Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Artem Korzhenevych, Charles Kofi Owusu
Summary: Renewable energy minigrids show great potential for Africa's energy sector and overall economic development. The government of Ghana has set up pilot projects in five off-grid communities to test the electrification of rural areas. Findings from a survey in these communities suggest that rural households are willing to pay a higher price for renewable-powered electricity, indicating significant market demand for alternatives to the national grid.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Reena Sayani, Paloma Ortega-Arriaga, Philip Sandwell, Oytun Babacan, Ajay Gambhir, Darren Robinson, Jenny Nelson
Summary: Demand growth scenarios and choice of mini-grid sizing approaches have significant financial and operational implications for the design of systems for rural electrification. The use of a multi-stage approach in sizing mini-grids can result in cost savings.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ruth Anne Tanlioco Gonocruz, Yoshikuni Yoshida, Akito Ozawa, Rodolfo A. Aguirre Jr, Edward Joseph H. Maguindayao
Summary: This study explores the feasibility of integrating agrivoltaic systems and battery power generation to increase the share of renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions in the Philippines. Using an optimized power generation mix model, the study identifies the optimal combination of agrivoltaics and batteries and quantifies their potential contributions to the energy mix.
Article
Transportation Science & Technology
Milad Ghasri, Ali Ardeshiri, Nicholas J. Ekins-Daukes, Taha Rashidi
Summary: The study examines consumer preferences for installing photovoltaic solar cells on electric vehicles, utilizing a double hurdle model to explain low market penetration and high non-purchase choice. The willingness to pay for features like additional driving range from solar panels and color-matching solar panels differs between men and women, providing insights for policymakers and industries on the feasibility of this emerging technology.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART C-EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanan Zhang, Haitao Yin
Summary: The construction sector plays a crucial role in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Promoting green buildings could be an effective solution to tackle environmental issues. This study conducted a choice experiment to investigate preferences and willingness to pay for different attributes of green office buildings in Shanghai. The findings indicate that respondents highly value attributes related to indoor comfort and health, as well as power saving and water saving features. People working in higher rental offices are more likely to pay for air purifier installation. Construction and manufacturing firms show higher willingness to pay for power saving and lower willingness to pay for soundproofing. Overall, foreign firms are willing to pay more for eco-friendly materials.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mi Zeng, Wei Yu Yan, Zhi Jiang Zeng
Summary: Despite being the largest honey producer, China has relatively low domestic consumption. This study investigates honey consumption in mainland China and identifies the main factors influencing it. The survey of 960 respondents in Jiangxi Province reveals a preference for intense flavor (46.46%) and runny honey (50.83%). Direct sales from beekeepers (44.90%) are the most common purchasing method. The study highlights taste, consistency, and price as influential attributes in honey purchasing decisions.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chong Seok Choi, Sujith Ravi, Iskandar Z. Siregar, Fifi Gus Dwiyanti, Jordan Macknick, Michael Elchinger, Nicholas C. Davatzes
Summary: This study investigated the feasibility of integrating off-grid solar PV with high-value crop cultivation in Indonesia. The results showed that low-density PV systems overlaying crops could be economically viable and provide multiple co-benefits for rural communities.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dingde Xu, Jia He, Chen Qing, Fengwan Zhang
Summary: Rural domestic waste seriously pollutes the ecological environment and cannot be effectively treated with government funds alone. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a payment system for rural household waste management. This study examines the impact of perceived environmental regulations on rural residents' willingness to pay and payment amount for domestic waste management. The findings highlight the high willingness to pay among rural residents, but a low amount they are willing to pay, ranging from 22.18 to 33.06 RMB per month.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Christoph Herrmann, Sebastian Rhein, Katharina Friederike Straeter
Summary: Consumers' perception and willingness-to-pay for alternatives to conventional plastic packaging are ambiguous. They are willing to pay for packaging they perceive to be sustainable, yet dissatisfied with the current packaging situation despite recognizing the positive characteristics of single-use plastic packaging.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Alessandro Petrontino, Fabio Madau, Michel Frem, Vincenzo Fucilli, Rossella Bianchi, Adele Annarita Campobasso, Pietro Pulina, Francesco Bozzo
Summary: This research aimed to investigate the preferences and perceptions of Italian sea urchin dishes using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach. The survey conducted in Apulia showed that the origin certification of sea urchin was highly valued by consumers, especially when served in restaurants or seasoned with pasta or pizza. The study also found that factors such as place of purchase, place of consumption, and appearance influenced consumers' consumption utility of sea urchin.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yibeltal T. Wassie, Muyiwa S. Adaramola
Summary: This study examines the drivers and impacts of rural electrification with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems in Ethiopia, finding that the use of solar PV systems is growing and can lead to cost savings, increased electricity production, and higher income for rural households. However, challenges such as poor quality products, high costs, lack of after-sales services, and limited access to credit financing sources were also identified.
ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Radwan A. Almasri, Mohamed A. Al-Anazi, A. F. Almarshoud, Mohammed S. Alshitawi, Nidal H. Abu-Hamdeh
Summary: This study analyzed the energy consumption of two masjids in Saudi Arabia and found opportunities for energy rationalization. A photovoltaic system was used to achieve nearly zero bill or nearly zero energy building conditions. The energy use intensities of the masjids were 111 kWh/m2 and 121 kWh/m2, respectively. Cooling accounted for the highest energy consumption, followed by lighting. Improving the building envelope saved about 60% of AC energy load, while increasing ambient temperature resulted in a 30% increase in electricity requirement for ACs. Changing the set-point temperature allowed for a 27% electrical energy savings on a summer day. The environmental benefits of using solar energy were also identified.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Sharlene He, Eric T. Anderson
Summary: This article presents a conceptual perspective on how object attachment can affect individuals' willingness to pay (WTP) for an object and introduces a new WTP method to evaluate this impact. The article systematically outlines the construction of WTP and factors influencing it, while discussing how object attachment can influence WTP through four pathways.
CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cristina Dominguez, Kristina Orehounig, Jan Carmeliet
Summary: This study analyzes the transition towards clean energy in rural areas, from households without electricity access to national electricity, examining off-grid renewable technology access and post-electrification years. Findings reveal that factors like male household heads, peer pressure, and good quality housing materials increase the likelihood of grid-electricity adoption, while higher electricity prices and service unreliability decrease these probabilities.
ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xintao Li, Xue'er Xu, Diyi Liu, Mengqiao Han, Siqi Li
Summary: This study investigated the demand and preferences for household photovoltaic systems among urban and rural residents in Tianjin, China. The results showed that price is a key factor in consumers' choice of photovoltaic products, and consumers are willing to pay for after-sales service and traceable information. Additionally, gender and the number of minor children at home also influence consumers' adoption behaviors.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Vittorio Sessa, Ramchandra Bhandari, Abdramane Ba
Summary: Remote rural populations often lack reliable electricity sources, making fossil fuels an unviable option. This study in Mali utilizes the Low Emission Analysis Platform and geographical information tools to reduce biomass consumption significantly through a combination of grid extension and decentralized solar PV. This approach not only improves environmental sustainability but also offers an economically feasible solution for increasing access to electricity in remote areas.
Article
Thermodynamics
Niklas Stobernack, Felix Mayer, Christian Malek, Ramchandra Bhandari, Himanshu Himanshu
Summary: This study investigated nine alternative or additional treatment options from anaerobic digestion to composting, finding that the incorporation of hydrothermal carbonization can significantly increase energy utilization efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felix Mayer, Ramchandra Bhandari, Stefan A. Gaeth
Summary: A study analyzed four treatment paths for sewage sludge in Germany, showing that AD + spreading had the least environmental impacts, but with high local immission potential. Thermal post-treatment is necessary, with AD + I and AD + HTC + I having overall least impacts, while AD + P + I had similar or higher impacts in all categories. Mitigation of fossil energy use, N2O emissions, and careful selection of phosphorous recovery technology are crucial for all post-treatment paths.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Felix Mayer, Ramchandra Bhandari, Stefan A. Gaeth
Summary: By analyzing the environmental and economic performance of custom treatment paths for organic waste streams in Germany, it was found that anaerobic digestion followed by spreading of digestate is beneficial for food waste and OFMSW, while direct incineration is a preferable option for waste wood. The implementation of an HTC process for OFMSW and food waste is also viable, but must be optimized for an environmentally friendly heat source. In some cases, cascading anaerobic digestion with the HTC-process can be a suitable alternative.
Article
Agronomy
Srijana Neupane Bhandari, Sabine Schlueter, Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs, Holger Schloer, Rabani Adamou, Ramchandra Bhandari
Summary: Agricultural photovoltaic (APV) systems have been shown to have advantages such as optimized land use, increased energy and water productivity, and economic benefits. A case study in a village in Niger demonstrated that all economic indicators for solar-powered irrigation systems were positive, while those for diesel systems were negative. The APV system is proven to be an environmentally friendly and economically viable agricultural practice.
Article
Thermodynamics
H. Terfa, L. Baghli, R. Bhandari
Summary: This research proposes using distributed renewable energy micro-power plants to provide electricity in African countries. The laboratory is developing four types of micro-power plants, including wind turbine emulators and photovoltaic systems. The data flow between the micro-power plants and the simulated power grid is ensured through the use of embedded processors and a Firebase database.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ramchandra Bhandari
Summary: Niger has the potential to produce green hydrogen due to its high solar energy potential. While the domestic oil and coal industry is still growing, exporting green hydrogen to industrialized countries could be an option. The forecasted demand for hydrogen from the electricity and transport sectors in Niger is expected to increase until 2040.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kokou Amega, Yendoube Lare, Yacouba Moumouni, Ramchandra Bhandari, Saidou Madougou
Summary: This study combines renewable energy (RE) penetration assessment with the development of typical meteorological year (TMY) for five cities. An integrated method is used to assess the RE status and generate TMY using the Sandia method. The TMY and long-term data (LT) are compared, and a statistical error analysis is conducted for a 3kWc output PV system using TMY and LT. The results show that only 11.27% of the power demand capacity was achieved through RE until 2020. The TMY and LT are close for all the towns, with better accuracy for Sokode. The PV system performance predicted by TMY is within 2% of the LT for all the sites. The study highlights the need for more investment in the RE sector due to its potential, including high solar radiation, average annual precipitation, and mean wind speed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
(2022)
Correction
Energy & Fuels
Tefera Mekonnen, Ramchandra Bhandari, Venkata Ramayya
Article
Energy & Fuels
Rosa Zuloeta Bonilla, Ramchandra Bhandari
Summary: This study investigates the economic viability of a hybrid methanol and biomethane plant based on biogas coupled to a photovoltaic power plant and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer. The findings show that energy generation costs have the most significant impact on the economic viability of these small-scale designs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kokou Amega, Yendoube Lare, Ramchandra Bhandari, Yacouba Moumouni, Aklesso Y. G. Egbendewe, Windmanagda Sawadogo, Saidou Madougou
Summary: This study investigated the impact of climate change on the energy potential of photovoltaic cells in Togo. Results showed that PV potential may decrease due to climate change, with factors such as PV technology and geographical location playing a crucial role.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Vittorio Sessa, Ramchandra Bhandari
Summary: The European heating sector heavily relies on fossil fuels. Composting heat, which is released at a higher rate than needed, could be utilized for low-heat applications like residential water heating, reducing the impact of fossil fuel emissions. This study compared composting heat recovery with energy demand for space and water heating in four European countries and found that it significantly reduces energy demand for water heating, being able to satisfy 36% to 100% of Greece's yearly hot water demand or 12% to 53% of Switzerland's yearly hot water demand, depending on heat recovery efficiency.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Leonhard Povacz, Ramchandra Bhandari
Summary: Austria is committed to achieving net-zero emissions along with the European Union, and hydrogen is seen as key to decarbonization. This study examines the levelized cost of hydrogen for off-grid production plants in Austria, considering factors such as geographic location, capacity factors of renewable electricity sources, and full load hours of the electrolyzer. The model used in the study finds a cost-efficient portfolio of wind power and solar photovoltaics systems for 80 different variants, estimating the levelized cost of hydrogen to range from 3.08 to 13.12 EUR/kg.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Safiatou Mariko, Souleymane Sanogo, Rabani Adamou, Ramchandra Bhandari, Vittorio Sessa, Abdramane Ba
Summary: Mali has significant untapped renewable energy potentials but is currently identified as an energy-poor nation with high dependency on imports and biomass. The challenge is to meet the growing energy demand sustainably. Using Multicriteria Decision Making analysis, the most sustainable long-term energy supply options are identified and assessed considering technical, environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The results show that the highest priority indicators are economical followed by technical aspects. The best scenario suggests deploying renewable energy to 42% of the energy mix as a sustainable option for energy supply.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Tefera Mekonnen, Ramchandra Bhandari, Venkata Ramayya
Summary: This paper investigates the impacts of renewable distributed generation (DG) and capacitor bank on power loss and voltage profile in a distribution substation. The simulation results show that the combination of DG and capacitor bank can significantly reduce active power losses and improve voltage profile. The genetic algorithm technique is slightly more effective than the voltage sensitivity index method for capacitor sizing.
JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cameron Bracken, Nathalie Voisin, Casey D. Burleyson, Allison M. Campbell, Z. Jason Hou, Daniel Broman
Summary: This study presents a methodology and dataset for examining compound wind and solar energy droughts, as well as the first standardized benchmark of energy droughts across the Continental United States (CONUS) for a 2020 infrastructure. The results show that compound wind and solar droughts have distinct spatial and temporal patterns across the CONUS, and the characteristics of energy droughts are regional. The study also finds that compound high load events occur more often during compound wind and solar droughts than expected.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ning Zhang, Yanghao Yu, Jiawei Wu, Ershun Du, Shuming Zhang, Jinyu Xiao
Summary: This paper provides insights into the optimal configuration of CSP plants with different penetrations of wind power by proposing an unconstrained optimization model. The results suggest that large solar multiples and TES are preferred in order to maximize profit, especially when combined with high penetrations of wind and photovoltaic plants. Additionally, the study demonstrates the economy and feasibility of installing electric heaters (EH) in CSP plants, which show a linear correlation with the penetration of variable energy resources.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
M. Szubel, K. Papis-Fraczek, S. Podlasek
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
J. Silva, J. C. Goncalves, C. Rocha, J. Vilaca, L. M. Madeira
Summary: This study investigated the methanation of CO2 in biogas and compared two different methanation reactors. The results showed that the cooled reactor without CO2 separation achieved a CO2 conversion rate of 91.8%, while the adiabatic reactors achieved conversion rates of 59.6% and 67.2%, resulting in an overall conversion rate of 93.0%. Economic analysis revealed negative net present worth values, indicating the need for government monetary incentives.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yang Liu, Yonglan Xi, Xiaomei Ye, Yingpeng Zhang, Chengcheng Wang, Zhaoyan Jia, Chunhui Cao, Ting Han, Jing Du, Xiangping Kong, Zhongbing Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effect of using nanofiber membrane composites containing Prussian blue-like compound nanoparticles (PNPs) to relieve ammonia nitrogen inhibition of rural organic household waste during high-solid anaerobic digestion and increase methane production. The results showed that adding NMCs with 15% PNPs can lower the concentrations of volatile fatty acids and ammonia nitrogen, and increase methane yield.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhong Ge, Xiaodong Wang, Jian Li, Jian Xu, Jianbin Xie, Zhiyong Xie, Ruiqu Ma
Summary: This study evaluates the thermodynamic, exergy, and economic performance of a double-stage organic flash cycle (DOFC) using ten eco-friendly hydrofluoroolefins. The influences of key parameters on performance are analyzed, and the advantages of DOFC over single-stage type are quantified.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nicolas Kirchner-Bossi, Fernando Porte-Agel
Summary: This study investigates the optimization of power density in wind farms and its sensitivity to the available area size. A novel genetic algorithm (PDGA) is introduced to optimize power density and turbine layout. The results show that the PDGA-driven solutions significantly reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) compared to the default layout, and exhibit a convex relationship between area and LCOE or power density.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chunxiao Zhang, Dongdong Li, Lin Wang, Qingpo Yang, Yutao Guo, Wei Zhang, Chao Shen, Jihong Pu
Summary: In this study, a novel reversible liquid-filled energy-saving window that effectively regulates indoor solar radiation heat gain is proposed. Experimental results show that this window can effectively reduce indoor temperature during both summer and winter seasons, while having minimal impact on indoor illuminance.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alessandro L. Aguiar, Martinho Marta-Almeida, Mauro Cirano, Janini Pereira, Leticia Cotrim da Cunha
Summary: This study analyzed the Brazilian Equatorial Shelf using a high-resolution ocean model and found significant tidal variations in the area. Several hypothetical barrages were proposed with higher annual power generation than existing barrages. The study also evaluated the installation effort of these barrages.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesco Superchi, Nathan Giovannini, Antonis Moustakis, George Pechlivanoglou, Alessandro Bianchini
Summary: This study focuses on the optimization of a hybrid power station on the Tilos island in Greece, aiming to increase energy export and revenue by optimizing energy fluxes. Different scenarios are proposed to examine the impact of different agreements with the grid operator on the optimal solution.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Peimaneh Shirazi, Amirmohammad Behzadi, Pouria Ahmadi, Sasan Sadrizadeh
Summary: This research presents two novel energy production/storage/usage systems to reduce energy consumption and environmental effects in buildings. A biomass-fired model and a solar-driven system integrated with photovoltaic thermal (PVT) panels and a heat pump were designed and assessed. The results indicate that the solar-based system has an acceptable energy cost and the PVT-based system with a heat pump is environmentally superior. The biomass-fired system shows excellent efficiency.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zihao Qi, Yingling Cai, Yunxiang Cui
Summary: This study aims to investigate the operational characteristics of the solar-ground source heat pump system (SGSHPS) in Shanghai under different operation modes. It concludes that tandem operation mode 1 is the optimal mode for winter operation in terms of energy efficiency.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
L. Bartolucci, S. Cordiner, A. Di Carlo, A. Gallifuoco, P. Mele, V. Mulone
Summary: Spent coffee grounds are a valuable biogenic waste that can be used as a source of biofuels and valuable chemicals through pyrolysis and solvent extraction processes. The study found that heavy organic bio-oil derived from coffee grounds can be used as a carbon-rich biofuel, while solvent extraction can extract xantines and p-benzoquinone, which are important chemicals for various industries. The results highlight the promising potential of solvent extraction in improving the economic viability of coffee grounds pyrolysis-based biorefineries.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Luiza de Queiroz Correa, Diego Bagnis, Pedro Rabelo Melo Franco, Esly Ferreira da Costa Junior, Andrea Oliveira Souza da Costa
Summary: Building-integrated photovoltaics, especially organic solar technology, are important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector. This study analyzed the performance of organic panels laminated in glass in a vertical installation in Latin America. Results showed that glass lamination and vertical orientation preserved the panels' performance and led to higher energy generation in winter.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhipei Hu, Shuo Jiang, Zhigao Sun, Jun Li
Summary: This study proposes innovative fin arrangements to enhance the thermal performance of latent heat storage units. Through optimization of fin distribution and prediction of transient melting behaviors, it is found that fin structures significantly influence heat transfer characteristics and melting behaviors.
