Submit to Energies Review for Energies Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F: Electrical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 49982

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Joanna Kulczycka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Business Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
Interests: natural resource economics; ecological economics; natural resource management; sustainable development; environmental management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Marek Dudek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Business Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
Interests: manufacturing; manufacturing systems; system modeling; simulation modeling; production planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At present, enterprises wishing to take account of environmental variability, as well as increasing customer requirements, should act very flexibly and, at the same time, be thrifty (defined as agile). The agile management paradigm is presently a new competition model, which came into being as a result of combining the principles of knowledge and lean management with the modern form of network industrial cooperation in the supply chain. Additionally, contemporary enterprises from the energy sector continue to seek organizational capabilities to enable them to function in the network environment, so they must adjust their strategic and operational rules to the agile behavior. The requirements of modern management, Industry 5.0 for green energy manufacturing, sustainable development or cloud management impose the requirement to use modern management concepts, new methods or intelligent and quick decision making tools, as well as an agile thinking that accompany organizational development. For this reason, the Guest Editors are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector". This Special Issue will deal with novel management concepts, methods, tools, and techniques for energy enterprises and chains. Topics of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

Energy management system;
Management concepts, methods, and tools in the energy sector;
Management tools in decision-making processes;
Supply chain optimization;
Application of IoT and/or AI for energy systems;
Control method of energy flow;
Renewable energy;
Demand-side management;
Lifecycle management.

Prof. Dr. Joanna Kulczycka
Prof. Dr. Marek Dudek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Energy management system
Management concepts, methods, and tools in the energy sector
Management tools in decision-making processes
Supply chain optimization
Application of IoT and/or AI for energy systems
Control method of energy flow
Renewable energy
Demand-side management
Lifecycle management

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (14 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 4936 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Fire Resistance and Heat Conductivity of Natural Construction Material Based on Straw and Numerical Simulation of Building Energy Demand

by Elżbieta Janowska-Renkas, Anna Król, Sławomir Pochwała, Dawid Pałubski, Małgorzata Adamska and Igor Klementowski

Energies 2022, 15(3), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031155 - 4 Feb 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3932

Abstract

The motivation for research to help address climate change is a continuous process of searching for eco-friendly materials in the building industry, which will allow minimizing the negative impact of this sector on the environment. The main objective of the paper is to assess the properties of a natural resource such as straw as an eco-friendly material in various variants for use in low-energy demand construction. The research results will fill the knowledge gap in the field of numerical analyses of the energy demand of straw material buildings based on the results of the conducted laboratory tests. A test of a heat transfer coefficient was conducted with different orientation of straw stalks. Then, samples were subject to a fire resistance test to determine material behavior at 1000 °C. During the fire resistance test, the clay-based plaster was ‘burnt out’, which hardened its structure, effectively preventing flames from reaching the insulation layers in the form of straw stalks. As a result of shrinkage (no plaster mesh), the plaster cracked and turned brick-red in color. The insulation layer of straw under the plaster was charred to a depth of 3.0 mm due to the high temperature. However, when the torch was turned off, no fire spread was observed in any layer of the sample. The 3D models of the buildings were created for different eco-friendly materials applied to make external walls. The results of numerical simulation allowed determining the amount of final energy needed to heat the designed building at the level of 26.38 (kWh/m²·year). Conclusions of the above-mentioned tests indicate very good thermal insulating properties determined using the lambda coefficient of 0.069 (W/m·K) and the possible application of straw bales as an alternative for conventional construction. Research has proven that it is possible to construct a building with low energy requirements using natural, easily available waste and completely biodegradable material. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Net-Metering vs. Net-Billing from the Investors Perspective—Impacts of Changes in RES Financing in Poland on the Profitability of a Joint Photovoltaic Panels and Heat Pump System

by Mariusz Trela and Anna Dubel

Energies 2022, 15(1), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010227 - 29 Dec 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2902

Abstract

The paper explores the impacts of changes in renewable energy sources (RES) financing in Poland on the profitability of coupled photovoltaic panels and heat pump systems. The profitability analysis is conducted with the use of Net Present Value calculation and the return on investment period. The degree of change in profitability of using photovoltaic panels in Poland is dependent on the method of their financing. The analysis is carried out for two different photovoltaic support schemes: (1) the net-metering scheme currently in force in Poland; (2) the net-billing system scheduled for implementation in the year 2022. It is assumed for the analysis that two alternative heating and electricity supply systems for a single-family building will be operated: (a) a standard solution used in Poland consisting of a natural gas-fired boiler for heating and the purchase of electricity from the power grid, (b) an air/water heat pump used to heat the building, and electricity obtained from photovoltaic panels, also used to power the heat pump. A sensitivity analysis is carried out, examining the impact of several key parameters relevant for the profitability of such investments, such as average annual increase in the purchasing or selling prices of electricity, purchasing prices of natural gas, and inflation rate. The conclusions concern the possible consequences of introducing a new support scheme for photovoltaics in Poland. The highest profitability of all considered solutions is for the current scenario for heat pump and pv installation with the capacity to meet the demand in the last year of operation. The introduction of changes in the new RES law (2021) in Poland will reduce the profitability of investments in pv panels, leading to a slowdown in the investments in the pv installations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1122 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of the VUCA Environment on the Digital Competences of Managers in the Power Industry

by Anna Nowacka and Magdalena Rzemieniak

Energies 2022, 15(1), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15010185 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8179

Abstract

The article presents the scope of issues related to the impact of the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) environment on digital competences of management staff in power companies. Each company has to deal with its own individual and personalized VUCA world typical for the power industry. Unfortunately, some organizations are not aware of its existence, and therefore they do not identify the signals coming from the external environment while still working according to the developed patterns. The VUCA approach requires changing the competency model in enterprises and focusing on its strengths. On this basis, the research problem regarding power enterprises was formulated. The problem discussed in the article below concerns the undefined and undefined influence of the VUCA environment on the emerging digital competences of managers. In connection with the identification of the research problem in this area, an attempt was made to define the aim of the study, which is to determine the impact of the connections of the VUCA world with digital competences of managers in the energy sector. To solve the research problem, quantitative research was carried out on a randomly selected sample of managers. It has been shown that leaders are more or less aware of the existence of the VUCA world. As key competences, they mention the ability to develop and adapt digital technologies to the needs of the organization or the ability to flexibly switch thinking between various problems. The novelty of the work is the identification of the connections between the VUCA world and competences and the provision also through the prism of artificial intelligence. The existence of links between the VUCA environment and digital competences was indicated, and the use of VUCA as a determinant of the impact on changing the perception of employees was analyzed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Refrigerator Modelled with Application of Various Electricity Mixes and Technologies

by Anna Lewandowska, Przemysław Kurczewski, Katarzyna Joachimiak-Lechman and Marek Zabłocki

Energies 2021, 14(17), 5350; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175350 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4717

Abstract

Improving national electricity mixes and increasing a share of renewable energy covered by credible and reliable tracking systems are vital topics, also in a context of life cycle assessment. There are many publications devoted to the relevance of energy in the life cycle of products, but only few LCA examples applying residual mixes have been found in the literature. The paper presents the results of an LCA study for a refrigerator calculated with using different electricity mixes and technologies. The life cycle was divided into eight stages and the electricity consumption was modelled as renewable energy, national residual mix, or national supplier mix. Electricity mixes for three different countries were selected and used. The study aimed to answer the following questions: “what are the most relevant elements in the life cycle of the analysed refrigerator?”, “do the elements change if various electricity mixes are applied?”, and “what differences are there in the environmental impact of electricity generation modelled as residual and supplier mixes?”. From the life cycle perspective, not only may differences in national electricity systems between countries turn out to be important, but equally significant may be the choice between different types of mixes for a certain country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 287 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Dataset Quality Assessment—An Insight and Discussion on Selected Elements of Environmental Footprints Methodology

by Anna Lewandowska, Katarzyna Joachimiak-Lechman and Przemysław Kurczewski

Energies 2021, 14(16), 5004; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165004 - 15 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2422

Abstract

One of the most recently developed life cycle-based methods is an environmental footprint of products and organisations established by the European Commission. A special procedure of data and dataset quality assessment has been developed as a part of the environmental footprints methodology. The procedure may be recognised as vital and powerful but, at the same time, a bit complicated and time-consuming. It is worth discussing this subject and looking for potential simplification. In this paper, we suggest a possible way for simplification. We propose to remove an impact-assessment-based step from the procedure of company-specific datasets quality assessment. There are two potential benefits: a reduction in the need for expert knowledge and time savings. The threats posed are connected to the fact that all data influences the Data Quality Rating indicator of the entire dataset to the same degree. With a higher volume of data included in the assessment, there is a risk of greater differentiation in their quality. In this paper, an example of raw milk production is presented. The assessment of quality of the dataset was performed in three variants: pursuant to the approach established by the European Commission in the pilot phase, transition phase and with certain modifications employed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

22 pages, 4381 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Energy Consumption in Internal Transportation Using Dynamic Transportation Vehicles Assignment Model: Case Study in Printing Company

by Vitalii Naumov, Daniel Kubek, Paweł Więcek, Iwona Skalna, Jerzy Duda, Robert Goncerz and Tomasz Derlecki

Energies 2021, 14(15), 4557; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154557 - 28 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3310

Abstract

Energy costs account for a significant proportion of total costs in production systems. Since energy is becoming an increasingly expensive resource, therefore, it is critical to consume it as efficiently as possible. Focusing on energy efficiency is also important in terms of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the effects of other pollutants on the environment. One of the possible ways for businesses to reduce energy consumption is to use available transportation means as efficiently as possible. In the operational phase, this can be achieved by reducing unnecessary transport, selecting the most efficient delivery routes, and by optimized assignment of available vehicles to transportation orders. We present in this article a novel dynamic assignment of transportation orders to fleet with energy minimization criterion in internal transport system of a printing company. The novelty of the proposed model is that, in contrast to most existing models, it can handle a heterogeneous fleet of human-operated and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). The minimization of the energy consumption by transportation vehicles was modeled with reference to VDI 2198 standard. The need for such a model is justified by the fact that it better reflects a real production environment in many companies. The proposed optimization model was tested in simulation experiments imitating real production conditions in a large web printing house. The obtained results show that the proposed model allows for a significant reduction of energy consumption in internal transportation. The proposed model is general enough to be used in various companies with a heterogeneous fleet of internal transportation vehicles. In addition, the energy consumption factor VDI for AMRs has been determined, which can be useful in solving various problems related to energy optimization of internal transportation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Investments in Energy Sector in Poland

by Robert Lisowski, Maciej Woźniak, Paweł Jastrzębski, Simeon Karafolas and Marek Matejun

Energies 2021, 14(15), 4526; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154526 - 27 Jul 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2063

Abstract

There is much research about the determinants of investments, but there is a shortage of similar studies for Poland. Therefore, the overall goal of the paper is to analyze the determinants of investments made by enterprises from the energy sector as well as their delays in Poland in the years 2000–2019. In this period, a strong growth of investments in energy was observed in the country. In connection to this, the authors set four hypotheses and verified them with the following statistical methods: canonical analysis, linear and causality correlation, autocorrelation and cointegration tests. The paper found that there is a relationship between public consumption and investment spending of small enterprises in Poland. That means that only some macroeconomic parameters are connected with investments. Moreover, the changes in the value of past investments has a negative influence in current investments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 18925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Energy Storage along with the Allocation of RES on the Reduction of Energy Costs Using MILP

by Mateusz Andrychowicz

Energies 2021, 14(13), 3783; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133783 - 23 Jun 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2051

Abstract

The paper shows a method of optimizing local initiatives in the energy sector, such as energy cooperatives and energy clusters. The aim of optimization is to determine the structure of generation sources and energy storage in order to minimize energy costs. The analysis is carried out for the time horizon of one year, with an hourly increment, taking into account various RES (wind turbines (WT), photovoltaic installations (PV), and biogas power plant (BG)) and loads (residential, commercial, and industrial). Generation sources and loads are characterized by generation/demand profiles in order to take into account their variability. The optimization was carried out taking into account the technical aspects of the operation of distribution systems, such as power flows and losses, voltage levels in nodes, and power exchange with the transmission system, and economic aspects, such as capital and fixed and variable operating costs. The method was calculated by sixteen simulation scenarios using Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 18519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effectiveness of Artificial Neural Networks in Hedging against WTI Crude Oil Price Risk

by Radosław Puka, Bartosz Łamasz and Marek Michalski

Energies 2021, 14(11), 3308; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113308 - 4 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2615

Abstract

Despite the growing share of renewable energy sources, most of the world energy supply is still based on hydrocarbons and the vast majority of world transport is fuelled by oil products. Thus, the profitability of many companies may depend on the effective management of oil price risk. In this article, we analysed the effectiveness of artificial neural networks in hedging against the risk of WTI crude oil prices increase. This was reformulated from a regressive problem to a classification problem. The effectiveness of our approach, using artificial neural networks to classify observations, was verified for over ten years of WTI futures quotes, starting from 2009. The data analysis presented in this paper confirmed that the buyer of a call option was more often likely to incur a loss as a result of its purchase than make a profit after the final payoff from the call option. The results of the conducted research confirm that neural networks can be an effective form of protection against the risk of price fluctuations. The effectiveness of a network’s operation depends on the choice of assessment indicators, but analyses show that the networks which, for the indicator that was selected, gave the best results for the training set, also resulted in positive rates of return for the test set. Significantly, we also showed interdependence between seemingly unrelated indicators: percentage of the best possible results achieved in the analysed period of time by the proposed method and percentage of all available call options that were purchased based on the results from the networks that were used. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 2095 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Meat Bone Meal and Meat Bone Combustion Using the Life Cycle Assessment Method

by Zygmunt Kowalski, Magdalena Muradin, Joanna Kulczycka and Agnieszka Makara

Energies 2021, 14(11), 3292; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113292 - 4 Jun 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3370

Abstract

LCA analysis with 16 impact categories was used for the comparison of two developed combustion technologies: Scenario I—the combustion of meat bone meal produced from all types of meat waste; Scenario II—the combustion of meat bones from the production of meat products. The key hotspots determined were electricity and natural gas consumption, covering as much as 98.2% of the total influence on the environment in Scenario I and 99.3% in Scenario II. Without taking into account the environmental burdens avoided, the LCA analysis showed that Scenario I was assessed to have 71.2% less environmental impact. The avoided burdens approach changed the relationship between the two scenarios. The absolute value score for the overall environmental impact shows that Scenario II can be more environmentally beneficial than Scenario I; however, Scenario I allowed the elimination of all types of Polish meat waste, and Scenario II could only be carried out in meat production units for the elimination of meat bone waste and by-products from meat processing (i.e., 23% of the total meat waste produced in Poland). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Turkmenistan’s Gas Sector Development Scenarios Based on Econometric and SWOT Analysis

by Natalia Iwaszczuk, Jacek Wolak and Aleksander Iwaszczuk

Energies 2021, 14(10), 2740; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14102740 - 11 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3928

Abstract

Turkmenistan is currently one of the key suppliers in the global natural gas market, and it is important to examine its competitive position in the world. The aim of this article is to forecast the development strategy of its gas sector. To achieve this aim, the authors first examined: (1) Turkmenistan’s position in the global gas market and the structure of its oil and gas sector; (2) the share of gas in Turkmenistan’s exports. They then conducted an analysis of the causal relationship between FDI and GDP. The above research made it possible to conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis. Based on the SWOT analysis, three sector development scenarios were developed: pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic. On their basis, the gas sector in Turkmenistan can build strategies for its development, considering the impact of market and non-market factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Impact of the Assumed Moment of Meeting Total Energy Demand on the Profitability of Photovoltaic Installations for Households in Poland

by Natalia Iwaszczuk and Mariusz Trela

Energies 2021, 14(6), 1637; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14061637 - 15 Mar 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2052

Abstract

In this article, the authors analyzed two extreme investment variants considering the installed capacity of Poland’s residential pv installation: (a) pv installation meets electricity demand only in the first year of operation, and in each subsequent year it is necessary to purchase electricity at market prices; (b) installation meets electricity demand even in the last year of operation, and in each previous year, the excess of generated electricity needs to be transferred back to the grid, with the limited (by law) right of drawing it from the grid for free in the future. In the article, a sensitivity analysis was performed, and profitability changes were established based on the NPV value, depending on case (a) or (b). The performed analyses showed that the pv installation profitability should not be analyzed, assuming only one moment when it meets 100% of the household’s electricity demand. It was shown that the choice of such a moment, depending on the value of particular technical and financial parameters, can lead to a change in the NPV value, even over 10%. Although the studies were done for Poland, such an approach can be implemented in other countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 4825 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Thermal Parameters of the Coke Oven Battery by Modified Methodology of Temperature Measurement in Heating Flues as the Management Tool in the Cokemaking Industry

by Ludwik Kosyrczyk, Slawomir Stelmach, Krzysztof Gaska, Agnieszka Generowicz, Natalia Iwaszczuk and Dariusz Kardaś

Energies 2021, 14(4), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14040904 - 9 Feb 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3686

Abstract

Coke production is still of great economic importance due to its crucial role in the steel production process. The reliability of the operation of coke oven batteries depends on the maintenance of good technical condition of their ceramic massif, which in turn requires ensuring proper operation of the heating system and maintaining temperature stability in the heating flues. Regularly performed temperature measurements in heating flues due to the size of the battery and the dynamics of accompanying processes do not reflect the actual thermal state of the object at a given time. Corrections commonly introduced to the results of temperature measurements in heating flues, taking into account so-called reversion, significantly improve the accuracy of the obtained measurement results. However, still the interpretation of the results of temperature measurements in the coke oven battery heating flues does not take into account its changes during the coking cycle, even though they reach up to 60 K. The article discusses the usability of the introduction of a new, additional correction to the temperature measured in the heating flues enabling a more precise assessment of the current thermal state of the coke oven battery. The use of the method will allow for reduction of the fuel gas consumption and limitation of emissions resulting from its combustion and can be used as an effective tool for decision making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1142 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Identification of Hotspots in the Bioenergy Production Chain

by Magdalena Muradin and Joanna Kulczycka

Energies 2020, 13(21), 5757; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215757 - 3 Nov 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2709

Abstract

Increasing interest in bioenergy production in the context of the transition towards a circular economy and the promotion of renewable energy has produced demands for optimization of the value chain of energy production to improve the environmental viability of the system. Hotspot analysis based on life cycle assessment (LCA) contributes to the mitigation of environmental burdens and is a very important step towards the implementation of a bioeconomy strategy. In this study, hotspots identified using two parallel pathways: a literature review and empirical research on four different biogas plants located in Poland. LCA and energy return on investment (EROI) analysis of the whole bioenergy production chain were considered to identify unit processes or activities that are highly damaging to the environment. The biogas plants differ mainly in the type of raw materials used as an input and in the method of delivery. The results show that the most impactful processes are those in the delivery of biomass, especially road transport by tractor. The second contributor was crop cultivation, where fossil fuels are also used. Although the EROI analysis indicates a negligible impact of transport on the energy efficiency of bioenergy plants, the environmental burden of biomass transportation should be taken into consideration when planning further measures to support the development of the bioeconomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Application of Management Tools in the Energy Sector

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (14 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI