sugar plantations. In particular, the closing of the Hamakua Sugar Company on the island of Hawaii brought a great deal of attention to the future of agriculture in this region and in the state. Many options were proposed. Several promising alternatives had been proposed for cane lands. These included dedicated feedstock supply systems (DFSS) for electrical energy production, cultivation of sugarcane to produce ethanol and related by-products, and the production of feed and crops to support animal agriculture. Implementation of some of the options might require preservation of large tracts of land and maintenance of the sugar mills and sugar infrastructure. An analysis of the technical, financial, and other issues necessary to reach conclusions regarding the optimal use of these lands was required. At the request of the Office of State Planning and Senator Akaka`s office, the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR) established and coordinated a working group composed of state, county, federal, and private sector representatives to identify sustainable energy options for the use of idle sugar lands on the island of Hawaii. The Sustainable Biomass Energy Program`s Hamakua Project was established to complete a comprehensive evaluation of the most viable alternatives and assess the options to grow crops as a source of raw materials for the production of transportation fuel and/or electricity on the island of Hawaii. The motivation for evaluating biomass to energy conversion embraced the considerations that Hawaii`s energy security would be improved by diversifying the fuels used for transportation and reducing dependency on imported fossil fuels. The use of waste products as feedstocks could divert wastes from landfills.

Innovation and institutional change. The transition to a sustainable electricity system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hofman, P.S.

2005-12-02

Central to this book is the understanding that transformation of systems of production and consumption involves a process of co-evolution of institutional and technological change and involves changes in institutions at different levels and between those levels. At the micro level it involves the development of a new product, technology or concept, made possible as a variety of actors, such as firms, policy-makers, customers, change their way of doing things. At the meso-level it involves changes in practices at the level of sectors, and at the macro-level it involves changes in systems of innovation and regulation. Systems change slowly occurs as changes at different levels start to connect and synchronise, leading to the emergence of new institutional fabric that creates linkages between the different levels. The aim of this book is to specify this perspective by analysing patterns of change in the electricity system. Scientifically, the relevance of the book is in its analysis and explanation of fundamental processes of change, a topic relevant for a range of scientific disciplines, from economics, sociology, technology studies, to policy science. Its societal relevance lies mainly in its use for gaining insight in the way systems change can be directed towards the normative goal of sustainable development. The overall research questions by which this research is guided are: To what extent can the dynamics of transformation in the electricity system be understood as the interaction between technological and institutional change?, applied more specifically to: (a) how does this dynamics take place at and between different levels?; (b) when and how does this dynamics reinforce the existing system, representing processes of lock-in, or destabilise the existing system, representing processes of escaping lock-in?; and, (c) how can these insights be utilised to direct systems change in a more sustainable direction? Chapter two presents an overview of theoretical work

Innovation and institutional change. The transition to a sustainable electricity system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofman, P.S.

2005-01-01

Central to this book is the understanding that transformation of systems of production and consumption involves a process of co-evolution of institutional and technological change and involves changes in institutions at different levels and between those levels. At the micro level it involves the development of a new product, technology or concept, made possible as a variety of actors, such as firms, policy-makers, customers, change their way of doing things. At the meso-level it involves changes in practices at the level of sectors, and at the macro-level it involves changes in systems of innovation and regulation. Systems change slowly occurs as changes at different levels start to connect and synchronise, leading to the emergence of new institutional fabric that creates linkages between the different levels. The aim of this book is to specify this perspective by analysing patterns of change in the electricity system. Scientifically, the relevance of the book is in its analysis and explanation of fundamental processes of change, a topic relevant for a range of scientific disciplines, from economics, sociology, technology studies, to policy science. Its societal relevance lies mainly in its use for gaining insight in the way systems change can be directed towards the normative goal of sustainable development. The overall research questions by which this research is guided are: To what extent can the dynamics of transformation in the electricity system be understood as the interaction between technological and institutional change?, applied more specifically to: (a) how does this dynamics take place at and between different levels?; (b) when and how does this dynamics reinforce the existing system, representing processes of lock-in, or destabilise the existing system, representing processes of escaping lock-in?; and, (c) how can these insights be utilised to direct systems change in a more sustainable direction? Chapter two presents an overview of theoretical work

Experimental study of a sustainable hybrid system for thermoelectric generation and freshwater production

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Gabriel Fernandes; Tan, Lippong; Singh, Baljit; Ding, Lai Chet; Date, Abhijit

2017-04-01

The paper presents a sustainable hybrid system, which is capable of generating electricity and producing freshwater from seawater using low grade heat source. This proposed system uses low grade heat that can be supplied from solar radiation, industrial waste heat or any other waste heat sources where the temperature is less than 150°C. The concept behind this system uses the Seebeck effect for thermoelectricity generation via incorporating the low boiling point of seawater under sub-atmospheric ambient pressure. A lab-test prototype of the proposed system was built and experimentally tested in RMIT University. The prototype utilised four commercial available thermoelectric generators (Bi2Te3) and a vacuum vessel to achieve the simultaneous production of electricity and freshwater. The temperature profiles, thermoelectric powers and freshwater productions were determined at several levels of salinity to study the influence of different salt concentrations. The theoretical description of system design and experimental results were analysed and discussed in detailed. The experiment results showed that 0.75W of thermoelectricity and 404g of freshwater were produced using inputs of 150W of simulated waste heat and 500g of 3% saline water. The proposed hybrid concept has demonstrated the potential to become the future sustainable system for electricity and freshwater productions.

Sustainable Development of Regional Power Systems and the Consumption of Electric Energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeny Lisin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, one of the most imminent problems facing power systems in post-industrial countries is the sustainable development of power systems under conditions of increasing power consumption irregularity due to the reduction of the industry’s share in consumers’ demand for electric power. In today’s Russia, this issue is becoming very acute due to the significant share of electric power and heat co-generation that is demonstrating low manoeuvrability and poor adaptation to operations in the daily variation of electric power demand. This paper considers the problem of improving the power system steady-state through the optimization of the production structure of thermal power plants. We propose a combinatorial algorithm that improves the planning of the structural and technological modernization of the power equipment configuration, with a glance at the forecast of the increasing irregularity of power consumption.

Nuclear electricity for sustainable development: Egypt a case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Comsan, M.N.H. [Projects and Consultation Unit, Afaq Scientific, 12 Qurash St., 6th Zone, Nasr City, Cairo 11371 (Egypt)

2010-09-15

Egypt is a fast growing country with 78.9 million population and annual per capita installed power 0.286 MW as of July 2008. Moderate to mature population and economic growth trends forecast population and annual per capita installed power to reach 111 millions and 0.63 MW, respectively by 2032; and 128 millions at per capita power of 1.02 MW by 2052. With these trends in consideration installed electricity generation capacity are forecasted at 70 GW by 2032 and 132 GW by 2052 as compared to the 2008 installed power of 22.6 GW. Meeting these demands is almost impossible using known limited national fossil fuel reserves. Current electricity generation policy exhausts about 65% of country's total fossil production. Crude oil reserves are expected to deplete by 2012, while gas reserves will be overstrained starting from 2030. A major policy shift towards the use of non-fossil resources is to be adopted. In the article Egypt's major primary energy resources are evaluated. Electricity generation plans till 2022 are presented and an electricity generation strategy based on gradual introduction of nuclear power starting from 2018 is outlined. A balanced generation mix based on 72.7% fossil, 13% nuclear and 14.3% renewables is targeted by 2052. The mix is supposed to meet Egypt's electricity needs by 2052 and to improve country's energy sustainability. (author)

Scenarios for the hierarchical evaluation of the global sustainability of electric generator plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roldan A, M.C.; Martinez F, M.

2007-01-01

The AHP multi criteria method was applied (Analytic Hierarchy Process-Analytic process of Hierarchization) to evaluate the sustainability in the whole life cycle of the electricity generation technologies (hydroelectric, carboelectric, thermoelectric natural fuel oil, natural gas thermoelectric, geothermal, nucleo electric, wind electric, photo thermic and photovoltaic) with the purpose of offering an useful method in the taking of decisions to impel the sustainable development. Eight scenarios are analyzed. The results in most of the scenarios reflect the benefit of the renewable energy: the hydroelectric energy, photo thermic and wind driven its are those more sustainable. To reach the sustainable development in Mexico, the energy politicians should be more near to the use of the renewable energy. (Author)

Sustainable Governance for the Opened Electric Vehicle Charging and Upgraded Facilities Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Wu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Since the China State Grid opened the market for infrastructure construction of electric charging stations and allowed Tesla, Potevio, BAIC BJEV and other enterprises to provide their own charging stations and other infrastructure construction, the development of electric vehicles has been greatly affected. How to maintain a sustainable governance in the opened electric vehicle charging and upgraded facilities market is an important policy issues. This paper presents a monopolistic competition model for the differentiated products market and addresses several issues related to Cournot equilibrium to illustrate why the expected free market actually operates in a monopolistic competition market structure. The analytic solution of the model shows that whether the extent of firm entry is insufficient, excessive or optimum is determined by consumers’ time preference, level of production differentiation and features of cost structure, including fixed cost and marginal cost. The sensitivity analysis has been performed among the above factors and tracked some other factors which would determine the effect of the new policy issues. The main policy suggestion is that the government should optimize entry regulations and lay down the criterion of charging interface standards for charging stations to avoid the electric vehicle charging and upgraded facilities marketization process of a one-size-fits-all solution and form a monopolistic competition market.

Electricity production of Slovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czodor, T.

2003-01-01

Here is examined the spatial structure of electric energy production divided in hydropower plants (through-flow and re-pumping), thermal power plants as the most expensive way of electric energy production and nuclear power plants where high difficulty and long-term realisation of construction projects and spent financial resources are pointed out. Work describes present structure of electric energy production and consumption and refers to alternative electric energy sources

Photovoltaic electricity production of a grid-connected urban house in Serbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bojic, Milorad; Blagojevic, Mirko

2006-01-01

A technically attractive solution for sustainable present and future is to integrate photovoltaic (PV) panels into building fabric of urban houses as an alternative to grid electricity, however, in Serbia this technology is rarely applied. To contribute to sustainability and create success conditions for renewable energy sources (RES) applications due its wish to join EU, Serbian government currently integrated RES into its new energy policy framework. In the near future in the separate law, the government will identify financial conditions to apply this policy and start RES use. To adequately inform this law, we calculated the electricity revenue during entire life of a two-floor house in Belgrade, Serbia and investment in PV panels (currently available on Serbian market) integrated in its entire envelope. It was discussed what are the current degree of economic viability of this solution and suggested level of state subventions needed to support the solar electricity production either by feed-in tariffs or other financial instruments

Local energy. Decentralized sustainable electricity. Business case and societal cost benefit analysis; Lokaal energiek. Decentrale duurzame elektriciteit. Business case en maatschappelijke kosten-batenanalyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-01-15

The Dutch government plans to facilitate production of electricity for own use and remove barriers. A good understanding of the effects of decentralized electricity production on the existing (energy) system is lacking. A study has been carried out on the social value of local sustainable energy production in the Netherlands: at the local level and for the Netherlands as a whole. The research focuses on groups of small-scale domestic consumers and households that produce sustainable electricity from renewable sources for their own use, mainly by means of wind turbines and solar panels. The central question is: what happens when 50% of the households in the Netherlands produce their own electricity, locally and sustainable? [Dutch] De Nederlandse overheid wil elektriciteitsopwekking voor eigen gebruik faciliteren en belemmeringen hiervoor wegnemen. Een goed inzicht in de effecten van decentrale electriciteitsproductie op het bestaande (energie)systeem ontbreekt. Er is onderzoek gedaan naar de maatschappelijke waarde van lokale duurzame energieproductie in Nederland: op lokaal niveau en voor Nederland als geheel. Het onderzoek richt zich op groepen kleinverbruikers/huishoudens die hernieuwbare, duurzame elektriciteit produceren voor eigen gebruik, voornamelijk met windmolens en zonnepanelen. De centrale vraag is: wat gebeurt er als 50% van de huishoudens in Nederland hun eigen elektriciteit decentraal duurzaam opwekt?.

CIRP Design 2012 Sustainable Product Development

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

During its life cycle, a product produces waste that is over 20 times its weight. As such it is critical to develop products that are sustainable. Currently product development processes lack high quality methods and tools that are empirically validated to support development of sustainable products. This book is a compilation of over forty cutting edge international research papers from the 22nd CIRP International Design Conference, written by eminent researchers from 15 countries, on engineering design process, methods and tools, broadly for supporting sustainable product development.   A variety of new insights into the product development process, as well as a host of methods and tools that are at the cutting edge of design research are discussed and explained covering a range of diverse topics. The areas covered include: ·Sustainable design and manufacturing, ·Design synthesis and creativity, ·Global product development and product life cycle management, ·Design for X (safety, reliability, manufactu...

A pulser-sustainer carbon monoxide electric-discharge supersonic laser

Science.gov (United States)

Monson, D. J.; Srinivasan, G.

1977-01-01

Operation of a CW CO electric-discharge supersonic laser with a pulser-sustainer discharge is described. High-power operation as well as independent control over electron energy and density are demonstrated. Maximum input power achieved to date is 100 kW. The maximum output power is 6 kW or 10% of the sustainer positive-column power. Much improved performance appears possible.

Financial incentive for the Environmental Quality of Electricity Production (MEP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

With the MEP subsidy regulation 'Environmental quality of electricity production' The Dutch minister of Economic Affairs focussed mainly on reaching the policy objective of the EU according to which 9% of all electricity used in the Netherlands should be generated with sustainable sources. According to the opinion of the Dutch Court of Audits not enough attention has been paid to the coherence of the MEP regulation with other policy objectives in the area of sustainability, such as air quality and CO2 reduction. The same goes for the effectiveness and the financial management of the MEP regulation. Moreover, the study, which was carried out by request of the Dutch Lower House, demonstrates that it is still uncertain if the policy objective for 2010 will be reached. The report consists of two parts: part 1: Conclusions, recommendations and administrative reactions, and Part 2: Answering Lower House questions.(mk) [nl

Price strategies for sustainable food products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ingenbleek, P.T.M.

2015-01-01

Purpose – Sustainable products often suffer a competitive disadvantage compared with mainstream products because they must cover ecological and social costs that their competitors leave to future generations. The purpose of this paper is to identify price strategies for sustainable products that

The Water Footprint Assessment of Electricity Production: An Overview of the Economic-Water-Energy Nexus in Italy

OpenAIRE

Pier Paolo Miglietta; Domenico Morrone; Federica De Leo

2018-01-01

The term “water-energy nexus” has remarkable implications in the sustainable management of water resources. The aim of this paper is to analyse the production of electricity, from an economic and technical perspective, using the water footprint and economic water productivity approaches. After comparing the percentage of contribution of fossil and renewable sources to the production of the electricity sector, the study then compares the percentage of contribution of fossil and renewable sourc...

Centralised electricity production from winter cereals biomass grown under central-northern Spain conditions: Global warming and energy yield assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sastre, C.M.; Maletta, E.; González-Arechavala, Y.; Ciria, P.; Santos, A.M.; Val, A. del; Pérez, P.; Carrasco, J.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We assess the sustainability of electricity production from winter cereals biomass. • Productivity ranks are generated from different genotypes cultivated in real farms. • GHG and energy balances show better performance compared to natural gas electricity. • Cereals yields below 8 odt/ha do not accomplish objective 60% of GHG savings. • Marginal yields and sustainability criteria are discussed suggesting optimization. - Abstract: The goal of this paper is to assess the sustainability of electricity production from winter cereals grown in one of the most important Spanish agricultural areas, Castilla y León Region, situated in central-northern Spain. This study analyses greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and energy balances of electricity production in a 25 MWe power plant that was powered using straw biomass from three annual winter cereals (rye, triticale and oat) grown as dedicated energy crops. The results of these analyses were compared with those of electricity produced from natural gas in Spanish power plants. Assessments were performed using a wide range of scenarios, mainly based on the biomass yield variability obtained in demonstration plots of twelve different winter cereal genotypes. Demonstration plots were established in two different locations (provinces of Soria and León) of the Castilla y León Region during two crop seasons (2009/2010 and 2010/2011) using common management practices and input rates for rain-fed agriculture in these regions. Our results suggest that production of electricity from winter cereals biomass combustion yielded considerable reductions in terms of GHG emissions when compared to electricity from natural gas. Nevertheless, the results show that low biomass yields that are relatively frequent for Spanish farmers on low productivity lands may produce no significant reductions in GHG in comparison with electricity from natural gas. Consequently, the agronomic management of winter cereals should be re

Sustainable development business case report : renewable electricity generation : SD business case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

This investment report is the first in a series that will be released by Sustainable Development Technology Canada as part of the SD Business Case. It focuses primarily on generating electricity from renewable energy sources and examines 4 primary technology groups or sub-sectors including wind generated electricity; solar PV generated electricity; stationary fuel cell generated electricity; and electricity generated from biological sources. Each sub-sector has been assessed in terms of its market dynamics, technology makeup and conditions, sustainability impacts, and investment risk. A selection of the leading technologies in each technology area are brought forward and rated in terms of their respective investment potential. The report first presents an overview of the SD business case plan. It defines the primary audience of the report, lists the sectors and investment categories to be assessed by the business case and provides some background information on Sustainable Development Technology Canada. The report presents the framework for data collection and analysis and an executive summary of the complete report. It then presents the results of the market assessment report for each of the 4 sectors. This includes demand, infrastructure renewal, environmental commitments, renewable energy value proposition, and future market potential. The section covering the technology assessment report discusses the various technologies and ranks them. The sustainability assessment report section provides an economic, environmental and societal assessment of each sub-sector. Risk assessment is conducted in terms of technology and non-technology related risk. Last, the report presents conclusions and investment priorities. 11 tabs., 7 figs

A statistical study on consumer's perception of sustainable products

Science.gov (United States)

Pater, Liana; Izvercian, Monica; Ivaşcu, Larisa

2017-07-01

Sustainability and sustainable concepts are quite often but not always used correctly. The statistical research on consumer's perception of sustainable products has tried to identify the level of knowledge regarding the concept of sustainability and sustainable products, the selected criteria concerning the buying decision, the intention of purchasing a sustainable product, main sustainable products preferred by consumers.

Modeling of Electric Demand for Sustainable Energy and Management in India Using Spatio-Temporal DMSP-OLS Night-Time Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, Bismay Ranjan; Sajjad, Haroon; Elvidge, Christopher D.; Ting, Yu; Pandey, Prem Chandra; Rani, Meenu; Kumar, Pavan

2018-04-01

Changes in the pattern of electric power consumption in India have influenced energy utilization processes and socio-economic development to greater extent during the last few decades. Assessment of spatial distribution of electricity consumption is, thus, essential for projecting availability of energy resource and planning its infrastructure. This paper makes an attempt to model the future electricity demand for sustainable energy and its management in India. The nighttime light database provides a good approximation of availability of energy. We utilized defense meteorological satellite program-operational line-scan system (DMSP-OLS) nighttime satellite data, electricity consumption (1993-2013), gross domestic product (GDP) and population growth to construct the model. We also attempted to examine the sensitiveness of electricity consumption to GDP and population growth. The results revealed that the calibrated DMSP and model has provided realistic information on the electric demand with respect to GDP and population, with a better accuracy of r 2 = 0.91. The electric demand was found to be more sensitive to GDP ( r = 0.96) than population growth ( r = 0.76) as envisaged through correlation analysis. Hence, the model proved to be useful tool in predicting electric demand for its sustainable use and management.

Affordability for sustainable energy development products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, Paul H.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Clean cookstoves that also generate electricity improve affordability. • Excel spreadsheet model to assist stakeholders to choose optimum technology. • Presents views for each stakeholder villager, village and country. • By adding certain capital costs, affordability and sustainability are improved. • Affordability is highly dependent on carbon credits and social understandings. - Abstract: Clean burning products, for example cooking stoves, can reduce household air pollution (HAP), which prematurely kills 3.5 million people each year. By careful selection of components into a product package with micro-finance used for the capital payment, barriers to large-scale uptake of products that remove HAP are reduced. Such products reduce smoke from cooking and the lighting from electricity produced, eliminates smoke from kerosene lamps. A bottom-up financial model, that is cognisant of end user social needs, has been developed to compare different products for use in rural areas of developing countries. The model is freely available for use by researchers and has the ability to assist in the analysis of changing assumptions. Business views of an individual villager, the village itself and a country view are presented. The model shows that affordability (defined as the effect on household expenses as a result of a product purchase) and recognition of end-user social needs are as important as product cost. The effects of large-scale deployment (greater that 10 million per year) are described together with level of subsidy required by the poorest people. With the assumptions given, the model shows that pico-hydro is the most cost effective, but not generally available, one thermo-acoustic technology option does not require subsidy, but it is only at technology readiness level 2 (NASA definition) therefore costs are predicted and very large investment in manufacturing capability is needed to meet the cost target. Thermo-electric is currently the only

Innovative technologies for sustainable electrical grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagana-Hammer, B.

2016-01-01

This year's Energy Day is under the motto "Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Energy Networks". According to the ideas of the European Commission, a sustainable, secure, efficient, affordable and competitive energy supply with particular attention to the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions is to be created. In future, energy should flow freely through Europe without technical barriers in an integrated internal market. For the power supply, this means a renewal and consolidation of the 50-year-old and largely isolated national distribution networks. In addition, the decentralized power plants, which are often remote from the consumers and dependent on the whims of the sun or the wind, are also to be integrated into this network. The fact that electricity can only be saved insufficiently is a further hurdle. In this light, the target of a minimum degree of synchronisation in the European grid of 10% to 2020 and 15% to 2030 seems ambitious. According to the European Commission, the construction of new infrastructure is to be given priority, but there are considerable difficulties with implementation. In addition to the technical barriers, the barriers to the expansion of the energy market and the protracted licensing procedures, the lack of confidence on the part of the citizens question the realization of the plans for a European Supergrid. Today's event attempts to illuminate the large-scale technical possibilities for the exchange of fluctuating renewable energies over long distances as well as the regional grids, which are of interest to the private consumer. The question of the sustainability and expediency of the planned European internal electricity market completes the 2016 Energy Day program. (rössner) [de

Sustainable food consumption. Product choice or curtailment?

Science.gov (United States)

Verain, Muriel C D; Dagevos, Hans; Antonides, Gerrit

2015-08-01

Food consumption is an important factor in shaping the sustainability of our food supply. The present paper empirically explores different types of sustainable food behaviors. A distinction between sustainable product choices and curtailment behavior has been investigated empirically and predictors of the two types of behavior have been identified. Respondents were classified into four segments based on their sustainable food behaviors: unsustainers, curtailers, product-oriented consumers, and sustainers. Significant differences between the segments were found with regard to food choice motives, personal and social norms, food involvement, subjective knowledge on sustainable food, ability to judge how sustainably a product has been produced and socio-demographics. It is concluded that distinguishing between behavioral strategies toward sustainable food consumption is important as consumer segments can be identified that differ both in their level of sustainable food consumption and in the type of behavior they employ. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can collusion promote sustainable consumption and production?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schinkel, M.P.; Spiegel, Y.

2016-01-01

Several competition authorities have taken public interest considerations, such as promoting sustainable consumption and production, into account in cartel proceedings.We show that when consumers value sustainable products and firms choose investments in sustainability before choosing output,

Environmental evaluation of electric power from a systems perspective. Guidance for sustainable development; Miljoevaerdering av el ur systemperspektiv. En vaegledning foer haallbar utveckling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gode, Jenny; Byman, Karin; Persson, Agneta; Trygg, Louise

2009-12-15

The electricity market is deregulated. This means that all electricity customers are free to choose their electricity supplier. Many utilities market renewable electricity products such as wind power or hydroelectric power, saying that the customer makes a contribution to the environment by choosing these products. But is that really true? In this report, four researchers and consultants give an account of their views on how environmental valuation of electricity should be made. Specifically they discusses the driving forces for the development of the electricity system and the purchase of environmentally certified electricity and the link to environmental benefits. An important objective is to provide guidance as to how individuals and businesses through their actions can contribute to sustainable development

The Assessment Of Solar Photovoltaic Electricity In ICT for Sustainability In Developing Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsivor, Kenneth; Adjin, Daniel Michael Okwabi

2013-01-01

Poor basic infrastructure and reliable electricity supply play a significant role in development of Information, Communication Technologies (ICT) industry and could eventually lead to attaining sustainable development. From research studies, quality electricity supply has been an integral part....... Unfortunately, electricity delivery in the third countries is so much appalling due to limited electricity generating capacity, poor distribution networks, etc. which is hindering effective development including the ICT industry in these countries. To address some of these challenges locally without recourse...... to importation of fossil fuel energy resources that will compromise sustainable development goals, it is important to that locally, abundantly and freely available energy source such as solar electricity are given priority by policy makers, researcher and industries in third world countries. Solar electricity...

A combined sustainability index for electricity efficiency measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldrath, T.; Ayalon, O.; Shechter, M.

2015-01-01

One of the most substantial tools that serve decision makers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions includes energy efficiency measures that in most cases benefit from governmental assistance for achieving electricity consumption reduction goals. This paper examines five energy efficiency measures, defining a combined sustainability index. A multi-criteria analysis of five predefined indices was developed (economic, environmental, technology, social and political), providing a combined index for each measure and a tool for identifying the preferred measure within a specific situation, based on its total sustainability score. In this research, a case study was conducted and the preferred measure was found to be municipal street lighting systems, based on its high political and social scores, and its relatively high installation potential. The second choice would be replacement of chillers in the industrial sector, and the least favorable measure is the replacement of water pumps in the water sector. The methodology described brings into account the technological specifications of the measure implemented, and the specific national conditions under which it is implemented. - Highlights: • A MCDA of five indices was developed to define a combined sustainability index. • Criteria defined were environment, technology, economy, social and political. • Five energy efficiency measures were rated, based on their total sustainability score. • Measures were in five main electricity consumption sectors. • The preferred measure found in the case study was municipal street lighting systems.

Production of Singlet Oxygen in a Non-Self-Sustained Discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasil'eva, A.N.; Klopovskii, K.S.; Kovalev, A.S.; Lopaev, D.V.; Mankelevich, Yu.A.; Popov, N.A.; Rakhimov, A.T.; Rakhimova, T.V.

2005-01-01

The production of O 2 (a 1 Δ g ) singlet oxygen in non-self-sustained discharges in pure oxygen and mixtures of oxygen with noble gases (Ar or He) was studied experimentally. It is shown that the energy efficiency of O 2 (a 1 Δ g ) production can be optimized with respect to the reduced electric field E/N. It is shown that the optimal E/N values correspond to electron temperatures of 1.2-1.4 eV. At these E/N values, a decrease in the oxygen percentage in the mixture leads to an increase in the excitation rate of singlet oxygen because of the increase in the specific energy deposition per O 2 molecule. The onset of discharge instabilities not only greatly reduces the energy efficiency of singlet oxygen production but also makes it impossible to achieve high energy deposition in a non-self-sustained discharge. A model of a non-self-sustained discharge in pure oxygen is developed. It is shown that good agreement between the experimental and computed results for a discharge in oxygen over a wide range of reduced electric fields can be achieved only by taking into account the ion component of the discharge current. The cross section for the electron-impact excitation of O 2 (a 1 Δ g ) and the kinetic scheme of the discharge processes with the participation of singlet oxygen are verified by comparing the experimental and computed data on the energy efficiency of the production of O 2 (a 1 Δ g ) and the dynamics of its concentration. It is shown that, in the dynamics of O 2 (a 1 Δ g ) molecules in the discharge afterglow, an important role is played by their deexcitation in a three-body reaction with the participation of O( 3 P) atoms. At high energy depositions in a non-self-sustained discharge, this reaction can reduce the maximal attainable concentration of singlet oxygen. The effect of a hydrogen additive to an Ar : O 2 mixture is analyzed based on the results obtained using the model developed. It is shown that, for actual electron beam current densities, a

Renewable energy for sustainable electrical energy system in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallah, Subhash; Bansal, N.K.

2010-01-01

Present trends of electrical energy supply and demand are not sustainable because of the huge gap between demand and supply in foreseeable future in India. The path towards sustainability is exploitation of energy conservation and aggressive use of renewable energy systems. Potential of renewable energy technologies that can be effectively harnessed would depend on future technology developments and breakthrough in cost reduction. This requires adequate policy guidelines and interventions in the Indian power sector. Detailed MARKAL simulations, for power sector in India, show that full exploitation of energy conservation potential and an aggressive implementation of renewable energy technologies lead to sustainable development. Coal and other fossil fuel (gas and oil) allocations stagnated after the year 2015 and remain constant up to 2040. After the year 2040, the requirement for coal and gas goes down and carbon emissions decrease steeply. By the year 2045, 25% electrical energy can be supplied by renewable energy and the CO 2 emissions can be reduced by 72% as compared to the base case scenario. (author)

Towards Sustainable Consumption and Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ulku, M. Ali; Hsuan, Juliana

2017-01-01

an environmentally conscious (green) consumer who will buy one of two available, horizontally differentiated products: a modular product (M) manufactured by Firm M or a standard product (S) manufactured by Firm S. Firm M can take advantage of its modular production technology and product return policy...... and numerical examples to render practical insights: The refund rate has a strong impact on profits; sensitivity of product greenness can be increased by conscientious advertising, and the reusability of modular parts encourages lower pricing and higher market share. We assert that modularity is a strong...... concept and practice in developing sustainable products and thereby in production, which, in turn, may enhance sustainable consumption. This study's findings have direct implications for reverse supply chain management, and firms should take these findings into account early in the product design phase....

Pricing electricity for sustainability : climate change and Canada's electricity sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The electricity sector is Canada's largest single source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper discussed electricity and carbon pricing approaches to reducing GHG emissions in the electricity sector. An overview of the links between electricity pricing and climate change was presented, and current and emerging trends in electricity pricing related to encouraging energy conservation were reviewed. Market prices and failures were discussed. Approaches to pricing electricity included an increase in block prices; time-of-use prices; demand-side management and energy efficiency; and carbon pricing in Canada and electricity pricing signals. The study showed that several provincial utilities in Canada are experimenting with market-based pricing approaches for electricity and carbon that may help to reduce GHG emissions over time. Concerns over electricity supply and the negative environmental impacts of electricity production may lead to the full social pricing of electricity in some regions of Canada. 46 refs., 3 tabs., 5 figs.

Sustainable production of wood and non-wood forest products

Science.gov (United States)

Ellen M. Donoghue; Gary L. Benson; James L. Chamberlain

2003-01-01

The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) All Divisions 5 Conference in Rotorua, New Zealand, March 11-15, 2003, focused on issues surrounding sustainable foest management and forest products research. As the conference title "Forest Products Research: Providing for Sustainable Choices" suggests, the purpose of the conference was to...

The sustainable wood production initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Robert. Deal

2004-01-01

To address concerns about sustainable forestry in the region, the Focused Science Delivery Program is sponsoring a three year Sustainable Wood Production Initiative. The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's major timber producing regions, and the ability of this region to produce wood on a sustained yield basis is widely recognized. Concerns relating to the...

Sustainability of algal biofuel production using integrated renewable energy park (IREP) and algal biorefinery approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subhadra, Bobban G.

2010-01-01

Algal biomass can provide viable third generation feedstock for liquid transportation fuel. However, for a mature commercial industry to develop, sustainability as well as technological and economic issues pertinent to algal biofuel sector must be addressed first. This viewpoint focuses on three integrated approaches laid out to meet these challenges. Firstly, an integrated algal biorefinery for sequential biomass processing for multiple high-value products is delineated to bring in the financial sustainability to the algal biofuel production units. Secondly, an integrated renewable energy park (IREP) approach is proposed for amalgamating various renewable energy industries established in different locations. This would aid in synergistic and efficient electricity and liquid biofuel production with zero net carbon emissions while obviating numerous sustainability issues such as productive usage of agricultural land, water, and fossil fuel usage. A 'renewable energy corridor' rich in multiple energy sources needed for algal biofuel production for deploying IREPs in the United States is also illustrated. Finally, the integration of various industries with algal biofuel sector can bring a multitude of sustainable deliverables to society, such as renewable supply of cheap protein supplements, health products and aquafeed ingredients. The benefits, challenges, and policy needs of the IREP approach are also discussed.

Barriers to the sustainable development of electrical energy in the industrialized nations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringel, M.; Leonardi, J.

2003-01-01

The liberalization of the electricity market in the industrialized nations may considered as an opportunity to bring about a diversification of the energy sector which could help overcome the economic barriers to a more sustainable development By allowing new companies to boost their market share, in many countries increases have been obtained in the supply of electricity based on renewable energy or energy services offering greater efficiency. It is now possible to reduce the cost of the measures which encourage the sustainable development of the sector, taking account of those barriers which prevent the expansion of ENR, hold back further gains in energy efficiency and block a reduction in demand An active energy policy will make it possible to overcome the difficulties encountered in various countries. This study highlights the main barriers to the sustainable development of electrical energy and outlines which solutions may be envisaged to overcome these barriers. (authors)

Assessing the environmental sustainability of electricity generation in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaete-Morales, Carlos; Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro; Stamford, Laurence; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-09-15

Around 40% of electricity in Chile is supplied by renewables and the rest by fossil fuels. Despite the growing electricity demand in the country, its environmental impacts are as yet unknown. To address this gap, the current study presents the first comprehensive assessment of the life cycle environmental sustainability of electricity generation in Chile. Both the individual sources and the electricity mix over the past 10 years are considered. The following sources present in the electricity mix are evaluated: coal, oil, natural gas, biogas, biomass, wind, solar photovoltaics (PV) and hydropower. In total, 10 electricity technologies and 174 power plants installed across the country have been considered. Eleven environmental impacts have been estimated, including global warming, human toxicity, ecotoxicities, as well as resource and ozone layer depletion. The results reveal that hydropower is environmentally the most sustainable option across the impacts, followed by onshore wind and biogas. Electricity from natural gas has 10%-84% lower impacts than biomass for seven categories. It is also 13%-98% better than solar PV for six impacts and 17%-66% than wind for four categories. Solar PV has the highest abiotic depletion potential due to the use of scarce elements in the manufacture of panels. While electricity generation has grown by 44% in the past 10 years, all the impacts except ozone layer depletion have increased by 1.6-2.7 times. In the short term, environmental regulations should be tightened to improve the emissions control from coal and biomass plants. In the medium term, the contribution of renewables should be ramped up, primarily increasing the hydro, wind and biogas capacity. Coal and oil should be phased out, using natural gas as a transitional fuel to help the stability of the grid with the increasing contribution of intermittent renewables. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling of Electric Demand for Sustainable Energy and Management in India Using Spatio-Temporal DMSP-OLS Night-Time Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, Bismay Ranjan; Sajjad, Haroon; Elvidge, Christopher D; Ting, Yu; Pandey, Prem Chandra; Rani, Meenu; Kumar, Pavan

2018-04-01

Changes in the pattern of electric power consumption in India have influenced energy utilization processes and socio-economic development to greater extent during the last few decades. Assessment of spatial distribution of electricity consumption is, thus, essential for projecting availability of energy resource and planning its infrastructure. This paper makes an attempt to model the future electricity demand for sustainable energy and its management in India. The nighttime light database provides a good approximation of availability of energy. We utilized defense meteorological satellite program-operational line-scan system (DMSP-OLS) nighttime satellite data, electricity consumption (1993-2013), gross domestic product (GDP) and population growth to construct the model. We also attempted to examine the sensitiveness of electricity consumption to GDP and population growth. The results revealed that the calibrated DMSP and model has provided realistic information on the electric demand with respect to GDP and population, with a better accuracy of r 2  = 0.91. The electric demand was found to be more sensitive to GDP (r = 0.96) than population growth (r = 0.76) as envisaged through correlation analysis. Hence, the model proved to be useful tool in predicting electric demand for its sustainable use and management.

Consumer attitudes towards sustainability aspects of food production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krystallis Krontalis, Athanasios; Grunert, Klaus G; de Barcellos, Marcia Dutra

2012-01-01

This study aims to analyse citizens' sustainability attitudes towards food production in the EU, Brazil, and China (n = 2885), using pork as an exemplary production system. The objective is to map citizens' attitudes towards sustainable characteristics of pig production systems, and investigate...... whether these attitudes coincide with people's general attitudes towards sustainability, on one hand, and their consumption of specific pork products, on the other. A conjoint experiment was designed to evaluate citizens' preferences towards pig production systems with varying sustainability levels....... Conjoint analysis results were then used for a subsequent cluster analysis in order to identify international citizen clusters across the three continents. Respondents' sociodemographic profile, attitudes towards sustainability issues, and consumption frequency of various pork products are used to profile...

Consumer attitudes towards sustainability aspects of food production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krystallis Krontalis, Athanasios; Grunert, Klaus G; de Barcellos, Marcia D.

2013-01-01

This study aims to analyse citizens' sustainability attitudes towards food production in the EU, Brazil, and China (n = 2885), using pork as an exemplary production system. The objective is to map citizens' attitudes towards sustainable characteristics of pig production systems, and investigate...... whether these attitudes coincide with people's general attitudes towards sustainability, on one hand, and their consumption of specific pork products, on the other. A conjoint experiment was designed to evaluate citizens' preferences towards pig production systems with varying sustainability levels....... Conjoint analysis results were then used for a subsequent cluster analysis in order to identify international citizen clusters across the three continents. Respondents' sociodemographic profile, attitudes towards sustainability issues, and consumption frequency of various pork products are used to profile...

Sustainable hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Block, D.L.; Linkous, C.; Muradov, N.

1996-01-01

This report describes the Sustainable Hydrogen Production research conducted at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) for the past year. The report presents the work done on the following four tasks: Task 1--production of hydrogen by photovoltaic-powered electrolysis; Task 2--solar photocatalytic hydrogen production from water using a dual-bed photosystem; Task 3--development of solid electrolytes for water electrolysis at intermediate temperatures; and Task 4--production of hydrogen by thermocatalytic cracking of natural gas. For each task, this report presents a summary, introduction/description of project, and results.

Alberta's electricity policy framework : competitive, reliable, sustainable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This paper described public policies in Alberta that are implemented to create an electric power industry that is competitive, reliable and sustainable. The success of Alberta's competitive electric market framework can be attributed to new investment in the industry along with new players participating in the electricity market. The Alberta Department of Energy is committed to a competitive wholesale market model and to competitively-priced electricity. The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board supports the development of Alberta's vast resource base and facilitates power generation development and support through transmission development and an interconnected transmission system. A wholesale market Policy Task Force was established in 2005 to review the progress in Alberta's electric market design and its competitive retail market. This paper outlines a policy framework which addresses design of the regulated rate option post July 1, 2006; short-term adequacy; and long-term adequacy. Other inter-related market issues were also discussed, such as operating reserves market, transmission services, interties, demand response, balancing pool assets, credit, market power mitigation, and wind generation. It is expected that the recommendations in this paper will be implemented as quickly as possible following amendments to regulations or ISO rules. tabs., figs.

Environmental Sustainability Analysis of Biodiesel Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herrmann, Ivan Tengbjerg; Hauschild, Michael Michael Zwicky; Birkved, Morten

Due to their generally positive carbon dioxide balance, biofuels are seen as one of the energy carriers in a more sustainable future transportation energy system, but how good is their environmental sustainability, and where lie the main potentials for improvement of their sustainability? Questions...... like these require a life cycle perspective on the biofuel - from the cradle (production of the agricultural feedstock) to the grave (use as fuel). An environmental life cycle assessment is performed on biodiesel to compare different production schemes including chemical and enzymatic esterification...... with the use of methanol or ethanol. The life cycle assessment includes all processes needed for the production, distribution and use of the biodiesel (the product system), and it includes all relevant environmental impacts from the product system, ranging from global impacts like climate change and loss...

Sustainable Multi-Product Seafood Production Planning Under Uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simanjuntak, Ruth; Mawengkang, Herman; Sembiring, Monalisa; Sinaga, Rani; Pakpahan, Endang J

2013-01-01

A multi-product fish production planning produces simultaneously multi fish products from several classes of raw resources. The goal in sustainable production planning is to meet customer demand over a fixed time horizon divided into planning periods by optimizing the tradeoff between economic objectives such as production cost, waste processed cost, and customer satisfaction level. The major decisions are production and inventory levels for each product and the number of workforce in each planning period. In this paper we consider the management of small scale traditional business at North Sumatera Province which performs processing fish into several local seafood products. The inherent uncertainty of data (e.g. demand, fish availability), together with the sequential evolution of data over time leads the sustainable production planning problem to a nonlinear mixed-integer stochastic programming model. We use scenario generation based approach and feasible neighborhood search for solving the model.

Sustainability of sources of electric generation: indicators and global qualification using fuzzy logic; Sustentabilidad de fuentes de generacion electrica: indicadores y calificacion global empleando logica difusa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin del Campo M, C.; Francois L, J L [Facultad de Ingenieria, UNAM, Laboratorio de Analisis en Ingenieria de Reactores Nucleares, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, 62550 Jiutepec, Morelos (Mexico)

2005-07-01

A methodology developed to evaluate the sustainability of sources of electric generation but used in Mexico and in the World is presented. For it was applied one matrix of sustainability indicators that considers the principles and criteria of general sustainability as 'not exhaustion of natural resources', 'non production of non degradable waste', and 'not high sensibility to social and environmental factors'. The approaches to evaluate in a wide way these principles are numerous and to each approach associates an indicator, call sustainability indicator. The contribution of this work consists on the development of a methodology to qualify globally the sustainability of each option of electric generation, combining all the sustainability indicators. The methodology applies a system of diffuse control to build the function of global qualification of sustainability dependent of all the indicators. (Author)

Modeling sustainable long-term electricity supply-demand in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouedraogo, Nadia S.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • This study is one of the first detailed and complete representation of the African power system. • It models, within LEAP, possible future paths for the regional power systems. • All the end-users and supply side activities and actors are considered. • Three scenarios are examined: the baseline, the renewable energy, and the energy efficiency. • The energy efficiency scenario has allowed to draw a sustainable pathway for electrification. - Abstract: This paper develops a scenario-based model to identify and provide an array of electricity demand in Africa, and to derive them from the African power system of development. A system-based approach is performed by applying the scenario methodology developed by Schwartz in the context of the energy-economic modeling platform ‘Long-range Energy Alternative Planning’. Four scenarios are investigated. The Business as Usual scenario (BAU) replicates the regional and national Master Plans. The renewable-promotion scenario increases the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix. The demand and supply side efficiency scenarios investigate the impact of energy efficiency measures on the power system. The results show an increase in electricity demand by 4% by 2040, supply shortages and high emissions of Greenhouse Gases. Contrary to expectations, the renewable energy scenario did not emerge as the best solution to a sustainable electrification of the region. The energy efficiency scenarios have allowed us to draw a sustainable pathway for electrification.

Non-self-sustained electric discharge in oxygen gas mixtures: singlet delta oxygen production

CERN Document Server

Ionin, A A; Kotkov, A A; Kochetov, I V; Napartovich, A P; Seleznev, L V; Sinitsyn, D V; Hager, G D

2003-01-01

The possibility of obtaining a high specific input energy in an electron-beam sustained discharge ignited in oxygen gas mixtures O sub 2 : Ar : CO (or H sub 2) at the total gas pressures of 10-100 Torr was experimentally demonstrated. The specific input energy per molecular component exceeded approx 6 kJ l sup - sup 1 atm sup - sup 1 (150 kJ mol sup - sup 1) as a small amount of carbon monoxide was added into a gas mixture of oxygen and argon. It was theoretically demonstrated that one might expect to obtain a singlet delta oxygen yield of 25% exceeding its threshold value needed for an oxygen-iodine laser operation at room temperature, when maintaining a non-self-sustained discharge in oxygen gas mixtures with molecular additives CO, H sub 2 or D sub 2. The efficiency of singlet delta oxygen production can be as high as 40%.

Sustainability labels on food products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G; Hieke, Sophie; Wills, Josephine

2014-01-01

of sustainability was limited, but understanding of four selected labels (Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Carbon Footprint, and Animal Welfare) was better, as some of them seem to be self-explanatory. The results indicated a low level of use, no matter whether use was measured as self-reported use of different......This study investigates the relationship between consumer motivation, understanding and use of sustainability labels on food products (both environmental and ethical labels), which are increasingly appearing on food products. Data was collected by means of an online survey implemented in the UK......, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Poland, with a total sample size of 4408 respondents. Respondents expressed medium high to high levels of concern with sustainability issues at the general level, but lower levels of concern in the context of concrete food product choices. Understanding of the concept...

Sensible production processes with electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eerola, P.; Annala, T.; Wickstroem, T. [ed.

1997-11-01

Small and medium-sized industrial enterprises use electricity increasingly for both heating and production, as electricity offers easy adjustability and has little need for maintenance. In production processes, the advantages of electricity also include uniform quality, automation and cleanness

Challenges and prospects of electricity production from renewable energy sources in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Mansour, Fouad; Sucic, Boris; Pusnik, Matevz

2014-01-01

Development of the utilisation of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency represents the main policy for sustainable development. The overall target of the European Union Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewables (RES) is to achieve at least a 20% share of energy from renewables in the gross final energy consumption in 2020. The mandatory national target for Slovenia is a 25% share of energy from RES in the gross final consumption. The share of RES in the gross final energy consumption in Slovenia was 18.8% in 2011 and the share of electricity production from RES was 30.8% in the gross electricity consumption. Electricity production from photovoltaics (PV) and biogas plants in agriculture has been growing fast after the adoption of the new supportive decree for electricity from RES in 2009. The very fast growth of PV plants has caused a problem for financing electricity from RES. Similar effects have been also recorded in the biogas sector, which represents a threat to food production. The state of the art, targets and challenges of electricity production from RES in Slovenia are described in the paper. - Highlights: • Slovenia's RES policy, regulatory frameworks and incentives are described. • The most important development challenges of the RES-E sector are discussed. • RES-E policy priorities need to be reassessed in view of recent global trends. • Responsible policy making and implementation follow-up are necessary

Sustainable Electricity and Water for Europe, Middle East and North Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Müller-Steinhagen, H.; Trieb, F.

2009-04-01

Sufficient supply of energy and water are among the key requirements for a sustainable development of nations. Both depend strongly on energy carriers such as oil, gas, coal and uranium which have limited availability and a negative impact on the environment during their use. Within the framework of a series of detailed studies, conventional and renewable energy sources available for electricity production and desalination in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East (EU-MENA) have been analysed. Scenarios have been developed for a sustainable electricity supply based on increased plant and user efficiency, and an accelerated introduction of renewable energy sources. Even if all potential exclusion criteria are applied and only those technologies are considered which will become economically competitive within the next decades, a potential has been identified which exceeds the present electricity demand by orders of magnitude. Solar energy is, in this context, the by far largest resource which will most economically be exploited in centralised solar thermal power plants. In combination with heat storage, these power plants can provide bulk and peak electricity, and can be combined with thermal or reverse osmosis desalination plants. At present, solar thermal power plants with a total capacity exceeding 10 GW are in operation or under construction in Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Spain and the USA. Ultimately, the increasing electricity demand of EU-MENA can only be secured in conjunction with the required climate and resource protection targets, if all renewable energy sources are exploited where appropriate, and conversion and user efficiency are increased. To utilise the enormous energy resources of the Mediterranean countries, high voltage direct current power lines will have to be built, linking the most abundant and economic resources with the load centres in the North. With electricity losses below 10% over a distance of 3000 km

Sustainability of sources of electric generation: indicators and global qualification using fuzzy logic; Sustentabilidad de fuentes de generacion electrica: indicadores y calificacion global empleando logica difusa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin del Campo M, C.; Francois L, J.L. [Facultad de Ingenieria, UNAM, Laboratorio de Analisis en Ingenieria de Reactores Nucleares, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, 62550 Jiutepec, Morelos (Mexico)]. e-mail: cmcm@fi-b.unam.mx

2005-07-01

A methodology developed to evaluate the sustainability of sources of electric generation but used in Mexico and in the World is presented. For it was applied one matrix of sustainability indicators that considers the principles and criteria of general sustainability as 'not exhaustion of natural resources', 'non production of non degradable waste', and 'not high sensibility to social and environmental factors'. The approaches to evaluate in a wide way these principles are numerous and to each approach associates an indicator, call sustainability indicator. The contribution of this work consists on the development of a methodology to qualify globally the sustainability of each option of electric generation, combining all the sustainability indicators. The methodology applies a system of diffuse control to build the function of global qualification of sustainability dependent of all the indicators. (Author)

Sustainability assessment of electricity generation technologies using weighted multi-criteria decision analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maxim, Alexandru

2014-01-01

Solving the issue of environmental degradation due to the expansion of the World's energy demand requires a balanced approach. The aim of this paper is to comprehensively rank a large number of electricity generation technologies based on their compatibility with the sustainable development of the industry. The study is based on a set of 10 sustainability indicators which provide a life cycle analysis of the plants. The technologies are ranked using a weighted sum multi-attribute utility method. The indicator weights were established through a survey of 62 academics from the fields of energy and environmental science. Our results show that large hydroelectric projects are the most sustainable technology type, followed by small hydro, onshore wind and solar photovoltaic. We argue that political leaders should have a more structured and strategic approach in implementing sustainable energy policies and this type of research can provide arguments to support such decisions. - Highlights: • We rank 13 electricity generation technologies based on sustainability. • We use 10 indicators in a weighted sum multi-attribute utility approach. • Weights are calculated based on a survey of 62 academics from the field. • Large hydroelectric projects are ranked as the most sustainable. • Decision makers can use the results to promote a more sustainable energy industry

Nuclear energy and opportunity to strengthen the sustainable electricity sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robles N, A. G.

2016-09-01

The beginning of electricity in Mexico was through the use and exploitation of natural resources; as the demand grew, more generation power plants were required with great capacity and at the same time the fuels used varied, although, oil continued to be the main fuel. At present, due to the effects of climate change, the Conference of the Parties has proposed to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels to give way to clean energy (wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear, etc.), which entails gradually modifying the energy matrix of the electricity sector. The National Development Plan and the National Electricity Sector Development Program, this coordinated by the Energy Secretariat in Mexico, establish policies to promote sustainable development, increasing electricity generation through clean energy sources, including nuclear energy. However, such plans are not accurate in the strategy to be followed to ensure compliance with the increased participation of nuclear energy. This article proposes a nuclear program for the Mexican electricity sector, under the terms of a State policy, aimed at crystallizing a sustainable electricity development 2015-2036; considering that the application to the electricity sector constitutes a representative and justified example of the incorporation of environmental aspects in decision processes for the preservation of the environment. In order to determine the quantity and type of reactors, as well as the number of nuclear power plants and increase of the installed capacity, the general planning scheme of the electric sector was used, taking as reference the modeling criteria of the WASP planning system. Finally, is concluded that the electricity generated by fission of radioactive elements is an opportunity to fulfill the commitments made by Mexico at COP 21 and to meet in an environmentally friendly way the energy requirement that our country needs. (Author)

Influence of cable losses on the economic analysis of efficient and sustainable electrical equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobão, J.A.; Devezas, T.; Catalão, J.P.S.

2014-01-01

Increasing energy needs are accompanied by environmental responsibilities, since nowadays electricity companies operate in a competitive and sustainable energy framework. In this context, any proposal for action on energy efficiency becomes important for consumers to minimize operational costs. In electrical installations, electricity consumption can be decreased by reducing losses in the cables, associated with the overall efficiency of the equipment, allowing a better use of the installed power. The losses must be analysed in conjunction with all loads that contribute to the currents in the sections of an electrical installation. When replacing equipment in output distribution boxes with more efficient ones, the current in those sections is reduced in association with the decrease in power losses. This decrease, often forgotten, is taken into account in this work for the economic analysis of efficiency and sustainable electrical equipment. This paper presents a new software application that compares and chooses the best investment in the acquisition of electrical equipment. Simulation results obtained with the new software application are provided and are then validated with experimental results from a real electrical installation. - Highlights: • Any proposal for action on energy efficiency is important for consumers. • Electricity consumption can be decreased by reducing losses in the cables. • A new software application that compares and chooses the best investment is provided. • The economic analysis of efficiency and sustainable electrical equipment is carried out. • Simulation results are validated with experimental results from a real electrical installation

Sustainable Product Indexing: Navigating the Challenge of Ecolabeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jay S. Golden

2010-09-01

Full Text Available There is growing scientific evidence that improving the sustainability of consumer products can lead to significant gains in global sustainability. Historically, environmental policy has been managed by bureaucracies and institutions in a mechanistic manner; this had led to many early successes. However, we believe that if policy concerning product sustainability is also managed in this way, negative unintended consequences are likely to occur. Thus, we propose a social-ecological systems approach to policy making concerning product sustainability that will lead to more rapid and meaningful progress toward improving the environmental and social impacts of consumer products.

Electricity Technology Roadmap. Technology for the Sustainable Society. 2025

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The Dutch Electricity Technology Roadmap Initiative is being developed by KEMA as a joint effort of Dutch and European experts of universities, industry and (non)governmental organisations. It aims to assess how to structure the ongoing collaborative research and technological advancement, the exploration of the opportunities and the threats for the electricity-based innovations over the next twenty-five years. In addition it analyses how to manage the transition towards a knowledge based economy and a more sustainable society. To date, about 100 organisations have participated with KEMA and its sponsors in shaping a comprehensive vision of the opportunities to structure the knowledge based economy in the Digital Society with as basis the increase of electricity's value to society. This vision is being translated into a set of technology development destinations and a total of six distinct initiatives for targeted projects. KEMA is leading this ongoing road-mapping effort, with the support of TENNET and EPRI (USA). The Dutch power generation utilities and the Ministry of Economics (EZ) financially support the work. It is an investment in the future of the Dutch knowledge based economy and a guidance to structure and strengthen the value of public and private RandD investments. The Electricity Technology Roadmap Initiative explores a period of fast regulatory, political, technological and institutional change in the electricity enterprise and in the society. The strategic choices made in this period of change can have profound consequences on whether future opportunities are opened or closed, and whether threats increase or are eliminated The reluctance to proceed with important changes is understandable, given the extreme uncertainty under which decisions must be made. No regrets solutions may be appropriate in some circumstances. These situations highlight the need for foresight and the importance of strategic roadmapping. The first year of the Roadmap

Can Collusion Promote Sustainable Consumption and Production?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schinkel, M.P.; Spiegel, Y.

Several competition authorities consider the exemption of horizontal agreements among firms from antitrust liability if the agreements sufficiently promote public interest objectives such as sustainable consumption and production. We show that when consumers value sustainable products and firms

Introduction--the Socially Sustainable Egg Production project.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, J C; Mench, J A; Thompson, P B

2011-01-01

The social and political pressure to change egg production from conventional cage systems to alternative systems has been largely driven by the desire to provide more behavioral freedom for egg-laying hens. However, a change of this magnitude can affect other components of the production system and may result in unintended outcomes. To understand this issue, a Socially Sustainable Egg Production project was formed to 1) conduct a holistic and integrated systematic review of the current state of knowledge about various aspects of sustainable egg production, and 2) develop a coordinated grant proposal for future extramural funding based on the research priorities identified from the review. Expert study groups were formed to write evidence-based papers in 5 critical sustainability areas: hen health and welfare, economics, food safety and quality, public attitudes, and environmental impacts. These papers were presented as the PSA Emerging Issues Symposium on Social Sustainability of Egg Production at the 2010 Poultry Science Association meeting.

Is Nuclear Energy Sustainable - A Comparative Perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, S.

2002-01-01

The electric utility sector is of central importance for economic growth and social development. While numerous societal and economic benefits arise from electricity production, it can also have impacts which may not be fully and unanimously reconciled with the concept of sustainability. Moving the electricity sector towards sustainable development calls for the integration of environmental, social and economic aspects in the decision-making process. As an input to such a process, one needs to assess how the different options perform with respect to specific sustainability criteria. As a part of the ''Comprehensive Assessment of Energy Systems'', carried out by the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the electricity and heat supply systems are examined in view of sustainability criteria and the associated indicators, thus allowing operationalization of the sustainability concept

Liberalising European electricity markets: opportunities and risks for a sustainable power sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringel, M.

2003-01-01

The process of liberalising European electricity markets, encompassing a wide range of restructuring activities, has mainly been spurred by the attempt to increase the economic efficiency of the whole sector. This process might be used to trigger a development towards a sustainable power sector by increasing the use of renewable energy sources and enhancing energy efficiency on the supply and demand side. However, by taking a closer look at the current trends of the European electricity markets, it becomes obvious that the liberalisation not only implies opportunities but also risks for the creation of a sustainable power sector. Many of these risks are due to market distortions and imperfections caused by the delay in creating a fully functional single European market. Thus, in the short-term, the market liberalisation tends to constitute more risks than opportunities without government actions to prevent these risks. In the long run, though, the efficiency gains of the sector and the appearance of new market factors are likely to bring forth the opportunities of liberalisation and actively foster a transformation towards a sustainable electricity sector. (author)

The Lebanese electricity system in the context of sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Fadel, R.H.; Hammond, G.P.; Harajli, H.A.; Jones, C.I.; Kabakian, V.K.; Winnett, A.B.

2010-01-01

The Lebanese electricity system has been evaluated in terms of its sustainability. An integrated approach was adopted to assess the life-cycle technical, environmental, energy and economic attributes of the system. The findings show that the Lebanese electricity system is characterized by a weak performance in all analysed aspects related to the sustainability of energy systems. Specifically, the system lacks adequacy and security leading to a supply-demand deficit and poor diversity. It gives rise to significant environmental emissions (including green-house gases), and produces large economic inefficiencies. The costs and benefits of optimising the performance of the centralised electricity system are presented, indicating substantial net benefits (together with considerable benefits in reduced environmental impacts across the life-cycle assessment categories, including carbon emissions) from improving the transmission and distribution networks, upgrading existing conventional plants to their design standards, and shifting towards the use of natural gas. The expected levelised cost of various energy sources in Lebanon also indicates that renewable energy sources are competitive alternatives at the present time.

36 CFR 223.219 - Sustainable harvest of special forest products.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sustainable harvest of....219 Sustainable harvest of special forest products. (a) Sustainable harvest levels. Prior to offering... product's sustainable harvest level. A special forest product's sustainable harvest level is the total...

The Question of Sustainability of Green Electricity Policy Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Bigerna

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we analyse the financial viability and economic sustainability implications of government programs for the development of renewable energy sources, explicitly considering that consumers take environmental issues into account. We envisage a broad policy strategy for the future, which we label the “World Sustainable Scenario”, and we quantify the inter-temporal resource requirement in terms of investment necessary to achieve it. We perform an empirical meta-analysis to quantify the willingness to pay for green electricity worldwide. Subsequently, we compare the amount of resources required according to policy programs and the populations’ willingness to sacrifice current resources for future benefits (i.e., willingness to finance future investments to assess the plausibility of current policies. The main empirical findings show that the population’s attitude toward green electricity will support, on average, 50% of the total investment required. We conclude that this is a positive result, which will make possible the success of the renewable energy sources development policy.

Sustainability in the Dutch Electricity Sector; Duurzaamheid in de Nederlandse Elektriciteitssector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilde-Ramsing, J.; Steinweg, T.; Ten Kate, A.; Racz, K.

2012-02-15

The aim of this project is to create public awareness of the sustainability of electricity companies that are active in the Netherlands. The report acts as background study for the ranking of electricity suppliers that will be published in March 2012 by the Consumentenbond (Consumer Association)and Greenpeace. The project builds on the 2010 report on 'Sustainability in the Dutch Power Sector', but is extended with suppliers which do not own generation capacity themselves. Each company has been examined for the following items: Fuel mix of current generation capacity or purchased electricity in Europe; Fuel mix of supplied electricity in the Netherlands; Overview of ongoing investments in new generation capacity; Overview of the announced investment plans in new generation capacity [Dutch] Het doel van het project is om publieke bewustwording te creeren van de duurzaamheid van elektriciteitsbedrijven die in Nederland actief zijn. Het rapport dient als achtergrondonderzoek voor de ranking van elektriciteitsleveranciers die in maart 2012 gepubliceerd zal worden door de Consumentenbond en Greenpeace. Het project bouwt voort op het in 2010 gepubliceerde rapport 'Sustainability in the Dutch Power Sector', maar is uitgebreid met leveranciers die zelf geen opwekkingscapaciteit bezitten. Voor elk bedrijf zijn de volgende punten onderzocht: Brandstofmix van huidige opwekkingscapaciteit of ingekochte stroom in Europa; Brandstofmix van geleverde elektriciteit in Nederland; Overzicht van de lopende investeringen in nieuwe opwekkingscapaciteit; Overzicht van de aangekondigde investeringsplannen in nieuwe opwekkingscapaciteit.

Developing sustainable energy policies for electrical energy conservation in Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Ajlan, S.A.; Al-Ibrahim, A.M.; Abdulkhaleq, M.; Alghamdi, F.

2006-01-01

Towards the end of 1998, the Saudi Arabian electricity sector embarked upon a major restructuring program. One of the aims of the program is to achieve sustainable performance. Although progress has been made, a number of challenges remain, including high demand growth, low generation capacity reserve margins, inefficient energy use, absence of time-of-use tariffs, and the need for large capital investments to meet current and future expansion. Electrical energy consumption in Saudi Arabia increased sharply during the last two decades due to rapid economic development and the absence of energy conservation measures. Peak loads reached nearly 24GW in 2001-25 times their 1975 level-and are expected to approach 60GW by 2023. The total investment needed to meet this demand may exceed $90 billion. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop energy conservation policies for sustainable development. Current sustainable policies, particularly those pertaining to energy conservation, led to peak load savings of more than 871MW in 2001, mainly as a result of collaborations between the Ministry of Water and Electricity and the Saudi Electricity Company. In the long term, however, unless sustainable energy policies are developed at a national level, such efforts will be largely ineffective. To address this, policies and programs are being developed for public awareness, energy regulation and legislation, and energy information and programming. If energy conservation is taken into account, the forecast demand can be reduced by 5-10%. This is equivalent to 3-6GW of additional capacity, which represents a possible $1.5-3.0 billion saving over the next 20 years. Typically, investment in energy efficiency is 1% of utility sales revenues, which for a country like Saudi Arabia could be $15-60 million p.a. If only savings on air conditioning are considered, the return on investment is equivalent to 400-500MW p.a. of generating capacity-a saving of up to $0.25 billion p.a. In this

Developing sustainable energy policies for electrical energy conservation in Saudi Arabia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Ajlan, S.A. [Energy Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442 (Saudi Arabia)]. E-mail: salajlan@kacst.edu.sa; Al-Ibrahim, A.M. [Energy Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442 (Saudi Arabia); Abdulkhaleq, M. [Ministry of Water and Electricity (Saudi Arabia); Alghamdi, F. [Ministry of Water and Electricity (Saudi Arabia)

2006-09-15

Towards the end of 1998, the Saudi Arabian electricity sector embarked upon a major restructuring program. One of the aims of the program is to achieve sustainable performance. Although progress has been made, a number of challenges remain, including high demand growth, low generation capacity reserve margins, inefficient energy use, absence of time-of-use tariffs, and the need for large capital investments to meet current and future expansion. Electrical energy consumption in Saudi Arabia increased sharply during the last two decades due to rapid economic development and the absence of energy conservation measures. Peak loads reached nearly 24GW in 2001-25 times their 1975 level-and are expected to approach 60GW by 2023. The total investment needed to meet this demand may exceed $90 billion. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop energy conservation policies for sustainable development. Current sustainable policies, particularly those pertaining to energy conservation, led to peak load savings of more than 871MW in 2001, mainly as a result of collaborations between the Ministry of Water and Electricity and the Saudi Electricity Company. In the long term, however, unless sustainable energy policies are developed at a national level, such efforts will be largely ineffective. To address this, policies and programs are being developed for public awareness, energy regulation and legislation, and energy information and programming. If energy conservation is taken into account, the forecast demand can be reduced by 5-10%. This is equivalent to 3-6GW of additional capacity, which represents a possible $1.5-3.0 billion saving over the next 20 years. Typically, investment in energy efficiency is 1% of utility sales revenues, which for a country like Saudi Arabia could be $15-60 million p.a. If only savings on air conditioning are considered, the return on investment is equivalent to 400-500MW p.a. of generating capacity-a saving of up to $0.25 billion p.a. In this

Sustainable electricity supply in the world by 2050 for economic growth and automotive fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, P.

2010-01-01

Over the next 40 years, the combustion of fossil fuels for generation of electricity and vehicle transportation will be significantly reduced. In addition to the business-as-usual growth in electric energy demand for the growing world population, new electricity-intensive industries, such as battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will result in further growth in world consumption of electric energy. Planning for a sustainable supply of electric energy in the diverse economies of the world should be carried out with appropriate technology for selecting the appropriate large-scale energy resources based on their specific energy. Analysis of appropriate technology for the available large-scale energy resources with diminished use of fossil fuel combustion shows that sustainable electricity supply can be achieved with equal contributions of renewable energy resources for large numbers of small-scale distributed applications and nuclear energy resources for the smaller number of large-scale centralised applications. (author)

Towards sustainable urban transportation: Test, demonstration and development of fuel cell and hybrid-electric buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folkesson, Anders

2008-05-01

Several aspects make today's transport system non-sustainable: - Production, transport and combustion of fossil fuels lead to global and local environmental problems. - Oil dependency in the transport sector may lead to economical and political instability. - Air pollution, noise, congestion and land-use may jeopardise public health and quality of life, especially in urban areas. In a sustainable urban transport system most trips are made with public transport because high convenience and comfort makes travelling with public transport attractive. In terms of emissions, including noise, the vehicles are environmentally sustainable, locally as well as globally. Vehicles are energy-efficient and the primary energy stems from renewable sources. Costs are reasonable for all involved, from passengers, bus operators and transport authorities to vehicle manufacturers. The system is thus commercially viable on its own merits. This thesis presents the results from three projects involving different concept buses, all with different powertrains. The first two projects included technical evaluations, including tests, of two different fuel cell buses. The third project focussed on development of a series hybrid-bus with internal combustion engine intended for production around 2010. The research on the fuel cell buses included evaluations of the energy efficiency improvement potential using energy mapping and vehicle simulations. Attitudes to hydrogen fuel cell buses among passengers, bus drivers and bus operators were investigated. Safety aspects of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel were analysed and the use of hydrogen compared to electrical energy storage were also investigated. One main conclusion is that a city bus should be considered as one energy system, because auxiliaries contribute largely to the energy use. Focussing only on the powertrain is not sufficient. The importance of mitigating losses far down an energy conversion chain is emphasised. The Scania hybrid fuel cell

Design for Sustainability: Current Trends in Sustainable Product Design and Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel Crul

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The Design for Sustainability (D4S concept outlines methodologies for making sustainable improvements (social, economic and environmental to products by applying elements of life cycle thinking. D4S builds on the work of ecodesign to include economic and social concerns, and its methodology includes both incremental and radical innovation. The United Nations Environment Programme and the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, in concert with key partners, work to support, illustrate, and diffuse targeted D4S demonstration efforts, including the European Commission-funded Cleaner Production for Better Products project in Vietnam, that are needed to change unsustainable consumption and production patterns.

Sustainability Of Electricity Supply Technologies under German Conditions: A Comparative Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, S; Dones, R.; Heck, T.; Burgherr, P.; Schenler, W.; Bauer, C.

2004-12-01

On behalf of the International Committee on Nuclear Technology (ILK) the Paul Scherrer Institut carried out a comparative study addressing the sustainability of electricity supply technologies operating under German-specific conditions. The general objective of this analysis was to provide a support for the formulation of ILK position on the sustainability of various electricity supply technologies, with special emphasis on nuclear energy. The evaluation covers selected current fossil, nuclear and renewable technologies, which are representative for the average conditions in Germany. Two methods of indicator aggregation were employed, i.e. estimation of total (internal and extemal) costs and Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Use of MCDA is motivated by acknowledgement of the role of value judgements in decision-making. Both total costs and MCDA-based technology-specific total scores are useful comparative indicators of sustainability. Sustainability perspective implies a balanced (equal) importance assignment to economic, ecological and social aspects. In summary, this study provides a framework for systematic evaluation of sustainability of energy systems. Refinements of the methodology and specific indicators are feasible. Options for future applications include direct involvement of stakeholders, and evaluations of future technologies and of supply scenarios combining the various candidate technologies. Tools supporting such analyses have been developed by PSI and can be adjusted to the needs of country-specific applications. (author)

Sustainable food consumption. Product choice or curtailment?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verain, M.C.D.; Dagevos, H.; Antonides, G.

2015-01-01

Food consumption is an important factor in shaping the sustainability of our food supply. The present paper empirically explores different types of sustainable food behaviors. A distinction between sustainable product choices and curtailment behavior has been investigated empirically and predictors

A short course in sustainable product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAloone, Tim C.

2005-01-01

This short course in sustainable product development models, methods and mindsets is designed to fit into the Unical course on Engineering Design Methods. Three modules (called “seminars”) will guide you through . The demands for sustainable development . Professional methods for analysing and ch...... and changing products’ environmental profiles . A new approach to product service system development, where the physical product becomes an incidental aspect in the final offering to the customer...

Wind energy status in renewable electrical energy production in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaygusuz, Kamil

2010-01-01

Main electrical energy sources of Turkey are thermal and hydraulic. Most of the thermal sources are derived from natural gas. Turkey imports natural gas; therefore, decreasing usage of natural gas is very important for both economical and environmental aspects. Because of disadvantages of fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are getting importance for sustainable energy development and environmental protection. Among the renewable sources, Turkey has very high wind energy potential. The estimated wind power capacity of Turkey is about 83,000 MW while only 10,000 MW of it seems to be economically feasible to use. Start 2009, the total installed wind power capacity of Turkey was only 4.3% of its total economical wind power potential (433 MW). However, the strong development of wind energy in Turkey is expected to continue in the coming years. In this study, Turkey's installed electric power capacity, electric energy production is investigated and also Turkey current wind energy status is examined. (author)

'Powering up' a green Saskatchewan: exploring possible sustainable solutions for Saskatchewan's electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, R.; Faubert, I.; Steele, K.; Wohrizek, J.; Donev, J.

2013-01-01

The electrical market in Saskatchewan is embarking on an exciting journey to both increase its generating capacity and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to promote a more sustainable future. SaskPower is the centralized generation and transmission crown corporation for the province and has the ability to implement the necessary actions to create a sustainable electrical system. There are many paths that Saskatchewan can take for a more sustainable future. Currently, the future of Saskatchewan's electrical market depends on results from the Boundary Dam Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Demonstration Plant. This project proposes electrical capacity models for SaskPower in the event their current CCS project is not a feasible option. (author)

Production of O2(1Δ) in flowing plasmas using spiker-sustainer excitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babaeva, Natalia Y.; Arakoni, Ramesh A.; Kushner, Mark J.

2006-01-01

In chemical oxygen iodine lasers (COILs), oscillation at 1.315 μm in atomic iodine ( 2 P 1/2 → 2 P 3/2 ) is produced by collisional excitation transfer of O 2 ( 1 Δ) to I 2 and I. Plasma production of O 2 ( 1 Δ) in electrical COILs (eCOILs) eliminates liquid phase generators. For the flowing plasmas used for eCOILs (He/O 2 , a few to tens of torr), self-sustaining electron temperatures, T e , are 2-3 eV whereas excitation of O 2 ( 1 Δ) optimizes with T e =1-1.5 eV. One method to increase O 2 ( 1 Δ) production is by lowering the average value of T e using spiker-sustainer (SS) excitation where a high power pulse (spiker) is followed by a lower power period (sustainer). Excess ionization produced by the spiker enables the sustainer to operate with a lower T e . Previous investigations suggested that SS techniques can significantly raise yields of O 2 ( 1 Δ). In this paper, we report on the results from a two-dimensional computational investigation of radio frequency (rf) excited flowing He/O 2 plasmas with emphasis on SS excitation. We found that the efficiency of SS methods generally increase with increasing frequency by producing a higher electron density, lower T e , and, as a consequence, a more efficient production of O 2 ( 1 Δ)

Sustainable aggregates production : green applications for aggregate by-products.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

Increased emphasis in the construction industry on sustainability and recycling requires production of : aggregate gradations with lower dust (cleaner aggregates) and smaller maximum sizeshence, increased : amount of quarry by-products (QBs). QBs ...

Nature tourism: a sustainable tourism product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violante Martínez Quintana

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Nature tourism has emerged in the tourism field as a result of a logical evolution in line with public policies and academic research. After negative outcomes from traditional models first raised the alarm, the entire sector has tried to foster local development based on models of responsibility and sustainability. This article revises key concepts of nature – based tourism and shows new tendencies and the perception of cultural landscapes that are seen as tourism products. Finally, it concludes by analysing new tendencies to foster alternative nature – based tourism. It also presents a planning proposal based on a responsible and sustainable tourism model to guarantee a sustainable tourism product within the natural and cultural heritage context.

Supporting Sustainability and Personalization with Product Architecture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kjeld; Jørgensen, Kaj Asbjørn; Taps, Stig B.

2011-01-01

Mass Customization, Personalization and Co-creation (MCPC) are continuously being adopted as a competitive business strategy. Consumers as well as governments are at the same time applying pressure on companies to adopt a more sustainable strategy, consumers request greener products and governments...... is a driver for MCPC and earlier research within product architecture has indicated that modularization could support sustainability. In this paper, work on the drivers for modularization with focus on sustainability and MCPC, will be presented. Several modularization methods and drivers are analyzed...

Short lecture series in sustainable product development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAloone, Tim C.

2005-01-01

Three lectures in sustainable product development models, methods and mindsets should give insight into the way of thinking about the environment when developing products. The first two lectures will guide you through: . Environmental problems in industry & life-cycle thinking . Professional...... methods for analysing and changing products’ environmental profiles . Sustainability as a driver for innovation...

Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation Technologies in Egypt Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Shaaban

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Future electricity planning necessitates a thorough multi-faceted analysis of the available technologies in order to secure the energy supply for coming generations. To cope with worldwide concerns over sustainable development and meet the growing demands of electricity we assess the future potential technologies in Egypt through covering their technical, economic, environmental and social aspects. In this study we fill the gap of a lacking sustainability assessment of energy systems in Egypt where most of the studies focus mainly on the economic and technical aspects of planning future installation of power plants in Egypt. Furthermore, we include the stakeholder preferences of the indicators in the energy sector into our assessment. Moreover, we perform a sensitivity analysis through single dimension assessment scenarios of the technologies as well as a sustainable scenario with equal preferences of all dimensions of the sustainability. We employ two multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA methodologies: the analytical hierarchy process for weighing the assessment criteria, and the weighted sum method for generating a general integrated sustainability index for each technology. The study investigates seven technologies: coal, natural gas, wind, concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, biomass and nuclear. The results reveal a perfect matching between the ranking of the technologies by the stakeholders and the sustainable scenario showing the highest ranking for natural gas and the lowest for nuclear and coal. There is a strong potential for renewable energy technologies to invade the electricity market in Egypt where they achieve the second ranking after natural gas. The Monte-Carlo approach gives photovoltaics a higher ranking over concentrated solar power as compared to the sample data ranking. The study concludes the importance of a multi-dimensional evaluation of the technologies while considering the preferences of the stakeholders in

Sustainable transport strategy for promoting zero-emission electric scooters in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Jenn Jiang [Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700 (China)

2010-06-15

In Taiwan, the government considers the zero-emission scooters to be a sustainable form of transport like walking, cycling and public transport, which play a vital role to support sustainable urban mobility. Therefore, the development of zero-emission scooters is an important strategy in constructing the sustainable transport network of Taiwan. It is also the government's priorities about the policy of emission-reduction and energy-conservation in the transportation sector. Recently, Taiwan launched a new program for subsidy of purchasing zero-emission scooters, which aimed to shift the petroleum-powered scooters to the electric scooters. The present paper is providing an update review of the promotional programs in developing zero-emission scooters in Taiwan. It introduces the status of the establishment and progress of policy, standards, subsidies to users and manufacturers, practice infrastructure, and technology development. Moreover, the contribution of replacing petrol scooters by zero-emission scooters such as battery-powered electric scooters and fuel cell scooters to reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and improvement in energy efficiency is evaluated. (author)

Sustainability Assessment Model in Product Development

Science.gov (United States)

Turan, Faiz Mohd; Johan, Kartina; Nor, Nik Hisyamudin Muhd; Omar, Badrul

2017-08-01

Faster and more efficient development of innovative and sustainable products has become the focus for manufacturing companies in order to remain competitive in today’s technologically driven world. Design concept evaluation which is the end of conceptual design is one of the most critical decision points. It relates to the final success of product development, because poor criteria assessment in design concept evaluation can rarely compensated at the later stages. Furthermore, consumers, investors, shareholders and even competitors are basing their decisions on what to buy or invest in, from whom, and also on what company report, and sustainability is one of a critical component. In this research, a new methodology of sustainability assessment in product development for Malaysian industry has been developed using integration of green project management, new scale of “Weighting criteria” and Rough-Grey Analysis. This method will help design engineers to improve the effectiveness and objectivity of the sustainable design concept evaluation, enable them to make better-informed decisions before finalising their choice and consequently create value to the company or industry. The new framework is expected to provide an alternative to existing methods.

Industry evolution, rational agents and the transition to sustainable electricity production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Safarzynska, K.E.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2011-01-01

Guiding a transition to low carbon electricity requires a good understanding of the substitution of old by new technologies in the electricity industry. With the aim of explaining historical change from coal to gas in the British electricity industry, we develop a formal model of technological

Design for Sustainability : Current Trends in Sustainable Product Design and Development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Clark, G.; Kosoris, J.; Nguyen Hong, L.; Crul, M.

2009-01-01

The Design for Sustainability (D4S) concept outlines methodologies for making sustainable improvements (social, economic and environmental) to products by applying elements of life cycle thinking. D4S builds on the work of ecodesign to include economic and social concerns, and its methodology

Electricity from wetlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wetser, K.

2016-01-01

Sustainable electricity generation by the plant microbial fuel cell

Fossil fuels are currently the main source of electricity production. Combustion of fossil fuels causes air pollution severely affecting human health and nature. This results in an increasing demand for

Powering the future: Blueprint for a sustainable electricity industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flavin, C.; Lenssen, N.

1997-01-01

Long known for its vast scale and fierce resistance to change, the US power industry is poised for a sweeping transformation. Although driven by many of the same forces propelling the telecommunications revolution, the electricity industry has received only a fraction as much attention. Yet the electric industry is far larger, with a current investment per customer of $6,000--double that of the phone and cable industries combined. Moreover, unlike telecommunications, the future of the power industry will have an enormous impact on the global environment. The glimmerings of a more efficient, decentralized, and less-polluting power system are beginning to capture the interest--and even the investment dollars--of some. In this paper, the authors describe the route to a more environmentally sustainable electric industry to power the twenty-first century

Optimal allocation of energy sources for sustainable development in South Korea: Focus on the electric power generation industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Joongha; Woo, JongRoul; Lee, Jongsu

2015-01-01

National energy planning has become increasingly complex owing to a pressing need to incorporate sustainability considerations. In this context, we applied least-cost and cost-risk optimization models to allocate energy sources for sustainable development in the Korean electric power generation industry. The least-cost model determined an electricity generation mix from 2012 to 2030 that incurs minimum generation cost to meet electricity demand. The cost-risk model determined electricity generation mixes in 2030 considering the risks associated with each energy source in order to lessen external risks. In deriving these optimal electricity generation mixes, we considered both conventional and renewable energy sources in conjunction with physical and policy constraints that realistically reflect Korean circumstances. Moreover, we accounted for CO 2 and external costs within the electricity generation costs for each energy source. For sustainable development in Korea, we conclude that a portion of the coal and gas in the electricity generation mix must be substituted with nuclear and renewable energy. Furthermore, we found that least-cost allocation is sub-optimal from cost-risk perspective and that it limits the adoption of renewables. Finally, we also discuss the implications of decisions taken by the Korean government regarding the electricity generation mix for next-generation energy planning to achieve sustainability. - Highlights: • Optimal least-cost/cost-risk energy mix for sustainable development in Korea. • We account for CO 2 and external costs of generation from each energy source. • Externalities and physical/policy constraints in Korea produce realistic energy mix. • Nuclear and renewables should replace coal and gas for sustainability in Korea. • Least-cost approach limits uptake of renewables and produces high-risk energy mix

Towards Sustainability-driven Innovation through Product Service Systems

OpenAIRE

Thompson, Anthony

2010-01-01

Increasing awareness of anthropogenic impacts on the planet has lead to efforts to reduce negative environmental impacts in product development for several decades. Benefits to companies who focus on sustainability initiatives have been put forth more recently, leading to many efforts to incorporate sustainability considerations in their product innovation processes. The majority of current sustainability considerations in industry constrain design space by emphasizing reduced material and en...

Sustainability assessment of a hybrid energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afgan, Nain H.; Carvalho, Maria G.

2008-01-01

A hybrid energy system in the form of the Object structure is the pattern for the structure of options in the evaluation of a hybrid system. The Object structure is defined as: Hybrid Energy System {[production (solar, wind, biomass, natural gas)] [utilization(electricity, heat, hydrogen)]}. In the evaluation of hybrid energy systems only several options are selected to demonstrate the sustainability assessment method application in the promotion of the specific quality of the hybrid energy system. In this analysis the following options are taken into a consideration: 1.Solar photo-voltaic power plant (PV PP), wind turbine power plant (WTPP) biomass thermal power plant (ThSTPP) for electricity, heat and hydrogen production. 2.Solar PV PP and wind power plant (WPP) for electricity and hydrogen production. 3.Biomass thermal steam turbine power plant (BThSTPP) and WPP for heat and hydrogen production. 4.Combined cycle gas turbine power plant for electricity and hydrogen production. 5.Cogeneration of electricity and water by the hybrid system. The sustainability assessment method is used for the evaluation of quality of the selected hybrid systems. In this evaluation the following indicators are used: economic indicator, environment indicator and social indicator

Electricity production from microbial fuel cell by using yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorasingha, A.; Souvakon, C.; Boonchom, K.

2006-01-01

The continuous search for methods to generate electricity from renewable sources such as water, solar energy, wind, nuclear or chemicals was discussed with particular focus on attaining the full power of the microbial fuel cell (MFC). Under ideal environmental conditions, the only byproducts of a biofuel cell would be water and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The production of energy from renewables such as biomass is important for sustainable development and reducing global emissions of CO 2 . Hydrogen can also be an important component of an energy infrastructure that reduces CO 2 emissions if the hydrogen is produced from renewable sources and used in fuel cells. Hydrogen gas can be biologically produced at high concentration from the fermentation of high sugar substrates such as glucose and sucrose. Some of the issues of MFC design were addressed, including the use of cheap substrates to derive microbial electricity. In the MFC, yeast donates electrons to a chemical electron mediator, which in turn transfers the electrons to an electrode, producing electricity. Experimental results showed that glucose yielded the highest peak voltage, but a semi-processed sugar and molasses were similar to glucose in the electricity production pattern. It was noted that this technology is only at the research stages, and more research is needed before household microbial fuel cells can be made available for producing power for prolonged periods of time. Future research efforts will focus on increasing the efficiency, finding alternatives to hazardous electron mediators and finding new microbes. 12 refs., 6 figs

The Water Footprint Assessment of Electricity Production: An Overview of the Economic-Water-Energy Nexus in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pier Paolo Miglietta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The term “water-energy nexus” has remarkable implications in the sustainable management of water resources. The aim of this paper is to analyse the production of electricity, from an economic and technical perspective, using the water footprint and economic water productivity approaches. After comparing the percentage of contribution of fossil and renewable sources to the production of the electricity sector, the study then compares the percentage of contribution of fossil and renewable sources to the consumptive water footprint of Italian electricity production for each year analysed. Furthermore, distinguishing between renewable and fossil sources, the paper proceeds to assess the total consumptive water footprint generated by each energy source for the electricity production in Italy during the period 2007–2016. The study represents an original contribution for the identification of policies and managerial implications in the context of the energy sector, serving as a practical guide. The results, in fact, confirm the need for scientific and practical efforts to manage electricity production in an integrated perspective and provide a first glance at addressing the optimal design of energy source mix in the Italian regulation context, contributing to reducing the water footprint, without ignoring the economic aspects.

Transitioning Wood Furniture Products towards Sustainability

OpenAIRE

Lu, Lei; Zhang, WeiGuang; Zhang, WeiQing

2008-01-01

Wood Furniture Products (WFPs) play a significant role in both the global economy and the transition of society towards sustainability. This paper begins with a brief description of the industry and highlights the current challenges and compelling measures of WFPs from a systems perspective through the lens of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and by applying backcasting from sustainability principles (SPs). An examination of the challenges and opportunities of WFPs i...

Nature-Inspired Design : Strategies for Sustainable Product Development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Pauw, I.C.

2015-01-01

Product designers can apply different strategies, methods, and tools for sustainable product development. Nature-Inspired Design Strategies (NIDS) offer designers a distinct class of strategies that use ‘nature’ as a guiding source of knowledge and inspiration for addressing sustainability.

Hydrogen production through nuclear energy, a sustainable scenario in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega V, E.; Francois L, J.L.

2007-01-01

The energy is a key point in the social and economic development of a country, for such motive to assure the energy supply in Mexico it is of vital importance. The hydrogen it is without a doubt some one of the alternating promising fuels before the visible one necessity to decentralize the energy production based on hydrocarbons. The versatility of their applications, it high heating power and having with the more clean fuel cycle of the energy basket with which count at the moment, they are only some examples of their development potential. However the more abundant element of the universe it is not in their elementary form in our planet, it forms molecules like in the hydrocarbons or water and it stops their use it should be extracted. At the present time different methods are known for the extraction of hydrogen, there is thermal, electric, chemical, photovoltaic among others. The election of the extraction method and the primary energy source to carry out it are decisive to judge the sustainability of the hydrogen production. The sustainable development is defined as development that covers the present necessities without committing the necessity to cover the necessities of the future generations, and in the mark of this definition four indicators of the sustainable development of the different cycles of fuel were evaluated in the hydrogen production in Mexico. These indicators take in consideration the emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (environment), the readiness of the energy resources (technology), the impacts in the floor use (social) and the production costs of the cycles (economy). In this work the processes were studied at the moment available for the generation of hydrogen, those that use coal, natural gas, hydraulic, eolic energy, biomass and nuclear, as primary energy sources. These processes were evaluated with energy references of Mexico to obtain the best alternative for hydrogen production. (Author)

Accounting for Human Health and Ecosystems Quality in Developing Sustainable Energy Products: The Implications of Wood Biomass-based Electricity Strategies to Climate Change Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Weldu, Yemane W.

fuel. Bioenergy alternatives have higher economic cost than the prevailing scenario of coal-fired generation system. Although coal fuel is the most cost effective way of electricity generation, its combustion results in the loss of 123.5 billion USD per year for Alberta due to societal life cycle cost. This research demonstrated that bioenergy can support the transformation of a fossil-based energy system to a more sustainable power production system; however, respiratory effects is a concern.

Designing a sustainable electric system for the 21. Century. 5 sessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The UNIPEDE (International Union of Producers and Distributors of Electrical Energy) conference is composed of 97 communications grouped in 5 sessions which titles and main themes are: opportunities to increase electricity use for sustainable development (energy efficiency improvement, technology substitution, environmental issues); electric system expansion and integration to meet growing competition (interconnected systems, electricity transfer, distribution system upgrade, system reliability, superconductive systems); power producers and global climate change issues (electricity generation, renewable energies, combined cycle, rational energy use, reduction of emissions, efficiency improvements); technology for supplying electricity in developing and transitional economies development strategies, financial factor and international investments, technology transfer and implementation, transmission systems); power industry structure, regulatory policies and technological innovation (demand side management, deregulation, competitive energy markets, legislative and economic policy changes). 48 communications were considered in the INIS scope, 41 in the ETDE scope and 7 out of scope

Achieving sustainable biomass conversion to energy and bio products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matteson, G. C.

2009-01-01

The present effort in to maximize biomass conversion-to-energy and bio products is examined in terms of sustain ability practices. New goals, standards in practice, measurements and certification are needed for the sustainable biomass industry. Sustainable practices produce biomass energy and products in a manner that is secure, renewable, accessible locally, and pollution free. To achieve sustainable conversion, some new goals are proposed. (Author)

Assessing Sustainability Transition in the US Electrical Power System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen McCauley

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This paper examines sustainability transition dynamics in the US electricity system, drawing on the socio-technical systems approach. We view system change as unfolding along several critical dimensions and geographical scales, including dynamics in the environment, science, civil society, discourse, and state regulatory institutions, as well as in capital and technology formations. A particular emphasis is given to the interaction of discourses, policy networks, and institutions. We trace four distinct regimes which have characterized the evolution of this discourse-network-institutional nexus over the last century. The research examines dynamics that present a challenge to the incumbent energy regime based on fossil fuels, nuclear and hydropower, and demonstrates how the actor-network supporting renewables and energy efficiency has grown stronger and more capable of moving toward a sustainability transition than at any time since the sustainable energy movement began a generation ago.

Energy production on farms. Sustainability of energy crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Zeijts, H.

1995-01-01

In this article the results of a study on sustainability of energy crops are discussed. Contribution to the reduction of the greenhouse effect and other environmental effects were investigated for the Netherlands. The study assumed that energy crops are grown on set-aside land or grain land. Generating electricity and/or heat from hemp, reed, miscanthus, poplar and willow show the best prospects. These crops are sustainable and may in the future be economically feasible. Ethanol from winter wheat shows the most favourable environmental effects, but is not economically efficient. Liquid fuels from oil seed rape and sugar beet are not very sustainable. 2 tabs., 4 refs

Sustain ability and sustainable development indicators case study: Egypt electric power supply system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashad, S.M.

2007-01-01

This paper addresses sustain ability criteria and the associated indicators allowing ope rationalization of the sustain ability concept in general and specially in the context of electricity supply. The criteria and indicators cover economic, environmental and social aspects. Egypt has rapidly growing population and per capita demand. As a signatory of the framework convention on climate change, Egypt is making all efforts to comply with the strategy of Egypt to meet the challenge of the increasing demand management, integrating it into national decision making and improving environmental performance continuously: for the electricity sector, this can be summarized in improvement of power system efficiency by all available means. On the other hand energy conservation and demand side management programs are ongoing, also the environmental consideration has become one of the major issues in calculating the feasibility of any new addition to the system. This paper deals with the review of the Macro Indicators based on total greenhouse emissions provide a measure of overall performance. Then propose the Primary Indicators. A set of performance indicators is developed against which implementation of the national strategy measures aimed at reducing green house gas emissions can be evaluated. Some selected results from environmental analysis are given. In the study about 20 indicators are used as a measure of the overall performance relative to targets and benchmarks for past and future projections up to year 2020. The potential performance indicators for energy sector include: fossil fuel consumption (primary energy), greenhouse gas emissions from energy sector, energy related greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy delivered, energy related greenhouse gas emission per unit GDP, and energy related greenhouse gas emission per capita. The selected indicators are used to measure progress towards sustainable development in the country

Structural model for sustainable consumption and production adoption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luthra, Sunil; Govindan, Kannan; Mangla, Sachin Kumar

2017-01-01

. “Governmental policies and regulations to develop sustainable consumption and production focused system” and “Management support, dedication and involvement in sustainable consumption and production implementation” have been found as the most influencing drivers and “Gaining the market edge and improving...

CdTe Photovoltaics for Sustainable Electricity Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Munshi, Amit; Sampath, Walajabad

2016-09-01

Thin film CdTe (cadmium telluride) is an important technology in the development of sustainable and affordable electricity generation. More than 10 GW of installations have been carried out using this technology around the globe. It has been demonstrated as a sustainable, green, renewable, affordable and abundant source of electricity. An advanced sublimation tool has been developed that allows highly controlled deposition of CdTe films onto commercial soda lime glass substrates. All deposition and treatment steps can be performed without breaking the vacuum within a single chamber in an inline process that can be conveniently scaled to a commercial process. In addition, an advanced cosublimation source has been developed to allow the deposition of ternary alloys such as Cd x Mg1- x Te to form an electron reflector layer which is expected to address the voltage deficits in current CdTe devices and to achieve very high efficiency. Extensive materials characterization, including but not limited to scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron back-scatter diffraction, has been performed to get a better understanding of the effects of processing conditions on CdTe thin film photovoltaics. This combined with computer modeling such as density function theory modeling gives a new insight into the mechanism of CdTe photovoltaic function. With all these efforts, CdTe photovoltaics has seen great progress in the last few years. Currently, it has been recorded as the cheapest source of electricity in the USA on a commercial scale, and further improvements are predicted to further reduce the cost while increasing its utilization. Here, we give an overview of the advantages of thin film CdTe photovoltaics as well as a brief review of the challenges that need to be addressed. Some fundamental studies of processing conditions for thin film CdTe are also presented

How to Deliver Open Sustainable Innovation: An Integrated Approach for a Sustainable Marketable Product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Cappa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The adoption of open innovation and peer production, powered by 3D printing technology, is transforming traditional manufacturing methods towards a “third industrial revolution”. The purpose of this research is to provide empirical evidence for an integrated approach, based on collaborative product development and peer production, combined with 3D printing, to deliver more sustainable, yet competitive, marketable products. In particular, this experimental study is conducted in the context of mobile forensics, an emerging market where limited expensive products exist and alternative solutions are needed. The technical viability and economic feasibility of the prototype developed in this research validate the proposed integrated approach, which could be a game-changer in the field of mobile forensics, as well as in other sectors. The sustainability improvements with this approach are a reduction of the total cost, thereby making it affordable for lower income users, and a decrease in energy consumption and pollutant emissions. The validated integrated approach offers start-up opportunities to develop and deliver more sustainable, marketable products, towards the paradigm of Open Sustainable Innovation. While the device developed and tested in this research has similar features to existing products, the methodology, implementation, and motivation are original.

Swiss electricity production into the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinmann, Walter

2008-01-01

In January 2007 the Swiss Federal Office of Energy's work on energy perspectives up until 2035 were concluded and presented. The results form the basis for political debate on the future direction of Switzerland's energy and climate policies. The energy perspectives point to an increase in demand for electricity in Switzerland by 2035 of around 20% and a deficit of roughly 17 billion kWh if no extra measures are taken. This corresponds to twice the annual production of a Swiss nuclear power station. This development and the unharnessed potential in the areas of efficiency and renewable energies prompted Switzerland's Federal Council to decide on a reorientation of its energy policy in 2007. This is based on four pillars: 1. Improved energy efficiency; 2. Promotion of renewable energy; 3. Targeted extension and construction of large-scale power stations; 4. Intensification of foreign energy policy, particularly in terms of cooperation with the EU. 2008 has got off to a strong start in terms of energy policy - the CO 2 tax on fuels has been introduced and the first package of the new Energy Supply Act (StromVG) has entered into force. The new Electricity Supply Act creates the necessary conditions for a progressive opening of Switzerland's electricity market. From 2009 some 50,000 large customers with an annual electricity consumption of over 100 megawatt hours will be able to benefit from this partial opening and be free to choose their power suppliers. But all other power consumers will benefit right from the start too because their electricity suppliers will also be able to buy in their electricity from the free market and pass on any price savings to their customers. Furthermore, the Electricity Supply Act delivers a clear legal framework for cross-border trade in electricity. In actual fact the opening of the electricity market is already well advanced around Switzerland. Liberalisation also results in cost transparency: As the opening of the electricity market

Fuelling the future: microbial engineering for the production of sustainable biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, James C; Mi, Luo; Pontrelli, Sammy; Luo, Shanshan

2016-04-01

Global climate change linked to the accumulation of greenhouse gases has caused concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels as the major energy source. To mitigate climate change while keeping energy supply sustainable, one solution is to rely on the ability of microorganisms to use renewable resources for biofuel synthesis. In this Review, we discuss how microorganisms can be explored for the production of next-generation biofuels, based on the ability of bacteria and fungi to use lignocellulose; through direct CO2 conversion by microalgae; using lithoautotrophs driven by solar electricity; or through the capacity of microorganisms to use methane generated from landfill. Furthermore, we discuss how to direct these substrates to the biosynthetic pathways of various fuel compounds and how to optimize biofuel production by engineering fuel pathways and central metabolism.

Sustainability evaluation of nanotechnology processing and production

OpenAIRE

Teresa M. Mata; Nídia de Sá Caetano; António A. Martins

2015-01-01

This article discusses the current situation and challenges posed by nanotechnology from a sustainability point of view. It presents an objective methodology to evaluate the sustainability of nanotechnology products, based on a life cycle thinking approach, a framework particularly suited to assess all current and future relevant economic, societal and environmental impacts products and processes. It is grounded on a hierarchical definition of indicators, starting from 3D indicators that take...

Towards Sustainable Production of Biofuels from Microalgae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans Ragnar Giselrød

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Renewable and carbon neutral biofuels are necessary for environmental and economic sustainability. The viability of the first generation biofuels production is however questionable because of the conflict with food supply. Microalgal biofuels are a viable alternative. The oil productivity of many microalgae exceeds the best producing oil crops. This paper aims to analyze and promote integration approaches for sustainable microalgal biofuel production to meet the energy and environmental needs of the society. The emphasis is on hydrothermal liquefaction technology for direct conversion of algal biomass to liquid fuel.

Managing product returns to achieve supply chain sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaharudin, Mohd Rizaimy; Govindan, Kannan; Zailani, Suhaiza

2015-01-01

returns management as part of a comprehensive sustainability effort. The study is exploratory in nature based on five case studies of participating manufacturers in the automotive, and electrical and electronics industry in Malaysia. The interview results reveal that the five participating companies...

Developing a Decision Model of Sustainable Product Design and Development from Product Servicizing in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yu-Chen; Tu, Jui-Che; Hung, So-Jeng

2016-01-01

In response to the global trend of low carbon and the concept of sustainable development, enterprises need to develop R&D for the manufacturing of energy-saving and sustainable products and low carbon products. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to construct a decision model for sustainable product design and development from product…

How "Sustainability" is Changing How We Make and Choose Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheryl O' Brien

2006-07-01

What does Sustainability mean, and why should people in the thermophysical properties business care? This paper will describe sustainability in the context of product development, which is where much of the buzz is currently being generated. Once described, it will discuss how expectations for Sustainability are changing product lines, and then discuss the controversial issues now emerging from trying to measure Sustainability. One of the most organized efforts in the U.S. is the U.S. Green Building Council revolutionizing how the built environment is conceptualized, designed, built, used, and disposed of - and born again. The appeal of the US Green Building Council is that it has managed to checklist how to "do" Sustainability. By following this checklist, better described as a rating system, a more Sustainable product should be achieved. That is, a product that uses less energy, less water, is less noxious to the user, and consumes fewer resources. We care because these Sustainable products are viewed as preferable by a growing number of consumers and, consequently, are more valuable. One of the most interesting aspects of the Sustainability movement is a quantitative assessment of how sustainable a product is. Life Cycle Assessment techniques (not to be confused with life cycle economic costs) developed since the early 1990s are gaining ground as a less biased method to measure the ultimate "bad" consequences of creating a product (depletion of natural resources, nutrification, acid rain, air borne particulates, solid waste, etc.). For example, one assertion is that these studies have shown that recycling can sometimes do more environmental harm than good.

Sustainable Micro-Manufacturing of Micro-Components via Micro Electrical Discharge Machining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria Marrocco

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Micro-manufacturing emerged in the last years as a new engineering area with the potential of increasing peoples’ quality of life through the production of innovative micro-devices to be used, for example, in the biomedical, micro-electronics or telecommunication sectors. The possibility to decrease the energy consumption makes the micro-manufacturing extremely appealing in terms of environmental protection. However, despite this common belief that the micro-scale implies a higher sustainability compared to traditional manufacturing processes, recent research shows that some factors can make micro-manufacturing processes not as sustainable as expected. In particular, the use of rare raw materials and the need of higher purity of processes, to preserve product quality and manufacturing equipment, can be a source for additional environmental burden and process costs. Consequently, research is needed to optimize micro-manufacturing processes in order to guarantee the minimum consumption of raw materials, consumables and energy. In this paper, the experimental results obtained by the micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM of micro-channels made on Ni–Cr–Mo steel is reported. The aim of such investigation is to shed a light on the relation and dependence between the material removal process, identified in the evaluation of material removal rate (MRR and tool wear ratio (TWR, and some of the most important technological parameters (i.e., open voltage, discharge current, pulse width and frequency, in order to experimentally quantify the material waste produced and optimize the technological process in order to decrease it.

Investment in sustainable electricity production by Dutch banks. A case study for the Fair Bank Guide; Investeringen in duurzame elektriciteitsopwekking door Nederlandse banken. Een onderzoeksrapport voor de Eerlijke Bankwijzer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Gelder, J.W.; Kouwenhoven, D.

2010-05-15

This report contains the results of the second case study commissioned by the Fair Bank Guide on the financing practices of twelve investigated banks in the Netherlands. It has been examined which part of the investments in electricity generation by Dutch banks involves electricity generation from sustainable sources (sustainable electricity generation) [Dutch] Dit rapport bevat de resultaten van het tweede onderzoek in opdracht van de Eerlijke Bankwijzer naar de financieringspraktijk van twaalf onderzochte banken in Nederland. Hiermee is in kaart gebracht welk deel van de investeringen in elektriciteitsopwekking door de Nederlandse banken, betrekking heeft op elektriciteitsopwekking met behulp van duurzame energiebronnen ('duurzame elektriciteitsopwekking')

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarun Soota

2014-12-01

Full Text Available New product developments are a moving target which become increasing complex due to a number of factors some known and others unknown. NPD is an interdisciplinary activity that transforms a market opportunity and technological concept to a successful product. The key steps towards creating a winning product must include a robust product strategy taking into consideration the positioning options, its viability and adopting a flexible development approach. The lack of structure to the allocation of product development resources causes customer expectations to get lost, in the complexity of the product development process. The replication of strategy and methods for a successful product may not guarantee success. Fuzzy Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA methods namely the analytic hierarchy process, analytic network process, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solutions (TOPSIS and Elimination and choice translating reality (ELECTRE offer valuable tools to handle complex situations incorporating the imprecise and uncertain information. As each method has its strengths it may be proper to explore and adapt different techniques according to product for sustainable development. Company should be able to put together the combination of features and value that unlocks a profitable new market.

Assessment of the turkey’s electric power policies in terms of sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atis Selcuk

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study, using statistical data published by the Turkish Electricity Transmission Company, analyzes key parameters such as installed capacity and energy demand growth rates, investment plans and emission rates, taking into consideration the expected increase in use through the year 2023. The results of the analyses were compared to relevant data from around the world. The weight of domestic - and especially renewable - resources in investment plans for the next 10 years was discussed. Recommendations for an investment plan to support sustainable development in Turkey are listed. Consequently, the lack of investment in domestic and renewable energy projects decreases the competitive power of Turkey vis-à-vis Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries in terms of many parameters. For a sustainable development, the country must make significant changes in its foreign-dependent energy production policies. Any future policies must encourage supplying local resources to meet the continuously increasing demand. Qualifications for incentive mechanisms applied to investments in renewable energy should be developed. The impact of the private sector on the installation of new plants must also be increased by quickly completing the privatization process.

Sustainability of UK shale gas in comparison with other electricity options: Current situation and future scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Jasmin; Stamford, Laurence; Azapagic, Adisa

2018-04-01

Many countries are considering exploitation of shale gas but its overall sustainability is currently unclear. Previous studies focused mainly on environmental aspects of shale gas, largely in the US, with scant information on socio-economic aspects. To address this knowledge gap, this paper integrates for the first time environmental, economic and social aspects of shale gas to evaluate its overall sustainability. The focus is on the UK which is on the cusp of developing a shale gas industry. Shale gas is compared to other electricity options for the current situation and future scenarios up to the year 2030 to investigate whether it can contribute towards a more sustainable electricity mix in the UK. The results obtained through multi-criteria decision analysis suggest that, when equal importance is assumed for each of the three sustainability aspects shale gas ranks seventh out of nine electricity options, with wind and solar PV being the best and coal the worst options. However, it outranks biomass and hydropower. Changing the importance of the sustainability aspects widely, the ranking of shale gas ranges between fourth and eighth. For shale gas to become the most sustainable option of those assessed, large improvements would be needed, including a 329-fold reduction in environmental impacts and 16 times higher employment, along with simultaneous large changes (up to 10,000 times) in the importance assigned to each criterion. Similar changes would be needed if it were to be comparable to conventional or liquefied natural gas, biomass, nuclear or hydropower. The results also suggest that a future electricity mix (2030) would be more sustainable with a lower rather than a higher share of shale gas. These results serve to inform UK policy makers, industry and non-governmental organisations. They will also be of interest to other countries considering exploitation of shale gas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sustainability as a proposal for deployment of electrical energy in maroon isolated communities in Jalapao - TO, Brazil; Sustentabilidade como proposta para implantacao de energia eletrica em comunidades isoladas e quilombolas no Jalapao - TO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zukowski Junior, Joel Carlos; Santos, Weder Ferreira dos; Marcon, Rogerio Olavo; Nobrega, Silvestre Lopes da [Universidade Luterana do Brasil (CEULP/ULBRA), Palmas, TO (Brazil). Centro Universitario Luterano], e-mail: wedereira@yahoo.com.br

2008-07-01

Nowadays Brazil has many isolated communities. This isolation occurs mainly due to territorial conditions. Besides this aspect, the lack of structure produces another isolation, much more harmful, the social one. To promote social inclusion and sustainable development, some requirements are essential. Amongst all of them, the provision of electricity is the most prominent. This study aimed to provide electricity to an isolated community in Jalapao region, Mateiros city, in the state of Tocantins. It was installed a hybrid aeolian-photovoltaic system, with capacity to produce 9676.80 kWh per year. This electricity system aims to improve the production process, so it was installed at the local community workshop. The results indicate that the system can be sustainable if the community makes use of the whole potential of the electricity generation, using it in the production process. (author)

Reference costs of the electric power production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-06-01

This study periodically realized by the DGEMP aims to compare the competitiveness of the different channels of electric power production, for different utilization conditions. The first part ''reference costs of the 2003 electric power production'' examines the prices of the electric power produced by different channels in particular in the framework of the industrial implementing in 2015. The nuclear and thermal power plants are concerned. The second part is devoted to the decentralized production channels (wind energy, photovoltaic, cogeneration heat-electricity) is under construction and will be presented next year. (A.L.B.)

Sustainable Biomass Resources for Biogas Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Ane Katharina Paarup

The aim of this thesis was to identify and map sustainable biomass resources, which can be utilised for biogas production with minimal negative impacts on the environment, nature and climate. Furthermore, the aim of this thesis was to assess the resource potential and feasibility of utilising...... such biomasses in the biogas sector. Sustainability in the use of biomass feedstock for energy production is of key importance for a stable future food and energy supply, and for the functionality of the Earths ecosystems. A range of biomass resources were assessed in respect to sustainability, availability...... from 39.3-66.9 Mtoe, depending on the availability of the residues. Grass from roadside verges and meadow habitats in Denmark represent two currently unutilised sources. If utilised in the Danish biogas sector, the results showed that the resources represent a net energy potential of 60,000 -122,000 GJ...

Sustainable Product Development Through a Life-Cycle Approach to Product and Service Creation (Keynote speech)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAloone, Timothy Charles

. These two schools of environmental re-search practice are mirrored in the way in which industry approaches environmental problems. Since the definition in 1987 of Sustainable Development [2] efforts have been made to relate the goals and ideals of sustainabil-ity to the domain of product development, thus...... adding new dimensions, such as social and moral values, to the original agenda of environmental improvement. The redefinition of the role of the product developer, from environmentally conscious product de-veloper to sustainably aware product developer has led to new insights into the way in which...... products are developed and used ¿ and to where environmental effects occur in the lifetime of a product. The role of the product developer is thus more complex in relation to sustainability, as the focus for improvement of a product may not (and very often does not) lie in the physical artefactual...

Sustainability aspects of biofuel production

Science.gov (United States)

Pawłowski, L.; Cel, W.; Wójcik Oliveira, K.

2018-05-01

Nowadays, world development depends on the energy supply. The use of fossil fuels leads to two threats: depletion of resources within a single century and climate changes caused by the emission of CO2 from fossil fuels combustion. Widespread application of renewable energy sources, in which biofuels play a major role, is proposed as a counter-measure. The paper made an attempt to evaluate to what extent biofuels meet the criteria of sustainable development. It was shown that excessive development of biofuels may threaten the sustainable development paradigms both in the aspect of: intergenerational equity, leading to an increase of food prices, as well as intergenerational equity, resulting in degradation of the environment. The paper presents the possibility of sustainable biofuels production increase.

Towards sustainable food production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aramyan, Lusine H; Hoste, Robert; van den Broek, Willie

2011-01-01

continuous innovation of supply chain network structures, reconsideration of business processes, relocation of logistics infrastructures and renewed allocation of chain activities to these infrastructures in order to achieve sustainable performances. This paper presents a scenario analysis of the spatial...... of pigs, processing of pork and pork consumption, is used to analyse the scenarios. The results reveal major opportunities for reductions in cost as well as in CO2 equivalent emissions if a European sector perspective is taken and some chain activities are relocated to other countries. However......, as minimizing costs will not always lead to an optimal reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions, a differentiated strategy is needed for the European pork sector to move towards more sustainable production...

Electricity. The answer to sustainable energy needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulcke, J.

1996-01-01

When debating the rational use of energy, it very often happens that all attention is drawn to the reduction of the use of electricity. Limiting, even eliminating the application of electric heating is seen as a rational choice. On the other hand, industrial consumers are urged to invest in combined heat and power, even without considering a thorough analysis of energy usage. Mastering such an environment is today's challenge for the electricity producers and distributors. Considering the fact that, for a majority of customers, the cost of electricity is more important than the cost of other energy sources, products and services has been developed which, lead to lower bills and lower energy use. From a marketing point of view, this approach introduces electro-thermy to the consumer thereby securing the electricity company of durable sales and even increases in sales. The high efficiency of electrothermal applications secures a reduction in primary energy use. (author)

Transitions in Sustainable Product Design Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boks, Casper; McAloone, Tim C.

2009-01-01

By the early 1990s, sustainable product innovation (or ecodesign, or Design for environment) had gained sufficient critical mass in academic research to be identified as a distinct research area. In the past 15 years, stimulated by a growing environmental concern and awareness in the media...... of transitions; this is illustrated by discussing characteristic aspects of each transition, which together provide a historic account of how academic research into sustainable product innovation had matured. In conclusion, a number of possible future transitions or extensions of the research area are discussed......., this research area has expanded considerably; from a bunch of opportunistic eco-pathfinders trying to make products better recyclable into acknowledged scientific research regarding technology transfer and commercialisation. This paper proposes that this maturing process took place through a number...

Understanding key issues of sustainable wood production in the Pacific Northwest.

Science.gov (United States)

Robert L. Deal; Seth M. White

2005-01-01

Researchers involved with the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station Sustainable Wood Production Initiative have outlined some of the barriers and opportunities for sustainable wood production in the region. Sustainable wood production is defined as the capacity of forests to produce wood, products, and services on a long-term basis and in the context of human...

Investigating Consumer Preferences towards Sustainability in Product Packaging

OpenAIRE

Petit, Lisa

2017-01-01

This research-oriented thesis investigates to which extent German consumers consider the sustainability aspect of a product package as their main factor in preferring a product. The research was conducted based on a comparison between two specific smoothies from the Company A and Company B brands. Company A smoothies are packed in glass bottles, whereas Company B smoothies are sold in plastic bottles. For the scope of the thesis, sustainable product packaging was defined regarding its contrib...

75 FR 56528 - EPA's Role in Advancing Sustainable Products

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-16

... action if you manufacture, distribute, label, certify, verify, and purchase or use consumer, commercial... particular, how do you see EPA's role in: Assembling information and databases. Identifying sustainability ``hotspots'' and setting product sustainability priorities. Evaluating the multiple impacts of products...

Sustainability and meanings of farm-based bioenergy production in rural Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huttunen, S.

2013-06-01

Rural bioenergy production has accrued interest in recent years. EU pressure for climate change abatement and energy political concerns regarding the availability of fossil fuels, have increased bioenergy production objectives in Finland. In addition, rural regions in Finland have encountered structural changes following EU inclusion, including an emergent interest in auxiliary production lines of which bioenergy production is an example. Local bioenergy production has the potential to increase rural sustainability and provide a model for sustainable rural development and energy production. Focusing on the recent emergence of small-scale farm-related bioenergy production: heat provision from wood fuels and biogas and biodiesel production, this study aims to discover if and how farm-based bioenergy production contributes to sustainable rural development. The study derives from the field of rural studies and evaluates sustainable rural development via the concepts of multifunctionality, embeddedness, ecological modernization and sustainable livelihoods, with a particular focus on social sustainability. The empirical portion of the study is comprised of thematic qualitative interviews of bioenergy producing farmers, and on newspaper and periodical article material. The results demonstrate how rural small-scale bioenergy production can have important positive developmental effects that ameliorate and sustain livelihoods in remote areas. This occurs via the multifunctional benefits of bioenergy production to the producers and local communities. The positive effects include social, economical and environmental aspects and rural bioenergy production can present traits of sustainable rural development, predominantly manifested in the social aspects of increased capabilities and reinforced social networks. There are, however, important differences between the examined production models. As an example of achieving sustainable rural development and livelihoods, heat

The Internalization of Externalities from Electrical Power Plants as a Tool for Progressing Towards Sustainability in Small Island Developing States: The Case of Bahrain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.J.M. Al-Hesabi (Ali)

2012-01-01

textabstractPower is the engine of growth of any economy. Consumption of electrical energy is a universally accepted indicator of progress in the productive sectors, and of the well being of the people of any country. No major economic activity can be sustained without an adequate and reliable

Emerging sustainable/green cleaning products: health and environmental risks

OpenAIRE

Aydin, Mehmet Cihan; Işik, Ercan; Ulu, Ali Emre

2016-01-01

Sustainable development aims to bring a new perspective to our lives without compromising customer needs and quality. Along with sustainable development many innovative solutions came out. One of them is sustainable green cleaning products and techniques. Today, emissions from conventional cleaning products may cause severe health and environmental issues. Especially sick building syndromes such as eye, skin and respiratory irritations are main health effects of them. They may also contrib...

Sustainable Product Strategy in Apparel Industry with Consumer Behavior Consideration

OpenAIRE

Liu Yang; Shaozeng Dong

2017-01-01

The article attempts to analyze sustainable product strategy in apparel industry specifically addressing a firm that is considering launching a sustainable product partly made from recycled materials. There are two types of consumers under consideration, environmentally conscious and regular consumers, as they have different perceived values for the sustainable products. The article provides an analytical model aimed to identify conditions under which a firm could benefit from adopting sustai...

Sustainable vehicle fuels - Do they exist?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boerjesson, Paal; Ericsson, Karin; Di Lucia, Lorenzo; Nilsson, Lars J.; Aahman, Max

2009-03-15

Our aim with this report is to discuss vehicle fuels from a wide perspective of sustainability. Biofuels and electricity are analyzed and compared to fossil vehicle fuels. Our goal is to try to point out the circumstances under which vehicle fuels can be reasonably perceived as sustainable, and which systems we should develop and which we should avoid. The all-embracing conclusion of this study is that one can not establish how sustainable fuels will develop in the future without simultaneously taking into consideration both scale and pace of growth. Today's biofuels produced in Sweden are sustainable, given the present production volume, and promote further development of new fuel systems. However, in the case of increased production volumes, exact requirements should be established for the energy- and climate efficiency of the entire fuel chain (from cultivation to tank). High priority should be given to the development of fuel-efficient cars. In this field hybrid electric technology and electric cars will grow in importance. Any long-term strategy for biofuels should include investments in technology for both thermal gasification and biological conversion methods of lignocellulose, since these are complementing as much as competing technologies, both increasing the flexibility as well as decreasing the risk of conflicts. Biogas from waste products has great environmental advantages and the sector can be expanded with only small risks of conflicts. Certification (if correctly formulated) is an important and necessary tool on the way towards more sustainable vehicle fuels and increased production volumes, but certification systems should not be overrated since they can not cover all sustainability aspects. Socio-economic aspects such as working conditions, local rural development etc. must be dealt with through general measures such as national laws, distribution policies, programs and plans, all of which should be supported by international agreements and

Sustainable Product Strategy in Apparel Industry with Consumer Behavior Consideration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Yang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The article attempts to analyze sustainable product strategy in apparel industry specifically addressing a firm that is considering launching a sustainable product partly made from recycled materials. There are two types of consumers under consideration, environmentally conscious and regular consumers, as they have different perceived values for the sustainable products. The article provides an analytical model aimed to identify conditions under which a firm could benefit from adopting sustainable product strategy. The level of sustainability is determined by the trade-off between profitability and costs occurred and if more consumers value sustainable products, the firm will increase its sustainable level and get a higher profit. This is because of a combination effect of an increasing marginal profit and demand expansion. Moreover, the model has been further extended to address a situation where the firm could manage consumer segmentation. Depending on parameter settings, the firm may target different consumer segments and there is always a threshold of cost for managing consumer segments. When converting regular consumers to be environmentally conscious is not costly, the firm will convert all consumers to be environmentally conscious with great efforts; otherwise, the firm will convert part of consumers to be environmentally conscious.

Three aspects of the Germany-France comparison on electricity. Electricity production and consumption in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laponche, Bernard

2014-01-01

As a comparative overview of the French and German situation regarding electric power, a first article proposes tables and graphs illustrating data evolution, and brief comments about these evolutions. Comparison focuses on household electricity consumption, on electricity exchanges, and on the production of electricity based on renewable energies. An appendix proposes a presentation of the German policy for energy transition: principles and objectives, phasing out nuclear, implementation. Then, an article, illustrated by data tables and graphs, discusses the evolution of electric power production and consumption in Germany between 2000 and 2013. The author addresses power final consumption, power total production and exchanges, the components of electric power production, and greenhouse gas emissions (by fossil fuel, by sector, and by electricity and heat production)

Sustainability of animal production systems: an ecological perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Vavra, M

1996-06-01

The question of sustainability of agricultural production and the use of natural resources has become a popular topic. Most scientists agree that current systems are generally non-sustainable. Current rates of resource extraction will lead us to a depleted earth in the future. Sustainability is defined in many ways. For this paper sustainability should be considered the overlap of what is wanted and what is ecologically possible. Attempts have been made to place a quantitative measure on sustainability. However, it should be considered a trajectory or goal, a direction that guides constructive change, rather than a single quantitative measure. Research and extension personnel may have to take a broader look at their efforts and expand their knowledge base in order to address the issue of sustainable production systems. Both natural events and those caused by humans bring about changes in production potential that require shifts in management. Uncertainty and change should be incorporated into adaptive management strategies. Interdisciplinary efforts are needed to confront these issues. Animal scientists need to formulate management systems that are environmentally compatible or face restrictive legislation that will force change. Members of the American Society of Animal Science seem to agree: efficient and sustainable use of natural resources appears in the draft of the Strategic Plan of the Society, and a poll of members revealed that environmental concerns about animal agriculture was a primary issue facing animal scientists.

Developing electricity distribution networks and their regulation to support sustainable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, Rita; Attree, Mike; Jackson, Tim

2010-01-01

A more sustainable energy system will alter the current patterns of electricity demand and generation. This means technical, commercial and regulatory change for electricity network systems such as distribution networks. This paper traces the links in Great Britain between changes in energy policy since privatisation, changes in the objectives of the electricity regulator and changes in the objectives of the distribution networks and their owners, the distribution network operators (DNOs). The paper identifies tensions in regulatory policy and suggests reforms to the regulatory framework to support a lower-carbon future. DNOs are licensed regional infrastructure providers. In addition to their network services, the network companies can potentially deliver public policy objectives to facilitate heat infrastructure, energy-efficiency and distributed renewables. The paper identifies the potential benefits of a novel approach to facilitating renewable energy feed-in tariffs for electricity and heat, using DNOs.

A Resource Sharing Mechanism for Sustainable Production in the Garment Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Ma

2017-12-01

Full Text Available With the development of mass customization, the traditional garment production model needs to be optimized to have a more sustainable structure. To meet demand for flexibility, low-cost, and high-efficiency, an innovative resource sharing mechanism was proposed in this paper to form a new sustainable type of garment production. Different from the individual production in traditional models, the new mechanism involves resources being shared among various manufacturers. The tradeoff between positive and negative effects of the proposed mechanism is a key issue for sustainable production. In the present study, an overall sustainable index, integrating four production performance indicators, was defined on the basis of an Analytical Network Process to assess various production scenarios. According to the discrete-event simulation results of the different scenarios, we found that garment manufacturers could obtain comprehensive improvements in sustainable production by implementing the proposed resource sharing mechanism under the threshold of an increasing production failure rate.

Electricity consumption, industrial production, and entrepreneurship in Singapore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Sizhong; Anwar, Sajid

2015-01-01

Within the context of a tri-variate vector autoregressive framework that includes entrepreneurship, this paper examines the link between electricity consumption and industrial production in Singapore's manufacturing sector. Unlike the existing studies, this paper focuses on one sector of the economy and utilises a unique monthly dataset. Empirical analysis based on Johansen's cointegration approach shows that the three variables are cointegrated – i.e., a stable long-run relationship exists among electricity consumption, output and entrepreneurship in Singapore's manufacturing sector. Empirical analysis based on data from January 1983 to February 2014 reveals that electricity consumption adjusts very slowly to shocks to industrial production and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, entrepreneurship Granger causes electricity consumption, which causes industrial production. As electricity consumption causes industrial output, the growth hypothesis concerning energy consumption and economic growth holds in Singapore's manufacturing sector and policies that restrict electricity production, without electricity imports, are likely to lead to a decline in the manufacturing output. - Highlights: • Using a unique monthly dataset, we focus on Singapore's manufacturing sector. • Electricity consumption, output and entrepreneurship are cointegrated. • Electricity consumption adjusts very slowly to shocks to the other variables. • Entrepreneurship causes electricity consumption which causes industrial production. • We find that growth hypothesis governs the electricity consumption and real output

Assessing the sustainability of bioethanol production in Nepal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khatiwada, Dilip

2010-10-15

Access to modern energy services derived from renewable sources is a prerequisite, not only for economic growth, rural development and sustainable development, but also for energy security and climate change mitigation. The least developed countries (LDCs) primarily use traditional biomass and have little access to commercial energy sources. They are more vulnerable to problems relating to energy security, air pollution, and the need for hard-cash currency to import fossil fuels. This thesis evaluates sugarcane-molasses bioethanol, a renewable energy source with the potential to be used as a transport fuel in Nepal. Sustainability aspects of molasses-based ethanol have been analyzed. Two important indicators for sustainability, viz. net energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) balances have been used to assess the appropriateness of bioethanol in the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. This thesis has found that the production of bioethanol is energy-efficient in terms of the fossil fuel inputs required to produce it. Life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from production and combustion are also lower than those of gasoline. The impacts of important physical and market parameters, such as sugar cane productivity, the use of fertilizers, energy consumption in different processes, and price have been observed in evaluating the sustainability aspects of bioethanol production. The production potential of bioethanol has been assessed. Concerns relating to the fuel vs. food debate, energy security, and air pollution have also been discussed. The thesis concludes that the major sustainability indicators for molasses ethanol in Nepal are in line with the goals of sustainable development. Thus, Nepal could be a good example for other LDCs when favorable governmental policy, institutional set-ups, and developmental cooperation from donor partners are in place to strengthen the development of renewable energy technologies

Sustainable Production of Chemicals--An Educational Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Eissen, Marco

2012-01-01

"Sustainability" is a very general term and the question arises how to specify it within daily laboratory work. In this regard, appropriate metrics could support a socially acceptable, ecological and economic product development. The application of metrics for sustainability should be strengthened in education, because they do not belong…

Sustainable production and consumption in a regional policy perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coenen, Franciscus H.J.M.

2004-01-01

One of the main challenges regions face in sustainable development is changing their production and consumption patterns. This paper focuses on the role of regional government in sustainable production and consumption polices, one of the specific topics in the framework of the European Regional

The sustainable car company - or the comeback of the electric car

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sticher, Georg; Rizoulis, Dimitrios [The Boston Consulting Group, Muenchen (Germany)

2008-07-01

Every day there are article published about the future of propulsion technology. Opinions are diverging: 'We'll sell nothing but hybrids by 2020' says one automotive executive; whereas for another power train executive ''Hybrids are a violation of physics'. The topic has moved beyond specialized automotive magazines and is strongly emotionalized: Hollywood stars appear driving hybrid vehicles and a documentary film charges the automotive industry as guilty for conspiring against and 'killing the electric car'. Those emotional discussions are largely driven by the announcement of many new vehicles powered by hybrid-electric power trains, fuel cells or batteries. The public is overwhelmed by announcements and can hardly tell concept vehicles from production announcements apart. One core aspect of sustainability is the reduction of CO2 emissions and the increase of vehicle efficiency. The electrification of the vehicle will have to be an integral part of every OEMs and suppliers' portfolio. But without adequate incentives of consumers to purchase the cars and of utilities and/or private investors to provide the necessary infrastructure, the emergence of the electric vehicle may be off to another false start. We do want to offer a structured, multi-stakeholder view in an attempt to de-mystify this rather complex topic. To this, we will present facts on what drives the need for change in the propulsion systems market, what are the viable technological options, what market scenario is likely for 2020 and what does this entail for the major stakeholders. (orig.)

Macroeconomic aspects of decentralized electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Percebois, J.

1991-01-01

The development of decentralized electricity production should be viewed first and foremost as a means of adapting production resources to meet the needs of the users between 1995 and 1997. Consumer production and cogeneration are not, however, simply stopgap solutions operating on the fringe of electricity production. These methods serve to highlight a problem that has already been raised in the past: the real advantages and disadvantages of centralized systems managed by companies that exercise a virtual monopoly in either the public or private sector

Sustainable and Intensified Design of a Biodiesel Production Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansouri, Seyed Soheil; Ismail, Muhammad I.; Babi, Deenesh Kavi

impact and maximum profitability is needed. In this work a computer-aided framework for process synthesis and process intensification is applied for sustainable production of biodiesel from pure/waste palm oil as the feedstock. This approach examines several biodiesel processing routes that were...... collected through available data and current technologies reported in the literature. Using this information, a generic superstructure of processing routes was created that described a network of configurations representing multiple designs for the production of biodiesel. Therefore, based on the currently...... of economic and environmental sustainability was identified. For the case of biodiesel production, the intensified process alternative turned out to be the most economical and more sustainable than other alternatives. The computer-aided methods and tools used in this work are: SustainPro (method and tool...

Systematic Computer-Aided Framework for Sustainable Chemical Product Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cignitti, Stefano; Zhang, Lei; Kalakul, Sawitree

-physical property needs and the process/application needs. Process/application and property needs are connected through an analysis of the property influence on the process/application models and thermodynamic relations. The sustainability is considered through product and process/application performance, economics......-designing demand increased sustainability and minimal trade-off with system performance. In the CAPD formulation, the product properties are related to the needs of heat pump cycle and its components through sensitivity analysis of the thermodynamic models and energy balances of the system. Furthermore, simple...... models are included for efficient assessment of the sustainability and design criteria of both the cycle and its components. It will be demonstrated that the working fluid product designed is optimal with respect to the sustainability and the heat pump cycle performance....

A model for 'sustainable' US beef production.

Science.gov (United States)

Eshel, Gidon; Shepon, Alon; Shaket, Taga; Cotler, Brett D; Gilutz, Stav; Giddings, Daniel; Raymo, Maureen E; Milo, Ron

2018-01-01

Food production dominates land, water and fertilizer use and is a greenhouse gas source. In the United States, beef production is the main agricultural resource user overall, as well as per kcal or g of protein. Here, we offer a possible, non-unique, definition of 'sustainable' beef as that subsisting exclusively on grass and by-products, and quantify its expected US production as a function of pastureland use. Assuming today's pastureland characteristics, all of the pastureland that US beef currently use can sustainably deliver ≈45% of current production. Rewilding this pastureland's less productive half (≈135 million ha) can still deliver ≈43% of current beef production. In all considered scenarios, the ≈32 million ha of high-quality cropland that beef currently use are reallocated for plant-based food production. These plant items deliver 2- to 20-fold more calories and protein than the replaced beef and increase the delivery of protective nutrients, but deliver no B 12 . Increased deployment of rapid rotational grazing or grassland multi-purposing may increase beef production capacity.

Sustainability of cosmetic products in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

de Paula Pereira, Neila

2009-09-01

The most recent research in the area of cosmetics to sustainability has focused on obtaining formulations rich in nontraditional oils and butters from seeds and fruits native to Brazilian tropical flora. These have contributed to aggregate value for the raw materials and involvement of small farms forming rural production in Brazil, since the plants are cultivated in preservation areas sponsored by companies who are partners in the Government Program for Brazilian Sustainability. Given that the oils extracted from seeds have the potential to replace these cutaneous constituents, it has been verified that new products of strong commercial impact show an increasing tendency to incorporate in their formulas the oils of plants grown in Brazilian soil.

Renewable electricity production costs-A framework to assist policy-makers' decisions on price support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinica, Valentina

2011-01-01

Despite recent progress, the production costs for renewable electricity remain above those for conventional power. Expectations of continuous reductions in production costs, typically underpin governments' policies for financial support. They often draw on the technology-focused versions of the Experience Curve model. This paper discusses how national-contextual factors also have a strong influence on production costs, such as geographic, infrastructural, institutional, and resource factors. As technologies mature, and as they reach significant levels of diffusion nationally, sustained increases in production costs might be recorded, due to these nationally contextual factors, poorly accounted for in policy-making decisions for price support. The paper suggests an analytical framework for a more comprehensive understanding of production costs. Based on this, it recommends that the evolution of specific cost levels and factors be monitored to locate 'sources of changes'. The paper also suggests policy instruments that governments may use to facilitate cost decreases, whenever possible. The application of the framework is illustrated for the diffusion of wind power in Spain during the past three decades. - Highlights: → Models, frameworks for policy-making on price support for renewable electricity production costs. → Policy instruments to help reduce production costs. → Limits to the influence of policies of production costs reductions.

Exploring Organizational Antecedents for Sustainable Product Development for International Tour Operating Businesses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Budeanu, Adriana

The development of sustainable products or services is defined by Maxwell as the process of making products or services in a more sustainable way (production) throughout their entire life cycle, from conception to the end-of-life (Maxwell & van der Vorst, 2003). Essentially, sustainable products...

Microfoundations for Sustainable Growth with Eco-Intelligent Product Service-Arrangements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najine Ameli

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that the contemporary growth paradigm needs to be reconsidered on a micro level of consumption and product service-systems. This becomes necessary since a dynamic link between macro strategies and micro implementation of sustainable growth is missing up to date. Therefore, mainstream sustainability strategies of efficiency and consistency are extended by sufficiency in order to integrate strategies for individual welfare within their social environment. Limits to and drivers for growth are revised and updated socially in terms of qualitative values, diminishing marginal utility or symbolic social distinction. We elaborate a definition of sustainable growth that fosters individual welfare by enhancing social enactment within the boundaries of environmental space. Shifting focus on social aspects in design fosters more sustainable production and consumption patterns while sustaining individual welfare. We derive latent indications for eco-intelligent product service-arrangements and evaluate to concepts by referring to introduced definitions and according indications. With doing so, we illustrate new pathways for the translation of sustainable growth and strategies into product service-systems.

Multi-Criteria Analysis of Electricity Generation Scenarios for Sustainable Energy Planning in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nayyar Hussain Mirjat

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The now over a decade-long electricity crisis in Pakistan has adversely affected the socio-economic development of the country. This situation is mainly due to a lack of sustainable energy planning and policy formulation. In this context, energy models can be of great help but only a handful of such efforts have been undertaken in Pakistan. Two key shortcomings pertaining to energy models lead to their low utilization in developing countries. First, the models do not effectively make decisions, but rather provide a set of alternatives based on modeling parameters; and secondly, the complexity of these models is often poorly understood by the decision makers. As such, in this study, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP methodology of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM has been used for the sustainability assessment of energy modeling results for long-term electricity planning. The four scenario alternatives developed in the energy modeling effort, Reference (REF, Renewable Energy Technologies (RET, Clean Coal Maximum (CCM and Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC, have been ranked using the Expert Choice® tool based on the AHP methodology. The AHP decision support framework of this study revealed the EEC scenario as the most favorable electricity generation scenario followed by the REF, RET and CCM scenarios. Besides that, this study proposes policy recommendations to undertake integrated energy modeling and decision analysis for sustainable energy planning in Pakistan.

Corporate Sustainability Strategies: A Case Study in Brazil Focused on High Consumers of Electricity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabricio Casarejos

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The decline of socio-ecological resilience has emerged as an unprecedented truth with high risks to local and global economies, thereby increasing the vulnerability of businesses and markets while potentially threatening the wellbeing of civil society as a whole. From a business perspective, corporate strategies towards sustainability are crucial to strengthen the social and economic foundations that foster sustainable development. In order to assist enterprises pursuing leading market positions, this work proposes a set of strategic actions towards sustainability and an evaluation scheme to assess the effectiveness of their implementation process. This proposed global strategy encompasses five key sustainability indices—commitment, investment, difficulty, proactivity and vulnerability—focusing the investigation on a sample of enterprises representing the highest consumers of electricity in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Addressing the energy consumption, this study also discusses the concerning level of GHG emissions that are associated with the generation of electricity. Although 85% of the enterprises participating in this survey recognized the relevance of the actions proposed, the current degree of proactivity and vulnerability associated with these enterprises indicate that very few of them have effectively implemented and invested in corporate sustainability programs, certainly a symptom of their institutional vulnerability.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROBLEM OF A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Condrea DRAGANESCU

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The paper aimed to approach the topic of a new strategy for the sustainable and competitive development of Romanian agriculture and especially for animal husbandry. In this purpose, a large variety of studies was investigated and the opinions of well-known personalities were used to present in a critical manner the history of sustainable development concept, principles, causes, reasons, moments, events, institutions involved at international, European and national level, achievements. The study is focused on Romania, starting from the actual situation of animal husbandry and learning from the country own and others experience. During the last centuries, the scientific studies noticed that the growth trends of the world population and resources utilization which could determine complications for survival of human society. The first Report of The Club of Rome (1972 concluded mathematically that " if the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and resources depletion continue to remain unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime in the next hundred years",..that is in the 21 century. As a reply, the international and national bodies adopted recommendations for a sustainable development. This study analyzed the problems of sustainable development of animal production in Romania, taking into consideration that the conversion rate of energy provided by plants to animal products is about 20%, and this decrease of the number of population is supported by agricultural food production. Two production systems are proposed: (1. Intensive production systems, with high forage conversion, in favorable agricultural country area; (2. extensive (free-ranging, transhumance, pendulation, sustainable, biological production in not or less favorable agricultural area (mountain area, etc.

SOIL ECOLOGY AS KEY TO SUSTAINABLE CROP PRODUCTION.

Science.gov (United States)

De Deyn, G B

2015-01-01

Sustainable production of food, feed and fiberwarrants sustainable soil management and crop protection. The tools available to achieve this are both in the realm of the plants and of the soil, with a key role for plant-soil interactions. At the plant level we have vast knowledge of variation within plant species with respect to pests and diseases, based on which we can breed for resistance. However, given that systems evolve this resistance is bound to be temporarily, hence also other strategies are needed. Here I plea for an integrative approach for sustainable production using ecological principles. Ecology, the study of how organisms interact with their environment, teaches us that diversity promotes productivity and yield stability. These effects are thought to be governed through resource use complementarity and reduced build-up of pests and diseases both above- and belowground. In recent years especially the role of soil biotic interactions has revealed new insights in how plant diversity and productivity are related to soil biodiversity and the functions soil biota govern. In our grassland biodiversity studies we found that root feeders can promote plant diversity and succession without reducing plant community productivity, this illustrates the role of diversity to maintain productivity. Also diversity within species offers scope for sustainable production, for example through awareness of differences between plant genotypes in chemical defense compounds that can attract natural enemies of pests aboveground- and belowground thereby providing plant protection. Plant breeding can also benefit from using complementarity between plant species in the selection for new varieties, as our work demonstrated that when growing in species mixtures plant species adapt to each other over time such that their resource acquisition traits become more complementing. Finally, in a recent meta-analysis we show that earthworms can stimulate crop yield with on average 25%, but

A REVIEW: A MODEL of CULTURAL ASPECTS for SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ihwan Ghazali,

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Product design stages are important to consider critically in production. Generally, product design that shall be created by designer, should consider what the customer wants and needs. Nowadays issues, product design does not only consider the “wants and needs” of user, but also how the design can be created by embedding sustainability aspects in the product. Culture is also one of the important aspects which need to be considered in product design as culture affects the way users respond to the product. This paper aims to develop a new model for design development, in which the aspects of culture are incorporated into sustainable product design. By reviewing the existing literature, the authors attempt to identify the gaps of the existing papers, which illustrate how culture affects sustainable product design. Recent papers have only shown that culture influences product design, but they do not explore sustainability and the culture aspects in product design. Due to these gaps, it is therefore important to create a model which will assist designers to elicit sustainable product design based on cultural aspects. In summary, designers need to reflect on the “wants and needs” of users. The framework presented in this paper can be integrated into designers’ and companies’ decision-making during product design development.

Developing electricity distribution networks and their regulation to support sustainable energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaw, Rita; Attree, Mike [Electricity North West Ltd., 304 Bridgewater Place, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6XG (United Kingdom); Jackson, Tim [RESOLVE, Centre for Environmental Strategy D3, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

2010-10-15

A more sustainable energy system will alter the current patterns of electricity demand and generation. This means technical, commercial and regulatory change for electricity network systems such as distribution networks. This paper traces the links in Great Britain between changes in energy policy since privatisation, changes in the objectives of the electricity regulator and changes in the objectives of the distribution networks and their owners, the distribution network operators (DNOs). The paper identifies tensions in regulatory policy and suggests reforms to the regulatory framework to support a lower-carbon future. DNOs are licensed regional infrastructure providers. In addition to their network services, the network companies can potentially deliver public policy objectives to facilitate heat infrastructure, energy-efficiency and distributed renewables. The paper identifies the potential benefits of a novel approach to facilitating renewable energy feed-in tariffs for electricity and heat, using DNOs. (author)

Role of Non-Renewable and Renewable Energy for Sustainable Electricity Generation in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Hussain Ali Bekhet; Nor Hamisham Harun

2016-01-01

The main objective of this paper is to give a comprehensive review of non-renewable energy and renewable energy utilization in Malaysia, including hydropower, solar photovoltaic, biomass and biogas technologies. Malaysia mainly depends on non-renewable energy (natural gas, coal and crude oil) for electricity generation. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the energy sector and discusses diversification of electricity generation as a strategy for providing sustainable ener...

Large-scale bioenergy production: how to resolve sustainability trade-offs?

Science.gov (United States)

Humpenöder, Florian; Popp, Alexander; Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Weindl, Isabelle; Biewald, Anne; Lotze-Campen, Hermann; Dietrich, Jan Philipp; Klein, David; Kreidenweis, Ulrich; Müller, Christoph; Rolinski, Susanne; Stevanovic, Miodrag

2018-02-01

Large-scale 2nd generation bioenergy deployment is a key element of 1.5 °C and 2 °C transformation pathways. However, large-scale bioenergy production might have negative sustainability implications and thus may conflict with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda. Here, we carry out a multi-criteria sustainability assessment of large-scale bioenergy crop production throughout the 21st century (300 EJ in 2100) using a global land-use model. Our analysis indicates that large-scale bioenergy production without complementary measures results in negative effects on the following sustainability indicators: deforestation, CO2 emissions from land-use change, nitrogen losses, unsustainable water withdrawals and food prices. One of our main findings is that single-sector environmental protection measures next to large-scale bioenergy production are prone to involve trade-offs among these sustainability indicators—at least in the absence of more efficient land or water resource use. For instance, if bioenergy production is accompanied by forest protection, deforestation and associated emissions (SDGs 13 and 15) decline substantially whereas food prices (SDG 2) increase. However, our study also shows that this trade-off strongly depends on the development of future food demand. In contrast to environmental protection measures, we find that agricultural intensification lowers some side-effects of bioenergy production substantially (SDGs 13 and 15) without generating new trade-offs—at least among the sustainability indicators considered here. Moreover, our results indicate that a combination of forest and water protection schemes, improved fertilization efficiency, and agricultural intensification would reduce the side-effects of bioenergy production most comprehensively. However, although our study includes more sustainability indicators than previous studies on bioenergy side-effects, our study represents only a small subset of all indicators relevant for the

Globally sustainable manganese metal production and use.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagelstein, Karen

2009-09-01

The "cradle to grave" concept of managing chemicals and wastes has been a descriptive analogy of proper environmental stewardship since the 1970s. The concept incorporates environmentally sustainable product choices-such as metal alloys utilized steel products which civilization is dependent upon. Manganese consumption is related to the increasing production of raw steel and upgrading ferroalloys. Nonferrous applications of manganese include production of dry-cell batteries, plant fertilizer components, animal feed and colorant for bricks. The manganese ore (high grade 35% manganese) production world wide is about 6 million ton/year and electrolytic manganese metal demand is about 0.7 million ton/year. The total manganese demand is consumed globally by industries including construction (23%), machinery (14%), and transportation (11%). Manganese is recycled within scrap of iron and steel, a small amount is recycled within aluminum used beverage cans. Recycling rate is 37% and efficiency is estimated as 53% [Roskill Metals and Minerals Reports, January 13, 2005. Manganese Report: rapid rise in output caused by Chinese crude steel production. Available from: http://www.roskill.com/reports/manganese.]. Environmentally sustainable management choices include identifying raw material chemistry, utilizing clean production processes, minimizing waste generation, recycling materials, controlling occupational exposures, and collecting representative environmental data. This paper will discuss two electrolytically produced manganese metals, the metal production differences, and environmental impacts cited to date. The two electrolytic manganese processes differ due to the addition of sulfur dioxide or selenium dioxide. Adverse environmental impacts due to use of selenium dioxide methodology include increased water consumption and order of magnitude greater solid waste generation per ton of metal processed. The use of high grade manganese ores in the electrolytic process also

Sustainable solutions: developing products and services for the future

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Charter, Martin; Tischner, Ursula

2001-01-01

... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Martin Charter, The Centre for Sustainable Design, UK, and Ursula Tischner, econcept, Germany part 1: 1. Background to Sustainable Consumption and Production...

Toward Sustainable Amino Acid Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Usuda, Yoshihiro; Hara, Yoshihiko; Kojima, Hiroyuki

Because the global amino acid production industry has been growing steadily and is expected to grow even more in the future, efficient production by fermentation is of great importance from economic and sustainability viewpoints. Many systems biology technologies, such as genome breeding, omics analysis, metabolic flux analysis, and metabolic simulation, have been employed for the improvement of amino acid-producing strains of bacteria. Synthetic biological approaches have recently been applied to strain development. It is also important to use sustainable carbon sources, such as glycerol or pyrolytic sugars from cellulosic biomass, instead of conventional carbon sources, such as glucose or sucrose, which can be used as food. Furthermore, reduction of sub-raw substrates has been shown to lead to reduction of environmental burdens and cost. Recently, a new fermentation system for glutamate production under acidic pH was developed to decrease the amount of one sub-raw material, ammonium, for maintenance of culture pH. At the same time, the utilization of fermentation coproducts, such as cells, ammonium sulfate, and fermentation broth, is a useful approach to decrease waste. In this chapter, further perspectives for future amino acid fermentation from one-carbon compounds are described.

Incorporating externalities in the assessment of different energy options for electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacomino, Vanusa Maria Feliciano; Souza, Jair Albo Marques de; Grynberg, Suely Epsztein; Aronne, Ivan Dionysio

2002-01-01

The production of electricity considering its full chain cycle arises major local, regional and global environmental impacts. This fact and the need of several countries to establish energy plans for the next decades and also the recognition that environmental issues are playing important role in the decision-making process justify the interest in appropriate and comprehensive methodologies and tools to deal with this matter, to be applied mainly in the power sector. The main aim of the present investigation was the implementation and application of a simplified methodology based on the impact pathway (or damage function) approach which is being proposed by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the estimation of externalities arising from the full chain cycle of different energy sources for electricity production in its Member States. The externalities arising from different options, including coal, oil, gas and nuclear, were estimated. A computer model based on the optimization of non-linear functions was used as a support tool for decision-making in the power sector. Taking into consideration the externalities from the air emissions of different options, nuclear power is the best solution even taking into consideration the effects of high consequence/low probability accidents. It should be noted that this investigation is not only being used to implement an environmental database, but also in enhancing the Brazilian capability in evaluating the different energy options for electricity production in the framework of sustainable development. (author)

The power of design product innovation in sustainable energy technologies

CERN Document Server

Reinders, Angele H; Brezet, Han

2012-01-01

The Power of Design offers an introduction and a practical guide to product innovation, integrating the key topics that are necessary for the design of sustainable and energy-efficient products using sustainable energy technologies. Product innovation in sustainable energy technologies is an interdisciplinary field. In response to its growing importance and the need for an integrated view on the development of solutions, this text addresses the functional principles of various energy technologies next to the latest design processes and innovation methods. From the perspec

Sustainability and democracy in food production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kurt Aagaard

2005-01-01

The author discuss and presents an empirical study of Danish bread production. The study is organised as action research proces. In the project a method called research workshop is tested as a new form of dialogue creation among groups with different interests and knowledge. The study has generated...... a proposal for a democratic legitimate concept of sustainable bread production...

Export of electric power through industrial products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azevedo, J.B.L. de; David, J.M.S.; Campos, J.M.; Perecmanis, J.; Carneiro, N.S.

1990-01-01

We forecast the electrical energy incorporated to the exports of products of the industrial sectors of steel, aluminium, ferro-alloys, chlorine and caustic soda, pulp and paper and petrochemistry, accordingly to scenarios for these sectors consistent with a macro economic reference scenario, for the period 1990/2000. We also compare the electrical energy exported through those industrial products with the forecasted industrial and total markets of electrical energy. (author)

Analysis of the potential for sustainable, cassava-based bioethanol production in Mali

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Kjeld; Bruun, Thilde Bech; Birch-Thomsen, Torben

and solar resources in Mali 5) Screening of feasible applications of wind and solar energy in Mali: Assessment using the wind and solar maps for Mali The project is being carried out by a group of university departments, research institutions and consultants led by the UNEP Risø Centre (URC......The present project is covered in five main reports: 1) Analyses of the potential for sustainable, cassava-based bio-ethanol production in Mali 2) Agricultural residues for energy production in Mali 3) Pre-feasibility study for an electric power plant based on rice straw 4) Estimation of wind......) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and conducted in cooperation with Direction Nationale de l’Energie (DNE) and Centre National de l’Energie Solaire et des Energies Renouvelables (CNESOLER) in Mali. The subcontracted institutions comprise Geographic Resource Analysis & Science A/S (GRAS), Department...

The Clean Development Mechanism and Sustainable Development in China's Electricity Sector

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Paul A. Steenhof

2005-01-01

The Clean Development Mechanism,a flexibility mechanism contained in the Kyoto Protocol, offers China an important tool to attract investment in clean energy technology and processes into its electricity sector. The Chinese electricity sector places centrally in the country's economy and environment, being a significant contributor to the acid rain and air pollution problems that plague many of China's cities and regions, and therefore a focus of many related energy and environmental policies.China's electricity sector has also been the subject of a number of economic analyses that have showed that it contains the highest potential for clean energy investment through the Clean Development Mechanism of any economic sector in China. This mechanism, through the active participation from investors in more industrialized countries, can help alleviate the environmental problems attributable to electricity generation in China through advancing such technology as wind electricity generation, dean coal technology, high efficient natural gas electricity generation, or utilization of coal mine methane. In this context, the Clean Development Mechanism also compliments a range of environmental and energy policies which are strategizing to encourage the sustainable development of China's economy.

Designing Sustainable Energy for All : Sustainable Product-Service System Design Applied to Distributed Renewable Energy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vezzoli, C; Ceschin, F; Osanjo, L; M'Rithaa, MK; Moalosi, R; Nakazibwe, V.; Diehl, J.C.

2018-01-01

This open access book addresses the issue of diffusing sustainable energy access in low- and middle-income contexts.

Access to energy is one of the greatest challenges for many people living in low-
income and developing contexts, as around 1.4 billion people lack access to electricity.

Sustainable Rent-Based Closed-Loop Supply Chain for Fashion Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-Hua Hu

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The textile and clothing industry generates much pollution and consumes a large amount of resources. Improper uses and disposal of clothing products make the problems much more severe. Fast fashion products shorten the valid lifecycle and generate more waste than regular clothing products. Considering the features of fashion products, a system of a rent-based closed-loop supply chain is developed to improve the sustainability of fashion products. The supply chain processes (fashion design and manufacturing, laundry, logistics and disposal, the operations management issues (inventory management, closed-loop logistics, human-clothing matching, booking system and the rental pricing and the sustainability promotion aspects (customization, responsive system, culture and policy aspects are investigated by devising sustainable strategies. The rationalities of the developed system and strategies are reviewed and elucidated in detail. The results may contribute to building sustainable closed-loop fashion supply chains, the related information systems and operational and managerial mechanisms.

Assessing the sustainability of egg production systems in The Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

van Asselt, E D; van Bussel, L G J; van Horne, P; van der Voet, H; van der Heijden, G W A M; van der Fels-Klerx, H J

2015-08-01

Housing systems for laying hens have changed over the years due to increased public concern regarding animal welfare. In terms of sustainability, animal welfare is just one aspect that needs to be considered. Social aspects as well as environmental and economic factors need to be included as well. In this study, we assessed the sustainability of enriched cage, barn, free-range, and organic egg production systems following a predefined protocol. Indicators were selected within the social, environmental, and economic dimensions, after which parameter values and sustainability limits were set for the core indicators in order to quantify sustainability. Uncertainty in the parameter values as well as assigned weights and compensabilities of the indicators influenced the outcome of the sustainability assessment. Using equal weights for the indicators showed that, for the Dutch situation, enriched cage egg production was most sustainable, having the highest score on the environmental dimension, whereas free-range egg production gave the highest score in the social dimension (covering food safety, animal welfare, and human welfare). In the economic dimension both enriched cage egg and organic egg production had the highest sustainability score. When weights were attributed according to stakeholder outputs, individual differences were seen, but the overall scores were comparable to the sustainability scores based on equal weights. The provided method enabled a quantification of sustainability using input from stakeholders to include societal preferences in the overall assessment. Allowing for different weights and compensabilities helps policymakers in communicating with stakeholders involved and provides a weighted decision regarding future housing systems for laying hens. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Sustainable Process Design of Biofuels: Bioethanol Production from Cassava rhizome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mangnimit, S.; Malakul, P.; Gani, Rafiqul

2013-01-01

This study is focused on the sustainable process design of bioethanol production from cassava rhizome. The study includes: process simulation, sustainability analysis, economic evaluation and life cycle assessment (LCA). A steady state process simulation if performed to generate a base case design........ Also, simultaneously with sustainability analysis, the life cycle impact on environment associated with bioethanol production is performed. Finally, candidate alternative designs are generated and compared with the base case design in terms of LCA, economics, waste, energy usage and enviromental impact...... in order to identify the most sustainable design for the production of ethanol. The capacity for ethanol production from cassava rhizome is set to 150,000 liters/day, which is about 1.3 % of the total demand of ethanol in Thailand. LCA on the base case design pointed to large amounts of CO2 and CO...

Comparing the sustainability parameters of renewable, nuclear and fossil fuel electricity generation technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evans, Annette; Strezov, Vladimir; Evans, Tim

2010-09-15

The sustainability parameters of electricity generation have been assessed by the application of eight key indicators. Photovoltaics, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, natural gas, coal and nuclear power have been assessed according to their price, greenhouse gas emissions, efficiency, land use, water use, availability, limitations and social impacts on a per kilowatt hour basis. The relevance of this information to the Australian context is discussed. Also included are the results of a survey on Australian opinions regarding electricity generation, which found that Australian prefer solar electricity above any other method, however coal, biomass and nuclear power have low acceptance.

College Students' View of Biotechnology Products and Practices in Sustainable Agriculture Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, William A.

2008-01-01

Sustainable agriculture implies the use of products and practices that sustain production, protect the environment, ensure economic viability, and maintain rural community viability. Disagreement exists as to whether or not the products and practices of modern biotechnological support agricultural sustainability. The purpose of this study was to…

The ''reference costs'' of the electrical production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-05-01

This study objective is to give an aid for the investments choice in the field of electricity production and for national choices in the field of long-dated production. Important evolutions appeared since the last exercise ''reference costs'' of 1993. Electricity production costs, presented in this study, are actualized economic costs. They consider the following production facilities: nuclear, pulverized coal with fumes processing, circulating fluidized bed, combustion turbines, cogeneration and wind turbines. (A.L.B.)

New Sustainable Tourism Product Development for Russian Customers

OpenAIRE

Racheeva, Polina

2015-01-01

Sustainable tourism is a new concept for tourism sector; it is tourism that reduces negative tourism impacts and brings benefits instead. The current problem of sustainable tourism is lack of attractive tourism products. Their development is crucial since customers seek for experiences at a destination. Russians are an important segment for Finnish tourism, therefore their consumer behaviours has to be studied. The aim of this research is to find how to develop a tourism product for susta...

Challenges for Marketers in Sustainable Production and Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Oates

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As one of the biggest issues facing today’s global society, sustainability cuts across all areas of production and consumption and presents challenges for marketers who attempt to understand and incorporate sustainability in their everyday practices [1–3]. [...

Identifying Pathways toward Sustainable Electricity Supply and Demand Using an Integrated Resource Strategic Planning Model for Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Alabbas, Nabeel H.

Despite holding 16% of proved oil reserves in the world, Saudi Arabia might be on an unsustainable path to become a net oil importer by the 2030s. Decades of domestic energy subsidies accompanied by a high population growth rate have encouraged inefficient production and high domestic consumption of fossil fuel energy, which has resulted in environmental degradation, and significant social and economic consequences. In addition, the government's dependence on oil as a main source of revenue (89%) to finance its development programs cannot be sustained due to oil's exhaustible nature and rapidly increasing domestic consumption. The electricity and water sectors consume more energy than other sectors. The literature review revealed that electricity use in Saudi Arabia is following an unsustainable path (7-8% annual growth over the last decade). The water sector is another major energy consumer due to an unprecedented demand for water in the Kingdom (18% of world's total desalinated water output with per capita consumption is twice the world average). Multiple entities have been involved in fragmented planning activities on the supply-side as well as to a certain extent on the demand-side; moreover, comprehensive integrated resource strategic plans have been lacking at the national level. This dissertation established an integrated resource strategic planning (IRSP) model for Saudi Arabia's electricity and water sectors. The IRSP can clearly determine the Kingdom's future vision of its utility sector, including goals, policies, programs, and an execution timetable, taking into consideration economic, environmental and social benefits. Also, a weather-based hybrid end-use econometric demand forecasting model was developed to project electricity demand until 2040. The analytical economic efficiency and technical assessments reveal that Saudi Arabia can supply almost 75% of its electricity from renewable energy sources with a significant achievable potential for saving

Supply chain implications of sustainable design strategies for electronics products

OpenAIRE

De Coster, R; Bateman, RJ; Plant, AVC

2012-01-01

Increasing legislative and consumer pressures on manufacturers to improve sustainability necessitates that manufacturers consider the overall life cycle and not be scope restricted in creating products. Product strategies to improve sustainability have design implications as many of the decisions made during the design stage will then determine the environmental performance of the final product. Coordination across the supply chain is potentially beneficial as products with improved energy ef...

Transition countries in the light of electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolin, I.

2000-01-01

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 could be closely considered as the beginning of transition in many countries. during this period, lasting for about ten years, unavoidable fluctuations and stoppages caused degradation of electricity production and economic decline as well. This can be mathematically evaluated by means of equation for electricity production, valid before the fall of the Berlin Wall. However, electricity decrease has not been the same in all the countries. Therefore, in order to investigate and evaluate the transition process in the light of electricity production, eight transition states, including croatia, are analysed and mutually compared. (author)

The sustainability of Brazilian ethanol-An assessment of the possibilities of certified production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smeets, Edward; Junginger, Martin; Faaij, Andre; Walter, Arnaldo; Dolzan, Paulo; Turkenburg, Wim

2008-01-01

In this article the environmental and socio-economical impacts of the production of ethanol from sugarcane in the state of Sao Paulo (Brazil) are evaluated. Subsequently, an attempt is made to determine to what extent these impacts are a bottleneck for a sustainable and certified ethanol production. Seventeen environmental and socio-economic areas of concern are analysed. Four parameters are used to evaluate if an area of concern is a bottleneck: (1) the importance of the area of concern, based on the severity of the impact and the frequency of which an aspect is mentioned in the literature as an area of concern, (2) the availability of indicators and criteria, (3) the necessity of improvement strategies to reach compliance with Brazilian and/or (inter) national legislation, standards, guidelines and sustainability criteria, and (4) the impact of these improvement strategies on the costs and potential of ethanol production. Fourteen areas of concern are classified as a minor or medium bottleneck. For 7 areas of concern the additional costs to avoid or reduce undesirable effects have been calculated at ≤+10% for each area of concern. Due to higher yields and overlapping costs the total additional production costs of compliance with various environmental and socio-economic criteria are about +36%. This study also shows that the energy input to output ratio can be increased and the greenhouse gas emissions reduced by increasing the ethanol production per tonne cane and by increasing the use of sugarcane waste for electricity production. A major bottleneck for a sustainable and certified production is the increase in cane production and the possible impacts on biodiversity and the competition with food production. Genetically modified cane is presently being developed, but is at this moment not (yet) applied. Both a ban on and the allowance of the use of genetically modified cane could become a major bottleneck considering the potentially large benefits and

Sustainable Product: Personal Protective Equipment Manufactured with Green Plastic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamilton Aparecido Boa Vista

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study analyzed the case of manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE using as raw material biopolymers produced from ethanol from sugar cane, known as green polypropylene, produced since 2008 by BRASKEM. This article studied the PPE for the employee’s head protection, named helmet by NR 6, which is used in situations of exposure to weather and work scenarios in places where there is risk of impact from falling or projecting objects, burns, electric shock, and solar radiation. The MSA, green helmet manufacturer, made an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by comparing the two manufacturing processes of the helmet shell, covering the January 1 to December 31, 2011 period. It concluded that the sustainable helmet (green polyethylene and pigments robs 231g of CO2 from the atmosphere per produced unit, while the helmet’s production with traditional raw materials (polyethylene and petrochemical pigments found that, for each unit produced, 1029g of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere. The study showed that substitution of raw materials has led to reduction in the impact generated in the helmets’ production.

Machine Learning Algorithms for Smart Electricity Markets : Essays on autonomous electricity broker design, probabilistic preference modeling, and competitive benchmarking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Peters (Markus)

2015-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ The shift towards sustainable electricity systems is one of the grand challenges of the twenty-first century. Decentralized production from renewable sources, electric mobility, and related advances are at odds with traditional power systems where central large-scale

Cobalt Ferrite Nanocrystallites for Sustainable Hydrogen Production Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajendra S. Gaikwad

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cobalt ferrite, CoFe2O4, nanocrystalline films were deposited using electrostatic spray method and explored in sustainable hydrogen production application. Reflection planes in X-ray diffraction pattern confirm CoFe2O4 phase. The surface scanning microscopy photoimages reveal an agglomeration of closely-packed CoFe2O4 nanoflakes. Concentrated solar-panel, a two-step water splitting process, measurement technique was preferred for measuring the hydrogen generation rate. For about 5 hr sustainable, 440 mL/hr, hydrogen production activity was achieved, confirming the efficient use of cobalt ferrite nanocrystallites film in hydrogen production application.

Genetic engineering and sustainable production of ornamentals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lütken, Henrik Vlk; Clarke, Jihong Liu; Müller, Renate

2012-01-01

Abstract Through the last decades, environmentally and health-friendly production methods and conscientious use of resources have become crucial for reaching the goal of a more sustainable plant production. Protection of the environment requires careful consumption of limited resources and reduct......Abstract Through the last decades, environmentally and health-friendly production methods and conscientious use of resources have become crucial for reaching the goal of a more sustainable plant production. Protection of the environment requires careful consumption of limited resources....... This review presents the more recent progress of genetic engineering in ornamental breeding, delivers an overview of the biological background of the used technologies and critically evaluates the usefulness of the strategies to obtain improved ornamental plants. First, genetic engineering is addressed......, compactness can be accomplished by using a natural transformation approach without recombinant DNA technology. Secondly, metabolic engineering approaches targeting elements of the ethylene signal transduction pathway are summarized as a possible alternative to avoid the use of chemical ethylene inhibitors...

Selecting Sustainability Indicators for Small to Medium Sized Urban Water Systems Using Fuzzy-ELECTRE.

Science.gov (United States)

Chhipi-Shrestha, Gyan; Hewage, Kasun; Sadiq, Rehan

2017-03-01

  Urban water systems (UWSs) are challenged by the sustainability perspective. Certain limitations of the sustainability of centralized UWSs and decentralized household level wastewater treatments can be overcome by managing UWSs at an intermediate scale, referred to as small to medium sized UWSs (SMUWSs). SMUWSs are different from large UWSs, mainly in terms of smaller infrastructure, data limitation, smaller service area, and institutional limitations. Moreover, sustainability assessment systems to evaluate the sustainability of an entire UWS are very limited and confined only to large UWSs. This research addressed the gap and has developed a set of 38 applied sustainability performance indicators (SPIs) by using fuzzy-Elimination and Choice Translating Reality (ELECTRE) I outranking method to assess the sustainability of SMUWSs. The developed set of SPIs can be applied to existing and new SMUWSs and also provides a flexibility to include additional SPIs in the future based on the same selection criteria.

Understanding the motivational perspectives of sustainability: A case of biogas production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Pereira Querol

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Despite the importance of the expectations and visions of the actors involved in sustainable innovations, only the societal, motivational perspective is usually considered. The fact that local actors may have different multi-motivations is typically overlooked. The aim of this study is to examine and understand the multi-motivational perspectives in a sustainable production project. First, we introduce the concept of the object and analyze the case of a biogas production project as a mediating activity for making swine production more sustainable. We argue that the object of the activity, as manifested in motivational perspectives, shapes the way in which biogas production (BP systems are implemented. The article concludes by discussing how the concept of object can be used to explore the actual and future possibilities of using artifacts for increasing the sustainability of production.

Towards a sustainable energy strategy for Saskatchewan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coxworth, A.; Bigland-Pritchard, M.; Coxworth, E.; Orb, J.

2007-01-01

The production and consumption of energy raises significant environmental concerns regarding the depletion of non-renewable resources; air and water pollution; waste management; and damage of habitats. Saskatchewan, as elsewhere, needs to develop new approaches to meeting its energy needs. This report was intended to help decision-makers to consider the possibility of a sustainable, safe, environment and climate-friendly energy future for Saskatchewan. It provided an overview of energy use trends in Saskatchewan for refined petroleum products; natural gas; coal; primary electricity; and total energy consumption. Sustainability was defined and the need for change was discussed. Energy efficiency improvement and conservation opportunities in buildings, industry, electrical generation, and transport were also presented. The role of government in promoting energy efficiency was also discussed. Renewable energy opportunities were also offered for bio-energy; electrical generation; heating with renewables; and prospects for a renewables-fuelled Saskatchewan. Next, the report discussed technical, economic, political, and social barriers to progress. Several recommendations were offered in terms of energy efficiency and conservation; electricity generation; transportation; heating and cooling; industry; and financing change. 85 refs

INSPIA project: European Index for Sustainable and Productive Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Triviño-Tarradas, Paula; Jesús González-Sánchez, Emilio; Gómez-Ariza, Manuel; Rass, Gerard; Gardette, Sophie; Whitmore, Gavin; Dyson, Jeremy

2017-04-01

The concept of sustainable development has evolved from a mere perception for the protection of the environment, to a holistic approach, seeking to preserve not only the environment, but also to achieve sustainability in economics and social wellbeing. Globally, there is a major challenge to face in the agricultural sector: to produce more food, feed and other raw materials to satisfy the increasing demand of a growing population, whilst also contributing to economic prosperity, climate change mitigation / adaptation, social wellbeing and preserving natural capital such as soil, water, biodiversity and other ecosystem services. Nowadays, conventional approaches to agriculture are under threat. A more productive and resource efficient agriculture that integrates natural resource protection into its approach will help to meet all these challenges, enabling us to have more of everything - more food, more feed, more non-food crops, more biodiversity and natural habitats - while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, INSPIA is an innovative approach that has worked since 2013 towards demonstration that sustainable productive agriculture is possible thanks to the implementation of a host of best management practices (BMPs) capable of delivering the above achievements. The purpose on INSPIA is to make visible with European decision makers that a sustainable and productive agricultural model exists in a small scale in Europe and that wider dissemination is possible with enabling legislation. INSPIA is demonstrating sustainable agriculture through the implementation of BMPs and the measurement and monitoring of a set of defined indicators (economic, social and environmental ones). INSPIA promotes sustainable practices that protect biodiversity, soils and water and contribute towards maintaining ecosystems services. This holistic sustainable system of productive agriculture is based on the combination of Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Integrated Pest

Economic sustainability of sheabutter production in Kwara state ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Production of sheabutter has the economic potentials in sustaining income generation for rural dwellers. The potentials of shea nuts productivity could only be achieved when technical efficiency of the processing becomes relevant. The study examines the patterns, efficiency and productivity of processing harvested shea ...

Carbon emission intensity in electricity production: A global analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ang, B.W.; Su, Bin

2016-01-01

We study changes in the aggregate carbon intensity (ACI) for electricity at the global and country levels. The ACI is defined as the energy-related CO_2 emissions in electricity production divided by the electricity produced. It is a performance indicator since a decrease in its value is a desirable outcome from the environmental and climate change viewpoints. From 1990 to 2013, the ACI computed at the global level decreased only marginally. However, fairly substantial decreases were observed in many countries. This apparent anomaly arises from a geographical shift in global electricity production with countries having a high ACI increasingly taking up a larger electricity production share. It is found that globally and in most major electricity producing countries, reduction in their ACI was due mainly to improvements in the thermal efficiency of electricity generation rather than to fuel switching. Estimates of the above-mentioned effects are made using LMDI decomposition analysis. Our study reveals several challenges in reducing global CO_2 emissions from the electricity production sector although technically the reduction potential for the sector is known to be great. - Highlights: •Variations of aggregate carbon intensity (ACI) for electricity of world countries are analysed. •Main drivers of changes in ACI of major electricity producing countries are studied using index decomposition analysis. •Geographical shift in electricity production had a significant impact on global ACI. •Improvements in the thermal efficiency of generation were the main driver of reduction in ACI.

Sustainable livestock production: Low emission farm – The innovative combination of nutrient, emission and waste management with special emphasis on Chinese pig production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Kaufmann

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Global livestock production is going to be more and more sophisticated in order to improve efficiency needed to supply the rising demand for animal protein of a growing, more urban and affluent population. To cope with the rising public importance of sustainability is a big challenge for all animal farmers and more industrialized operations especially. Confined animal farming operations (CAFO are seen very critical by many consumers with regard to their sustainability performance, however, the need to improve the sustainability performance especially in the ecological and social dimension exists at both ends of the intensity, i.e., also for the small holder and family owned animal farming models. As in livestock operations, feed and manure contribute the majority to the three most critical environmental impact categories global warming potential (GWP, acidification (AP and eutrophication potential (EP any effort for improvement should start there. Intelligent combination of nutrient-, emission- and waste management in an integrated low emission farm (LEF concept not only significantly reduces the environmental footprint in the ecological dimension of sustainability, but by producing renewable energy (heat, electricity, biomethane with animal manure as major feedstock in an anaerobic digester also the economic dimension can be improved. Model calculations using new software show the ecological improvement potential of low protein diets using more supplemented amino acids for the Chinese pig production. The ecological impact of producing biogas or upgraded biomethane, of further treatment of the digestate and producing defined fertilizers is discussed. Finally, the LEF concept allows the integration of an insect protein plant module which offers additional ecological and economical sustainability improvement potential in the future. Active stakeholder communication about implementation steps of LEF examples improves also the social aspect of

Nutrient compensation as management tool– Sugar kelp production in sustainable aquaculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmedes, Peter Søndergaard; Boderskov, Teis; Silva Marinho, Goncalo

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is theoretically a sustainable production form, which minimizes waste products from e.g. fish farms, by the co-production of bivalves or/and seaweed. For the Danish fish farmers the extractive organisms could be the solution for increasing fish production...... and robust mitigation tool for nitrogen removal and hopefully allow for future expansion of sustainable marine fish production in Denmark....

Hybrid systems to address seasonal mismatches between electricity production and demand in nuclear renewable electrical grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, Charles

2013-01-01

A strategy to enable zero-carbon variable electricity production with full utilization of renewable and nuclear energy sources has been developed. Wind and solar systems send electricity to the grid. Nuclear plants operate at full capacity with variable steam to turbines to match electricity demand with production (renewables and nuclear). Excess steam at times of low electricity prices and electricity demand go to hybrid fuel production and storage systems. The characteristic of these hybrid technologies is that the economic penalties for variable nuclear steam inputs are small. Three hybrid systems were identified that could be deployed at the required scale. The first option is the gigawatt-year hourly-to-seasonal heat storage system where excess steam from the nuclear plant is used to heat rock a kilometer underground to create an artificial geothermal heat source. The heat source produces electricity on demand using geothermal technology. The second option uses steam from the nuclear plant and electricity from the grid with high-temperature electrolysis (HTR) cells to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is primarily for industrial applications; however, the HTE can be operated in reverse using hydrogen for peak electricity production. The third option uses variable steam and electricity for shale oil production. -- Highlights: •A system is proposed to meet variable hourly to seasonal electricity demand. •Variable solar and wind electricity sent to the grid. •Base-load nuclear plants send variable steam for electricity and hybrid systems. •Hybrid energy systems can economically absorb gigawatts of variable steam. •Hybrid systems include geothermal heat storage, hydrogen, and shale-oil production

Hydrogen , Hybrid and Electric Propulsion in a Strategy for Sustainable Transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Kaj

1998-01-01

Analysis of the scope for application of hydrogen and electric propulsion for improvement of the fuel cycle efficiency and introduction of renewable energy in the transport sector. The paper compares these fuels with each other as well as with other fuels (especially bio fuels) and outlines...... their individual roles in a strategy for sustainable transport. Finally, the fuels are compared to the present fuels....

Nuclear energy products except the electric power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Technically the fission reactors, on service or under construction, can produce other products than the electric power. Meanwhile, these applications are known since the beginning of the reactors exploitation, they never have been developed industrially. This report examines the necessary technical characteristics for using the nuclear systems on non electric power applications with an economical efficiency. What are the markets for these products? What are the strategical challenges to favor the development of non electric power applications of the nuclear energy? (A.L.B.)

Integration: valuing stakeholder input in setting priorities for socially sustainable egg production.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, J C; Lee, Y; Thompson, P B; Bawden, R; Mench, J A

2011-09-01

Setting directions and goals for animal production systems requires the integration of information achieved through internal and external processes. The importance of stakeholder input in setting goals for sustainable animal production systems should not be overlooked by the agricultural animal industries. Stakeholders play an integral role in setting the course for many aspects of animal production, from influencing consumer preferences to setting public policy. The Socially Sustainable Egg Production Project (SSEP) involved the development of white papers on various aspects of egg production, followed by a stakeholder workshop to help frame the issues for the future of sustainable egg production. Representatives from the environmental, food safety, food retail, consumer, animal welfare, and the general farm and egg production sectors participated with members of the SSEP coordination team in a 1.5-d workshop to explore socially sustainable egg production. This paper reviews the published literature on values integration methodologies and the lessons learned from animal welfare assessment models. The integration method used for the SSEP stakeholder workshop and its outcome are then summarized. The method used for the SSEP stakeholder workshop can be used to obtain stakeholder input on sustainable production in other farm animal industries.

Electricity derivative markets: Investment valuation, production planning and hedging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naesaekkaelae, E.

2005-01-01

This thesis studies electricity derivative markets from a view point of an electricity producer. The traditionally used asset pricing methods, based on the no arbitrage principle, are extended to take into account electricity specific features: the non storability of electricity and the variability in the load process. The sources of uncertainty include electricity forward curve, prices of resources used to generate electricity, and the size of the future production. Also the effects of competitors' actions are considered. The thesis illustrates how the information in the derivative prices can be used in investment and production planning. In addition, the use of derivatives as a tool to stabilize electricity dependent cash flows is considered. The results indicate that the information about future electricity prices and their uncertainty, obtained from derivative markets, is important in investment analysis and production planning. (orig.)

Electricity derivative markets: Investment valuation, production planning and hedging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naesaekkaelae, E.

2005-07-01

This thesis studies electricity derivative markets from a view point of an electricity producer. The traditionally used asset pricing methods, based on the no arbitrage principle, are extended to take into account electricity specific features: the non storability of electricity and the variability in the load process. The sources of uncertainty include electricity forward curve, prices of resources used to generate electricity, and the size of the future production. Also the effects of competitors' actions are considered. The thesis illustrates how the information in the derivative prices can be used in investment and production planning. In addition, the use of derivatives as a tool to stabilize electricity dependent cash flows is considered. The results indicate that the information about future electricity prices and their uncertainty, obtained from derivative markets, is important in investment analysis and production planning. (orig.)

Sustainable Improvement of Animal Production and Health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odongo, N.E.; Garcia, M.; Viljoen, G.J.

2010-01-01

The world's poorest people, some one billion living mostly in Africa and Asia, depend on livestock for their day-to-day livelihood. To reduce poverty, fight hunger and ensure global food security, there is an urgent need to increase livestock production in sustainable ways. However, livestock production in developing countries is constrained by low genetic potential of the animals, poor nutrition and husbandry practices and infectious diseases. Nuclear techniques, when applied in conjunction with conventional methods, can identify constraints to livestock productivity as well as interventions that lead to their reduction or elimination in ways that are economically and socially acceptable. The challenge is how best to exploit these techniques for solving problems faced by livestock keepers within the many agricultural production systems that exist in developing countries and demonstrating their advantages to owners, local communities and government authorities. This publication is a compilation of the contributions emanating from an international Symposium on Sustainable Improvement of Animal Production and Health organised by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture in cooperation with the Animal Production and Health Division of FAO. It provides invaluable information not only on how nuclear and related techniques can be used to support sustainable livestock production systems, but also about the constraints and opportunities for using these techniques in developing countries; it also attempts to identify specific research needs and gaps and new options for using these techniques for solving established and emerging problems. As such, it is hoped that the information presented and suggestions made will provide valuable guidance to scientists in both the public and private sectors as well as to government and institutional policy and decision makers. The Symposium comprised a plenary session and four thematic sessions, covering (i

Sustainable Improvement of Animal Production and Health

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odongo, N E; Garcia, M; Viljoen, G J [Animal Production and Health Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Agency, Vienna (Austria)

2010-07-01

The world's poorest people, some one billion living mostly in Africa and Asia, depend on livestock for their day-to-day livelihood. To reduce poverty, fight hunger and ensure global food security, there is an urgent need to increase livestock production in sustainable ways. However, livestock production in developing countries is constrained by low genetic potential of the animals, poor nutrition and husbandry practices and infectious diseases. Nuclear techniques, when applied in conjunction with conventional methods, can identify constraints to livestock productivity as well as interventions that lead to their reduction or elimination in ways that are economically and socially acceptable. The challenge is how best to exploit these techniques for solving problems faced by livestock keepers within the many agricultural production systems that exist in developing countries and demonstrating their advantages to owners, local communities and government authorities. This publication is a compilation of the contributions emanating from an international Symposium on Sustainable Improvement of Animal Production and Health organised by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture in cooperation with the Animal Production and Health Division of FAO. It provides invaluable information not only on how nuclear and related techniques can be used to support sustainable livestock production systems, but also about the constraints and opportunities for using these techniques in developing countries; it also attempts to identify specific research needs and gaps and new options for using these techniques for solving established and emerging problems. As such, it is hoped that the information presented and suggestions made will provide valuable guidance to scientists in both the public and private sectors as well as to government and institutional policy and decision makers. The Symposium comprised a plenary session and four thematic sessions, covering (i

Food production & availability--essential prerequisites for sustainable food security.

Science.gov (United States)

Swaminathan, M S; Bhavani, R V

2013-09-01

Food and nutrition security are intimately interconnected, since only a food based approach can help in overcoming malnutrition in an economically and socially sustainable manner. Food production provides the base for food security as it is a key determinant of food availability. This paper deals with different aspects of ensuring high productivity and production without associated ecological harm for ensuring adequate food availability. By mainstreaming ecological considerations in technology development and dissemination, we can enter an era of evergreen revolution and sustainable food and nutrition security. Public policy support is crucial for enabling this.

Challenging the sustainability of micro products development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Grave, Arnaud; Olsen, Stig Irving

2006-01-01

Environmental aspects are one of the biggest concerns regarding the future of manufacturing and product development sustainability. Furthermore, micro products and micro technologies are often seen as the next big thing in terms of possible mass market trend and boom. Many questions are raised...... and the intermediate parts which can be in-process created. Possible future trends for micro products development scheme involving environmental concerns are given....

Electric Road Systems: Strategic Stepping Stone on the Way towards Sustainable Freight Transport?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesko Schulte

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Electrification of the transport sector has been pointed out as a key factor for tackling some of today’s main challenges, such as global warming, air pollution, and eco-system degradation. While numerous studies have investigated the potential of electrifying passenger transport, less focus has been on how road freight transport could be powered in a sustainable future. This study looks at Electric Road Systems (ERS in comparison to the current diesel system. The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development was used to assess whether ERS could be a stepping stone on the way towards sustainability. Strategic life-cycle assessment was applied, scanning each life-cycle phase for violations against basic sustainability principles. Resulting sustainability “hot spots” were quantified with traditional life-cycle assessment. The results show that, if powered by renewable energy, ERS have a potential to decrease the environmental impact of freight transport considerably. Environmental payback times of less than five years are achievable if freight traffic volumes are sufficiently high. However, some severe violations against sustainability principles were identified. Still, ERS could prove to be a valuable part of the solution, as they drastically decrease the need for large batteries with high cost and sustainability impact, thereby catalyzing electrification and the transition towards sustainable freight transport.

Sustainable Biocatalytic Biodiesel Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Güzel, Günduz

As part of his PhD studies, Gündüz Güzel examined the thermodynamics of reactions involved in biocatalytic biodiesel production processes, with a specific focus on phase equilibria of reactive systems. He carried out the thermodynamic analyses of biocatalytic processes in terms of phase and chemi......As part of his PhD studies, Gündüz Güzel examined the thermodynamics of reactions involved in biocatalytic biodiesel production processes, with a specific focus on phase equilibria of reactive systems. He carried out the thermodynamic analyses of biocatalytic processes in terms of phase...... and chemical equilibria as part of his main sustainable biodiesel project. The transesterification reaction of vegetable oils or fats with an aliphatic alcohol – in most cases methanol or ethanol – yields biodiesel (long-chain fatty acid alkyl esters – FAAE) as the main product in the presence of alkaline...

Productivity growth and deregulation of Japanese electricity distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Mika; Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki

2009-01-01

Deregulation of Japanese electric power industry began in 1995. After the amendment of Electricity Utility Industry Law in 1995, competition was partially introduced in a generation sector and retail competition started from 2000. Eligibility to choose suppliers was gradually extended from larger to smaller customers. As of 2008, almost all customers except households can choose their electricity suppliers. Based upon both previous implementation result of competition policy and review on their achievement, Japanese government will begin new policy debate in 2013 to assess further retail competition which includes household customers. To prepare for policy suggestion on the future electric power industry, this study examines the cost structure of Japanese electricity distribution. For the purpose, we estimate a multi-product translog cost function of Japanese electricity distribution from 1983 to 2003. Using the estimated cost function, we calculate several economic measures such as productivity growth, technical change and economies of scale and scope. The empirical results of this study indicate the improvement in productivity growth after deregulation.

Innovation for sustainable egg production: realigning production with societal demands in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoelstra, S.F.; Groot Koerkamp, P.W.G.; Bos, A.P.; Elzen, B.; Leenstra, F.R.

2013-01-01

This paper describes an innovation trajectory for sustainability in egg production in The Netherlands in the period 2002-2012. In the approach as well as in the analyses, insights from scientific disciplines that have studied transformations towards sustainability were adopted. Central stage is the

Sustainability-guided promotion of renewable electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madlener, Reinhard; Stagl, Sigrid

2005-01-01

In recent years, the threat of global climate change, high fuel import dependence, and rapidly rising electricity demand levels have intensified the quest for more sustainable energy systems. This in turn has increased the need for policy makers to promote electricity generation from renewable energy sources. Guaranteed prices coupled with a buy-back obligation for electricity fed into the grid is a popular renewables promotion instrument, especially in Europe. More recently, driven mainly by electricity market liberalisation efforts, quota targets for the share of renewables in combination with tradable 'green' certificates (TGC) have received considerable attention. TGC offer a greater theoretical potential for economic efficiency gains, due to price competition and the greater flexibility assigned to the obliged parties. While guaranteed prices and TGC schemes support the operation of renewable energy technology systems, bidding schemes for renewable energy generation capacity are used to raise economic efficiency on the plant construction side. All of these policy instruments suffer from the shortcoming that they do not explicitly account for the often widely varying environmental, social and economic impacts of the technologies concerned. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the design of renewable energy policy instruments that is based on integrated assessment. In particular, we argue that using participatory multicriteria evaluation as part of the design of renewable energy promotion policies would make it possible: (1) to differentiate the level of promotion in a systematic and transparent manner according to their socio-ecological economic impact, and (2) to explicitly account for the preferences of stakeholders. A further problem of existing TGC and bidding schemes is that diversity of supply could be severely diminished, if few low-cost technologies were allowed to dominate the renewable energy market. To ensure a certain diversity of

Influential Factors and Strategy of Sustainable Product Development under Corporate Social Responsibility in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Che Tu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to adopt the perspective of corporate social responsibility (CSR to explore the intention of sustainable product development in Taiwan, as well as leading to the creation of influential factors that affect corporate sustainable product development intention. In this research, the induction analysis was conducted to understand the implementation of sustainable product development, and this was supplemented with questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews to evaluate developmental intention. In addition, principal component analysis was used for factor analysis and content analysis in the 6 W expression method, leading to the creation of the influential factors. The research results have demonstrated that the factors affecting the intention of corporate sustainable product development include having a sustainable design and a development purpose, a corporate development purpose, sustainable development concepts, a sustainable design value, a sustainability concept, and a manufacturing process quality. For sustainable product development, corporate social responsibility needs to be most concerned with the added value of products, regulation requirements, and accommodation of the industrial chain, costs, and quality.

An outlook for sustainable forest bioenergy production in the Lake States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Dennis R.; Skog, Kenneth; Hellman, Allison; Halvorsen, Kathleen E.; Mace, Terry

2009-01-01

The Lake States region of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan offers significant potential for bioenergy production. We examine the sustainability of regional forest biomass use in the context of existing thermal heating, electricity, and biofuels production, projected resource needs over the next decade including existing forest product market demand, and impacts on price and feasibility. Assuming $36 per dry tonne at roadside, 4.1 million dry tonnes of forest biomass could be available region-wide. However, less is likely available due to localized environmental and forest cover type constraints, and landowner willingness to harvest timber. Total projected demand of 5.7 million dry tonnes, based on current and announced industry capacity, exceeds estimates of biomass availability, which suggests that anticipated growth in the forest-based bioeconomy may be constrained. Attaining projected demand will likely require a combination of higher cost feedstocks, integration of energy and non-energy uses, and careful management to meet environmental constraints. State distinctions in biomass harvest guidelines and the propensity for third-party forest certification will be critical in providing environmental safeguards. The cumulative effect of policy initiatives on biomass competition are discussed in the context of an emerging Lake States bioeconomy.

Economic costs of electricity production in Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beeldman, M.; Solinski, J.

1994-02-01

This study presents a methodology for the calculation of the economic costs of the production of electricity. This methodology is applied to assess electricity production cost in Poland by type of power station for the years 1995 and 2000. In addition, an overview is presented of the methods used by the OECD countries, particularly in the Netherlands. The main conclusions of the study are: 1) the real economic costs to generate electricity in Poland are about two times higher compared with the traditional book-keeping data; 2) the investment costs will become the most important cost component in the near future; and 3) there are considerables differences in production cost per kWh for the different types of power plants in Poland. 4 appendices, 14 refs

Possibilities and limitations for sustainable bioenergy production systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smeets, Edward Martinus Wilhelmus Utrecht University

2008-05-01

The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the possibilities and limitations of sustainable bioenergy production. To this end, the following research questions have been formulated: (1). What is the potential of different world regions to produce biomass for energy generation in the year 2050, taking account of biological and climatological limitations, the use of biomass to produce food, materials and traditional bioenergy, as well as the need to maintain existing forests and thus protect biodiversity?; (2) What are the main bottlenecks to formulating and implementing sustainability criteria for bioenergy production?; (3) To what extent does complying with sustainability criteria have impacts on the costs and potential of bioenergy production?; (4) To what extent do fertilizer- and manure-induced nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions due to energy crop production have an impact on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when conventional transportation fuels are replaced by first-generation biofuels?; (5) In terms of economic and environmental performance, how does Europe's production, storage and transport of miscanthus and switchgrass in 2004 compare to that in 2030? Throughout this thesis, specific attention is paid to knowledge gaps and their potential impact on results, the aim being to identify priorities for future research and development. Another key element of our research is that we evaluate the possibilities and limitations of strategies that are designed to improve the performance of bioenergy production systems and that may be incorporated in bioenergy certification schemes and bioenergy promoting policies

Sustainable manufacturing by calculating the energy demand during turning of AISI 1045 steel

Science.gov (United States)

Nur, R.; Nasrullah, B.; Suyuti, M. A.; Apollo

2018-01-01

Sustainable development will become important issues for many fields, including production, industry, and manufacturing. In order to achieve sustainable development, industry should be able to perform of sustainable production processes and environmentally friendly. Therefore, there is need to minimize the energy demand in the machining process. This paper presents a calculation method of energy consumption in the machining process, especially turning process which calculated by summing the number of energy consumption, such as the electric energy consumed during the machining preparation, the electrical energy during the cutting processes, and the electrical energy to produce a cutting tool. A case study was performed on dry turning of mild carbon steel using coated carbide. This approach can be used to determine the total amount of electrical energy consumed in the specific machining process. It concluded that the energy consumption will be an increase for using the high cutting speed as well as for the feed rate was increased.

Cork Design : A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mestre, A.C.C.M.

2014-01-01

The study Cork Design: A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation comprises the systematic implementation of sustainable product innovation within the Portuguese cork sector, through action research. Cork is a natural, recyclable, non-toxic, and renewable resource,

Photovoltaic electricity production in a two-floor house in Serbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bojic, M.; Blagojevic, M.

2006-01-01

An attractive solution for a sustainable present and future is to integrate photovoltaic (PV) panels into building envelopes. For these PV panels applied in a two-storey house in Belgrade-Serbia, we use software EnergyPlus to investigate its electricity generation and maximum power and determine the house orientation for which the panels produce maximum amount of electricity in a year. In addition, we determine that in order for these panels economically to produce electricity, the necessary government subsidies for PV panels located at the south roof are around 50%. (author)

Photovoltaic electricity production in a two-floor house in Serbia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bojic, M. [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kragujevac, Sestre Janjic 6, 34000 Kragujevac (Serbia and Montenegro) and CREFID (Bulgaria)]. E-mail: bojic@kg.ac.yu; Blagojevic, M. [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kragujevac, Sestre Janjic 6, 34000 Kragujevac (Serbia and Montenegro) and CREFID (Bulgaria)]. E-mail: mirkob@kg.ac.yu

2006-07-01

An attractive solution for a sustainable present and future is to integrate photovoltaic (PV) panels into building envelopes. For these PV panels applied in a two-storey house in Belgrade-Serbia, we use software EnergyPlus to investigate its electricity generation and maximum power and determine the house orientation for which the panels produce maximum amount of electricity in a year. In addition, we determine that in order for these panels economically to produce electricity, the necessary government subsidies for PV panels located at the south roof are around 50%. (author)

Electric plant cost and power production expenses 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Electric Plant Cost and Power Production Expenses is prepared by the Survey Management Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels (CNEAF); Energy Information Administration (EIA); US Department of Energy. This publication presents electric utility statistics on power production expenses and construction costs of electric generating plants. Data presented here are intended to provide information to the electric utility industry, educational institutions, Federal, State, and local governments, and the general public. These data are collected and published to fulfill data collection and dissemination responsibilities of the Energy Information Administration (EIA), as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act (Public Law 93-275), as amended

Electric plant cost and power production expenses 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-06-01

Electric Plant Cost and Power Production Expenses is prepared by the Survey Management Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA); US Department of Energy. This publication presents electric utility statistics on power production expenses and construction costs of electric generating plants. Data presented here are intended to provide information to the electric utility industry, educational institutions, Federal, State, and local governments, and the general public. These data are collected and published to fulfill data collection and dissemination responsibilities of the Energy Information Administration (EIA), as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act (Public Law 93-275), as amended

Centralized or decentralized electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boer, H.A. de.

1975-01-01

Because of low overall efficiency in electric power generation, it is argued that energy provision based on gas, combined with locally decentralized electricity production, saves for the Netherlands slightly more fossile fuel than nuclear technologies and makes the country independent of uranium resources. The reason the Netherlands persues this approach is that a big part of the energy is finally used for heating in the normal or moderate temperatures

Sustainability assessment of sugarcane biorefinery and molasses ethanol production in Thailand using eco-efficiency indicator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silalertruksa, Thapat; Gheewala, Shabbir H.; Pongpat, Patcharaporn

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Sugarcane biorefinery in Thailand is evaluated using the eco-efficiency concept. • Green cane along with cane trash use for electricity yields highest eco-efficiency. • Proposed biorefinery system increases eco-efficiency by 20–70%. - Abstract: The study aims to evaluate the sugarcane biorefinery and molasses ethanol production in Thailand using the combined environmental and economic sustainability indicator, so called “Eco-efficiency”. Four sugarcane biorefinery scenarios in Thailand are evaluated. The total output values (US$) and the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (kg CO_2eq) are selected as the indicators for characterizing economic and environmental performance, respectively. The results show that the biorefinery system of mechanized farming along with cane trash utilization for power generation yields the highest eco-efficiency. The benefits come from the increased value added of the biorefinery together with the decreased GHG emissions of the biorefinery system. As compared to the base case scenario, the new systems proposed result in the eco-efficiency improvement by around 20–70%. The biorefinery concept induces reduction of GHG emissions attributed to molasses ethanol. Green cane production and harvesting results in further lowering of the GHG emissions. Integration of sugarcane biomass utilization across the entire sugarcane complex would enhance the sustainability of the sugarcane production system.

Comprehensive Analysis Competence and Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Chemical Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Appel, Joerg; Colombo, Corrado; Dätwyler, Urs; Chen, Yun; Kerimoglu, Nimet

2016-01-01

Humanity currently sees itself facing enormous economic, ecological, and social challenges. Sustainable products and production in specialty chemistry are an important strategic element to address these megatrends. In addition to that, digitalization and global connectivity will create new opportunities for the industry. One aspect is examined in this paper, which shows the development of comprehensive analysis of production networks for a more sustainable production in which the need for innovative solutions arises. Examples from data analysis, advanced process control and automated performance monitoring are shown. These efforts have significant impact on improved yields, reduced energy and water consumption, and better product performance in the application of the products.

The sustainability of ethanol production from sugarcane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldemberg, Jose; Coelho, Suani Teixeira; Guardabassi, Patricia

2008-01-01

The rapid expansion of ethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil has raised a number of questions regarding its negative consequences and sustainability. Positive impacts are the elimination of lead compounds from gasoline and the reduction of noxious emissions. There is also the reduction of CO 2 emissions, since sugarcane ethanol requires only a small amount of fossil fuels for its production, being thus a renewable fuel. These positive impacts are particularly noticeable in the air quality improvement of metropolitan areas but also in rural areas where mechanized harvesting of green cane is being introduced, eliminating the burning of sugarcane. Negative impacts such as future large-scale ethanol production from sugarcane might lead to the destruction or damage of high-biodiversity areas, deforestation, degradation or damaging of soils through the use of chemicals and soil decarbonization, water resources contamination or depletion, competition between food and fuel production decreasing food security and a worsening of labor conditions on the fields. These questions are discussed here, with the purpose of clarifying the sustainability aspects of ethanol production from sugarcane mainly in Sao Paulo State, where more than 60% of Brazil's sugarcane plantations are located and are responsible for 62% of ethanol production. (author)

Sustainability, environmental, and safety aspects in the production of biocomposites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markert, Frank

Future product design requires sustainbale processes and may with great benefit prtially be based on composites made from agricultural by-products. the EU project Biocomp addressed the manufacturing and the parallel assessment of the world wide sustainability of such an approach as well as the en......Future product design requires sustainbale processes and may with great benefit prtially be based on composites made from agricultural by-products. the EU project Biocomp addressed the manufacturing and the parallel assessment of the world wide sustainability of such an approach as well...

Sustainable electricity generation for rural and peri-urban populations of sub-Saharan Africa: The 'flexy-energy' concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azoumah, Y.; Yamegueu, D.; Ginies, P.; Coulibaly, Y.; Girard, P.

2011-01-01

Access to energy is known as a key issue for poverty reduction. Electrification rate of sub-Saharan countries is one of the lowest among the developing countries. However, this part of the world has natural energy resources that could help raising its access to energy, then its economic development. An original 'flexy-energy' concept of hybrid solar PV/diesel/biofuel power plant, without battery storage, is performed in this paper. This concept is developed in order to not only make access to energy possible for rural and peri-urban populations in Africa (by reducing the electricity generation cost) but also to make the electricity production sustainable in these areas. For landlocked countries like Burkina Faso, this concept could help them reducing their electricity bill (then their fuel consumption) and accelerate their rural and peri-urban electrification coverage. - Research highlights: → Design and load management Optimization are big concerns for hybrid systems. → Hybrid solar PV/Diesel is economically viable for remote areas and environmental friendly. → 'Flexy-energy' concept is a flexible hybrid solar PV/diesel/biomass suitable for remote areas. → 'Flexy-energy' concept is a flexible hybrid solar PV/diesel/biomass suitable for remote areas.

Sustainable rice production in Malaysia beyond 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nashriyah Mat; Ho Nai Kin; Ismail Sahid; Ahyaudin Ali; Lum Keng Yeang; Mashhor Mansor

2002-01-01

This book is a compendium of works carried out by various institutions on subjects related to sustainable rice production. The institutions comprise Department of Agriculture, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Malaysian Institute for Nuclear Technology Research, Muda Agricultural Development Authority, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, International Islamic University of Malaysia and the Agrochemical Company Mosanto. Integrated Biodiversity Management parallel with the Integrated Weed / Pest / Disease Management, rice-fish farming networking, agrochemical residue monitoring in rice and marine ecosystems, and application of biotechnology in rice productivity are taken as the future direction towards achieving sustainable rice production beyond 2000. Challenges from social and technical agroecosystem constraints, agricultural input management and maintenance of agroecosystem biodiversity are highlighted. It is imperative that the challenges are surmounted to attain the target that would be reflected by tangible rice output of 10 t/ha, and at the same time maintaining the well-being of rice-farmers. (Author)

Cleaner production - a tool for sustainable environmental development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, I.; Batool, S.

2005-01-01

Industrial Development and Production with no regard for environmental impacts creates water and air pollution, soil degradation, and large-scale global impacts such as acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion. To create more sustainable methods of industrial production, there needs to be a shift in attitudes away from control towards pollution prevention and management. Cleaner Production (CP) refers to a management process that seeks out and eliminates the causes of pollution, waste generation and resource consumption at their source through input reductions or substitutions, pollution prevention, internal recycling and more efficient production technology and processes for sustainable environmental development. The objective of cleaner production is to avoid generating pollution in the first place, which frequently cuts costs, reduces risks associated with liability, and identifies new market opportunities. Introducing cleaner production has become a goal to improve the competitiveness through increased eco-efficiency. CP is a business strategy for enhancing productivity and environmental performance for overall socio-economic development. The environmental and economic benefits can only be achieved by implementing cleaner production tools. The CP assessment methodology is used to systematically identify and evaluate the waste minimization opportunities and facilitate their implementation in industries. It refers to how goods and services are produced with the minimum environmental impact under present technological and economic limits. CP shares characteristics with many environmental management tools such as Environmental Assessment or Design for Environment by including them among the technological options for reducing material and energy intensiveness in production, as well as facilitating ruse trough remanufacturing and recycling. It is thus an extension of the total quality management process. The CP program has been successfully implemented in

Multi-scale modeling for sustainable chemical production.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Kai; Bakshi, Bhavik R; Herrgård, Markus J

2013-09-01

With recent advances in metabolic engineering, it is now technically possible to produce a wide portfolio of existing petrochemical products from biomass feedstock. In recent years, a number of modeling approaches have been developed to support the engineering and decision-making processes associated with the development and implementation of a sustainable biochemical industry. The temporal and spatial scales of modeling approaches for sustainable chemical production vary greatly, ranging from metabolic models that aid the design of fermentative microbial strains to material and monetary flow models that explore the ecological impacts of all economic activities. Research efforts that attempt to connect the models at different scales have been limited. Here, we review a number of existing modeling approaches and their applications at the scales of metabolism, bioreactor, overall process, chemical industry, economy, and ecosystem. In addition, we propose a multi-scale approach for integrating the existing models into a cohesive framework. The major benefit of this proposed framework is that the design and decision-making at each scale can be informed, guided, and constrained by simulations and predictions at every other scale. In addition, the development of this multi-scale framework would promote cohesive collaborations across multiple traditionally disconnected modeling disciplines to achieve sustainable chemical production. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electricity Pricing Mechanism in a Sustainable Environment: A Review and a System Dynamics Modeling Approach

OpenAIRE

Tziogas, C; Georgiadis, P; Tsolakis, Naoum; Yakinthos, C

2017-01-01

Electricity is an undisputed factor supporting human development, while further supporting social wellbeing and fostering economic growth of modern societies. Therefore, the electricity market provides a vivid policy-making arena for the EU regulators, where on-going structural reforms are promoted with the aim to encapsulate and accommodate sustainability aspects. Notably, the EU Member States have adopted the strategic roadmap “Europe 2020” toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energ...

Role of varieties in sustainable rice production in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman Omar; Saad Abdullah

2002-01-01

Rice is the staple food of Malaysians. Rice production in Malaysia is concentrated in granary areas, which are provided with irrigation facilities. There is no plan to increase the size or the number of these granary areas, thus productivity per unit area must be increased to sustain the current level of self-sufficiency. Variety determines the potential productivity; environment and crop management determine how much of this potential is realized. Crop management is very important, as any drop in the level of management will effect productivity. However there are characteristics / factors that can be incorporated into varieties which can buffer the effect of environment and crop management. Pests and diseases can result in severe yield loss and lead to non-sustainable production. Varietal resistance to some of these diseases can be incorporated into rice varieties. Active breeding to incorporate rice resistance to blast, PMV (tungro), bacterial blight and brown planthopper is being currently carried out Factors that determine or justify the active breeding status are: importance of Oe pests diseases, resistance sources and the availability of efficient screening procedure. Sheath blight is also an important disease in direct seeded crops as it can cause severe yield loss, but good resistant sources are not available for incorporation and the screening procedure is also not very efficient. Biotechnologists are working hard to introduce resistance from other crops and also develop other resistance mechanisms for sheath blight. Water, shortage or excess, is a major cause of non-sustainable production. The breeding of short-term varieties can overcome water problems or shortages. Negative interaction between varietal characteristics and environment do occur. Finally farmers have to decide which factors of the environment cannot be easily controlled, and choose the correct varieties in order to achieve sustainable production. (Author)

Reference costs of the electric power production; Couts de reference de la production electrique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-06-01

This study periodically realized by the DGEMP aims to compare the competitiveness of the different channels of electric power production, for different utilization conditions. The first part ''reference costs of the 2003 electric power production'' examines the prices of the electric power produced by different channels in particular in the framework of the industrial implementing in 2015. The nuclear and thermal power plants are concerned. The second part is devoted to the decentralized production channels (wind energy, photovoltaic, cogeneration heat-electricity) is under construction and will be presented next year. (A.L.B.)

Electric distribution systems and embedded generation capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calderaro, V.; Galdi, V.; Piccolo, A.; Siano, P.

2006-01-01

The main policy issues of European States are sustainable energy supply promotion and liberalization of energy markets, which introduced market competition in electricity production and created support mechanisms to encourage renewable electricity production and consumption. As a result of liberalization, any generator, including small-scale and renewable energy based units, can sell electricity on the free market. In order to meet future sustainability targets, connection of a higher number of Distributed Generation (DG) units to the electrical power system is expected, requiring changes in the design and operation of distribution electricity systems, as well as changes in electricity network regulation. In order to assist distribution system operators in planning and managing DG connections and in maximizing DG penetration and renewable sources exploitation, this paper proposed a reconfiguration methodology based on a Genetic Algorithm (GA), that was tested on a 70-bus system with DG units. The simulation results confirmed that the methodology represents a suitable tool for distribution system operators when dealing with DG capacity expansion and power loss issues, providing information regarding the potential penetration network-wide and allowing maximum exploitation of renewable generation. 35 refs., 4 tabs., 6 figs

Food security as a function of Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theodor Friedrich

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The challenge to eradicate hunger and establish food security across all its four pillars (availability, accessibility, health and safety, and continuity is ongoing. The actual situation in global food production leads most of the attention to improving accessibility and safety of food, particularly to vulnerable populations. However, in view of the growth in demand, which includes changes in preferences for example towards food of animal origin, availability and continuity will play larger roles in future. Food production needs to increase over the coming decades at challenging rates, while facing problems of degradation and reduced availability of natural resources for production such as soil and water, and facing increasing challenges from climate change. The actual trends in yield development suggest that a simple gradual improvement of production within the existing concepts will not provide a sustainable or feasible solution, and that more fundamental changes in the agricultural production paradigm are required to face these future challenges. The Sustainable Intensification represents such a change in paradigm in which high production levels are combined with sustainability. The concept of sustainable intensification, the rationale for it and its functional elements, represented by Conservation Agriculture, are presented in this paper.

Planning renewable energy in electric power system for sustainable development under uncertainty – A case study of Beijing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie, S.; Huang, Charley Z.; Huang, G.H.; Li, Y.P.; Chen, J.P.; Fan, Y.R.; Cheng, G.H.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Interval type-2 fuzzy fractional programming is developed to optimize ratio problem. • It is advantageous in reflecting conflicting objectives and complex uncertainties. • Uncertainties existed as interval numbers and type-2 fuzzy intervals are quantified. • Results reveal that share of renewable power generation in gross supply increase. • Alternative to manage mixed energy system with sustainable development is suggested. - Abstract: An interval type-2 fuzzy fractional programming (IT2FFP) method is developed for planning the renewable energy in electric power system for supporting sustainable development under uncertainty. IT2FFP can tackle output/input ratio problems where complex uncertainties are expressed as type-2 fuzzy intervals (T2FI) with uncertain membership functions. The IT2FFP method is then applied to planning Beijing electric power system, where issues of renewable energy utilization, electricity supply security, and pollutant/greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation are incorporated within the modeling formulation. The obtained results suggest that the coal-fired power would continue to decrease and the share of renewable energy in gross electricity supply would maintain an increasing trend. Results also reveal that imported electricity plays a significant role in the city’s energy supply. A number of decision alternatives are also analyzed based on the interval solutions as well as the projected applicable conditions, which represent multiple options with sustainable and economic considerations. The optimal alternative that can give rise to the desirable sustainable option under the maximization of the share of renewable power generation has been suggested. The findings can help decision makers identify desired alternatives for managing such a mixed energy system in association with sustainable development. Compared with the conventional optimization methods that optimize single criterion, it is proved that IT2FFP is

Air pollution restrictions in electrical production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallizioli, G.

1993-01-01

A description of the principal characteristics regarding the Italian electrical power system and the evolution of standardization in air pollution control is given. Afterwards, ENEL (the Italian National Electricity Board) actions in the environmental protection field (with particular respect to thermo-electrical production) are presented. Finally, principal ENEL research programs on new air pollution control technologies are discussed

The Future of Pork Production in the World: Towards Sustainable, Welfare-Positive Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

McGlone, John J

2013-05-15

Among land animals, more pork is eaten in the world than any other meat. The earth holds about one billion pigs who deliver over 100 mmt of pork to people for consumption. Systems of pork production changed from a forest-based to pasture-based to dirt lots and finally into specially-designed buildings. The world pork industry is variable and complex not just in production methods but in economics and cultural value. A systematic analysis of pork industry sustainability was performed. Sustainable production methods are considered at three levels using three examples in this paper: production system, penning system and for a production practice. A sustainability matrix was provided for each example. In a comparison of indoor vs. outdoor systems, the food safety/zoonoses concerns make current outdoor systems unsustainable. The choice of keeping pregnant sows in group pens or individual crates is complex in that the outcome of a sustainability assessment leads to the conclusion that group penning is more sustainable in the EU and certain USA states, but the individual crate is currently more sustainable in other USA states, Asia and Latin America. A comparison of conventional physical castration with immunological castration shows that the less-common immunological castration method is more sustainable (for a number of reasons). This paper provides a method to assess the sustainability of production systems and practices that take into account the best available science, human perception and culture, animal welfare, the environment, food safety, worker health and safety, and economics (including the cost of production and solving world hunger). This tool can be used in countries and regions where the table values of a sustainability matrix change based on local conditions. The sustainability matrix can be used to assess current systems and predict improved systems of the future.

The Future of Pork Production in the World: Towards Sustainable, Welfare-Positive Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John J. McGlone

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Among land animals, more pork is eaten in the world than any other meat. The earth holds about one billion pigs who deliver over 100 mmt of pork to people for consumption. Systems of pork production changed from a forest-based to pasture-based to dirt lots and finally into specially-designed buildings. The world pork industry is variable and complex not just in production methods but in economics and cultural value. A systematic analysis of pork industry sustainability was performed. Sustainable production methods are considered at three levels using three examples in this paper: production system, penning system and for a production practice. A sustainability matrix was provided for each example. In a comparison of indoor vs. outdoor systems, the food safety/zoonoses concerns make current outdoor systems unsustainable. The choice of keeping pregnant sows in group pens or individual crates is complex in that the outcome of a sustainability assessment leads to the conclusion that group penning is more sustainable in the EU and certain USA states, but the individual crate is currently more sustainable in other USA states, Asia and Latin America. A comparison of conventional physical castration with immunological castration shows that the less-common immunological castration method is more sustainable (for a number of reasons. This paper provides a method to assess the sustainability of production systems and practices that take into account the best available science, human perception and culture, animal welfare, the environment, food safety, worker health and safety, and economics (including the cost of production and solving world hunger. This tool can be used in countries and regions where the table values of a sustainability matrix change based on local conditions. The sustainability matrix can be used to assess current systems and predict improved systems of the future.

Products eco-sustainability analysis using CAD SolidWorks software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popa Luminița I.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article is focused on the analysis of environmental impact and Eco-sustainability of models designed using CAD SolidWorks software. We have evaluated the material it was made the whole ansamble, in terms of strength, durability and environmental pollution considering the carbon footprint, energy consumption, air acidification and eutrophication. We considered the whole product life-cycle management, from raw material extraction, processing it, piece production, assembly it, and use it until the end of his life, considering the mode of transport and the distance between these stages. The case study presents the virtual model of the product and Sustainability Report.

Procurement as driver of sustainable product-service innovation

OpenAIRE

Bratt, Cecilia; Broman, Göran; Robèrt, Karl-Henrik; Sophie, Hallstedt

2012-01-01

Current patterns of production and consumption need to change and they need to do so radically. For this shift sustainability-oriented product-services are highly potential contributors. Product-services have been described as a market proposition that extends the functionality of a product beyond the traditional view by inclusion of additional services into the product-service system. From a producer perspective this opens up for a differentiation from competitors and thereby for strategic m...

Agricultural innovations for sustainable crop production intensification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Pisante

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Sustainable crop production intensification should be the first strategic objective of innovative agronomic research for the next 40 years. A range of options exist (often very location specific for farming practices, approaches and technologies that ensure sustainability, while at the same time improving crop production. The main challenge is to encourage farmers in the use of appropriate technologies,  and  to  ensure  that  knowledge  about  sound  production  practices  is  increasingly accepted and applied by farmers. There is a huge, but underutilized potential to link farmers’ local knowledge with science-based innovations, through favourable institutional arrangements.  The same  holds  for  the  design,  implementation  and  monitoring  of  improved  natural  resource management  that  links  community  initiatives  to  external  expertise.  It is also suggested that a comprehensive effort be undertaken to measure different stages of the innovation system, including technological adoption and diffusion at the farm level, and to investigate the impact of agricultural policies on technological change and technical efficiency. This paper provides a brief review of agronomic management practices that support sustainable crop production system and evidence on developments  in the selection of crops and cultivars; describes farming systems for crop which take a predominantly ecosystem approach; discusses the scientific application of ecosystem principles for the management of pest and weed populations; reviews the  improvements in fertilizer and nutrient management that explain productivity growth; describes the benefits and constraints of irrigation technologies; and suggests a way forward. Seven changes in the context for agricultural development are proposed that heighten the need to examine how innovation occurs in the agricultural sector.

Electricity production from biogas in Serbia: Assessment of emissions reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cvetković Slobodan M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Biogas represents a promising source for the production of clean energy. The objective of this paper was to quantify the potential for the reduction of emissions to the environment during the production of electricity from biogas in comparison with environmental effects of the production of the same amount of electricity from fossil resources (coal from Kolubara basin and natural gas. Basis for comparison of environmental impacts in this work was the annual production of electricity in biogas plants of the total capacity of 80 MW. This study has shown that the annual production of electricity from biogas power plants of 80 MW results in: substitution of up to 840 kt of coal from Kolubara basin and 123.2 million m3 of natural gas; reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases in the range of 491.16 kt - 604.97 kt CO2-eq, depending on the energy efficiency of the process of electricity production from biogas; reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases up to 92.37 kt CO2-eq compared to the use of natural gas for electricity generation.

Sustainability of agricultural production in communal areas of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Access to financial support was limited due to lack of collateral and high production risk where farmers' production is solely based on natural and unreliable rainfall patterns and therefore unsustainable. Strategies to improve food security should receive priority to support sustainable resource management, increase access ...

10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production

Science.gov (United States)

One of the important programmatic outcomes from the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was the adoption of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).

Duurzaamheid en grondstoffen voor diervoeding = Sustainability and feed commodity production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gosselink, J.M.J.; Bindraban, P.S.; Bos, J.F.F.P.

2010-01-01

This study creates a preliminary framework to judge the sustainability of production of agricultural commodities for the purpose of animal nutrition. Criteria are selected according to the economic, societal and ecological dimensions of sustainability.

Electricity and Sustainability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jørgen

1998-01-01

This invited presentation first deals with the potentials and environmantal advantages of reducing electricity demand. The policies for implementing these savings are dicussed and proposal for future strategies are suggested. The mephasis is on the conflicts between a free European trade with ele......This invited presentation first deals with the potentials and environmantal advantages of reducing electricity demand. The policies for implementing these savings are dicussed and proposal for future strategies are suggested. The mephasis is on the conflicts between a free European trade...

LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Maiorano

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The development of society is based on the existence of food resources. The past half-century has seen marked growth in food production, allowing for a dramatic decrease in the proportion of the world’s people that are hungry, despite a doubling of the total population. Recently, the FAO predicted a higher increase of the consumption of foods of animal origin by 2050. So far, the increased demand for food has been supplied by agriculture due to an improvement of techniques, an increase of cultivated land areas and an increase of water and energy consumption. The environmental assessment of human activities is presently a hot topic. It is not only important from an ecological perspective, but also from the view of efficient utilization of limited natural resources. The livestock sector that increasingly competes for scarce resources (land, water, and energy has a severe impact on air, water and soil quality because of its emissions. The environmental impact of food of animal origin is currently quantified by so-called CO2eq-footprints. Therefore, in the future, it will be necessary to achieve a sustainable supply of food, especially of animal origin, because land and other production factors are not unlimited resources. This lecture deals with related problems linked to the production of foods of animal origin and some possible sustainable solutions for the increasing demand of these products, by means of a detailed analysis of the carbon footprint by the livestock, as well as the land requirement, biodiversity, energy and water footprint in livestock production.

Co-production of hydrogen and electricity with CO{sub 2} capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arienti, S.; Cotone, P.; Davison, J. [Foster Wheeler Italiana (Italy)

2007-07-01

This paper summarizes the results of a study carried out by Foster Wheeler for the IEA Greenhouse Gas R & D Programme that focused on different IGCC configurations with CO{sub 2} capture and H{sub 2} production. The three following main cases are compared: production of hydrogen, with minimum amount of electricity for a stand-alone plant production; co-production of the optimum hydrogen/electricity ratio; and co-production of hydrogen and electricity in a flexible plant that varies the hydrogen/electricity ratio. The paper reviews three available gasification technologies and presents the results of a more detailed evaluation of the selected one. The scope of this paper is to underline possible advantages of hydrogen and electricity co-production from coal, that is likely going to replace natural gas and petroleum as a source of hydrogen in the long term. Expected advantage of co-production will be the ability to vary the hydrogen/electricity ratio to meet market demands. A natural gas, diesel and gasoline demand market analysis has been performed for the Netherlands and the USA to determine the expected future hydrogen demand. Plant performance and costs are established and electric power production costs are evaluated. Electricity and hydrogen co-production plants are compared to plants that produce electricity only, with and without CO{sub 2} capture, to evaluate the costs of CO{sub 2} avoidance. 4 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

Case Study of Electrical Energy Requirement for Various Needs in a Desert Dwelling

OpenAIRE

Sadiq Ali Shah; Abdul Fatah Abbasi; Jawaid Daudpoto

2013-01-01

case study of electrical energy requirement for various needs in a desert dwelling is carried out in order to explore an indigenous self-sustained electrical power generation process, which can provide means to produce electrical power, potable water and agricultural production. The objective of such study is to develop a self-sustainable and self-contained electrical energy system that can cater for energy needs for the people living in such remote areas. The study is carried out on a micro ...

Nuclear energy technology innovation and restructuring electric power industry for sustainable development in Korea in 21st century - issues and strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, B.W.; Chae, K.N.

2001-01-01

After TMI and Chernobyl accidents, concerns on nuclear safety and radiation health risk from radioactive wastes become the target issues for anti-nuclear. Nevertheless, nuclear power is a substantial contributor to the world electricity production, supplying more than 16 % of global electricity. The objectives of Korean nuclear energy technology innovation are to improve safety, economic competitiveness, energy security and the effectiveness of radioactive waste management in harmony with environment. Meeting such objectives, public concerns on safety and health risks would be cleared. Innovative nuclear energy system will certainly enhance socio-political acceptance and enable wider application of nuclear energy for sustainable development in Korea in the 21st Century. In parallel to such technology innovations, the effective first phase restructuring of electric power industry is in progress to enhance management efficiency and customer services. The power generation division of the former state-run utility, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) was separated and divided into six companies - five thermal power and one hydro and nuclear power generation companies - in last April. After the reorganization of KEPCO and the break-up of monopoly, the new electric power industry will be driven by market force. (author)

Decentralized electricity production. v. 1 and 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The first part of the symposium is concerned with market analysis, case studies and prospectives for the decentralized production of electricity in France: cogeneration, heat networks, municipal waste incineration, etc. Financing systems and microeconomical analysis are presented. The second part is devoted to macroeconomical outlooks (France and Europe mainly) on decentralized electricity production (cogeneration, small-scale hydroelectric power plants), to other countries experience (PV systems connected to the grid, cogeneration, etc.) and to price contracts and regulations

Energy, exergy and sustainability analyses of hybrid renewable energy based hydrogen and electricity production and storage systems: Modeling and case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caliskan, Hakan; Dincer, Ibrahim; Hepbasli, Arif

2013-01-01

In this study, hybrid renewable energy based hydrogen and electricity production and storage systems are conceptually modeled and analyzed in detail through energy, exergy and sustainability approaches. Several subsystems, namely hybrid geothermal energy-wind turbine-solar photovoltaic (PV) panel, inverter, electrolyzer, hydrogen storage system, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), battery and loading system are considered. Also, a case study, based on hybrid wind–solar renewable energy system, is conducted and its results are presented. In addition, the dead state temperatures are considered as 0 °C, 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C, while the environment temperature is 30 °C. The maximum efficiencies of the wind turbine, solar PV panel, electrolyzer, PEMFC are calculated as 26.15%, 9.06%, 53.55%, and 33.06% through energy analysis, and 71.70%, 9.74%, 53.60%, and 33.02% through exergy analysis, respectively. Also, the overall exergy efficiency, ranging from 5.838% to 5.865%, is directly proportional to the dead state temperature and becomes higher than the corresponding energy efficiency of 3.44% for the entire system. -- Highlights: ► Developing a three-hybrid renewable energy (geothermal–wind–solar)-based system. ► Undertaking a parametric study at various dead state temperatures. ► Investigating the effect of dead state temperatures on exergy efficiency

Sustainability of organic food production: challenges and innovations.

Science.gov (United States)

Niggli, Urs

2015-02-01

The greatest challenge for agriculture is to reduce the trade-offs between productivity and long-term sustainability. Therefore, it is interesting to analyse organic agriculture which is a given set of farm practices that emphasise ecological sustainability. Organic agriculture can be characterised as being less driven by off-farm inputs and being better embedded in ecosystem functions. The literature on public goods and non-commodity outputs of organic farms is overwhelming. Most publications address the positive effects of organic farming on soil fertility, biodiversity maintenance and protection of the natural resources of soil, water and air. As a consequence of focusing on public goods, organic agriculture is less productive. Meta-analyses show that organic agriculture yields range between 0·75 and 0·8 of conventional agriculture. Best practice examples from disadvantaged sites and climate conditions show equal or, in the case of subsistence farming in Sub-Saharan Africa, higher productivity of organic agriculture. Hence, organic agriculture is likely to be a good model for productive and sustainable food production. Underfunding in R&D addressing specific bottlenecks of organic agriculture are the main cause for both crop and livestock yield gaps. Therefore, the potential for improving the performance of organic agriculture through agricultural research is huge. Although organic farming is a niche in most countries, it is at the verge of becoming mainstream in leading European countries. Consumer demand has grown over the past two decades and does not seem to be a limiting factor for the future development of organic agriculture.

Relay cropping as a sustainable approach: problems and opportunities for sustainable crop production.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanveer, Mohsin; Anjum, Shakeel Ahmad; Hussain, Saddam; Cerdà, Artemi; Ashraf, Umair

2017-03-01

Climate change, soil degradation, and depletion of natural resources are becoming the most prominent challenges for crop productivity and environmental sustainability in modern agriculture. In the scenario of conventional farming system, limited chances are available to cope with these issues. Relay cropping is a method of multiple cropping where one crop is seeded into standing second crop well before harvesting of second crop. Relay cropping may solve a number of conflicts such as inefficient use of available resources, controversies in sowing time, fertilizer application, and soil degradation. Relay cropping is a complex suite of different resource-efficient technologies, which possesses the capability to improve soil quality, to increase net return, to increase land equivalent ratio, and to control the weeds and pest infestation. The current review emphasized relay cropping as a tool for crop diversification and environmental sustainability with special focus on soil. Briefly, benefits, constraints, and opportunities of relay cropping keeping the goals of higher crop productivity and sustainability have also been discussed in this review. The research and knowledge gap in relay cropping was also highlighted in order to guide the further studies in future.

Sustainable production program in the Mexican mining industry: occupational risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Zavala Reyna

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Speaking of mining and sustainability sounds contradictory, as the environmental impact generated by resource extraction is well known. However, there are mining companies that are working to be safe and environmentally friendly. An example of this is presented in this study aimed at identifying occupational risks generated by the activities of a small-scale gold and silver mine located in northwestern Mexico. The methodology followed was a Sustainable Production Program (SPP based on a continuous cycle of five steps in which the tools of cleaner production and pollution prevention are adapted. As a result of this project, it was possible to implement SPP activities: training for workers, use of personal protective equipment and adequate handling of chemicals. As a conclusion, it was verified that SPP application helped this mining company move towards sustainable patterns of production.

Product Lifecycle Management and Sustainable Space Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Caruso, Pamela W.; Dumbacher, Daniel L.; Grieves, Michael

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of product lifecycle management (PLM) in the general aerospace industry, its use and development at NASA and at Marshall Space Flight Center, and how the use of PLM can lead to sustainable space exploration.

Energy budget and greenhouse gas balance evaluation of sustainable coppice systems for electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lettens, Suzanna; Muys, Bart; Ceulemans, Reinhart; Moons, Ellen; Garcia, Juan; Coppin, Pol

2003-01-01

The use of bio-energy crops for electricity production is considered an effective means to mitigate the greenhouse effect, mainly due to its ability to substitute fossil fuels. A whole range of crops qualify for bio-energy production and a rational choice is not readily made. This paper evaluates the energy and greenhouse gas balance of a mixed indigenous hardwood coppice as an extensive, low-input bio-energy crop. The impact on fossil energy use and greenhouse gas emission is calculated and discussed by comparing its life cycle (cultivation, processing and conversion into energy) with two conventional bio-energy crops (short rotation systems of willow and Miscanthus). For each life cycle process, the flows of fossil energy and greenhouse gas that are created for the production of one functional unit are calculated. The results show that low-input bio-energy crops use comparatively less fossil fuel and avoid more greenhouse gas emission per unit of produced energy than conventional bio-energy crops during the first 100 yr. Where the mixed coppice system avoids up till 0.13 t CO 2 eq./GJ, Miscanthus does not exceed 0.07 t CO 2 eq./GJ. After 100 yr their performances become comparable, amounting to 0.05 t CO 2 eq./ha/GJ. However, if the land surface itself is chosen as a functional unit, conventional crops perform better with respect to mitigating the greenhouse effect. Miscanthus avoids a maximum of 12.9 t CO 2 eq./ha/yr, while mixed coppice attains 9.5 t CO 2 eq./ha/yr at the most

Beyond purchasing: Electric vehicle adoption motivation and consistent sustainable energy behaviour in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, Annemijn Maron; van der Werff, Ellen; Steg, Emmalina

Adoption of smart energy technologies, such as electric vehicles (EVs), can significantly reduce fossil energy use, provided that adopters of an EV also use the EV in a sustainable way. Hence, it is key to understand which factors affect the likelihood that the adoption of EVs promotes the

Links between livestock production, the environment and sustainable development.

Science.gov (United States)

Pradbre, J-P

2014-12-01

This study examines the prospects for strong growth in the supply and demand for animal products worldwide, especially in developing countries, where 80% of the world's population lives. Based on scientific publications, statistics and field observations, it reviews greenhouse gas emission levels from livestock, the ability of ruminant livestock systems to sequester carbon and the capacity of the livestock industry to meet the challenge of sustainable development and to share its benefits while minimising impacts to climate change. Special attention is paid to the situation of the 800 million livestock farmers in the world living at the extreme end of poverty. The study underlines the importance of improving livestock productivity and the interdependence of the economic, environmental and social components of sustainable development. It highlights how, in the least developed countries and most lower-middle-income countries, the pressure exerted by animal diseases hampers efforts to improve livestock productivity. Poor livestock farmers have not sufficiently benefited from development policies and need support to adopt technological advances to meet the challenges of sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Biogeochemical research priorities for sustainable biofuel and bioenergy feedstock production in the Americas

Science.gov (United States)

Hero T. Gollany; Brian D. Titus; D. Andrew Scott; Heidi Asbjornsen; Sigrid C. Resh; Rodney A. Chimner; Donald J. Kaczmarek; Luiz F.C. Leite; Ana C.C. Ferreira; Kenton A. Rod; Jorge Hilbert; Marcelo V. Galdos; Michelle E. Cisz

2015-01-01

Rapid expansion in biomass production for biofuels and bioenergy in the Americas is increasing demand on the ecosystem resources required to sustain soil and site productivity. We review the current state of knowledge and highlight gaps in research on biogeochemical processes and ecosystem sustainability related to biomass production. Biomass production systems...

GAMMA RADIATION INTERACTS WITH MELANIN TO ALTER ITS OXIDATION-REDUCTION POTENTIAL AND RESULTS IN ELECTRIC CURRENT PRODUCTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turick, C.; Ekechukwu, A.; Milliken, C.

2011-05-17

The presence of melanin pigments in organisms is implicated in radioprotection and in some cases, enhanced growth in the presence of high levels of ionizing radiation. An understanding of this phenomenon will be useful in the design of radioprotective materials. However, the protective mechanism of microbial melanin in ionizing radiation fields has not yet been elucidated. Here we demonstrate through the electrochemical techniques of chronoamperometry, chronopotentiometry and cyclic voltammetry that microbial melanin is continuously oxidized in the presence of gamma radiation. Our findings establish that ionizing radiation interacts with melanin to alter its oxidation-reduction potential. Sustained oxidation resulted in electric current production and was most pronounced in the presence of a reductant, which extended the redox cycling capacity of melanin. This work is the first to establish that gamma radiation alters the oxidation-reduction behavior of melanin, resulting in electric current production. The significance of the work is that it provides the first step in understanding the initial interactions between melanin and ionizing radiation taking place and offers some insight for production of biomimetic radioprotective materials.

Towards Sustainable Production of Formic Acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulushev, Dmitri A; Ross, Julian R H

2018-03-09

Formic acid is a widely used commodity chemical. It can be used as a safe, easily handled, and transported source of hydrogen or carbon monoxide for different reactions, including those producing fuels. The review includes historical aspects of formic acid production. It briefly analyzes production based on traditional sources, such as carbon monoxide, methanol, and methane. However, the main emphasis is on the sustainable production of formic acid from biomass and biomass-derived products through hydrolysis and oxidation processes. New strategies of low-temperature synthesis from biomass may lead to the utilization of formic acid for the production of fuel additives, such as methanol; upgraded bio-oil; γ-valerolactone and its derivatives; and synthesis gas used for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of hydrocarbons. Some technological aspects are also considered. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Environmental sustainability assessment of palm biodiesel production in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silalertruksa, Thapat; Gheewala, Shabbir H.

2012-01-01

The study assesses the environmental sustainability of palm biodiesel production systems in Thailand by focusing on their energy efficiency and environmental impact potentials. The Net Energy Balance (NEB) and Renewability indicate energy gain for palm biodiesel and its co-products as compared to fossil energy inputs. In addition, life cycle assessment also reveals lower values of environmental impact potentials of biodiesel as compared to conventional diesel. For example, palm biodiesel can provide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of around 46–73% as compared to diesel. Nitrogen-fertilizer production and application in the plantation and the air emissions from the ponds treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) are found to be the major environmental aspects. However, the energy and environmental performances depend on various factors such as the management efficiency of empty fruit bunches (EFB) and POME and the possible land-use change in the future. Recommendations are made for improving environmental performance of palm biodiesel and for securing the long-term availability of crude palm oil supply with a view towards sustainable palm biodiesel production. -- Highlights: ► Environmental sustainability of palm biodiesel production in Thailand is assessed. ► Palm biodiesel can provide GHG reduction of around 46–73% as compared to diesel. ► Net energy ratio and renewability of palm biodiesel both range between 2 and 4. ► Efficient use of by-products in the value chain enhances environmental benefits.

Electrical stimulation of schwann cells promotes sustained increases in neurite outgrowth.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppes, Abigail N; Nordberg, Andrea L; Paolillo, Gina M; Goodsell, Nicole M; Darwish, Haley A; Zhang, Linxia; Thompson, Deanna M

2014-02-01

Endogenous electric fields are instructive during embryogenesis by acting to direct cell migration, and postnatally, they can promote axonal growth after injury (McCaig 1991, Al-Majed 2000). However, the mechanisms for these changes are not well understood. Application of an appropriate electrical stimulus may increase the rate and success of nerve repair by directly promoting axonal growth. Previously, DC electrical stimulation at 50 mV/mm (1 mA, 8 h duration) was shown to promote neurite outgrowth and a more pronounced effect was observed if both peripheral glia (Schwann cells) and neurons were co-stimulated. If electrical stimulation is delivered to an injury site, both the neurons and all resident non-neuronal cells [e.g., Schwann cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts] will be treated and this biophysical stimuli can influence axonal growth directly or indirectly via changes to the resident, non-neuronal cells. In this work, non-neuronal cells were electrically stimulated, and changes in morphology and neuro-supportive cells were evaluated. Schwann cell response (morphology and orientation) was examined after an 8 h stimulation over a range of DC fields (0-200 mV/mm, DC 1 mA), and changes in orientation were observed. Electrically prestimulating Schwann cells (50 mV/mm) promoted 30% more neurite outgrowth relative to co-stimulating both Schwann cells with neurons, suggesting that electrical stimulation modifies Schwann cell phenotype. Conditioned medium from the electrically prestimulated Schwann cells promoted a 20% increase in total neurite outgrowth and was sustained for 72 h poststimulation. An 11-fold increase in nerve growth factor but not brain-derived neurotrophic factor or glial-derived growth factor was found in the electrically prestimulated Schwann cell-conditioned medium. No significant changes in fibroblast or endothelial morphology and neuro-supportive behavior were observed poststimulation. Electrical stimulation is widely used in

Sustained attention in language production: an individual differences investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jongman, Suzanne R; Roelofs, Ardi; Meyer, Antje S

2015-01-01

Whereas it has long been assumed that most linguistic processes underlying language production happen automatically, accumulating evidence suggests that these processes do require some form of attention. Here we investigated the contribution of sustained attention: the ability to maintain alertness over time. In Experiment 1, participants' sustained attention ability was measured using auditory and visual continuous performance tasks. Subsequently, employing a dual-task procedure, participants described pictures using simple noun phrases and performed an arrow-discrimination task while their vocal and manual response times (RTs) and the durations of their gazes to the pictures were measured. Earlier research has demonstrated that gaze duration reflects language planning processes up to and including phonological encoding. The speakers' sustained attention ability correlated with the magnitude of the tail of the vocal RT distribution, reflecting the proportion of very slow responses, but not with individual differences in gaze duration. This suggests that sustained attention was most important after phonological encoding. Experiment 2 showed that the involvement of sustained attention was significantly stronger in a dual-task situation (picture naming and arrow discrimination) than in simple naming. Thus, individual differences in maintaining attention on the production processes become especially apparent when a simultaneous second task also requires attentional resources.

A systemic approach to the discussion of sustainability of nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aegerter, Irene

2001-01-01

In 1998 the four Swiss Scientific Academies formed a working group to study sustainability of electricity production. Having been a member of this group since the beginning I witnessed the evolution of the discussion that led to a consensus. The group found the criteria of sustainability to be special for nuclear energy. While the resource uranium is not needed for any other purpose and thus the use of uranium is sustainable, the possible harm to future generations by nuclear reactors is difficult to evaluate: the potential damage can be large but the probability of its occurrence is very small. Therefore some people judge nuclear power as an environmentally friendly source of electricity production and an important contribution towards a sustainable energy future whereas others look at the potential damage and value nuclear power as not sustainable. The discussion of alternatives then reveals that it is definitely not sustainable to replace nuclear power by fossil fuels. This was a consensus reached by the members of the working group, which consists of the pro and anti nuclear camp. Sustainable energy production is a complex topic and not easy to tackle with our everyday methods. The group decided to solve the problem with a systemic approach to get to know the hidden and indirect effects of electricity production and usage. A system approach brings a new concept into the often blocked discussion of proponents and antinuclear people. In order to assure that a holistic evaluation results which reaches a high degree of consensus, several subgroups were formed representing divergent views on the issues analysed. These groups do not communicate their findings while work on their cross impact matrices (CIMs) is under way. The results are compared and discrepancies are discussed. Usually this shows that once the wording of the variables is corrected and their interpretations are shared by the parties involved, consensus concerning evaluations is achieved

MILP approaches to sustainable production and distribution of meal elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Akkerman, Renzo; Wang, Yang; Grunow, Martin

2009-01-01

This paper studies the production and distribution system for professionally prepared meals, in which a new innovative concept is applied. The concept aims to improve the sustainability of the system by distributing meal elements super-chilled in the conventional cold chain. Here, sustainability...

Architectural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Site Documents Associated with Sustainability Base, N232

Science.gov (United States)

Grymes, Rosalind A.; Martin, Rodney Alexander; Dianati, Soheila

2016-01-01

These files contain more precise and accurate representations of the architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and site information pertaining to Sustainability Base, aka Collaborative Support Facility, aka N232. These supersede the 'bid' drawings released in STI 8112 previously. They are useful for NASA researchers and collaborators in modeling the performance characteristics of the facility. Otherwise, they do not contain new data.

78 FR 20176 - Credit for Renewable Electricity Production, Refined Coal Production, and Indian Coal Production...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-03

..., Refined Coal Production, and Indian Coal Production, and Publication of Inflation Adjustment Factors and... renewable electricity production, refined coal production, and Indian coal production under section 45... resources, and to 2013 sales of refined coal and Indian coal produced in the United States or a possession...

77 FR 21835 - Credit for Renewable Electricity Production, Refined Coal Production, and Indian Coal Production...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-11

..., Refined Coal Production, and Indian Coal Production, and Publication of Inflation Adjustment Factors and... electricity production, refined coal production, and Indian coal production under section 45. DATES: The 2012... sales of refined coal and Indian coal produced in the United States or a possession thereof. Inflation...

Solar power for energy sustainability and environmental friendliness of Curtin University Sarawak

Science.gov (United States)

Palanichamy, C.; Goh, Alvin

2016-03-01

The demand on electrical energy is rapidly increasing. Everything around us requires electrical energy either during its production or usage stage. Sustainability has become the main concern nowadays as the availability of fossil fuels is limited. As renewable energy is the path-way to energy sustainability and environmental friendly environment, this paper proposes a solar power system for Curtin University Sarawak to reduce its electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed 208 kW solar system saves an energy consumption of more than 380,000 kWh per year, and a CO2 offset by 285 Tons per year

Solar power for energy sustainability and environmental friendliness of Curtin University Sarawak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palanichamy, C; Goh, Alvin

2016-01-01

The demand on electrical energy is rapidly increasing. Everything around us requires electrical energy either during its production or usage stage. Sustainability has become the main concern nowadays as the availability of fossil fuels is limited. As renewable energy is the path-way to energy sustainability and environmental friendly environment, this paper proposes a solar power system for Curtin University Sarawak to reduce its electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed 208 kW solar system saves an energy consumption of more than 380,000 kWh per year, and a CO 2 offset by 285 Tons per year (paper)

Production function application attempt in electricity generation forecasting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamrat, W.; Augusiak, A.

1996-01-01

A modified Cobb-Douglas production function is applied to evaluate level of electricity generation for medium and long term prognosis (up to 2010) in an easy and simple way. The test calculations have been done for hard coal fired power plants, based on generation data supplied in Main Statistical Office of Poland publications.The model of electricity generation is defined using data on capital of a typical productivity power plant and its employment for time series 1980-90. The test calculation results based on the parameters of Rosenbroock's optimization procedure of electricity generation model are presented. The method described is distinguished for its high accuracy as compared to classical methods despite the relatively short time series. It is suitable for studies in electricity generation policy . 1 tab

Productivity incentives in the electricity sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunekreeft, G.

2000-01-01

July 19, 1999, the Netherlands Electricity Regulatory Service ('Dienst uitvoering en toezicht elektriciteitswet Dte) issued the consultation document 'Price-cap regulation in the electric power sector'. The document is strongly based on a modern, UK inspired method of regulation. The methods, as proposed in the document, will have an impact on the final electricity tariffs, and thus of great importance for the consumers and the businesses involved. In this article the most striking element in the consultation document is discussed: how to determine the X (i.e. the expected growth of the productivity) in the price-cap regulation

Sustainable Palm Oil Production For Bioenergy Supply Chain

OpenAIRE

Ng, Wai Kiat

2009-01-01

A bioenergy supply chain is formed by many parts which from the raw material, biomass feedstock until the distribution and utilisation. The upstream activity is always managed in a sustainable way in order to be capable enough to support the downstream activity. In this dissertation, the sustainable production of palm oil is focused and researched through problem identification and solving by using the operation management perspective and practices. At first, the global biomass industry is st...

Sustainable energy conversion for electricity and coproducts principles, technologies, and equipment

CERN Document Server

Rao, Ashok

2015-01-01

Provides an introduction to energy systems going on to describe various forms of energy sources Provides a comprehensive and a fundamental approach to the study of sustainable fuel conversion for the generation of electricity and for coproducing synthetic fuels and chemicals Covers the underlying principles of physics and their application to engineering including thermodynamics of combustion and power cycles, fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer Details the coproduction of fuels and chemicals including key equipment used in synthesis and specific examples of coproduction in integrated

Potentials for Sustainable Commercial Biofuels Production in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The focus of this paper is to underscore the major potentials for production of biofuels in Nigeria and the problems that may be encountered. It also examined those potentials and how they can be exploited for a sustainable commercial production in a way that brings benefits to the country both in the short and long term.

Forage based animal production systems and sustainability, an invited keynote

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Forages are essential for the successful operation of animal production systems. This is more relevant to ruminants which are heavily dependant upon forages for their health and production in a cost-effective and sustainable manner. While forages are an economical source of nutrients for animal production, they also help conserve the soil integrity, water supply and air quality. Although the role of these forages for animal production could vary depending upon the regional preferences for the animal and forage species, climate and resources, their importance in the success of ruminant production is acknowledged. However with the increasing global human population and urbanisation, the sustainability of forage based animal production systems is sometimes questioned due to the interrelationship between animal production and the environment. It is therefore vital to examine the suitability of these systems for their place in the future to supply quality food which is safe for human consumption and available at a competitive price to the growing human population. Grassland and forage crops are recognised for their contribution to the environment, recreation and efficiency of meat and milk production,. To maintain sustainability, it is crucial that such farming systems remain profitable and environmentally friendly while producing nutritious foods of high economical value. Thus, it is pertinent to improve the nutritive value of grasses and other forage plants in order to enhance animal production to obtain quality food. It is also vital to develop new forages which are efficiently utilised and wasted less by involving efficient animals. A combination of forage legumes, fresh or conserved grasses, crop residues and other feeds could help develop an animal production system which is economically efficient, beneficial and viable. Also, it is crucial to use efficient animals, improved forage conservation methods, better manure handling, and minimum

An Evaluation of Holistic Sustainability Assessment Framework for Palm Oil Production in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chye Ing Lim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Palm oil based biodiesel offers an alternative energy source that can reduce current dependence on conventional fossil fuels and may reduce greenhouse gas (GHG emissions depending on the type of feedstock and processes used. In the Malaysian context, the palm oil industry not only provides high-yield, renewable feedstock to the world, it brings socio-economic development to the Malaysian rural community and contributes to the national income. However, the sustainability of palm oil remains controversial, due to deforestation, pollution and social conflicts associated with its production. Sustainability assessment is vital for the palm oil industry to identify weaknesses, improve its sustainability performance and improve consumer confidence. This paper proposes a holistic sustainability assessment framework for palm oil production with the aim to address the weaknesses of existing palm oil sustainability assessment methods. It identifies environmental, social and economic Headline Performance Indicators, Key Performance Indicators and their Performance Measures in crude palm oil production in a structured framework. Each quantitative/semi-quantitative performance measure is translated into Likert Scale of 1–5, where 3 is the threshold value, 5 is the ideal condition, and 1 is the worst case scenario. Calculation methods were established for the framework to provide quantitative assessment results. The framework was tested using a hypothetical example with data from existing studies. The results suggest that crude palm oil production in Malaysia is below the sustainability threshold. Evaluations of this sustainability assessment framework also demonstrate that it is a comprehensive assessment method for assessing sustainability of feedstock for biofuel production.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Composite Data Products | Hydrogen and Fuel

Science.gov (United States)

Cells | NREL Vehicle Composite Data Products Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Composite Data Products The following composite data products (CDPs) focus on current fuel cell electric vehicle evaluations Cell Operation Hour Groups CDP FCEV 39, 2/19/16 Comparison of Fuel Cell Stack Operation Hours and Miles

Wood Energy Production, Sustainable Farming Livelihood and Multifunctionality in Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Huttunen, Suvi

2012-01-01

Climate change and the projected depletion of fossil energy resources pose multiple global challenges. Innovative technologies offer interesting possibilities to achieve more sustainable outcomes in the energy production sector. Local, decentralized alternatives have the potential to sustain livelihoods in rural areas. One example of such a…

Design decision support for sustainable, healthier and more productive buildings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zeiler, W.; Maaijen, H.N.; Maassen, W.H.; Morawska, L.; Dear, de R.

2012-01-01

There is a clear need for more sustainable, healthier and thus more productive solutions within the built environment. However at the moment the initial investment costs for applying new and more sustainable solutions for a good Indoor Air Quality within buildings are higher than the traditional

Electric power and vegetable oil for the sustainable development of the Rio Ouro Preto, Rondonia, BR extractive reservation; Eletricidade e oleo vegetal para o desenvolvimento sustentavel da reserva extrativista do Rio Ouro Preto em Rondonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melo, Ana Teresa Siqueira; Lascio, Marco Alfredo Di; Dias, Elizabete Moreira; Hutin, Jill Rochelle Anahita [Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), DF (Brazil). Faculdade de Tecnologia. Depto. de Eng. Eletrica]. E-mails: anateresa22@bol.com.br; marcodilascio@unb.br; bete.cead@gmail.com; bete.cead@gmail.com

2006-07-01

This article gives an option of sustainable development of the area, through the implementation of two small vegetable oil extraction industries, use of the residues for electric power generation, commercialization of ecological tourism products and two small furniture industries.

Productivity in Swedish electricity retail distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjalmarsson, L.; Veiderpass, A.

1992-01-01

This paper examines productivity growth in electricity retail distribution in Sweden in a multiple output-multiple input framework. The approach used is nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Productivity is measured by means of the Malmquist index. Productivity comparisons are made between different types of ownership and between different service areas. The study indicates a high rate of productivity growth, due to economics of density, when measured over a period of 17 years. The results show no significant differences in productivity growth between different types of ownership or economic organization. (20 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.)

Multi-dimensional sustainability framework to evaluate forest and wood energy production; Moniulotteinen kestaevyyden arviointikehikko puuenergian tuotannolle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leskinen, P.; Kaehkoenen, T.; Laehtinen, K.; Pasanen, K.; Pitkaenen, S.; Sironen, S.; Myllyviita, T.; Sikanen, L.; Asikainen, A.

2012-02-15

The future economy will be more and more dependent on the sustainable use of natural resources, at least if the views on the importance and possibilities of the bioeconomy are realized in practice. The sustainability of the use of natural resources has previously been studied from the perspective of ecological sustainability in particular. Social sustainability has also been examined in several studies. On the other hand, economic sustainability is a prerequisite for developing business activities. As defining and framing of cultural sustainability is challenging, up to now it has only been discussed to some extent, although the importance of cultural sustainability has not been understated. When developing the sustainability of the use of natural resources, all the above-mentioned dimensions of sustainability are present in parallel and they need to be acknowledged in decision-making. The starting point of this study is that natural resources need to be used sustainably and that different options for utilizing natural resources need to be compared from the sustainability perspective, without giving higher priority to any sustainability dimension compared to others beforehand. In this study four production chains based on energy use of forest biomass were examined: (1) local district heating based on forest chips, (2) combined heat and power with wood and peat, (3) wood pellet production from by-products of the wood product industry, and (4) biodiesel production based on wood and peat. The indicators for different sustainability dimensions in the studied production chains were determined through expert interviews and the indicator values were determined through literature review and interviews. The mathematical examination of sustainability was based on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) so that a computational tool suitable for the calculations was developed. In total, 20 - 40 indicators were defined for each sustainability dimension; out of these, five to

Legal framework for a sustainable biomass production for bioenergy on Marginal Lands

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgarten, Wibke; Pelikan, Vincent

2017-04-01

The EU H2020 funded project SEEMLA is aiming at the sustainable exploitation of biomass for bioenergy from marginal lands in Europe. Partners from Germany, Italy, Ukraine and Greece are involved in this project. Whereas Germany can be considered as well-established and leading country with regard to the production of bioenergy, directly followed by Italy and Greece, Ukraine is doing its first steps in becoming independent from fossil energy resources, also heading for the 2020+ goals. A basic, overarching regulation is the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) which has been amended in 2015; these amendments will be set in force in 2017. A new proposal for the period after 2020, the so called RED II, is under preparation. With cross-compliance and greening, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) offers measures for an efficient and ecological concept for a sustainable agriculture in Europe. In country-specific National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP) a concept for 2020 targets is given for practical implementation until 2030 which covers e.g. individual renewable energy targets for electricity, heating and cooling, and transport sectors, the planned mix of different renewables technologies, national policies to develop biomass resources, and measures to ensure that biofuels are used to meet renewable energy targets are in compliance with the EU's sustainability criteria. While most of the NREAP have been submitted in 2010, the Ukrainian NREAP was established in 2014. In addition, the legal framework considering the protection of nature, e.g. Natura 2000, and its compartments soil, water, and atmosphere are presented. The SEEMLA approach will be developed in agreement with this already existing policy framework, following a sustainable principle for growing energy plants on marginal lands (MagL). Secondly, legislation regarding bioenergy and biomass potentials in the EU-28 and partner countries is introduced. For each SEEMLA partner an overview of regulatory

Sustainable thermal technologies and care homes: Productive alignment or risky investment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neven, Louis; Walker, Gordon; Brown, Sam

2015-01-01

The use of more sustainable thermal technologies is a policy imperative across the UK building stock. However, not all building uses provide the same opportunities for technology uptake as others. Care homes for older people have characteristics which in technical and economic terms suggest that they might be particularly appropriate for the implementation of more sustainable thermal technologies. They have comparatively high demands for space heating and hot water often sustained on a 24/7 basis. However there are many considerations, both generic and contextual, that will typically play into processes of technology uptake. Through qualitative research in six case study homes, focused on management and staff perspectives and experiences, we explore the degree to which there might be a productive alignment between care home operation and the use of sustainable thermal technologies. Two key themes emerge focused on business considerations and the importance of avoiding risk and damage to reputation; and the ways in which different thermal technologies are relevant to and can potentially impact on care practices. We conclude that despite potential benefits the sector could remain rather resistant to sustainability innovations. We suggest therefore areas in which productive action and further research could be undertaken. -- Highlights: •Care homes for older people might be particularly appropriate for the use of sustainable thermal technologies. •We examine if a productive alignment between care homes and the use of sustainable thermal technologies does exist in practice. •Two key themes are risks to business reputation; and relevance and potential benefits to care practices. •We conclude that the sector could remain rather reluctant to embrace sustainability innovation

A review of wireless power transfer for electric vehicles: Prospects to enhance sustainable mobility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bi, Zicheng; Kan, Tianze; Mi, Chunting Chris; Zhang, Yiming; Zhao, Zhengming; Keoleian, Gregory A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Reviewed technology advances and sustainability performance of WPT for EVs. • Identified the technical bottlenecks for improving system performance. • Highlighted system performance of case studies and real-world demonstrations. • Evaluated energy, environmental, economic, and societal impacts of WPT deployment. • Defined WPT challenges and opportunities for enhancing future sustainable mobility. - Abstract: Wireless power transfer (WPT), which transmits power by an electromagnetic field across an intervening space, provides the prospect of new opportunities for electric vehicles (EVs) to enhance sustainable mobility. This review article evaluates WPT technology for EV applications from both technical and sustainability perspectives. The objectives of this review include: (1) to present the state-of-the-art technical progress and research bottlenecks in WPT development and applications in the transportation sector; (2) to characterize the demonstrations of the real-world deployment of WPT EV systems; and (3) to evaluate the sustainable performance and identify challenges and opportunities for improvement. From the technical perspective, progress on coil design, compensation topologies, and power electronics converters and control methods are reviewed with a focus on system performance. From the sustainability perspective, performance is defined in terms of energy, environmental, and economic metrics, and policy drivers and issues of health and safety are also examined.

Sustainable electricity generation by solar pv/diesel hybrid system without storage for off grids areas

Science.gov (United States)

Azoumah, Y.; Yamegueu, D.; Py, X.

2012-02-01

Access to energy is known as a key issue for poverty reduction. The electrification rate of sub Saharan countries is one of the lowest among the developing countries. However this part of the world has natural energy resources that could help raising its access to energy, then its economic development. An original "flexy energy" concept of hybrid solar pv/diesel/biofuel power plant, without battery storage, is developed in order to not only make access to energy possible for rural and peri-urban populations in Africa (by reducing the electricity generation cost) but also to make the electricity production sustainable in these areas. Some experimental results conducted on this concept prototype show that the sizing of a pv/diesel hybrid system by taking into account the solar radiation and the load/demand profile of a typical area may lead the diesel generator to operate near its optimal point (70-90 % of its nominal power). Results also show that for a reliability of a PV/diesel hybrid system, the rated power of the diesel generator should be equal to the peak load. By the way, it has been verified through this study that the functioning of a pv/Diesel hybrid system is efficient for higher load and higher solar radiation.

Sustainable electricity generation by solar pv/diesel hybrid system without storage for off grids areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azoumah, Y; Yamegueu, D; Py, X

2012-01-01

Access to energy is known as a key issue for poverty reduction. The electrification rate of sub Saharan countries is one of the lowest among the developing countries. However this part of the world has natural energy resources that could help raising its access to energy, then its economic development. An original 'flexy energy' concept of hybrid solar pv/diesel/biofuel power plant, without battery storage, is developed in order to not only make access to energy possible for rural and peri-urban populations in Africa (by reducing the electricity generation cost) but also to make the electricity production sustainable in these areas. Some experimental results conducted on this concept prototype show that the sizing of a pv/diesel hybrid system by taking into account the solar radiation and the load/demand profile of a typical area may lead the diesel generator to operate near its optimal point (70-90 % of its nominal power). Results also show that for a reliability of a PV/diesel hybrid system, the rated power of the diesel generator should be equal to the peak load. By the way, it has been verified through this study that the functioning of a pv/Diesel hybrid system is efficient for higher load and higher solar radiation.

Measures For Achieving Sustainable Rabbit Production In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was conducted to ascertain ways of achieving sustainable rabbits production in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study population involved 120 respondents comprising 40 students and 80 farmers. Two sets of structured questionnaire designed with a 4-point Likert type rating scale ...

Electricity from biomass in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Beuge, M.J.J.; Sillevis Smit, E.T.

2004-01-01

In the past decade, the international community has ta-ken various measures towards achieving a more sustainable energy supply and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, among which the conclusion of the Kyoto protocol. Both the European Union and The Netherlands regard the large scale use of biomass for the production of electricity as an important instrument towards achieving the aforementioned policy goals. In this regard the European Union introduced the Renewables Directive, the implementation of which in The Netherlands has recently been completed. In connection with the above, The Netherlands' Minister for Economic Affairs recently published the Biomass Action Plan, aimed at increasing - in the short term - energy production, in particular electricity production, from biomass. This article provides insight into the outlines of the legal framework that is relevant for the production of electricity from biomass in The Netherlands. Following a brief introduction to the relationship between bio energy and biomass, as well as a short introduction to the most important ways in which biomass contributes to the production of electricity in The Netherlands, the article sketches the contours of the European and Dutch policies and related legislation regarding the production of electricity from biomass. In particular, this article describes the Dutch legislation aimed at subsidising and thus promoting the production of electricity from biomass, as well as the requirements with which electricity production installations making use of biomass must comply for an environmental and/or waste perspective [nl

AN APPLICATION FOR ELECTRICAL PRODUCTION WITH SOLAR TOWER SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reşat SELBAŞ

2003-02-01

Full Text Available The requirement of electric energy rises with increasing of the population and faster improvement demands. Energy necessity generally is provided by using fossil based fuel sources. In order to supply energy requirements, today, using alternative sources became necessary because of the problems such as decreasing of available fossil fuel sources and environment pollution from this fuel. The solar energy which has a wide range of application potential is the most hopeful and unlimited energy source without environment pollution in electric energy production. In this paper, the electric production methods from solar energy are studied and the most suitable method for solar energy plant is tried to find out. The selected method, known as Solar Tower in literature is an electric production method. In this study, technical and cost analysis of an application using this method are carried out.

Management of surplus electricity-production from a fluctuating renewable-energy source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, H.

2003-01-01

Renewable-energy sources and energy efficiency are important elements in Danish Energy Policy. The implementation of wind power and combined heat- and power-production (CHP) have already led to substantial fuel savings, and both technologies are intended for further expansion in the coming decade. Today, approximately 50% of both Danish electricity and heat demand are produced via CHP, and more than 15% of the electricity demands are produced by wind turbines. However, the electricity production from these technologies is linked to fluctuations either in wind or in heat demands rather than fluctuations in demand for electricity. Consequently, the electricity production exceeds the demand during certain periods and creates a problem of ''surplus production''. This paper discusses and analyses different national strategies for solving this problem. (author)

Interdependence of Agricultural Production and Environment and the Road to Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Curić Jasmina

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainability of agricultural production in the world is in serious crisis. Interdependence of agricultural production and the environment is multiple and causality works both ways. On one hand, there are environmental changes which hamper food production, and on the other, the agricultural production, as it is, is severely damaging the environment. The very systems of agricultural production jeopardize future production. The goal of this paper is to explore causes of limitations of sustainable agricultural development in the world, where the authors emphasize the following: gas emissions with greenhouse effect, a disturbed cycle of nitrogen circulation and destruction of biodiversity.

Wind energy for a sustainable development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karagali, Ioanna; Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Sempreviva, Anna Maria

2014-01-01

of both the wind energy related research activities and the wind energy industry, as installed capacity has been increasing in most of the developed and developing countries. The DTU Wind Energy department carries the heritage of the Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy by leading the research......Wind energy is on the forefront of sustainable technologies related to the production of electricity from green sources that combine the efficiency of meeting the demand for growth and the ethical responsibility for environmental protection. The last decades have seen an unprecedented growth...... developments in all sectors related to planning, installing and operating modern wind farms at land and offshore. With as many as 8 sections the department combines specialists at different thematic categories, ranging from meteorology, aeroelastic design and composite materials to electrical grids and test...

The electricity certificate system, 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-07-01

The electricity certificate system is a market based support system to assist the expansion of electricity production in Sweden from renewable energy sources and peat. Its objective is to increase the production of electricity from such sources by 17 TWh by 2016 relative to the production level in 2002. It is part of the country's overall objective of moving Sweden towards a more ecologically sustainable energy system. This report describes the market status of the electricity certificate system, and includes statistics from 2003 to 2006. It is our aim to create a forum for continuously developing the statistical material and analyses, in order to assist those involved in the market, and all other interested persons, to follow achievement of the objectives set out in the Government's Bill No. 2005/06:154, Renewable Electricity with Green Certificates. It is also our aim that, in future, each issue of the report should include a more in depth theme article on some particular subject. This year the report provides expanded information and statistics on wind power. Electricity certificates are issued to those who produce electricity from various renewable energy sources, and from peat, and who have had their production plants approved by the Swedish Energy Agency. To date, certificates have been issued to producers of electricity from biofuels and peat, wind power, hydro power and solar energy. Production from the renewable sources amounted to 11.6 TWh in 2006, which is 5.1 TWh more than corresponding production in 2002

Sustainable rice production in the Muda area of Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho Nai Kin; Foong Kam Chong; Kamarudin Dahuli

2002-01-01

The Green Revolution has generated both positive as well as negative effects on the rice agroecosystem in the Muda area. The major obstacles to sustainable rice production are water shortage, natural hazards, disease epidemics, pest outbreaks, urban and industrial development, as well as structural changes in the farming community. The Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) has adopted a proactive approach in addressing these problems. The improvement in management in the Muda area comprises the following strategies: i) Improvement in water use efficiency through intensification of tertiary irrigation systems, ii) Optimisation of drainage water utilisation through recycling, iii) Establishment of a Management Information System to support operational decisions, iv) Conservation of catchment vegetation for sustainable water resources, v) Implementation of Integrated Pest Management programmes, vi) Mobilisation of farmers in dynamic group activities, vii) Integration of farmers participatory experiments in the extension programmes. The above mentioned approaches have contributed to the attainment of high cropping intensity yield enhancement, and sustainability of rice production in the Muda area. (Author)

Conflicts when liberalising network industries: towards a sustainable development of the European power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wohlgemuth, N.; Madlener, R.

2002-01-01

The impacts of the changes in the industrial organisation of the (European) electricity supply industry pull in different directions. Pairs of largely antithetic issues in the transition towards a more liberalised electricity supply industry include: competition vs monopoly; efficiency vs equity and/or public service considerations; short-term vs long-term policy goals; slow vs rapid transition to a more competition-oriented industry structure; permanent vs temporary regulation; light-handed vs heavy-handed regulation; centralised vs decentralised regulation; and public vs private ownership. Because of the increasing recognition of the importance of sustainability, this paper aims to shed some light on the various impacts of electricity sector reform on sustainable development and, in turn, on how sustainable development policies tend to affect the electricity sector. We find that for a transition towards a more sustainable development in the electricity sector it is crucial that increased energy production and use does not outweigh the (efficiency, equity, social, environmental, etc.) gains that are, or have been, achieved towards sustainable development. In this respect an internalisation of external costs, which includes the abolition of subsidies for non-sustainable energy carriers ('first-best solution'), or an explicit accounting of the benefits offered by renewable and efficiency technologies ('second-best solution'), plus rigorous energy saving and energy efficiency promotion measures, are paramount on the path towards sustainability. (author)

Making Sustainable Consumption and Production the Core of Sustainable Development Goals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lewis Akenji

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that sustainable consumption and production (SCP should play a prominent role in the formulation and implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs and discusses how this could be practically done. Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production have been declared the primary cause of environmental deterioration. This was clearly recognized already at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (or the Rio Summit in 1992; and this recognition has been reconfirmed in all high-level sustainability meetings since then. SCP aims to change these patterns; it is a policy agenda for addressing the root causes of our ecological predicament, while, at the same time, providing for human wellbeing and prosperity. Drawing from international agreements, practical policy experience and research from a range of disciplines, the paper provides a clarifying framework for scientifically robust, policy-relevant and practical goal-setting for SCP within the SDGs. Special attention is given to how SCP in the SDGs can create synergies with other international policy initiatives. The paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of two possible options for reflecting SCP in the SDGs framework: (i SCP as a stand-alone goal; and (ii SCP as a cross-cutting objective, embedded within relevant goals. While these two options are not necessarily mutually exclusive, given the competing number of issues for prioritization and the fact that a 10-Year Framework of Programs on SCP has also recently been established, it is hardly foreseeable that both options can be realized. The paper further proposes a set of basic principles for SCP at the global level and makes recommendations towards the formulation of indicators supporting SCP objectives in the SDGs.

Sustainable Development Mechanism of Food Culture’s Translocal Production Based on Authenticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guojun Zeng

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Food culture is a kind of non-material culture with authenticity. To achieve sustainable development of translocal heritage and food culture, we must protect its authenticity. By selecting the cases of the Dongbeiren Flavor Dumpling Restaurant and the Daozanjia Northeast Dumpling Restaurant and using the in-depth interview method, this study discusses how northeastern Cuisine in Guangzhou balances the inheritance and innovation of authenticity, how producers and customers negotiate, and how to realize sustainable development. The main conclusions are: first, there are two different paths of translocal food culture production, which are “authentic food culture production” and “differentiated food culture production”. Second, what translocal enterprises produce is not objective authenticity, but constructive authenticity, or even existential authenticity. Third, compared with differentiated food culture production, authentic food culture production is helpful for the sustainable development of local food culture production. It protects the locality while transmitting and developing the local culture. Fourth, translocal food culture production is a process in which the producers and consumers continue to interact to maintain a state of equilibrium, which informs the sustainable development mechanism with a high degree of authenticity.

Natural gas and production of electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Defago, E.

2005-01-01

The forthcoming power supply shortage in Switzerland due to increasing consumption is discussed, as are the possibilities for securing the future supply. Today, the main sources are hydroelectric (roughly 55 %) and nuclear (40 %) power. The share of electricity from natural gas amounts to only 1.4 %. The possibilities of further economic production of hydropower are practically exhausted. Therefore, further electric power has to be either imported or generated from other energy sources (renewable, nuclear, fossil) in the country itself. Due to the low acceptance of nuclear energy and the limited potential of renewable energy sources, natural gas is the most favoured candidate. The advantages of distributed production in cogeneration plants are compared with the centralized production in larger plants using combined cycles. Finally, a project currently under development is presented: an existing thermal power plant fueled with heavy fuel oil shall be refurbished and converted to natural gas as the new fuel

The Impact of Socio-Economic Indicators on Sustainable Consumption of Domestic Electricity in Lithuania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergej Vojtovic

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Lithuania is one of the EU Member States, where the rate of energy consumption is comparatively low but consumption of electricity has been gradually increasing over the last few years. Despite this trend, households in only three EU Member States consume less electricity than Lithuanian households. The purpose of this research is to analyse the impact of socio-economic factors on the domestic electricity consumption in Lithuania, i.e., to establish whether electricity consumption is determined by socio-economic conditions or population’s awareness to save energy. Cointegration analysis, causality test and error-correction model were used for the analysis. The results reveal that there is a long run equilibrium relationship between residential electricity consumption per capita and GDP at current prices as well as the ratio of the registered unemployed to the working-age population. In consequence, the results of the research propose that improvement of living standards for Lithuanian community calls for the necessity to pay particular attention to the promotion of sustainable electricity consumption by providing consumers with appropriate information and feedback in order to seek new energy-related consumption practices.

Sustainability of electricity supply technology portfolio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, Stefan; Hirschberg, Stefan; Bauer, Christian; Burgherr, Peter; Heck, Thomas; Schenler, Warren; Dones, Roberto

2008-01-01

This paper outlines the approach to the evaluation of sustainability of current and future electricity supply options of interest for a major Swiss utility Axpo Holding AG. The motivation behind this effort has been to provide a solid basis for a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary assessment and use this framework within a dialog with a wide spectrum of stakeholders. The development and implementation of the methodology was coordinated by Axpo in co-operation with the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) and other scientific institutions. The evaluation covers environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. Methods used include among others Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Impact Pathway Approach (IPA) and Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA). The associated databases developed by PSI have been extensively used, subject to major extensions necessary for analysing the future technologies. Learning curves were employed for future cost estimates. Furthermore, particularly in the social area expert surveys were used. The results were aggregated using total (internal plus external) costs approach and Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). For MCDA a set of criteria and the associated indicators was established. In total 75 indicators were quantified, including 11 environmental, 33 social and 31 economic. 18 current and 18 future technologies have been analysed including nuclear as well as fossil and renewable technologies. Total costs were estimated for these technologies providing a clear ranking with nuclear having the lowest costs and some of the renewable showing remarkable cost reductions until 2030. This ranking is partially controversial mainly due to the limited representation of social aspects in the total costs. The results of MCDA-applications involving elicitation of preferences from a relatively homogeneous stakeholder group, i.e. 85 employees of the Axpo Group (including also NOK, EGL, CKW and Axpo IT), are summarized. In addition, sensitivity of

Sustainability of electricity supply technology portfolio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, Stefan; Hirschberg, Stefan; Bauer, Christian; Burgherr, Peter; Dones, Roberto; Heck, Thomas; Schenler, Warren

2009-01-01

This paper outlines the approach to the evaluation of sustainability of current and future electricity supply options of interest for a major Swiss utility Axpo Holding AG. The motivation behind this effort has been to provide a solid basis for a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary assessment and use this framework within a dialog with a wide spectrum of stakeholders. The development and implementation of the methodology was coordinated by Axpo in co-operation with the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) and other scientific institutions. The evaluation covers environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. Methods used include among others life cycle assessment (LCA), impact pathway approach (IPA) and probabilistic safety assessment (PSA). The associated databases developed by PSI have been extensively used, subject to major extensions necessary for analyzing the future technologies. Learning curves were employed for future cost estimates. Furthermore, particularly in the social area expert surveys were used. The results were aggregated using total (internal plus external) costs approach and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). For MCDA a set of criteria and the associated indicators was established. In total 75 indicators were quantified, including 11 environmental, 33 social and 31 economic. Eighteen current and 18 future technologies have been analysed including nuclear as well as fossil and renewable technologies. Total costs were estimated for these technologies providing a clear ranking with nuclear having the lowest costs and some of the renewables showing remarkable cost reductions until 2030. This ranking is partially controversial mainly due to the limited representation of social aspects in the total costs. The results of MCDA-applications involving elicitation of preferences from a relatively homogeneous stakeholder group, i.e. 85 employees of the Axpo Group (including also NOK, EGL, CKW and Axpo IT), are summarized. In addition

The Building sector commitment to promote the sustainability of construction products: a common European approach for the Environmental Product Performances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caterina Gargari

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The industry of construction products plays an important role in Europe in promoting the sustainability of the built environment in a life cycle perspective. Within the framework of the European initiatives for a sustainable competitiveness, manufacturers are interested in promoting a life cycle approach along the building chain. However both, institutions and building operators, in general still have to go a long way on designing and applying a sustainable and competitive industrial policy. This paper aims to describe the European background, the regulatory framework, identifying gaps and the actions to be undertaken to promote a market for sustainable products and sustainable buildings. In particular this paper deals with the assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products between the operators in the building chain, as a prerequisite for the sustainability of the built environment, and outlines the strategies to implement a proper evaluation and communication process.

Strategic Sustainable Electric Power Energy for Ethiopia:- Electric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mengesha

Present trend in electrical engineering education; ... (EERS) USA plans to reduce its electric energy ... at the distribution center, step-down to low voltage. (400 V .... Ethiopian market and in use [13]. .... involved in the teaching EEPCo students.

Is sustainable development attainable? Challenges facing forestry and the forest products industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wrist, P.E.

1991-01-01

The challenges that face the forest industry in achieving sustainable development are reviewed. Sustainable development is not the same as sustained yield forest management. While sustained yield limits harvesting to an estimate of a forest's incremental annual growth, it is a policy which neither takes into account how improved forest management practices can increase future growth rates nor gives guidance on how multiple uses for the forest resource can be made compatible with periodic harvesting of that resource. Forests, in addition to meeting demands for timber production, must also meet demands for watershed management, recreation, preservation of wildlife and genetic diversity, moderation of climates, carbon sequestration, and land reclamation. Information is lacking from which to develop improved forest management programs that take these demands into account. Questions remain about such matters as the role of plantations in sustainable forestry and the maintenance of natural diversity. Some recent research being undertaken to generate better information for future forestry decision making is outlined, including work on gene pool maintenance, the interdependence of forest ecology and climate, the symbiotic role of mycorrhiza, forest fertilization, and the interdependence of sustainable forestry and sustainable fisheries. In the forest products industry, engineered wood products have been developed that meet tight specifications and require less raw material, and process changes have been introduced that greatly reduce pollutants from pulp manufacture

Do sustainability experienced travellers prefer a more rational communication of the sustainability of a tourism product?

OpenAIRE

Wehrli, Roger; Priskin, Julianna; Schaffner, Dorothea; Schwarz, Juerg; Stettler, Juerg

2013-01-01

This study examines empirically in four countries which communication style (emotional or rational) is most appropriate to address sustainability experienced travellers. There are only small differences compared to the average tourist. Rational communication elements which explain the sustainability of the product become more important for this specific customer group. However, most emotional communication elements are still more important in most countries, indicating that experienced touris...

Environmental aspects of decentralized electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, J.P.

1991-01-01

Renewable energy sources are the focus of considerable interest because they do not place future generations at risk; the development of cogeneration has been favorably received on the whole because it uses energy that would otherwise be lost. Difficulties are sometimes encountered in the development of small-scale hydroelectric facilities (older facilities negative aspects, over production impression in France, etc.). Environmental protection regulations do not distinguish between centralized and decentralized electricity production, but between large and small production facilities

Soil management practices for sustainable crop production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abalos, E.B.

2005-01-01

In a sustainable system, the soil is viewed as a fragile and living medium that must be protected and nurtured to ensure its long-term productivity and stability. However, due to high demand for food brought about by high population as well as the decline in agricultural lands, the soil is being exploited beyond its limit thus, leading to poor or sick soils. Sound soil management practices in the Philippines is being reviewed. The technologies, including the advantages and disadvantages are hereby presented. This includes proper cropping systems, fertilizer program, soil erosion control and correcting soil acidity. Sound soil management practices which conserve organic matter for long-term sustainability includes addition of compost, maintaining soil cover, increasing aggregates stability, soil tilt and diversity of soil microbial life. A healthy soil is a key component to sustainability as a health soil produce healthy crop plants and have optimum vigor or less susceptible to pests. (author)

Sustainable development perspectives of poultry production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vaarst, Mette; Steenfeldt, Sanna; Horsted, Klaus

2015-01-01

or more of the four aspects, e.g., pollution and antibiotic use, biodiversity (environmental aspects), conditions for farm workers and animal welfare (social aspects), governance of the food chain (institutional aspects), and the development of poultry from a valuable food to a cheap staple food...... throughout major parts of the world (economic aspects). There are numerous potential pathways for sustainable development of poultry production. Poultry are living, sentient animals that can be well integrated into many different types of urban and rural farming systems, where they benefit from...... and contribute to such systems and to the livelihood of households around the globe, with special emphasis on women. Furthermore, local production provides potential for production with minimum transport and, concomitantly, minimum usage of fossil fuels. Among the terrestrial animals, poultry has the best...

Life cycle assessment of sustainable raw material acquisition for functional magnetite bionanoparticle production.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadhukhan, Jhuma; Joshi, Nimisha; Shemfe, Mobolaji; Lloyd, Jonathan R

2017-09-01

savings could be achieved per g MNP and associated electricity recoveries from wastewaters, respectively. The significant environmental benefits exhibited by the wastewater-fed MNP biosynthesis system shows promise for the sustainable production of MNPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

evaluation of electricity consumer's behaviour towards electricity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Energy efficiency and sustainability: evaluation of electricity consumer's behaviour towards electricity usage and energy conservation. ... Remember me ... particularly about electricity consumer's attitudes, behaviour and practices with respect ...

Effects of Kosovo's energy use scenarios and associated gas emissions on its climate change and sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabashi, Skender; Bekteshi, Sadik; Ahmetaj, Skender; Kabashi, Gazmend; Najdovski, Dimitrij; Zidansek, Aleksander; Slaus, Ivo

2011-01-01

Climate change will be the first truly global challenge for sustainability. Energy production and consumption from fossil fuels has central role in respect to climate change, but also to sustainability in general. Because climate change is regionally driven with global consequences and is a result of economic imperatives and social values, it requires a redefinition as to the balance of these outcomes globally and regionally in Kosovo. Kosovo as one of the richest countries with lignite in Europe, with 95-97% of the electric power production from lignite and with 90% of vehicles over 10 years old, represents one of the regions with the greatest ratio of CO 2 emissions per unit of GDP, as well as one of the countries with the most polluted atmosphere in Europe. The modelling is carried out regionally for Kosovo for two dynamical systems which are the main emitters of greenhouse gases (CO 2 , CH 4 , NO x , etc.) and air pollutants (CO, SO 2 , dust CH x , etc.): electricity generation and transportation emissions systems, for the time period 2000-2025. Various energy scenarios of the future are shown. We demonstrate that a transition to environmentally compatible sustainable energy use in Kosovo is possible. Implementing the emission reduction policies and introducing new technologies in electrical power production and transportation in Kosovo ensure a sustainable future development in Kosovo, electric power production and transport that become increasingly environmentally compatible.

Nuclear Energy - Hydrogen Production - Fuel Cell: A Road Towards Future China's Sustainable Energy Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhiwei Zhou

2006-01-01

Sustainable development of Chinese economy in 21. century will mainly rely on self-supply of clean energy with indigenous natural resources. The burden of current coal-dominant energy mix and the environmental stress due to energy consumptions has led nuclear power to be an indispensable choice for further expanding electricity generation capacity in China and for reducing greenhouse effect gases emission. The application of nuclear energy in producing substitutive fuels for road transportation vehicles will also be of importance in future China's sustainable energy strategy. This paper illustrates the current status of China's energy supply and the energy demand required for establishing a harmonic and prosperous society in China. In fact China's energy market faces following three major challenges, namely (1) gaps between energy supply and demand; (2) low efficiency in energy utilization, and (3) severe environmental pollution. This study emphasizes that China should implement sustainable energy development policy and pay great attention to the construction of energy saving recycle economy. Based on current forecast, the nuclear energy development in China will encounter a high-speed track. The demand for crude oil will reach 400-450 million tons in 2020 in which Chinese indigenous production will remain 180 million tons. The increase of the expected crude oil will be about 150 million tons on the basis of 117 million tons of imported oil in 2004 with the time span of 15 years. This demand increase of crude oil certainly will influence China's energy supply security and to find the substitution will be a big challenge to Chinese energy industry. This study illustrates an analysis of the market demands to future hydrogen economy of China. Based on current status of technology development of HTGR in China, this study describes a road of hydrogen production with nuclear energy. The possible technology choices in relation to a number of types of nuclear reactors are

Management of surplus electricity-production from a fluctuating renewable-energy source

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Henrik; Münster, E.

2003-01-01

The paper discusses and analyses different national strategies for solving a surplus production problem in Denmark, caused by electricity production from turbines and CHP.......The paper discusses and analyses different national strategies for solving a surplus production problem in Denmark, caused by electricity production from turbines and CHP....

Bioeconomic Sustainability of Cellulosic Biofuel Production on Marginal Lands

Science.gov (United States)

Gutierrez, Andrew Paul; Ponti, Luigi

2009-01-01

The use of marginal land (ML) for lignocellulosic biofuel production is examined for system stability, resilience, and eco-social sustainability. A North American prairie grass system and its industrialization for maximum biomass production using biotechnology and agro-technical inputs is the focus of the analysis. Demographic models of ML biomass…

Sustainable production of biologically active molecules of marine based origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Patrick M; Moane, Siobhan; Collins, Catherine; Beletskaya, Tanya; Thomas, Olivier P; Duarte, Alysson W F; Nobre, Fernando S; Owoyemi, Ifeloju O; Pagnocca, Fernando C; Sette, L D; McHugh, Edward; Causse, Eric; Pérez-López, Paula; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Moreira, Ma T; Rubiolo, Juan; Leirós, Marta; Botana, Luis M; Pinteus, Susete; Alves, Celso; Horta, André; Pedrosa, Rui; Jeffryes, Clayton; Agathos, Spiros N; Allewaert, Celine; Verween, Annick; Vyverman, Wim; Laptev, Ivan; Sineoky, Sergei; Bisio, Angela; Manconi, Renata; Ledda, Fabio; Marchi, Mario; Pronzato, Roberto; Walsh, Daniel J

2013-09-25

The marine environment offers both economic and scientific potential which are relatively untapped from a biotechnological point of view. These environments whilst harsh are ironically fragile and dependent on a harmonious life form balance. Exploitation of natural resources by exhaustive wild harvesting has obvious negative environmental consequences. From a European industry perspective marine organisms are a largely underutilised resource. This is not due to lack of interest but due to a lack of choice the industry faces for cost competitive, sustainable and environmentally conscientious product alternatives. Knowledge of the biotechnological potential of marine organisms together with the development of sustainable systems for their cultivation, processing and utilisation are essential. In 2010, the European Commission recognised this need and funded a collaborative RTD/SME project under the Framework 7-Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) Theme 2 Programme 'Sustainable culture of marine microorganisms, algae and/or invertebrates for high value added products'. The scope of that project entitled 'Sustainable Production of Biologically Active Molecules of Marine Based Origin' (BAMMBO) is outlined. Although the Union is a global leader in many technologies, it faces increasing competition from traditional rivals and emerging economies alike and must therefore improve its innovation performance. For this reason innovation is placed at the heart of a European Horizon 2020 Strategy wherein the challenge is to connect economic performance to eco performance. This article provides a synopsis of the research activities of the BAMMBO project as they fit within the wider scope of sustainable environmentally conscientious marine resource exploitation for high-value biomolecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated weed management for sustainable rice production: concepts, perspectives and options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amartalingam Rajan

2002-01-01

Weed management has always been in some way integrated with cultural and biological methods, probably occurring more fortuitously than purposefully. Experience has shown that repeated use of any weed control technique especially in monocultures production systems results in rapid emergence of weeds more adapted to the new practice. In intensive high input farming systems, heavy selection pressure for herbicide tolerant weeds and the environmental impacts of these inputs are important tissues that require a good understanding of agroecosystem for successful integration of available options. Rice culture, in particular flooded rice culture has always employed integration through an evolution of management practices over the generations. However, a vast majority office farmers in Asia have yet to achieve the high returns realised by farmers elsewhere, where a near optimum combination of high inputs are being effectively integrated for maximum productivity. In addition to technological and management limitations, farmers in developing countries are faced with social, economic and policy constraints. On the other hand, farmers who had achieved considerable increases in productivity through labour replacing technologies, in particular direct seeding with the aid of herbicides, are now faced with issues related to environmental concerns due to high levels of these inputs. The issues facing weed scientists and farmers alike in managing weeds effectively and in a manner to ensure sustainability have become more challenging than ever before. In the last two decades, no issue has been discussed so. intensively as Sustainable Farming, Sustainable Agriculture or Alternative Agriculture within the broader global concept of Sustainable Development. To address these challenges a clear perspective of sustainable farming is essential. This paper addresses these concepts, perspectives and options for choices in weed management for sustainable rice production. (Author)

Sustainable consumption and production in the food supply chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Govindan, Kannan

2018-01-01

Increased globalization and a growing world population have a great impact on the sustainability of supply chains, especially within the food industry. The way food is produced, processed, transported, and consumed has a great impact on whether sustainability is achieved throughout the whole food...... supply chain. Due to the complexity that persists in coordinating the members of food supply chain, food wastage has increased over the past few years. To achieve sustainable consumption and production (SCP), food industry stakeholders need to be coordinated and to have their views reflected...... in an optimized manner. However, not much research has been done concerning the influence of stakeholders and supply chain members’ coordination in the food industry's SCP context. To facilitate the theory development for SCP, in this work, a short literature review on sustainable supply chain management...

Sustainability of biomass electricity systems. An estimate of costs, macro-economic and environmental impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van den Broek, R

2001-01-01

Since the 1990s there has been a renewal of interest in the possibility of sustainable generating energy from biomass, an interest driven in part by the climate issue. Other motives are the search for alternatives for parts of Western agriculture and progress in the technological feasibility of efficiently producing high-quality energy from biomass. World-wide this renewed interest has led to a clear increase in research, demonstration and commercial implementation of biomass energy systems. A recent thesis concludes that biomass can contribute to all aspects of sustainability. In the context of sustainable development (often viewed as a concept having economic, social and ecological dimensions), the central question asked by this Ph.D. research is: How do biomass electricity systems compare to fossil-fuel systems and to the land-use that they may replace, in terms of costs, macro-economic and environmental impacts. This article presents a number of conclusions

Socio-cultural sustainability of pig production: Citizen perceptions in the Netherlands and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boogaard, B.K.; boekhorst, L.J.S.; Oosting, S.J.

2011-01-01

positive and six negative aspects on the farms for which they had to write a motivation. The qualitative analysis resulted in seven socio-cultural themes (SCT) of pig production namely: 1) meat production, 2) farm activities, 3) farm income, 4) animals, 5) housing system, 6) environment and nature, and 7......Many sustainability studies of animal production consider three pillars: the economic, environmental and socio-cultural. Farmers and animal scientists tend to put most emphasis on the economic and environmental pillar and largely ignore the socio-cultural pillar. Socio-cultural sustainability...... to gain further insights into socio-cultural sustainability of pig production. Many citizens may not know what contemporary pig production actually entails. To give people a real life experience with pig production, we conducted farm visits with citizen panels with 18 respondents in the Netherlands and 8...

A Mathematical Programming Approach to the Optimal Sustainable Product Mix for the Process Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noha M. Galal

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The increasing concerns about the environment and the depletion of natural resources are the main drivers for the growing interest in sustainability. Manufacturing operations are frequently considered to have an adverse effect on the environment. Hence, the sustainable operation of manufacturing facilities is a vital practice to ensure sustainability. The aim of this paper is to find the optimum product mix of a manufacturing facility to maximize its sustainability. A mixed integer non-linear programming model is developed to specify the product mix in order to maximize a proposed sustainability index (SI of a manufacturing facility. The sustainability index comprises the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability in a weighted form using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP. The model results allow the identification of the prospective improvements of manufacturing sustainability.

An Economic Evaluation of Binary Cycle Geothermal Electricity Production

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fitzgerald, Crissie

2003-01-01

.... Variables such as well flow rate, geothermal gradient and electricity prices were varied to study their influence on the economic payback period for binary cycle geothermal electricity production...

Scenarios for the hierarchical evaluation of the global sustainability of electric generator plants; Escenarios para la evaluacion jerarquica de la sustentabilidad global de plantas generadoras de electricidad

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roldan A, M.C.; Martinez F, M. [Centro de Investigacion en Energia, UNAM, A.P. 34, 62580 Temixco, Morelos (Mexico)]. e-mail: mcra@cie.unam.mx

2007-07-01

The AHP multi criteria method was applied (Analytic Hierarchy Process-Analytic process of Hierarchization) to evaluate the sustainability in the whole life cycle of the electricity generation technologies (hydroelectric, carboelectric, thermoelectric natural fuel oil, natural gas thermoelectric, geothermal, nucleo electric, wind electric, photo thermic and photovoltaic) with the purpose of offering an useful method in the taking of decisions to impel the sustainable development. Eight scenarios are analyzed. The results in most of the scenarios reflect the benefit of the renewable energy: the hydroelectric energy, photo thermic and wind driven its are those more sustainable. To reach the sustainable development in Mexico, the energy politicians should be more near to the use of the renewable energy. (Author)

Sustainable Chemical Processes and Products. New Design Methodology and Design Tools

OpenAIRE

Korevaar, G.

2004-01-01

The current chemical industry is not sustainable, which leads to the fact that innovation of chemical processes and products is too often hazardous for society in general and the environment in particular. It really is a challenge to implement sustainability considerations in the design activities of chemical engineers. Therefore, the main question of this thesis is: how can a trained chemical engineer develop a conceptual design of a chemical process or a chemical product in such a way that ...

The Role of Sustained Attention in the Production of Conjoined Noun Phrases: An Individual Differences Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jongman, Suzanne R; Meyer, Antje S; Roelofs, Ardi

2015-01-01

It has previously been shown that language production, performed simultaneously with a nonlinguistic task, involves sustained attention. Sustained attention concerns the ability to maintain alertness over time. Here, we aimed to replicate the previous finding by showing that individuals call upon sustained attention when they plan single noun phrases (e.g., "the carrot") and perform a manual arrow categorization task. In addition, we investigated whether speakers also recruit sustained attention when they produce conjoined noun phrases (e.g., "the carrot and the bucket") describing two pictures, that is, when both the first and second task are linguistic. We found that sustained attention correlated with the proportion of abnormally slow phrase-production responses. Individuals with poor sustained attention displayed a greater number of very slow responses than individuals with better sustained attention. Importantly, this relationship was obtained both for the production of single phrases while performing a nonlinguistic manual task, and the production of noun phrase conjunctions in referring to two spatially separated objects. Inhibition and updating abilities were also measured. These scores did not correlate with our measure of sustained attention, suggesting that sustained attention and executive control are distinct. Overall, the results suggest that planning conjoined noun phrases involves sustained attention, and that language production happens less automatically than has often been assumed.

Fiscal planning of private electricity production projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthier, R.

2002-01-01

Various fiscal considerations frequently encountered in the context of the planning of private electricity production projects were described. Two major themes were discussed: 1) the different jurisdictional vehicles that can be used during the planning of private electricity production projects and the associated fiscal considerations, and 2) the two main fiscal incentives of the Income Tax Act (Canada) which could impact on the financing and operation costs of such a project, namely the accelerated amortization and the possibility of deducting the costs associated to renewable energies and energy savings in Canada. This was a general presentation that did not go into specific details and did not represent a legal opinion. refs

AGROECOSYSTEMS SUSTAINABILITY OF CASSAVA PRODUCTION OF PARAÍBA RURAL AREA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BIOGRAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valdenildo Pedro da Silva

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Agriculture modernization resulting from green revolution occurred through means of diverse technological innovations as soluble fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural machinery and genetically modified seeds, aimed at increasing food production. However, the indiscriminate use of these innovations by farmers has been highlighted numerous environmental problems, affecting the productive agricultural system. This technological innovations reality and environmental obstacles, is also been experienced by cassava production in Paraíba rural area. Therefore, this study tried to assess the agroecosystems sustainability of cassava production (Manihot esculenta Crantz of Paraíba Rural Mesoregion, using Sustainable Development Index (S³ method, and its graphical representation, the Biogram. The results showed sustainability differences between the agroecosystems of investigated municipalities, of which Araçagi showed stable levels of sustainability, Araruna and Bananeiras demonstrated unstable levels, and Puxinanã showed the most critical sustainably level. It was concluded that, even the agroecosystems of Araçagi municipality showing better levels of sustainability, when compared with other municipalities assessed, cassava production showed unsustainability situations regarding its technological innovation levels, average yield of cassava production, land in erosion process, water scarcity and lack of social participation.

Sustainable crop models for fruit, vegetable and flower quality productions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inglese Paolo

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Sustainable development is a paradigm that has evolved over the time, since the ideas of socially acceptable and compatible development, on which it was originally based, are now supported by the more recent notions of ecological equilibria and production process economy, both of which need to be also preserved. Environmental and health safety, rational use of the natural resources and technological tools, upkeep of high social growth rates and respect of a social equity are the basis of the sustainability for any production process, including the agriculture. The new globalization framework has penalized small farms and, at the same time, has put serious constraints to the development of stronger economic systems (medium/large farms, as well. As consequence, the EU has outlined several strategic programs to support small agricultural systems in marginal areas by: 1 strengthening all the quality- related aspects of agricultural production, including nutritional and cultural traits associated to local, typical and in some cases to neglected crops; 2 improving traditional cultural practices by adapting the cropping cycles and fomenting new partnerships between the different parts of the production chain, as for example; promotion of small horticultural chains. Specific political actions for the horticultural production sector have also been developed. Some of these policies are specifically addressed to preserve the biodiversity and to create quality labels certifying typical and/or organic products. All of these are possible strategies that may counteract and cope with the globalization process and increase the competitiveness of many production systems especially those performed by local and small entrepreneurs. New sustainable development models are required by both the market and the implicit requirements of the production system, inside a context on which Europe must face with new emerging economies with lower production costs, by increasing

From New to Normal : Designing for product category legitimacy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bork, S.

2017-01-01

A large number of new products and services, such as electric cars, solar panels, and electric boats are introduced and play an important role during sustainability transitions. However, when introduced, these new products do not fit with established aspects of society such as expectations, habits,

Soil Productive Lifespans: Rethinking Soil Sustainability for the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Daniel

2017-04-01

The ability for humans to sustainably manage the natural resources on which they depend has been one of the existential challenges facing mankind since the dawn of civilisation. Given the demands from this century's unprecedented global population and the unremitting course of climatic change, that challenge has soared in intensity. Sustainability, in this context, refers to agricultural practices which meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Ensuring sustainability is arguably of greatest importance when resources, such as soil, are non-renewable. However, there is as yet no tool to evaluate how sustainable conservation strategies are in the long-term. Up to now, many pedologists have assessed sustainability in binary terms, questioning whether management is sustainable or not. In truth, one can never determine whether a practice is ultimately sustainable because of the indefinite nature implied by "future generations". We suggest that a more useful assessment of sustainability for the 21st century should avoid binary questions and instead ask: how sustainable are soils? Indeed, how many future generations can soils provide for? Although the use of modelling is by no means a novelty for the discipline, there are very few holistic models that encompass the fluxes and dynamic relationships between both mass and quality concomitantly. We therefore propose a new conceptual framework - the Soil Productive Lifespan (SPL) - that employs empirically derived residence times of both soil mass and quality, together with pathways of environmental change, to forecast the length of time a soil profile can provide the critical functions. Although mass and quality are considered synergistically, the SPL model allows one to assess whether mass or quality alone presents the greatest limiting factor in the productive lifespans of soils. As a result, more targeted conservation strategies can be designed. Ultimately

Measuring the environmental impacts and sustainability of automobiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lave, L B; Cobas Flores, E; McMichael, F C; Hendrickson, C T; Horvath, A; Joshi, S [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

1996-11-01

In the paper the following topics are discussed: - the need for public education and involvement in the decision process, - the difficulty of defining sustainability, - the occasional difference between the goals of sustainability and environmental quality, - the need for life cycle analysis to analyze the sustainability and environmental quality implications of a product, process, or material. The importance of environmental input-output analysis is stressed. This new tool can provide the life cycle information cheaply, quickly, and with much less uncertainty. Examples are presented for making an automobile, a seat out of plastic or aluminium, and an electric vehicle. (author) 4 tabs., refs.

Innovation in Sustainable Products: Cross-Cultural Analysis Of Bi-National Teams

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Cleber José Cunha Dutra

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Innovation has been required as a vital asset for organizational survival in many areas, especially in the sustainability organizational field of concerns. Changes in Brazilian consumers’ consumption are perceived from the growing demand for environmentally-friendly products and services which are pressuring companies to achieve environmental efficiency. Tools like Cleaner Production, Sustainable Supply-Chain Management, and Ecodesign are essential to help firms achieve this goal. However, these tools require integration between different functions in a company, demanding that members with different expertise work together as a team. Based on a long tradition of collaboration, Germany is a potential partner for Brazil, combining expertise in the development of innovations aimed at more sustainable products. In today’s global environment, transnational teams should become the most effective teams in an organization but, because of the potential for miscommunication and conflict, the management of these teams needs special attention. Cultural differences between German and Brazilian members of work teams represent risks/advantages for the management of process of innovative products development. The paper draws on previously reviewed studies to ground an analysis of cultural dimensions and national characters, within Brazilian-German teams. In essence, this study is an essay with the main aim to open perspectives for further research and to support organizations in their sustainable management practices.

Building reactor operator sustain expert system with C language integrated production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang Qin; Hu Shouyin; Wang Ruipian

2002-01-01

The development of the reactor operator sustain expert system is introduced, the capability of building reactor operator sustain expert system is discussed with C Language Integrated Production System (Clips), and a simple antitype of expert system is illustrated. The limitation of building reactor operator sustain expert system with Clips is also discussed

Knowledge productivity for sustainable innovation: social capital as HRD target

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ehlen, Corry; Van der Klink, Marcel; Roentgen, Uta; Curfs, Emile; Boshuizen, Els

2018-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the feasibility of a conceptual model on relations between organisational innovation, knowledge productivity and social capital. It explores processes of knowledge productivity for sustainable innovation and associated HRD implications in knowledge

Sustainability, natural and organic cosmetics: consumer, products, efficacy, toxicological and regulatory considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Fonseca-Santos

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The interest in sustainable products has increased along the years, since the choice of products, packaging and production processes have a great impact on the environment. These products are classified by regulatory agencies in different categories, aggregating advantages to the product and increasing the demand by consumers. However, there is no harmonization in guidelines of these certifying agencies and each cosmetic industry formulates their product and packaging in a more rational way, which causes less damage to the environment. Many cosmetic products have in their formulation natural products that perform a specific biological function, but these products should be evaluated on efficacy and toxicological aspects. The aim of this article is to approach sustainability, natural and organic cosmetics, considering the consumer and the efficacy, toxicological and regulatory aspects.

Sustainable Chemical Processes and Products. New Design Methodology and Design Tools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korevaar, G.

2004-01-01

The current chemical industry is not sustainable, which leads to the fact that innovation of chemical processes and products is too often hazardous for society in general and the environment in particular. It really is a challenge to implement sustainability considerations in the design activities

Multi criteria analysis for sustainability assessments of electricity generation systems in a rural community in South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amigun, B.; Mehlwana, M. [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria (South Africa). Sustainable Energy Futures, Natural Resources and the Environment; Musango, J.K. [Department of Energy (DoE), Pretoria (South Africa); Brent, A.C. [Stellenbosch Univ. (South Africa). Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies

2011-07-01

One of the key challenges of the energy policy in South Africa is to ensure that rural areas have access to electricity. This is reflected in the key energy policy documents (the 1998 Energy White Paper and the 2002 Renewable Energy White Paper). Both these documents identified renewable energy resources as immediate alternatives to grid electricity in especially remote rural communities that are characterised by low population densities. Centralised energy generation and transmission is very costly and inefficient in these areas due to greater transmission and distribution losses. While the cost of electricity in South Africa is relatively cheaper, it is not accessible for many rural households. There are still over two million households in rural areas without access to electricity. This paper presents a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique to compare various electricity technologies (mainly renewables) in a specific rural community of South Africa using social, economic, environment and technical indicators. These technologies were than ranked against each indicator assuming that the high-level criteria have equal importance for sustainable development. It is demonstrated that energy from wind is the most sustainable, followed by photovoltaic, anaerobic digestion (biogas) and then gasification. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to verify the stability of the priority ranking. The outcome of this study will specifically assist energy planners and decision-makers to choose the best alternative from a range of technology alternatives in a milieu of conflicting and competing criteria. (orig.)

Do "good" food products make others look "bad"? Spin-off effects of labels for sustainable food production in the consumer perception

NARCIS (Netherlands)