 Subjects -> METEOROLOGY (Total: 106 journals)
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- Evaluating Shading Effects of PV Systems: Discrepancies in Simulation
Software and Energy Consumption
Abstract: A critical procedure in sustainable building design is that building energy consumption has significant implications for the global energy crisis and climate change. This study compares three simulation software programs for a photovoltaic system on a building’s roof. The low-rise residential buildings in three East Mediterranean cities (Amman, Mafraq, and Aqaba) represent moderate dry–warm, semi-arid, and humid subtropical climate zones were compared using three simulation software programs (IES-VE, Design-Builder, REVIT) for a typical building with PV on the roof and the second scenario without a PV system installed on the roof. This investigation aims to evaluate the shading effect of the PV system on a building’s roof structure by calculating the total heating and cooling loads required to maintain thermal comfort inside the building. The results showed significant discrepancies between the three software for the base building design and the PV system on the roof, with a range of around 50 %. This highlights the importance of evaluating and calibrating different simulation tools and using them with a great deal of caution.
PubDate: Sat, 16 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Applicability of the European Union’s Building Renovation Assessment
Framework in Spain
Abstract: The energy renovation of buildings is one of the main keys to achieve the decarbonisation objectives of the European Union (EU). In response, the Commission Recommendation (EU) 2019/786 proposed an assessment framework based on Measurable Progress Indicators (MPIs) to assess the decarbonisation. The objective of the study is to analyse the applicability of the MPIs in Spain; for this, the study analyses the viability of the MPIs and carries on the prioritization of the MPIs. Thus, the methodology is developed in three stages: (1) analysis of data availability the viability of each MPI; (2) prioritization of the MPIs by and expert round table (ERT); (3) applicability analysis of the prioritizing MPIs. Firstly, the analysis of viability shows that the data availability and the quality is limited, with many data source entities and big diversity of data features and quality. Secondly, the expert round table prioritized 8 MPIs regarding the EU’s targets in building renovation. Thirdly, the applicability evaluation finds out many barriers but also identifies the key points to launch the MPIs base assessment framework. The study identifies the entities that could likely carry on the data collection and other challenges like the digital building logbook (DBL) or the monitorization towards the efficient assessment of the renovation of the building.
PubDate: Sat, 16 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Methods for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Products: A Review
Abstract: Most agricultural by-products are not recycled or fully utilized. Most of them end up in waste and cause economic, social and environmental problems. Today, much of the byproducts are considered waste, although they can be appropriately recycled to produce new value-added products. By-products have great potential to create, for example, food additives. Many of these byproducts are a source of valuable compounds such as proteins, lipids, starches, trace elements, bioactive compounds and dietary fiber. A wide variety of extraction methods are currently available, but several factors must be considered to determine which of these methods can efficiently and environmentally produce high-value-added products from by-products. The article examines, summarizes and compares various extraction methods, as well as products that are currently obtained using specific methods.
PubDate: Sat, 16 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Multi-Criteria Problems of Energy Consumption in Buildings Considering
Technical and Economic Indices
Abstract: This study focuses on economic modelling of the energy consumption in buildings considering controllable appliances scheduling in stand-alone electrical grids. The economic modelling is implemented via coordination of the energy generation of the renewable energies with controllable appliances by using demand shifting strategy (DSS). On the other side, uncertainty and stochastic modelling of the renewable energies are considered in the optimal coordination. Also, optimal coordination is modelled by multi-criteria problems of the technical and economic indices. Solving of the multi-criteria problem is done by fuzzy and augmented epsilon-constraint methods. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed model, it is applied on a 25-node test system through defining two scenarios. The obtained results show that modelling the optimal coordination to supply the demand of the grid can increase the efficiency of the system.
PubDate: Thu, 31 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Carbon Footprint Evaluation Tool for Packaging Marketplace
Abstract: Businesses willing to reduce their carbon footprint embrace sustainability and positively impact the progress towards achieving climate neutrality. Well-prepared and presented information to the business customer before purchasing can be a strong driver for better decision-making towards less impactful product alternatives. This study presents the development of a tool for packaging products online marketplace that informs customers about the carbon footprint of packaging products and allows them to evaluate which of the select packaging alternatives is most preferable from an environmental perspective. The tool implements a life cycle analysis (LCA) approach, including the stages of raw material extraction, packaging production, and transportation to the customer. The impact assessment in the tool is performed according to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 methodology for assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on information obtained from the Ecoinvent database. The final output of carbon footprint calculation is provided with an indicator marking the carbon footprint performance of customer-defined alternatives in a clear, simple, and consistent way. The tool aims to educate customers, foster informed purchasing decisions, and improve the environmental outcomes of their decisions.
PubDate: Sat, 22 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Sustaining a Mars Colony through Integration of Single-Cell Oil in
Biological Life Support Systems
Abstract: As humanity sets its sights on establishing a sustainable and prosperous colony on Mars, the main challenges to be overcome are ensuring a reliable and nutritious food supply for settlers, feedstock for 3D printing, fuel and pharmaceuticals. While various solutions for production of essential products on Mars have been proposed, there is growing interest in the use of microorganisms as the main production units. This scientific review article proposes a novel concept of using single cell oil (SCO) as a versatile feedstock for various applications in a bioregenerative life support system (BLSS) for space missions. The authors suggest using outputs from autotrophic systems, such as cyanobacteria biomass and oxygen, to cultivate SCO-producing microorganisms from the class Labyrinthulomycetes. The produced SCO can be used for food, fuel, 3D printing materials, and pharmaceuticals. This approach can potentially reduce the importance of carbohydrates in space foods, offering various benefits, including a reduction in food weight, simpler, lightweight, more compact bioreactors, launch cost reduction, potentially improved mental and cognitive performance, and reduced fatigue for the crew. The authors also suggest using SCO as the feedstock for the production of 3D printable filaments and resins and as a supplementary fuel source for space colonies. While the concept is hypothetical, the theoretical foundation is solid, and this approach could potentially become an important element required for the establishment of a successful Mars colony.
PubDate: Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Insights of Bioeconomy: Biopolymer Evaluation Based on Sustainability
Criteria
Abstract: Sustainable development in the agriculture sector can be boosted by integrating a sustainable bioeconomy and transforming renewable resources into added-value products. There are various methods to determine, measure, and compare the extent of sustainability. We promote the bioeconomy concept by utilizing agricultural waste in biopolymers considering the sustainable development in the agriculture sector. This research aims to evaluate biopolymer alternatives based on sustainability criteria and indicators using the integrated multi-criteria decision analysis approach under the sustainability umbrella. We evaluated the PLA, PHA/PHB, starch, protein, and cellulose-based biopolymers. As a result, the cellulose-based biopolymer shows the best performance. The research findings provide valuable information to establish a sustainable pathway for biopolymer production for industries.
PubDate: Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- An Empirical Approach to Optimize Nonlinear Problems of Domestic Energy
Management Systems
Abstract: Numerical optimization methods are used to reduce the operative costs and emissions of domestic houses comprising photovoltaic energy production and battery electrical storage combined with time-variant electricity prices. The modelling of the system comprises the different involved devices, energy flows and their constraints, and an objective function, which parametrizes the object of the optimization. The solution of the optimization problem defines the most adequate charging and discharging strategy of the battery into the future (prediction horizon). Power inverter efficiencies are usually modelled by assuming that they have constant values, and hence, that charging and discharging energy-flows lie on the most probably operating region of the inverter. A more realistic modelling of the power inverter efficiencies should consider a nonlinear parametrization of the efficiency curves. This consideration converts the optimization problem into a nonlinear one. It this paper, we modify a method to solve nonlinear optimization problems means iterations of linear optimization problems. The first iteration uses as seed values the solution of an optimization problem, which considers constant efficiencies of the battery inverter provided by the manufacturer of the battery. With the values of the solution of the optimization problem and with help of measured (dis)charging power curves and the optimized (dis)charging, new values of the efficiencies of the inverter of the battery will be determined, and the optimization problem will be with these values again computed. If a certain number of iterations is achieved or the values of the efficiencies converge, then the process stops.
PubDate: Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Treatment of Water Containing Dyes Using Cellulose Aerogels
Abstract: In recent years, there has been an interest in the study of new methods for the removal of dyes from water due to its large-scale use in different industries, for example, for paper printing, textile, leather, pharmaceutical, food or technological applications. It is estimated that more than 700 thousand tons of about 10 000 different types of dyes are produced annually. Most of them are synthetic origin and can generate adverse effects, for example, teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic action. Dyes are mainly applied in the textile industry, and they are usually classified into anionic (acid dyes), cationic (basic dyes) and non-ionic (disperse dyes) dyes. The direct discharge of dyes into the environment can cause various damages to plants and animals: dyes can block the penetration of sunlight, reduce the photosynthetic efficiency of aquatic plants and ultimately destroy the ecological balance of the aquatic ecosystem. This study determined the adsorption efficiency of congo red, methylene blue, rhodamine B and naphthol green B dyes used in textile industry by using the aerogel – an adsorbent synthesized from paper waste. Total carbon was selected as indicator of dye concentration in solution. An increase in fibre content from 3 % to 5 % contributes to the improvement of adsorption properties. The decrease in congo red concentration after an adsorption process was 31.0 % and 38.0 % respectively; the decrease in methylene blue was 2.49 % and 8.15 %; the decrease in naphthol green B was 28.04 % and 34.14 % and the decrease in rhodamine B was 1.28 % and 4.13 %.
PubDate: Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Evaluation of Thermal Comfort Perception in Social Housing Context
Abstract: The influence of people on building performance is becoming increasingly significant. Including users’ perspective in decision-making and design processes could help to improve occupants’ well-being and the feasibility of interventions by providing more accurate information about heating preferences for energy models. Furthermore, understanding residents’ level of thermal satisfaction could enable more appropriate measures to be taken to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. This study aims to define an indicator that measures the level of thermal satisfaction of social housing occupants so that it can be contrasted with other methods of analysis of perceived comfort and can be replicated in different building contexts. A way to analyse occupants’ thermal satisfaction is proposed in a quantitative way, measured as the difference of the desired temperature and the perceived indoor temperature. The index was applied to a sample of 283 social housing dwellings in the Basque Country, Spain, with data obtained via surveys that include questions on thermal comfort in winter and households’ characteristics. Furthermore, the indicator was compared to other variables, such as household income and energy expenses, to observe behavioural trends and possible cases of energy vulnerability. The obtained variable provides occupants’ opinion and perception to ensure the suitability of the solutions for improving the energy efficiency of the building and the thermal comfort. It is also possible to apply it to different building typologies and compare the results with other models of perceived thermal comfort.
PubDate: Wed, 05 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Realizing Renewable Energy Storage Potential in Municipalities:
Identifying the Factors that Matter
Abstract: The share of renewable energy in heat and power generation is expected to increase significantly and reach record levels in the coming decades. As a result, emerging energy storage technologies will be key elements in balancing the energy system. To compensate the variability and non-controllability of seasonally generated renewable energy (RES) (daily fluctuations in solar radiation intensity, wind speed, etc.) development of sufficient energy storage infrastructure in the regions will play a major role in transforming RES supply potential into reality. However, local public authorities that are responsible for creating an enabling policy environment for RES infrastructure development in regions encounter numerous challenges and uncertainties in deploying sufficient energy accumulation that often remain unanswered due to a lack of knowledge and on-site capacity, which in turn significantly hinders the regional path to climate neutrality. In this study, the PESLTE analytical framework and composite index methodology is applied to examine the multidimensional factors that influence the deployment of renewable energy storage technologies in municipalities: political, economic, social, legal, technological, and environmental. Developed model is approbated in a case study in a Latvian municipality where four different alternative energy storage technologies are compared: batteries for electricity storage, thermal energy storage, energy storage in a form of hydrogen, and energy storage in a form of biomethane.
PubDate: Thu, 29 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- On Carbon Substitution and Storage Factors for Harvested Wood Products in
the Context of Climate Change Mitigation in the Norwegian Forest Sector
Abstract: Harvested wood products (HWP) can play an important role in climate-smart bioeconomic transformation. They contribute to climate change mitigation through two main mechanisms: carbon storage and substitution. Norway has ambitions to strengthen the contribution of its forest sector in climate change mitigation. Ideally, the future production and use of HWPs would increasingly shift towards products with high carbon storage and substitution benefits. We collected data from the literature and, when necessary, supplemented it with our own calculations, on carbon storage and substitution factors of HWPs that seemed relevant in evaluating the climate change mitigation potential in the context of the Norwegian forest sector. There are many uncertainties in the parameters. We identified and examined in more detail some uses of wood for industrial products that offer clear substitution benefits and, in some cases, long-term carbon storage. Wood-based construction materials, textile fibres, and insulation materials are examples of such products that could have high potential in the bioeconomy transformation in Norway.
PubDate: Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- The Use of Solar Collectors in Domestic Hot Water Systems in Central and
Eastern European Countries: Simulation in TRNSYS
Abstract: Solar collectors are devices that enable the use of solar radiation, e.g., for hot water preparation or space heating. They are playing an increasingly important role in Europe and around the world, mainly due to the easy availability of the sun, as an energy source. The advisability of their use depends on a number of factors, of which climatic conditions are an extremely important one. This paper presents the results of energy simulations of a solar collector-based domestic hot water system for the capitals of five selected Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC): Riga, Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava, and Zagreb. Using TRNSYS software, a theoretical model of the system was developed and dynamic simulations were carried out for the entire year. The amount of useful energy generated by the flat-plate collectors, their efficiency, as well as the auxiliary energy requirements and the amount of energy needed to meet the load were estimated and compared. The extent to which changing the area of solar collector affects the operation and efficiency of the system for different locations was also analysed. The results showed that in terms of efficiency, the use of solar collectors is most favourable in placed southernmost Croatia and in Slovakia, where it was also achieved the lowest annual auxiliary energy demand. The least favourable location turned out to be Riga. It is also worth noting that regardless of location, the area of solar collector has a significant impact on the efficiency of the entire system.
PubDate: Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Microalgae and Synthetic Astaxanthin
Pigments
Abstract: The marketability of fish depends on the visual appearance of the fish, so the feed ingredient pigment contributes to the nutritional value and visual appearance of the product. The benefits of a natural pigment derived from microalgae are the ecological benefits, as the culture can fix carbon and release oxygen. The economic aspect is a benefit of synthetic pigments. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was used to determine the environmental impact of natural and synthetic pigments. The results obtained from the LCA are expressed according to the impact categories defined by the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR). A sensitivity analysis was also carried out comparing the environmental impacts of electricity generated with hydropower or using a field mix from Norway for the natural pigment. The total single score value for natural pigment is 1.17E+01 mPt and the largest impact is from sodium nitrate and electricity. The sensitivity analysis results for electricity from the country mix is 1.82E+01 mPt. The total single score value for synthetic pigment is 8.24E−01 mPt, with the largest impact from methanol. Synthetic pigments have a lower environmental impact than natural pigments, but a sensitivity analysis shows that the environmental impact can be reduced by choosing an alternative to electricity. It should be noted that the comparison presented represents a general comparison of alternatives, as the input data is derived from a literature review.
PubDate: Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT
- Analysis of Textile Circularity Potential
Abstract: Global annual textile consumption has doubled in the last two decades and is expected to keep increasing. Since the textile system operates primarily in a linear way, it is highly polluting and creates a lot of waste. But nevertheless, it has a high potential for circularity since most textile products can be recycled or reused. Today most of the waste ends up in landfills, and less than 1 % is recycled back into textiles. This study aims to gather information and evaluate which textile product group has the highest potential for circular economy growth. It covers three main textile product streams: fashion, home, and technical textiles. The groups were compared using fifteen criteria: environmental impact, washes, landfilled waste, recycled waste, origin of fabric, projected lifetime, market demand, production volume, international trade, labour productivity, value added, energy efficiency of production technologies, innovation capacity, employment, and enterprises. Input values have been found for each sustainability indicator by using and mathematically transforming data from the scientific literature. The evaluation method used in this study was multi-criteria decision analysis. The results indicated that the fashion textile group has the most significant potential for circular economy development, mainly because it is the largest textile product stream, and the development of a circular economy could be cost-effective.
PubDate: Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT
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