Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
David J. Murphy, Marco Raugei, Michael Carbajales-Dale, Brenda Rubio Estrada
Summary: This article introduces the concepts of net energy and Energy Return on Investment (EROI), and points out the lack of methodological consistency in various papers, leading to inaccurate comparisons across technologies. The authors provide a literature review and harmonization of EROI values to ensure accurate comparisons of thermal fuels and electricity production technologies.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yi-Li Lin, Nai-Yun Zheng, Hsueh-Chien Wang
Summary: This study investigates the dewatering and reuse of activated sludge for solid biofuel. The results show that the combination of low H2O2 dose and pulse ultrasonication followed by torrefaction achieved zero-waste and promoted the release of protein and carbohydrate content in the supernatant. The biochar produced had lower greenhouse gas emissions and higher energy return on investment than burning coal. The proposed technology is environmentally and economically friendly and has potential practical applications in sludge disposal and renewable energy production.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yan Hu, Yingchao Chen, Songlin Tang, Lianyong Feng, Chen Huang
Summary: Low-carbon energy transformation is a major trend in world energy development, with different measures to mitigate carbon emissions requiring varying amounts of energy. By interpreting EROI in terms of entropy theory, the relationship between EROI and entropy change can be derived. It is important to use multidimensional factors in evaluating energy resource exploitation instead of quantifying all factors as energy units, in line with the basic requirement of a dissipative structure that the total entropy change must be negative. Future development of the EROI method should be guided by entropy theory to increase its application and policy significance.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
O. Fullana Llinas, E. Tello Aragay, Mas Ivan Murray, G. Jover-Avella, J. Marull Lopez
Summary: This article analyzes the socioecological transition of an agroecosystem in Mallorca over a period of 150 years, from traditional organic farming to a fossil fuel-based system of agriculture. The shift in ownership of land and livestock, as well as the adoption of Green Revolution techniques, led to changes in productivity and sustainability of the agricultural system. Ultimately, the integration of agriculture into the tourist economy presented challenges to the reproduction of traditional biocultural landscapes.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Enric Tello, Vera Sacristan, Jose R. Olarieta, Claudio Cattaneo, Joan Marull, Manel Pons, Simone Gingrich, Fridolin Krausmann, Elena Galan, Ines Marco, Roc Padro, Gloria I. Guzman, Manuel Gonzalez de Molina, Geoff Cunfer, Andrew Watson, Joshua Macfadyen, Eva Frankova, Eduardo Aguilera, Juan Infante-Amate, Alexander Urrego-Mesa, David Soto, Lluis Parcerisas, Jerome Dupras, Lucia Diez-Sanjuan, Jonathan Caravaca, Laura Gomez, Onofre Fullana, Ivan Murray, Gabriel Jover, Xavier Cusso, Ramon Garrabou
Summary: Early energy analyses of agriculture showed a decrease in energy returns on energy invested in industrial farming compared to traditional organic agricultural systems. Recent studies indicate some improvement in energy returns due to efficiency gains. However, most agricultural energy studies have only focused on external input, neglecting the role of internal biomass flows from livestock and forestry. This study synthesizes the findings from 82 farm systems in North America and Europe from 1830 to 2012, highlighting the changing energy profiles in agroecosystems, including livestock and forestry. The results reveal a trend towards lower external returns, little or no increase in internal returns, and minimal improvement in total returns.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohammad S. Marasadi, Kyle McGaughy, Jillian Falls, Tyler Tarnoczi
Summary: There is a disagreement between research communities and energy sector stakeholders on life cycle GHG emission estimates due to lack of validation of LCA models using real operation data. This is caused by limited collaboration and knowledge exchange between model developers and company experts. By engaging company experts and improving assumptions, models, and information used in an open-source LCA simulator (OPGEE), the carbon intensity estimates are found to be within 1%-5% of reported data by companies when using consistent region-specific input data and system boundaries.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jessica Daaboul, Patrick Moriarty, Graham Palmer, Damon Honnery
Summary: This paper introduces a method to determine ESME by removing the impact of energy systems on ecosystems over their lifecycle. The research shows that the capacity to produce net green energy decreases with increased natural gas backup.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marco Vittorio Ecclesia, Joao Santos, Paul E. Brockway, Tiago Domingos
Summary: The declining EROIs of energy sources imply a decrease in the efficiency of extracting and producing energy globally. This study introduces a new societal EROI measure that takes into account a broader range of energy sources and the influence of imported and exported energy. Using Portugal as a case study, the new EROI is found to be considerably lower but stable, indicating its independence from economic growth. The declining societal EROI at the final stage emphasizes the importance of producing new and more efficient energy converting capital for a successful transition to renewables.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Patrick Moriarty, Damon Honnery
Summary: Various technical solutions have been proposed for addressing global climate change, but the presence of multiple global environmental challenges complicates the search for effective solutions. Additionally, these challenges must be tackled within a short time frame and amidst rising international tensions and population growth. This review emphasizes the need to prioritize Earth's ecological sustainability and suggests that reducing global transportation and agricultural production may be more effective than solely relying on renewable energy conversion.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Changgui Dong, Gregory Nemet, Xue Gao, Galen Barbose, Benjamin Sigrin, Eric O'Shaughnessy
Summary: The further deployment of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) is hindered by high soft costs, especially customer acquisition expenses. This study demonstrates that machine learning can significantly improve prediction performance in identifying PV adopters and reducing soft costs compared to traditional significance-based methods. Through machine learning, the true positive rate of predicting adopters increased from 66 to 87%, and the true negative rate of predicting non-adopters increased from 75 to 88%. This enhanced performance is attributed to the incorporation of complex variable interactions and nonlinear effects. Machine learning can reduce customer acquisition costs by 15% ($0.07/Watt) and uncover new market opportunities for solar companies to expand and diversify customer bases.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Benjamin Pillot, Nadeem Al-Kurdi, Carmen Gervet, Laurent Linguet
Summary: This paper discusses the penetration of solar PV into power grids, aiming to maximize energy penetration and stability while minimizing operational costs through optimal clustering of PV sites. Aggregating multiple PV parks into clusters distributed across the territory can improve energy stability and reduce costs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bartlomiej Bajan, Joanna Lukasiewicz, Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda, Walenty Poczta
Summary: The projected increase in global population necessitates an increase in food production, with a high reliance on energy. The energy return on investment (EROI) is an important indicator for energy efficiency, showing that underdeveloped regions have high EROI but insufficient food production, while highly developed regions have low EROI but strong food self-sufficiency.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aljosa Slamersak, Giorgos Kallis, Daniel W. O' Neill
Summary: Achieving the Paris Agreement requires massive deployment of low-carbon energy, but the transition itself may consume energy and result in substantial carbon emissions. Research finds that the transition will decrease the available net energy and increase the carbon emissions from the energy system.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Natalia B. Correa Guerrero, Walter O. Herrera Martinez, Barbara Civit, M. Dolores Perez
Summary: Perovskite solar cells have attracted attention in renewable energy field for their exceptional photoconversion efficiencies, but a scale-up feasibility analysis is needed for commercialization. Evaluating energy performance and comparing production processes, it is found that the p-i-n configuration shows better potential for commercialization.
Article
Thermodynamics
Diana Neves, Patricia Baptista, Pedro Rosa
Summary: This study presents an innovative approach to estimate the potential of solar community deployment at the urban level, using an open and georeferenced-based modeling framework. The assessment is performed based on photovoltaic solar potential, buildings, and families' characteristics data. The results show that the availability of rooftop area and the number of dwellings influence the deployment of photovoltaic systems. The study also found that there are no significant economic differences when comparing energy communities at the city-block scale to single average buildings.
Article
Thermodynamics
Adam R. Brandt, Holger Teichgraeber, Charles A. Kang, Charles J. Barnhart, Michael A. Carbajales-Dale, Sgouris Sgouridis
Summary: Future energy systems will rely more on variable renewable energy, requiring flexible energy strategies to increase their utilization. Comparing FESs has been difficult due to large differences in technology details.
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
Vasilis Fthenakis, Marco Raugei, Christian Breyer, Suby Bhattacharya, Michael Carbajales-Dale, Michael Ginsberg, Arnulf Jaeger-Waldau, Enrica Leccisi, Daniel Lincot, David Murphy, Marc J. R. Perez, Parikhit Sinha, Angus Rockett, Sascha Sadewasser, Billy J. Stanbery, Richard M. Swanson, Pierre Verlinden
Summary: This paper exposes the flaws in Siebert and Rees's article and critiques their non-scientific approach to the review process. The authors selectively screen literature on challenges related to renewable energies without discussing well-documented solutions. Additionally, the paper provides a rigorous refutation of unsubstantiated personal opinions presented by Siebert and Rees.
Article
Thermodynamics
Seyedeh Nashmin Elyasi, Li He, Panagiotis Tsapekos, Shahin Rafiee, Benyamin Khoshnevisan, Michael Carbajales-Dale, Seyed Saeid Mohtasebi, Hongbin Liu, Irini Angelidaki
Summary: The study compares the environmental and cost impacts of biological biogas upgrading and water scrubbing, with results showing that under certain conditions biological upgrading can be a sustainable alternative. The research highlights the influence of factors such as technological development, scaling effects, electricity prices, and policy scenarios on the economic profitability of biological upgrading, as well as the strong correlation between the production cost of biomethane and its economic profitability with the price of surplus electricity and subsidy.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Benyamin Khoshnevisan, Li He, Mingyi Xu, Borja Valverde-Perez, Jani Sillman, Georgia-Christina Mitraka, Panagiotis G. Kougias, Yifeng Zhang, Shuiping Yan, Long Ji, Michael Carbajales-Dale, Seyedeh Nashmin Elyasi, Hadis Marami, Panagiotis Tsapekos, Hongbin Liu, Irini Angelidaki
Summary: Concerns over food security and protein scarcity have prompted scientists to search for new protein sources. The first generation of microbial protein (MP) is not considered sustainable due to its reliance on natural gas and synthetic chemicals. Thus, researchers are focusing on the production of second generation MP, which integrates renewable energies and other technologies to improve sustainability.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar, Pezhman Ghadimi, Marco Raugei, Yufeng Wu, Oliver Heidrich
Summary: Lithium-ion batteries play a crucial role in advancing electromobility, but their sustainability and lifecycle pose challenges that require further research and collaboration. This article presents the pressing challenges of EV LIBs throughout their lifecycle and discusses market instruments and government interventions. It also highlights future research challenges and the need for successful circular economy strategies in battery supply and recycling processes.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Oliver Heidrich, Alistair C. Ford, Richard J. Dawson, David A. C. Manning, Eugene Mohareb, Marco Raugei, Joris Baars, Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar
Summary: This paper presents a tool named LAYERS that utilizes material flow analysis to illustrate the complex connections in carbon technology supply chains. The tool focuses on a case study of cobalt for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, and visualizes the intended and unintended consequences of cobalt demand. LAYERS integrates a geographic information system architecture and provides a clear understanding of the location of raw materials and their geopolitical implications.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
David J. Murphy, Marco Raugei, Michael Carbajales-Dale, Brenda Rubio Estrada
Summary: This article introduces the concepts of net energy and Energy Return on Investment (EROI), and points out the lack of methodological consistency in various papers, leading to inaccurate comparisons across technologies. The authors provide a literature review and harmonization of EROI values to ensure accurate comparisons of thermal fuels and electricity production technologies.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Marco Raugei
Summary: Passenger vehicles are responsible for significant GHG emissions. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the most promising option for decarbonizing the passenger vehicle fleet, with up to -70% reductions in GHG emissions compared to conventional ICEVs. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs and PHEVs) can bridge the gap between ICEVs and BEVs, especially in markets that are harder to electrify quickly. Fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) may be a viable option if hydrogen fuel is produced using renewable energy.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Naomi Keena, Marco Raugei, Mae-ling Lokko, Mohamed Aly Etman, Vicki Achnani, Barbara K. Reck, Anna Dyson
Summary: This paper investigates the potential for biobased construction materials to enable a more environmentally sustainable approach to built environment. The results show that biobased alternatives have lower life-cycle impacts compared to traditional construction, and strategies such as design for disassembly and future alternatives for electricity supply can further reduce the environmental impacts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael Carbajales-Dale, Thomas W. Murphy
Summary: This paper evaluates the environmental impacts of human space travel, highlighting its large environmental footprint and the moral implications of the high costs borne by those who cannot participate. The analysis determines that space travel has a heavier burden on Earth's resources than expected, thus raising questions about its sustainability and fairness.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Muzan Williams Ijeoma, Hao Chen, Michael Carbajales-Dale, Rahimat Oyiza Yakubu
Summary: Supermarkets in Port Harcourt, Nigeria rely on diesel electricity generation due to grid instability and high electricity prices. This study examines the feasibility of solar photovoltaic systems for these supermarkets and finds that they are economically viable with positive net present value and carbon savings.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Naomi Keena, Daniel R. Rondinel-Oviedo, Alejandra Acevedo De-los-Rios, Jaime Sarmiento-Pastor, Andres Lira-Chirif, Marco Raugei, Anna Dyson
Summary: This study conducted a life cycle assessment of housing stocks in Montreal and Lima, exploring the potential of selective deconstruction in reducing carbon emissions in the building sector. The results demonstrate that selective deconstruction can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of residential buildings.
CLEANER ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Computer Science, Information Systems
Christian Breyer, Siavash Khalili, Dmitrii Bogdanov, Manish Ram, Ayobami Solomon Oyewo, Arman Aghahosseini, Ashish Gulagi, A. A. Solomon, Dominik Keiner, Gabriel Lopez, Poul Alberg Ostergaard, Henrik Lund, Brian Mathiesen, Mark Z. Jacobson, Marta Victoria, Sven Teske, Thomas Pregger, Vasilis Fthenakis, Marco Raugei, Hannele Holttinen, Ugo Bardi, Auke Hoekstra, Benjamin K. Sovacool
Summary: Research on 100% renewable energy systems is a relatively new field that has found that achieving 100% renewable energy worldwide is feasible and cost-effective. Solar energy and wind power are seen as the central pillars of a sustainable energy system, and research has focused on addressing challenges such as grid congestion, energy storage, sector coupling, and climate change.
