Renewable energy and energy-saving initiatives in Greece: policy and experience

Energy policy is a key issue for economic and environmental policies. Indeed, energy is an indispensable element for economic development while, on the other hand, it causes severe environmental problems. In this context, a pressure for using renewable energy resources and for energy saving has emerged and expanded in recent years. As a result, energy policy is being reoriented under the new conditions. This paper examines this reorientation and its results in Greece where the bioclimatic conditions are in favour of renewable energy resources and energy-saving projects.     

Current and future perspectives on energy use and environmental impact

Energy consumption throughout the world contributes to pollution, environmental deterioration, and greenhouse gas emissions. Increases in energy consumption are usually driven by population growth and economic development that tends to increase energy use per capita. Thus, the projected increase in population in the near future, and the economic development that is likely in many countries, have serious implications for the environment. Since the early 1980s the relationship between energy use and environmental impact has received attention, and a number of activities have focused on this topic. In this paper, four important areas related to current and future patterns of environmental impact are introduced and discussed in detail: environmental impact, energy consumption, energy efficiency and conservation, and fuel substitution. We conclude that further political, economic and institutional changes from the standpoint of environmental impact appear to be necessary for future energy policies. To this end, energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy resources can play important roles in controlling and reducing environmental impact.     

Low-carbon energy strategies and economic growth in developed and developing economies: the case of energy efficiency and energy diversity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There has been growing interest in studying the relationship between energy strategies (energy efficiency and energy diversity) and economic growth to...     

The Energy for Growing and Maintaining Cities

Herein we develop a means to differentiate between the energy required to expand and the energy required to maintain the economies of cities. A nonlinear model is tested against historical data for two cities, Hong Kong and Singapore. A robust fit is obtained for Hong Kong, with energy for maintenance close to that for growth, while Singapore, with a weaker fit, is growth dominated. The findings suggest that decreases in either of the per unit maintenance or growth demands can simultaneously cause gross domestic product (GDP) and total energy use to increase. Furthermore, increasing maintenance demands can significantly limit growth in energy demand and GDP. Thus, the low maintenance demands for Hong Kong, and especially Singapore, imply that, all other things being equal, GDP and energy use of these cities will continue to grow, though Singapore’s higher energy use for growth means it will require more energy than Hong Kong.     

Different sources of rural household energy consumption and influencing factors in Dazu,China

Rural household energy consumption is an important component of national energy consumption. This paper explores the rural household energy consumption status and influencing factors on different sources of rural household energy consumption in western China. Using data from a survey of 240 households conducted in 2017, this study finds that rural households’ energy consumption structure in the study area is a combination of traditional biomass energy and commercial energy sources. Fuelwood is the most commonly used fuel in the study area, while modern energy sources only occupy a low proportion. Rural household energy consumption is influenced by various factors. Individual perceptions of climate change, social trust and networks, and households’ socio-economic and demographic factors (gender, age, education, income per capita, household size, household location, and number of household appliances) are identified as having significant effects on rural households’ consumption of biomass and commercial energies. The research results provide implications for policy makers to formulate related rural energy policies to improve the rural energy consumption structure and future energy policy design in China and other developing countries.

     

Energy efficiency and energy rebound,intensity, and output effects in transport sector of Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - According to Jevon’s paradox, energy efficiency leads to more energy consumption instead of low. So, calculating the size of energy rebound...     

Energy supplies and future engines for land, sea, and air

The years 2012 and beyond seem likely to record major changes in energy use and power generation. The Japanese tsunami has resulted in large countries either scaling back or abolishing the future use of nuclear energy. The discovery of what seems like vast amounts of economically deliverable natural gas has many forecasting a rapid switch from coal- to gas-fired generating plants. On the other hand, environmentalists have strong objections to the production of natural gas and of petroleum by hydraulic fracturing from shale, or by extraction of heavy oil. They believe that global warming from the use of fossil fuels is now established beyond question. There has been rapid progress in the development of alternative energy supplies, particularly from on-shore and off-shore wind. Progress toward a viable future energy mix has been slowed by a U.S. energy policy that seems to many to be driven by politics. The author will review the history of power and energy to put all of the above in context and will look at possible future developments. He will propose what he believes to be an idealized energy policy that could result in an optimum system that would be arrived at democratically.     

Progress and challenges of helical-shaped geothermal heat exchangers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Among various types of renewable energy, geothermal energy is recognized as an effective method for supplying thermal energy. Ground heat exchangers,...     

Modeling the non-linear relationship between financial development and energy consumption: statistical experience from OECD countries

The linkage between financial development and energy consumption is widely investigated in the literature. However, the non-linear relationship between financial development and energy demand is still under debate. Therefore, this study aims to examine the non-linear relationship between financial development, economic growth, and energy consumption in OECD countries. The study uses the Driscoll–Kraay standard errors panel regression model for spanning from 1980 to 2016. The empirical findings indicate that an inverted U-shape relationship exists between financial development and energy consumption as well as between economic growth and energy consumption. Moreover, the feedback hypothesis is found between financial development and energy use. Additionally, income and energy use granger cause each other. The innovative findings contribute to extant literature, which is of special interest to the country’s policymakers regarding energy efficiency.

     

Solar energy for electricity and fuels

Solar energy conversion into electricity by photovoltaic modules is now a mature technology. We discuss the need for materials and device developments using conventional silicon and other materials, pointing to the need to use scalable materials and to reduce the energy payback time. Storage of solar energy can be achieved using the energy of light to produce a fuel. We discuss how this can be achieved in a direct process mimicking the photosynthetic processes, using synthetic organic, inorganic, or hybrid materials for light collection and catalysis. We also briefly discuss challenges and needs for large-scale implementation of direct solar fuel technologies.     

Biomass energy consumption and sustainable development: empirical evidence from Asian economies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Biomass energy is an important source of energy consumption. It is a renewable, abundant, and easily produced energy source. Its usage supports...     

Surface fluxes and atmospheric stability obtained from a surface energy balance model with parameters estimated from satellite remote sensing

A linear programming model is proposed to find the energy strategy for reducing carbon dioxide emission in Taiwan. Scenarios that include energy switching and energy conservation under different emission levels are considered, and the corresponding economic impacts are evaluated. Emissions from thirty-nine sectors are reduced by two major mechanisms. Energy switching is assumed to be induced by energy price change, whereas energy conservation is assumed only in the four most energy-intensive sectors. The results show the economic impact on gross domestic product under different energy scenarios. Appropriate energy strategies for carbon dioxide emission reduction could be implemented based on the scenario analysis.     

Pollution Abatement Energy Usage of Gas Treating and Processing Plants

The body of information presented in this paper is directed to individuals dealing with energy distribution and environmental issues. Production of natural gas demands energy for abatement of air pollutants. Perspective of energy requirements for natural gas production is presented by analysis of a survey of about 20% of the operating gas plants in Texas. The variation of fuel requirements for production is determined for inlet gas streams with increasing concentrations of toxic contaminants. Then the energy requirements of specific abatement devices is presented and the resultant cost of preparing natural gas for distribution is outlined. The average abatement energy requirement is 1.5% of the total energy requirement for gas processing or consumption of less than 0.1 % of the marketed production of natural gas.     

Potential of conservation agriculture modules for energy conservation and sustainability of rice-based production systems of Indo-Gangetic Plain region

Rice-based cropping systems are the most energy-intensive production systems in South Asia. Sustainability of the rice-based cropping systems is nowadays questioned with declining natural resource base, soil degradation, environmental pollution, and declining factor productivity. As a consequence, the search for energy and resource conservation agro-techniques is increasing for sustainable and cleaner production. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been recommended for resource conservation, soil health restoration and sustaining crop productivity. The present study aimed to assess the different CA modules in rice-based cropping systems for energy conservation, energy productivity, and to define energy-economic relations. A field experiment consisted of four different tillage-based crop establishment practices (puddled-transplanted rice followed by (fb) conventional-till maize/wheat (CTTPR-CT), non-puddled transplanted rice fb zero-till maize/wheat (NPTPR-ZT), zero-till transplanted rice fb zero-till maize/wheat (ZTTPR-ZT), zero-till direct-seeded rice fb zero-till maize/wheat (ZTDSR-ZT)), with two residue management treatments (residue removal, residue retention) in rice–wheat and rice–maize rotations were evaluated for energy budgeting and energy-economic relations. Conservation-tillage treatments (NPTPR-ZT, ZTTPR-ZT, and ZTDSR-ZT) reduced the energy requirements over conventional tillage treatments, with the greater reduction in ZTTPR-ZT and ZTDSR-ZT treatments. Savings of energy in conservation-tillage treatments were attributed to reduced energy use in land preparation (69–100%) and irrigation (23–27%), which consumed a large amount of fuel energy. Conservation-tillage treatments increased grain and straw/stover yields of crops, eventually increased the output energy (6–16%), net energy (14–26%), energy ratio (25–33%), and energy productivity (23–34%) as compared with CTTPR-CT. For these energy parameters, the treatment order was ZTDSR-ZT ≥ ZTTPR-ZT > NPTPR-ZT > CTTPR-CT (p < 0.05). Crop residue retention reduced net energy, energy ratio, and energy productivity when compared with residue removal. Our results of energy-economic relations favored the “conservative hypothesis,” which envisages that energy and monetary investments are not essentially the determinants of crop productivity. Thus, zero tillage-based crop establishments (ZTTPR-ZT, ZTDSR-ZT) in rice-based production systems could be the sustainable alternative to conventional tillage-based agriculture (CTTPR-CT) as they conserved non-renewable energy sources, reduced water requirement, and increased crop productivity.

     

Characterization and pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis: potential of bio-oil and chemical production by Py-GC/MS analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Biofuels have been seen as potential sources to meet future energy demand as a renewable and sustainable energy source. Despite the fact that the...     

A review on solar-powered cooling systems coupled with parabolic dish collector and linear Fresnel reflector

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Solar energy is the most sustainable and free source to manage the world energy demand. One aspect of solar-driven energy supply can be observed in...     

Roadmap for climate alliance economies to vision 2030: retrospect and lessons

The United Nations Climate Conference 25, held in December 2019, reached a significant agreement against implementing the Paris agreement come 2020. Bound by the contract, 189 countries who are party to the deal agreed to constrain worldwide temperature to ascend to 1.5° Celsius. To this end, the present study attempts to investigate the readiness of selected countries in the European Union to implement the agreement, which will better the quality of the global environment. In line with this, this study appraises the connection between economic growth, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, on emissions in 11 countries in the European Union from 1990 to 2016. The study utilises the Pooled Mean Group-Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) model estimator and Dumitrescu and Hurlin Panel Causality analysis to analyse the long-run and short-run impact and direction of causality among these factors, respectively. The long-run study's empirical results show a U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and a negative connection between renewable energy use and emissions in the EU-11 countries. In the short-run, non-renewable energy use worsens CO₂ emissions while renewable energy use leads to a fall in emissions. Similarly, causality tests show a feedback mechanism between emissions and renewable energy use and between non-renewable energy and renewable use. Also, there is unidirectional causality from income to CO₂ emissions, non-renewable energy use to CO₂ emissions. The investigation recommends an expanded proportion of renewable energy sources in the EU countries’ energy mix to cut down on emissions.

     

Energy and Efficiency Characteristics of the Ejector Venturi Scrubber

The scrubbing and pumping actions in the Ejector Venturi Scrubber are two separate phenomenon occurring simultaneously. Each phenomenon requires energy and has efficiency of operation and collection efficiency. These energy and efficiency relationships are discussed and illustrated in form of numerous graphs. The scrubbing energy requirements and how they vary with particle sizes down to one micron are also discussed and presented in form of numerous graphs.     

Optimization for municipal solid waste treatment based on energy consumption and contaminant emission

This paper analyzes the characterization of energy consumption and contaminant emissions from a municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment system that comprises transfer station, landfill site, combustion plant, composting plant, dejecta treatment station, and an integrated MSW treatment plant. The consumed energy and energy medium materials were integrated under comprehensive energy consumption (CEC) for comparison. Among typical MSW disposal methods such as combustion, composting, and landfilling, landfilling has the minimum CEC value. Installing an integrated treatment plant is the recommended MSW management method because of its lower CEC. Furthermore, this method is used to ensure process centralization. In landfill sites, a positive linear correlation was observed between the CEC and contaminant removal ratios when emitted pollutants have a certain weight coefficient. The process should utilize the minimum CEC value of 5.3702 kgce/t MSW and consider energy consumption, energy recovery, MSW components, and the equivalent of carbon dioxide emissions.     

The joint and independent effects of financial development and renewable energy on energy consumption in the Trans-Pacific countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - While the independent effect is widely examined, the joint effect of financial development and renewable energy on energy consumption has largely been...