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Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 26353

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesco Calise

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Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: fuel cells; advanced optimization techniques; solar thermal systems; concentrating photovoltaic/thermal photovoltaic systems; energy saving in buildings; solar heating and cooling; organic Rankine cycles; geothermal energy; dynamic simulations of energy systems; renewable polygeneration systems
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Prof. Dr. Neven Duić

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Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, Lučićeva 5, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: energy planning of energy systems with a high penetration of renewables; sustainable communities; energy policy; energy economics; mitigation of climate change; energy efficiency and combustion engineering
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Prof. Dr. Poul Alberg Østergaard

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Department of Planning, Aalborg University, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: energy systems; energy scenarios; renewable energy system integration; energy and development; environmental impacts from energy development
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Prof. Dr. Qiuwang Wang

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Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering (Ministry of Education), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: heat transfer enhancement and its applications to engineering problems; high-temperature heat transfer and fluid flow; transport phenomena in porous media; numerical simulation, prediction, and optimization
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Prof. Dr. Maria da Graça Carvalho

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Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: energy; sustainable development; climate change; energy policy; science-based policy making
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the main issues of the coming decades is to improve efficiency by integrating various life supporting systems, using waste from one as resource for another, and integrating electricity, heating, cooling, transport, water, buildings, waste, wastewater, industry, forestry and agriculture systems for mutual benefit. Sustainability is also a perfect field for the interdisciplinary and multi-cultural evaluation of complex systems, so the SDEWES Conferences have become a significant venue for researchers in those areas to meet and originate, discuss, share and disseminate new ideas.

Energy has been and is the key factor in human development; however, it is also one of the main—if not the main—human environmental fingerprints. Even with a significant attention to the importance and merits of sustainable energy supply over the last decades, there are still significant gaps to be filled with respect to how to design and implement technically optimal energy systems at the lowest costs.

This SI aims to provide an important contribution by presenting the state of the art with sustainable energy supply solutions ranging from the technical analyses of energy components on both supply and demand side to energy scenarios and pathways. This Special Issue particularly welcomes SDEWES papers that address the energy system without traditional sector boundaries between electricity, heating, cooling, transportation and industrial demands and considers the integration and synergies between these sectors.

The 17^th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems – SDEWES Conference will be held in Paphos (Cyprus). The 3^rd Latin American Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems—LASDEWES Conference, will be held in Sao Paolo (Brazil). The 5^th South East European Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems—SEESDEWES Conference, was held in Sao Vlore (Albania). These SDEWES Conferences are dedicated to the improvement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from natural resources and replacing them with knowledge-based economy, taking into account its economic, environmental and social pillars.

Prof. Dr. Francesco Calise
Prof. Dr. Neven Duić
Prof. Dr. Poul Alberg Østergaard
Prof. Dr. Qiuwang Wang
Prof. Dr. Maria da Graça Carvalho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainability comparisons and measurements
smart energy systems
energy policy
water-energy nexus
energy system analysis
renewable energy resources
primary energy resources
renewable electricity generation systems
thermal power plants
district heating and/or cooling
advanced sustainable energy conversion systems
renewable heat systems
biofuels and biorefineries
alternative fuels
hybrid and electric vehicles
water treatment for drinking water
modelling for pollution avoidance and energy efficiency
cogeneration, trigeneration, polygeneration
energy storage
electricity transmission and distribution
gas security of supply
energy efficiency in industry and mining
energy efficient appliances
energy efficiency in buildings
energy markets

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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20 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review of Hot Topics in the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems Conference in 2022

by Wenxiao Chu, Maria Vicidomini, Francesco Calise, Neven Duić, Poul Alberg Østergaard, Qiuwang Wang and Maria da Graça Carvalho

Energies 2023, 16(23), 7897; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16237897 - 04 Dec 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1637

Abstract

The current applications in the energy sector are based largely on fossil fuels which release greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. To face the issue of global warming, the energy sector has to transfer to and develop sustainable energy solutions that do not release carbon emissions. This is one of the primary motivators for the SDEWES conference as well as for this review, and previous ones, examining the most recent works based on sustainable and green energy production in such fields. The 17th Conference on the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held on 6–10 November 2022 in Paphos, Cyprus. The SDEWES conference aims at solving complex and ongoing concerns that approach a long-term perspective and supporting innovative solutions and continuous monitoring and evaluation. This review paper aims at collecting the main presented papers focused on the following hot topics: low-carbon technologies based on renewable and clean-energy systems, including mainly biomass, solar, and wind energy applications; energy storage systems; hydrogen-based systems; energy-saving strategies in buildings; and the adoption of smart management strategies using renewable energy systems. These topics are investigated in order to propose solutions to address the issues of climate change, water scarcity, and energy saving. From the analyzed works, we note that some key issues for sustainable development remain to be further addressed: such as novel and advanced energy storage systems, green hydrogen production, novel low-temperature district heating and cooling networks, novel solar technologies for the simultaneous production of power and high temperature heat, solar desalination for hydrogen production systems, and agrivoltaic systems for the production of power and food. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

19 pages, 2278 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Towards Waste-to-Energy-and-Materials Processes with Advanced Thermochemical Combustion Intelligence in the Circular Economy

by Johan De Greef, Quynh N. Hoang, Raf Vandevelde, Wouter Meynendonckx, Zouhir Bouchaar, Giuseppe Granata, Mathias Verbeke, Mariya Ishteva, Tine Seljak, Jo Van Caneghem and Maarten Vanierschot

Energies 2023, 16(4), 1644; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041644 - 07 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1662

Abstract

Waste-to-energy processes remain essential to ensure the safe and irreversible removal of materials and substances that are (or have become) unsuitable for reuse or recycling, and hence, to keep intended cycles of materials in the circular economy clean. In this paper, the behavior of inorganic compounds in waste-to-energy combustion processes are discussed from a multi-disciplinary perspective, against a background of ever tightening emission limits and targets of increasing energy efficiency and materials recovery. This leads to the observation that, due to the typical complexity of thermally treated waste, the intelligence of combustion control systems used in state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plants needs to be expanded to better control the behavior of inorganic compounds that typically end up in waste furnaces. This paper further explains how this goal can be achieved by developing (experimentally validated) predictive numerical models that are engineering-based and/or data-driven. Additionally, the significant economic potential of advanced thermochemical intelligence towards inorganic compounds in waste-to-energy combustion control systems is estimated on the basis of typical operational figures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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18 pages, 2822 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CO₂ Compression and Dehydration for Transport and Geological Storage

by Paweł Bielka, Szymon Kuczyński and Stanisław Nagy

Energies 2023, 16(4), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041804 - 11 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3430

Abstract

Observation of the greenhouse effect prompts the consideration of every possibility of reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. One of the key methods that has been the subject of much research is Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the main technologies of CO₂ capture, separation, and dehydration as well as methods of its transport and methodology of selecting a suitable geological storage site. An installation of dehydration and compression of carbon dioxide captured after the post-combustion was designed at a temperature of 35 °C, a pressure of 1.51 bar, and a mass flow rate of 2.449 million tons/year, assuming that the geological storage site is located at 30 km from the capture place. For the dehydration process, a multistage compression and cooling system were applied, combined with a triethylene glycol (TEG) dehydration unit. The mass flow rate of TEG was selected as 0.5 kg/s. H₂O out of the TEG unit was 26.6 ppm. The amount of energy required to compress the gas was minimized by adopting a maximum post-compression gas temperature of 95 °C for each cycle, thereby reducing plant operating costs. The total power demand was 7047 kW, 15,990 kW, and 24,471 kW, and the total received heat input was 13,880.76 kW, 31,620.07 kW, and 47,035.66 kW for 25%, 60%, and 100% plant load, respectively. The use of more compressors reduces the gas temperature downstream through successive compression stages. It also decreases the total amount of energy required to power the entire plant and the amount of heat that must be collected during the gas stream cooling process. The integration of CO₂ compression and cooling system to recover heat and increase the efficiency of power units should be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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14 pages, 3290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An All-Vanadium Redox Flow Battery: A Comprehensive Equivalent Circuit Model

by Muhammed Samil Yesilyurt and Huseyin Ayhan Yavasoglu

Energies 2023, 16(4), 2040; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16042040 - 18 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2343

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a sophisticated battery model for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), which are a promising energy storage technology due to their design flexibility, low manufacturing costs on a large scale, indefinite lifetime, and recyclable electrolytes. Primarily, fluid distribution is analysed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) considering only half-cells. Based on the analysis results, a novel model is developed in the MATLAB Simulink environment which is capable of identifying both the steady-state and dynamic characteristics of VRFBs. Unlike the majority of published studies, the inherent characteristics of the flow battery, such as shunt current, ion diffusion, and pumping energy consumption, are considered. Furthermore, simplified charge transfer resistance (CTR) is taken into account based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement results. The accuracy of the model was determined by comparing the simulation results generated by the equivalent circuit battery model developed in this study with real datasets. The obtained results indicate that the developed model has an accuracy of 3% under the sample operating conditions selected. This study can also be used to fill the gap left by the absence of the VRFB battery model in commonly used programs for renewable energy systems, such as TRNSYS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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12 pages, 608 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Positive Impact of Red Soil on Albedo and the Annual Yield of Bifacial Photovoltaic Systems in Ghana

by Eva-Maria Grommes, Ulf Blieske and Jean-Régis Hadji-Minaglou

Energies 2023, 16(4), 2042; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16042042 - 19 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1012

Abstract

The annual yield of bifacial photovoltaic systems is highly dependent on the albedo of the underlying soil. There are currently no published data about the albedo of red soil in western Africa. In this study, the impact of the albedo of red soil in Ghana on the energy yield of bifacial photovoltaic systems is analysed. A bifacial photovoltaic simulation model is created by combining the optical view factor matrix with an electrical output simulation. For an exact simulation, the albedo of red soil at three different locations in Ghana is measured for the first time. The average albedo of every red soil is clearly determined, as well as the measurement span including instrumentation uncertainty; values between 0.175 and 0.335 were measured. Considering these data, a state-of-the-art bifacial photovoltaic system with an average of 19.8% efficient modules in northern Ghana can achieve an annual energy yield of 508.8 kWh/m² and a bifacial gain of up to 18.3% in comparison with monofacial photovoltaic panels. To summarise, red soil in two out of three locations in Ghana shows higher albedo values than most natural ground surfaces and therefore positively impacts the annual yield of bifacial photovoltaic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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18 pages, 5739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Photovoltaic Module Degradation Forecast Models for Onshore and Offshore Floating Systems

by Gaetano Mannino, Giuseppe Marco Tina, Mario Cacciato, Leonardo Merlo, Alessio Vincenzo Cucuzza, Fabrizio Bizzarri and Andrea Canino

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2117; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052117 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2109

Abstract

The degradation trend of photovoltaic modules depends on the technology, manufacturing techniques and climatic conditions of the site where they are installed. Longer useful life of the PV modules means that they will be able to produce much more energy than was used to build them; thus, extending the useful life of the modules is beneficial for the environment and increases the cost effectiveness of PVs. The problem of land use has prompted the development of agrivoltaic systems to exploit the same land both for the production of energy and for agriculture, and on water surfaces such as lakes and dams (floating PV). The exploitation of floating PV systems in onshore and offshore areas is currently under study. This constitutes an opportunity for which many factors must be taken into account; a fundamental aspect is the environmental impact, on which some recent studies have focused. Another aspect is the impact of the marine environment on PV system reliability and durability, due to the stress on operating conditions. The aim of this preliminary study is to evaluate the influence of the marine environment on the degradation trend of photovoltaic modules, based on existing models whose inputs are meteorological data from offshore locations. The results obtained from the application of a cumulative exposure model unexpectedly showed a lower degradation value in the offshore environment than on the mainland: −0.95% and −3% values of power decay, respectively. The absolute value of power decay in the onshore case is higher than the typical values because the used model has to be revised, as the empirical coefficients of the model have to be calculated according to the installation environment. The empirical coefficients used in the model were obtained in environmental conditions different from those under study. In the offshore case, the degradation estimated by the model does not take into account some environmental factors typical of the marine environment. Model adaptations calibrated with datasets of plants in environmental conditions similar to those analyzed would allow for greater accuracy in the results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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15 pages, 2325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization-Based Operation of District Heating Networks: A Case Study for Two Real Sites

by Markus Schindler, Lukas Gnam, Markus Puchegger, Karina Medwenitsch and Patricia Jasek

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2120; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052120 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1820

Abstract

To achieve the ambitious targets of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, there is a need for change in all parts of society, industry, and mobility, as well as in all energy sectors. For this purpose, sector coupling plays a crucial role, e.g., in the form of coupling the electricity with the heat sector using power-to-heat systems. In this article, the effects of the integration of intermittent wind energy via a direct cable, as well as the integration of a boiler into district heating systems powered by a biomass plant and/or a gas boiler, are investigated. Sector coupling in the district heating networks is achieved via the integration of a boiler connected to a local grid station and the use of two air-to-water and two water-to-water heat pumps, which are solely powered by electricity produced by local wind turbines. Furthermore, this work evaluates the economic impacts of the exploding energy prices on the sustainability of district heating systems. Our analysis shows that despite high electricity prices, a reduction in fossil-fuel-based energy generators in the winter season can be determined, and thus a sustainable heat supply can be ensured. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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17 pages, 8225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Data-Driven Tool Based on Non-Linear Optimization for Offshore Wind Farm Siting

by Marina Polykarpou, Flora Karathanasi, Takvor Soukissian, Vasiliki Loukaidi and Ioannis Kyriakides

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2235; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052235 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1379

Abstract

One preliminary key step for developing an offshore wind farm is identifying favorable sites. The process of sitting involves multiple requirements and constraints, and therefore, its feasible implementation requires either approximating assumptions or an optimization method that is capable of handling non-linear relationships and heterogeneous factors. A new optimization method is proposed to address this problem that efficiently and accurately combines essential technical criteria, such as wind speed, water depth, and distance from shore, to identify favorable areas for offshore wind farm development through a user-friendly data-driven tool. Appropriate ranks and weighting factors are carefully selected to obtain realistic results. The proposed methodology is applied in the central Aegean Sea, which has a high offshore wind energy potential. The application of the proposed optimization method reveals large areas suitable for developing floating wind energy structures. The algorithm matches the accuracy of the exhaustive search method. It, therefore, produces the optimum outcome, however, at a lower computational expense demonstrating the proposed method’s potential for larger spatial-scale analysis and use as a decision support tool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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23 pages, 2983 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Simulation and Thermoeconomic Analysis of a Novel Hybrid Solar System for Biomethane Production by the Organic Fraction of Municipal Wastes

by Francesco Calise, Francesco Liberato Cappiello, Luca Cimmino, Marialuisa Napolitano and Maria Vicidomini

Energies 2023, 16(6), 2716; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062716 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1669

Abstract

The anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and the biogas production obtained from its stabilization are becoming an increasingly attractive solution, due to their beneficial effects on the environment. In this way, the waste is considered a resource allowing a reduction in the quantity of it going to landfills and the derived greenhouse gas emissions. Simultaneously, the upgrading process of biogas into biomethane can address the issues dealing with decarbonization of the transport. In this work, the production of biogas obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes in a plug flow reactor is analyzed. In order to steer the chemical reactions, the temperature of the process must be kept under control. A new simulation model, implemented in the MatLab^® environment, is developed to predict the temperature field within the reactor, in order to assess how the temperature affects the growth and the decay of the main microbial species. A thermal model, based on two equilibrium equations, is implemented to describe the heat transfer between the digester and the environment and between the digester and the internal heat exchanger. A biological model, based on suitable differential equations, is also included for the calculation of the biological processes occurring in the reactor. The proposed anaerobic digestion model is derived by the combination of these two models, and it is able to simultaneously simulate both thermal and biological processes occurring within the reactor. In addition to the thermal energy demand, the plant requires huge amounts of electricity due to the presence of a biogas upgrading process, converting biogas into biomethane. Therefore, the in-house developed model is integrated into a TRNSYS environment, to perform a yearly dynamic simulation of the reactor in combination with other renewable technologies. In the developed system layout, the thermal energy required to control the temperature of the reactor is matched by a solar thermal source. The electrical demand is met by the means of a photovoltaic field. In this work, a detailed thermoeconomic analysis is also proposed to compare the environmental impact and economic feasibility of a biomethane production plant based on a plug flow reactor and fed by renewables. Several economic incentives are considered and compared to determine the optimal solution, both in terms of energy and economic savings. The plant is designed for the treatment of a waste flow rate equal to 626.4 kg/h, and the biomethane produced, approximately 850 tons/years, is injected into the national gas grid or supplied to gas stations. In the proposed plant, a solar field of an evacuated tube collector having a surface of approximately 200 m² is able to satisfy 35% of the thermal energy demand while over 50% of the electric demand is met with a photovoltaic field of 400 m². A promising payback time of approximately 5 years was estimated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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20 pages, 1620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Validation of a Method to Select a Priori the Number of Typical Days for Energy System Optimisation Models

by Paolo Thiran, Hervé Jeanmart and Francesco Contino

Energies 2023, 16(6), 2772; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062772 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1179

Abstract

Studying a large number of scenarios is necessary to consider the uncertainty inherent to the energy transition. In addition, the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources requires complex energy system models. Typical days clustering is a commonly used technique to ensure the computational tractability of energy system optimisation models, while keeping an hourly time step. Its capability to accurately approximate the full-year time series with a reduced number of days has been demonstrated (i.e., a priori evaluation). However, its impact on the results of the energy system model (i.e., a posteriori evaluation) is rarely studied and was never studied on a multi-regional whole-energy system. To address this issue, the multi-regional whole-energy system optimisation model, EnergyScope Multi-Cells, is used to optimise the design and operation of multiple interconnected regions. It is applied to nine diverse cases with different numbers of typical days. A bottom-up a posteriori metric, the design error, is developed and analysed in these cases to find trade-offs between the accuracy and the computational cost of the model. Using 10 typical days divides the computational time by 8.6 to 23.8, according to the case, and ensures a design error below 17%. In all cases studied, the time series error is a good prediction of the design error. Hence, this a priori metric can be used to select the number of typical days for a new case study without running the energy system optimisation model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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17 pages, 1807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomass to H2: Evaluation of the Impact of PV and TES Power Supply on the Performance of an Integrated Bio-Thermo-Chemical Upgrading Process for Wet Residual Biomass

by Matteo Baldelli, Lorenzo Bartolucci, Stefano Cordiner, Giorgio D’Andrea, Emanuele De Maina and Vincenzo Mulone

Energies 2023, 16(7), 2966; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16072966 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1274

Abstract

The last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) assessment report highlighted how actions to reduce CO₂ emissions have not been effective so far to achieve the 1.5 C limit and that radical measures are required. Solutions such as the upgrading of waste biomass, the power-to-X paradigm, and an innovative energy carrier such as hydrogen can make an effective contribution to the transition toward a low-carbon energy system. In this context, the aim of this study is to improve the hydrogen production process from wet residual biomass by examining the advantages of an innovative integration of anaerobic digestion with thermochemical transformation processes. Furthermore, this solution is integrated into a hybrid power supply composed of an electric grid and a photovoltaic plant (PV), supported by a thermal energy storage (TES) system. Both the performance of the plant and its input energy demand—splitting the power request between the photovoltaic system and the national grid—are carefully assessed by a Simulink/Simscape model. The preliminary evaluation shows that the plant has good performance in terms of hydrogen yields, reaching 5.37% kg_H2/kg_biomass, which is significantly higher than the typical value of a single process (approximately 3%). This finding demonstrates a good synergy between the biological and thermochemical biomass valorization routes. Moreover, thermal energy storage significantly improves the conversion plant’s independence, almost halving the energy demand from the grid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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20 pages, 14153 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Application of Machine Learning Algorithms by Synergetic Use of SAR and Optical Data for Monitoring Historic Clusters in Cypriot Cities

by Maria Spyridoula Tzima, Athos Agapiou, Vasiliki Lysandrou, Georgios Artopoulos, Paris Fokaides and Charalambos Chrysostomou

Energies 2023, 16(8), 3461; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083461 - 14 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1183

Abstract

In an era of rapid technological improvements, state-of-the-art methodologies and tools dedicated to protecting and promoting our cultural heritage should be developed and extensively employed in the contemporary built environment and lifestyle. At the same time, sustainability principles underline the importance of the continuous use of historic or vernacular buildings as part of the building stock of our society. Adopting a holistic, integrated, multi-disciplinary strategy can link technological innovation with the conservation and restoration of heritage buildings. This paper presents the ongoing research and results of the application of Machine Learning methods for the remote monitoring of the built environment of the historic cluster in Cypriot cities. This study is part of an integrated, multi-scale, and multi-disciplinary study of heritage buildings, with the end goal of creating an online HBIM platform for urban monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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17 pages, 4614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Assessment of Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant based on Exergy Allocation Factors for Heat and Electricity Production

by Maryori Díaz-Ramírez, Snorri Jokull, Claudio Zuffi, María Dolores Mainar-Toledo and Giampaolo Manfrida

Energies 2023, 16(9), 3616; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093616 - 22 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2007

Abstract

The Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, located in Iceland, is a combined heat and power double-flash geothermal plant with an installed capacity of 303.3 MW of electricity and 133 MW of hot water. This study aimed to elucidate the environmental impacts of the electricity and heat production from this double-flash geothermal power plant. In this vein, firstly, the most updated inventory of the plant was generated, and secondly, a life-cycle assessment approach based on the exergy allocation factor was carried out instead of applying the traditionally used allocations in terms of mass and energy. The functional unit was defined as the production of 1 kWh of electricity and 1 kWh of hot water for district heating. The life-cycle stages included the (i) construction, (ii) operation (including abatement operations and maintenance), and (iii) well closure of the geothermal plant. All of the life-cycle stages from construction to dismantling were considered. Finally, the results on the partitioning of the environmental impact to electricity and heat with exergy allocations showed that most of the impact should be charged to electricity, as expected. Furthermore, the distribution of the environmental impacts among the life-cycle stages determined that the construction stage was the most impactful for the electricity and heat production. This result was attributable to the large consumption of steel that was demanded during the construction of the geothermal power plant (geothermal wells, equipment, and buildings). Impacts due to the abatement stage demonstrated that this stage satisfactorily reduced the total impact attributed to the three life-cycle stages of the geothermal power plant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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20 pages, 634 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Maximising Distribution Grid Utilisation by Optimising E-Car Charging Using Smart Meter Gateway Data

by André Ulrich, Sergej Baum, Ingo Stadler, Christian Hotz and Eberhard Waffenschmidt

Energies 2023, 16(9), 3790; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093790 - 28 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1287

Abstract

The transition towards climate neutrality will result in an increase in electrical vehicles, as well as other electric loads, leading to higher loads on electrical distribution grids. This paper presents an optimisation algorithm that enables the integration of more loads into distribution grid infrastructure using information from smart meters and/or smart meter gateways. To achieve this, a mathematical programming formulation was developed and implemented. The algorithm determines the optimal charging schedule for all electric vehicles connected to the distribution grid, taking into account various criteria to avoid violating physical grid limitations and ensuring non-discriminatory charging of all electric vehicles on the grid while also optimising grid operation. Additionally, the expandability of the infrastructure and fail-safe operation are considered through the decentralisation of all components. Various scenarios are modelled and evaluated in a simulation environment. The results demonstrate that the developed optimisation algorithm allows for higher transformer loads compared to a P(U) control approach, without causing grid overload as observed in scenarios without optimisation or P(U) control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems)

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Selected Papers from the SDEWES 2022 Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems

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