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Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 July 2022) | Viewed by 28786

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Christos Vlachokostas

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Sustainability Engineering Laboratory, Aristotle University, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: engineering and sustainability management; circular economy; climate change and energy strategies; environmental engineering and management; waste management and energy utilization; decision support and risk assessment tools
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Dr. Charisios Achillas

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Guest Editor

Department of Logistics, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: circular economy; industrial symbiosis; reverse logistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The energy sector is strongly associated with economic development, but also with enormous environmental pressure and climate change. Sustainable management of energy resources is a challenge that the global community is facing at environmental, social, economic and political levels. If this challenge is not faced efficiently, it will endanger human health, longevity, and the quality of both life and the environment. On this basis, robust energy strategies are required towards the direction of sustainable management and efficiently encountering climate change. Furthermore, climate change constitutes one of the largest challenges (if not the largest) that humanity will be called to address in the coming years. Climate change has caused nations, leaders, and citizens to focus on the way our societies operate and utilize natural and energy resources. It is of vital importance to support decisions for improving living standards, both in industrialized and developing countries, while minimizing the risks and costs of climate change damage. Mitigation and adaptation options should be under consideration. Promoting energy strategies/alternatives/measures to mitigate but also adapt to climate change is a multidimensional problem.

The present Special Issue, entitled “Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change”, provides a platform for policy-makers, scientists, academics, researchers, and practitioners to exchange knowledge and evidence related to energy-oriented alternatives for a roadmap towards a low-carbon economy and sustainable management of energy resources. To that end, we invite papers on innovative technological developments, methodological schemes, and decision support systems, as well as reviews and pilot studies that demonstrate new knowledge and near-to-market solutions within the research agenda of energy strategies for sustainable development, decarbonization, and encountering climate change.

Dr. Christos Vlachokostas
Dr. Charisios Achillas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

decision support systems
clean energy
smart technological solutions
renewable energy sources
energy efficiency
energy poverty
decarbonization
energy communities
nature based solutions
CBA

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4936 KiB

Open AccessArticle

OpΕnergy: An Intelligent System for Monitoring EU Energy Strategy Using EU Open Data

by Kleanthis Koupidis, Charalampos Bratsas and Christos Vlachokostas

Energies 2022, 15(21), 8294; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15218294 - 6 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2000

Abstract

In this paper, the basic structure of an ICT platform of energy indicators, Openergy, is analytically presented, leveraging energy open data to help address the energy crisis more democratically. More specifically, its applicability as a dynamic tool for the management of climate, environmental, and socioeconomic information is described, and its efficiency in helping uncover insights for optimal data-driven decisions is depicted. Openergy uses data from the official portal for European data and the Eurostat site. Its database consists of data related to six energy categories, EU 2020 energy targets, energy balance, electricity production, transport fuels, heat production, and gas emissions, and each one includes its own indicators for EU countries. The platform includes visualizations of these data as well as time series modeling and forecasting, and the results are depicted at Openergy platform. The time series modeling provides forecasts with confidence intervals of each indicator until 2020 in each energy category. Empirical validation, RMSE, and MAE values showed that in almost all cases and estimations, the predicted values are in very good agreement with the observed values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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17 pages, 2814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multilevel Control Approach to Exploit Local Flexibility in Districts Evaluated under Real Conditions

by Rafael E. Carrillo, Antonis Peppas, Yves Stauffer, Chrysa Politi, Tomasz Gorecki and Pierre-Jean Alet

Energies 2022, 15(16), 5887; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15165887 - 13 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1340

Abstract

The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources creates a challenge for the stability of current power systems due to their intermittent and stochastic nature. This paper presents the field results of an efficient demand response solution for controlling and adjusting the electric demand of buildings in an energy district through the activation of their thermal mass while respecting the occupants’ thermal comfort constraints. This multilevel control approach aims to support grid flexibility during peak times by constraining the energy exchange with the grid and increasing the self-consumption of the district. The results show a great potential for increasing the self-consumption up to 37% for offices, as well as improving the indoor environment, based on real data collected from a case study in Greece. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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19 pages, 2736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Method for Assessment of Sustainable Energy Development across Regions: An Analysis of 30 Provinces in China

by Jiayang Chen, Ying Kong, Shunyong Yin and Jianjun Xia

Energies 2022, 15(15), 5761; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155761 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1761

Abstract

Sustainable energy development (SED) has attracted the attention of the whole world. It has a wide range of concepts and rich connotations, which is difficult to be described with a single indicator. Therefore, scholars usually use multiple indicators to evaluate SED in multiple dimensions. Existing studies mostly took countries as the research objects, and there were fewer studies on sub-regions (provincial-level regions). In fact, due to factors such as resource endowment and industrial structure, there would be obvious differences in the energy system of different regions even within a country, such as China. This study took 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019 as the research object, and constructed a provincial-level SED evaluation system. Analytical methods of indicator contribution were also proposed to evaluate the improvement of specific indicators and their contribution to SED on both spatial and temporal scales. The findings could help identify where provinces are doing well or poorly in SED, thereby clarifying priorities for future improvements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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14 pages, 606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Actions to Prepare Electricity Infrastructure in Seaports for Future Power Supplying Cruise Ships with Energy from Land

by Joanna Kizielewicz and Katarzyna Skrzeszewska

Energies 2021, 14(23), 8173; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14238173 - 6 Dec 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2093

Abstract

Cruise ships are unfortunately at the infamous forefront of the means of maritime transport emitting the largest amounts of harmful substances into the atmosphere and aquatic environment. At the initiative of IMO and the European Union, formal restrictions were introduced regarding the level of harmful emissions on the high seas and in ports generated by seagoing vessels. To meet these challenges, shipowners have invested in various technological solutions on their ships to reduce the number of harmful emissions, and by ordering new vessels; they promote the use of pro-ecological solutions related to energy saving and eliminate environmental harm. However, despite the actions taken by shipowners, seaports unfortunately lag behind the challenges and expectations of the market and are still not prepared, for example, to power the ships moored in ports with shore-side energy to reduce the environmental pollution when the ships are at berth. The aim of this paper is to identify actions taken by seaport authorities to prepare electricity infrastructure in seaports to power vessels with energy from the land. Key legal restrictions concerning reduction in pollutions emitted from ships in the ports are also described and analyzed. The results of the study also show the approach of seaports to the issue of Onshore Energy Supply for cruise ships. The research was conducted among the selected ports in the Baltic Sea Region where cruise ships are accepted. The following research questions were formulated: (1) What legal regulations oblige seaports and shipowners to reduce the level of pollutions emitted into the environment? (2) Do the ports use a benchmark to assess the level of harmful emissions when defining the amount of port fees for cruise shipowners? (3) How are cruise ships powered in the port? (4) What investments are planned in the port regarding the infrastructure related to the diversification of shore-side electricity for the ships? The studies were conducted by using a few research methods, i.e., the desk research method, the exploration method, and the CAWI Computer Assisted Web Interview. The results of this research can provide an interesting source of information both for cruise ship owners and cruise seaport authorities, but also potentially for shipyards where new vessels are constructed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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13 pages, 2278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Trends in Energy Solutions on Cruise Ships

by Joanna Kizielewicz

Energies 2021, 14(13), 3746; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133746 - 22 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4515

Abstract

Today the world’s largest cruise ships can take on board more than 6000 passengers and almost 3000 crew members. Managing a significant number of people and all equipment and operations on ships requires the delivery of tens of thousands of kilowatts, which poses a huge challenge for both cruise ship builders and ports supporting these ships as well as for ship owners themselves, as the costs involved represent the largest share in the structure of expenditure in cruise shipping companies. In recent years, various communities and institutions, including the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union, exert pressure on cruise ship owners to use green renewable energy solutions. For these reasons, cruise ship owners are constantly looking for cost-effective and environmentally responsible solutions regarding new energy sources for ships. The aim of this paper is to identify modern solutions applied on cruise ships in the field of energy generation and to indicate benefits for the environment and ship owners in this respect. The following research questions were formulated: (1) What factors force cruise ship owners to introduce modern energy policy solutions? (2) What kind of green energy solutions are currently used on cruise ships? (3) What kind of renewable energy solutions do cruise ship owners use to reduce energy consumption on board cruise ships? The research was conducted by applying a few research methods, i.e., desk research method and exploration method, critical and comparative analysis, and also inductive and deductive reasoning. The results of this research can provide an interesting source of information for cruise ship owners, cruise seaport authorities, and shipyards involved in the construction of new vessels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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20 pages, 1404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model Validity and Transferability Informing Behavioral Energy Policies

by Areti Kontogianni, Dimitris Damigos, Michail Skourtos, Christos Tourkolias, Eleanor Denny, Ibon Galarraga, Steffen Kallbekken and Edin Lakić

Energies 2021, 14(11), 3122; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113122 - 27 May 2021

Viewed by 3193

Abstract

A number of microeconomic choice models are currently applied to demonstrate systematic biases in energy consumer behavior. The models highlight the hidden potential of energy savings from policies that target the so-called behavioral anomalies. Nevertheless, whether these patterns are repeatable or not is not clear, because the efforts to determine the transferability or generalizability of these models are practically nonexistent. This paper uses a unique collection of empirical data from five EU countries collected within the CONSEED project to refine and develop further the standard consumer decision model, validate it for policy purposes, and elaborate on its transferability between countries. The pooled samples allow for a more reliable investigation of the relative importance of the factors influencing consumers’ attitudes and beliefs towards energy investment decisions. Based on the statistical tests conducted to evaluate the “transferability” of the pooled models (i.e., the possibility of creating a “universal” model of EE from the pooled model), it can be argued that the models are transferable in specific cases since attitudinal factors and demographic characteristics play a significant role. Although the pooled models are validated, any extrapolation of the above-mentioned findings to specific populations in terms of “space” (i.e., country) and “target” (e.g., sectors and technologies) should be approached with caution from a policy perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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Review

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32 pages, 5814 KiB

Open AccessReview

Knowledge Graphs’ Ontologies and Applications for Energy Efficiency in Buildings: A Review

by Filippos Lygerakis, Nikos Kampelis and Dionysia Kolokotsa

Energies 2022, 15(20), 7520; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207520 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3998

Abstract

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry has been utilizing Decision Support Systems (DSSs) for a long time to support energy efficiency improvements in the different phases of a building’s life cycle. In this context, there has been a need for a proper means of exchanging and managing of different kinds of data (e.g., geospatial data, sensor data, 2D/3D models data, material data, schedules, regulatory, financial data) by different kinds of stakeholders and end users, i.e., planners, architects, engineers, property owners and managers. DSSs are used to support various processes inherent in the various building life cycle phases including planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance, retrofitting and demolishing. Such tools are in some cases based on established technologies such Building Information Models, Big Data analysis and other more advanced approaches, including Internet of Things applications and semantic web technologies. In this framework, semantic web technologies form the basis of a new technological paradigm, known as the knowledge graphs (KG), which is a powerful technique concerning the structured semantic representation of the elements of a building and their relationships, offering significant benefits for data exploitation in creating new knowledge. In this paper, a review of the main ontologies and applications that support the development of DSSs and decision making in the different phases of a building’s life cycle is conducted. Our aim is to present a thorough analysis of the state of the art and advancements in the field, to explore key constituents and methodologies, to highlight critical aspects and characteristics, to elaborate on critical thinking and considerations, and to evaluate potential impact of KG applications towards the decision-making processes associated with the energy transition in the built environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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18 pages, 5345 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Ground Source Heat Pump Application for Space Cooling in Southeast Asia

by Sorranat Ratchawang, Srilert Chotpantarat, Sasimook Chokchai, Isao Takashima, Youhei Uchida and Punya Charusiri

Energies 2022, 15(14), 4992; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144992 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3961

Abstract

Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems have been used worldwide in buildings because of their advantages of highly efficient performance in terms of energy and environment for space cooling and heating; however, cooling demand is predominant in tropical climates. This paper reviews of the GSHP systems applications in Southeast Asia; several applications of GSHP in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have been addressed. Experiments were initiated in 2006 in Kamphaengphet; the latest experiment found in the Scopus searching tool is the GSHP simulation in Kuantan in 2019 using EnergyPlus using the ground loop design software. GSHP systems have the potential to be used in Southeast Asia despite the dominance of cooling demand, leading to a thermal imbalance within the subsurface. This imbalance can reduce the performance of the system; however, groundwater flow is considered as a key factor in preventing the effect of thermal distribution owing to GSHP operation. These results suggest that the GSHP has the potential to reduce emissions and electricity consumption within areas having tropical climates, such as Southeast Asia, for sustainability and future generation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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Other

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6 pages, 667 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoicePerspective

The Green Versus Green Trap and a Way Forward

by Haris Doukas, Alexandros Nikas, Giorgos Stamtsis and Ioannis Tsipouridis

Energies 2020, 13(20), 5473; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13205473 - 20 Oct 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4527

Abstract

Massive deployment of renewables is considered as a decisive step in most countries’ climate efforts. However, at the local scale, it is also perceived by many as a threat to their rich and diverse natural environment. With this perspective, we argue that this green versus green pseudo-dilemma highlights how crucial a broad societal buy-in is. New, transparent, participatory processes and mechanisms that are oriented toward social licensing can now be employed. A novel, integrative research agenda must orbit around co-creation to enable and promote resource co-management and co-ownership where possible, with increased consensus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Energy Resources, Energy Strategies and Climate Change)

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