Research

12 pages, 240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Municipal Waste Management Strategy Review and Waste-to-Energy Potentials in New Zealand

by Jean-François Perrot and Alison Subiantoro

Sustainability 2018, 10(9), 3114; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093114 - 31 Aug 2018

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 11350

Municipal waste management and Waste-to-Energy (WtE) potentials in New Zealand are discussed. The existing main waste management strategy of New Zealand is to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Most of the remaining waste is currently disposed of in landfills. WtE options were explored [...] Read more.

Municipal waste management and Waste-to-Energy (WtE) potentials in New Zealand are discussed. The existing main waste management strategy of New Zealand is to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Most of the remaining waste is currently disposed of in landfills. WtE options were explored in this study as a more sustainable waste treatment alternative in the country, while making use of the annual 30.8 petajoule of available waste energy in New Zealand. Four WtE technology options were discussed and compared, namely incineration, anaerobic digestion, gasification and pyrolysis. The aspects in comparison were air pollution, cost, side products, capacity, commercial maturity, energy efficiency and type of waste treated. Special emphasis was given to environment-friendliness and cost. From the comparison, it was found that anaerobic digestion seems to be the most attractive solution for the country as it is environment-friendly, economical and the concept is consistent with New Zealand’s existing waste management strategy. The major limitations of anaerobic digestion are its low energy production efficiency and its limited waste treatment capacity. Hence, an effective national waste reduction and recycling strategy is crucial for the success of this waste management option. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

18 pages, 2296 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Carbon Emissions Allowance Allocation Method Based on Equilibrium Strategy for Carbon Emission Mitigation in the Coal-Fired Power Industry

by Qing Feng, Qian Huang, Qingyan Zheng and Li Lu

Sustainability 2018, 10(8), 2923; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082923 - 17 Aug 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2857

Abstract

The carbon emissions from coal-fired power have become an increasing concern to governments around the world. In this paper, a carbon emissions allowances allocation based on the equilibrium strategy is proposed to mitigate coal-fired power generation carbon emissions, in which the authority is [...] Read more.

The carbon emissions from coal-fired power have become an increasing concern to governments around the world. In this paper, a carbon emissions allowances allocation based on the equilibrium strategy is proposed to mitigate coal-fired power generation carbon emissions, in which the authority is the lead decision maker and the coal-fired power plants are the follower decision makers, and an interactive solution approach is designed to achieve equilibrium. A real-world case study is then given to demonstrate the practicality and efficiency of this methodology. Sensitivity analyses under different constraint violation risk levels are also conducted to give authorities some insights into equilibrium strategies for different stakeholders and to identify the necessary tradeoffs between economic development and carbon emissions mitigation. It was found that the proposed method was able to mitigate coal-fired power generation carbon emissions significantly and encourage coal-fired power plants to improve their emissions performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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13 pages, 5673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Waste Tire Derived Carbon Material as a Potential Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

by Joseph S. Gnanaraj, Richard J. Lee, Alan M. Levine, Jonathan L. Wistrom, Skyler L. Wistrom, Yunchao Li, Jianlin Li, Kokouvi Akato, Amit K. Naskar and M. Parans Paranthaman

Sustainability 2018, 10(8), 2840; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082840 - 10 Aug 2018

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4359

Abstract

The rapidly growing automobile industry increases the accumulation of end-of-life tires each year throughout the world. Waste tires lead to increased environmental issues and lasting resource problems. Recycling hazardous wastes to produce value-added products is becoming essential for the sustainable progress of society. [...] Read more.

The rapidly growing automobile industry increases the accumulation of end-of-life tires each year throughout the world. Waste tires lead to increased environmental issues and lasting resource problems. Recycling hazardous wastes to produce value-added products is becoming essential for the sustainable progress of society. A patented sulfonation process followed by pyrolysis at 1100 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere was used to produce carbon material from these tires and utilized as an anode in lithium-ion batteries. The combustion of the volatiles released in waste tire pyrolysis produces lower fossil CO₂ emissions per unit of energy (136.51 gCO₂/kW·h) compared to other conventional fossil fuels such as coal or fuel–oil, usually used in power generation. The strategy used in this research may be applied to other rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, catalysts, and other electrochemical devices. The Raman vibrational spectra observed on these carbons show a graphitic carbon with significant disorder structure. Further, structural studies reveal a unique disordered carbon nanostructure with a higher interlayer distance of 4.5 Å compared to 3.43 Å in the commercial graphite. The carbon material derived from tires was used as an anode in lithium-ion batteries exhibited a reversible capacity of 360 mAh/g at C/3. However, the reversible capacity increased to 432 mAh/g at C/10 when this carbon particle was coated with a thin layer of carbon. A novel strategy of prelithiation applied for improving the first cycle efficiency to 94% is also presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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13 pages, 756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Renewable Energy and Economic Growth: Evidence from European Countries

by Stamatios Ntanos, Michalis Skordoulis, Grigorios Kyriakopoulos, Garyfallos Arabatzis, Miltiadis Chalikias, Spyros Galatsidas, Athanasios Batzios and Apostolia Katsarou

Sustainability 2018, 10(8), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082626 - 26 Jul 2018

Cited by 212 | Viewed by 13628

Abstract

This paper aims at examining the relationship between energy consumption deriving from renewable energy sources, and countries’ economic growth expressed as GDP per capita concerning 25 European countries. The used dataset involves European countries’ data for the period from 2007 to 2016. The [...] Read more.

This paper aims at examining the relationship between energy consumption deriving from renewable energy sources, and countries’ economic growth expressed as GDP per capita concerning 25 European countries. The used dataset involves European countries’ data for the period from 2007 to 2016. The statistical analysis is based on descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), and reveals that all variables are related; this suggests a correlation between the dependent variable of GDP and the independents of renewable energy sources (RES) and Non-RES energy consumption, gross fixed capital formation, and labor force in the long-run. Furthermore, the results show that there is a higher correlation between RES’ consumption and the economic growth of countries of higher GDP than with those of lower GDP. The obtained results are consistent with other papers reviewed in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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15 pages, 6179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Port High Voltage Gain Modular Power Converter for Offshore Wind Farms

by Sen Song, Yihua Hu, Kai Ni, Joseph Yan, Guipeng Chen, Huiqing Wen and Xianming Ye

Sustainability 2018, 10(7), 2176; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072176 - 26 Jun 2018

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3656

Abstract

In high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission of offshore wind power systems, DC/DC converters are applied to transfer power from wind generators to HVDC terminals, and they play a crucial role in providing a high voltage gain, high efficiency, and high fault [...] Read more.

In high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission of offshore wind power systems, DC/DC converters are applied to transfer power from wind generators to HVDC terminals, and they play a crucial role in providing a high voltage gain, high efficiency, and high fault tolerance. This paper introduces an innovative multi-port DC/DC converter with multiple modules connected in a scalable matrix configuration, presenting an ultra-high voltage step-up ratio and low voltage/current rating of components simultaneously. Additionally, thanks to the adoption of active clamping current-fed push–pull (CFPP) converters as sub-modules (SMs), soft-switching is obtained for all power switches, and the currents of series-connected CFPP converters are auto-balanced, which significantly reduce switching losses and control complexity. Furthermore, owing to the expandable matrix structure, the output voltage and power of a modular converter can be controlled by those of a single SM, or by adjusting the column and row numbers of the matrix. High control flexibility improves fault tolerance. Moreover, due to the flexible control, the proposed converter can transfer power directly from multiple ports to HVDC terminals without bus cable. In this paper, the design of the proposed converter is introduced, and its functions are illustrated by simulation results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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21 pages, 2232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Day-Ahead Probabilistic Model for Scheduling the Operation of a Wind Pumped-Storage Hybrid Power Station: Overcoming Forecasting Errors to Ensure Reliability of Supply to the Grid

by Jakub Jurasz and Alexander Kies

Sustainability 2018, 10(6), 1989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061989 - 13 Jun 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3268

Abstract

Variable renewable energy sources (VRES), such as solarphotovoltaic (PV) and wind turbines (WT), are starting to play a significant role in several energy systems around the globe. To overcome the problem of their non-dispatchable and stochastic nature, several approaches have been proposed so [...] Read more.

Variable renewable energy sources (VRES), such as solarphotovoltaic (PV) and wind turbines (WT), are starting to play a significant role in several energy systems around the globe. To overcome the problem of their non-dispatchable and stochastic nature, several approaches have been proposed so far. This paper describes a novel mathematical model for scheduling the operation of a wind-powered pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH) hybrid for 25 to 48 h ahead. The model is based on mathematical programming and wind speed forecasts for the next 1 to 24 h, along with predicted upper reservoir occupancy for the 24th hour ahead. The results indicate that by coupling a 2-MW conventional wind turbine with a PSH of energy storing capacity equal to 54 MWh it is possible to significantly reduce the intraday energy generation coefficient of variation from 31% for pure wind turbine to 1.15% for a wind-powered PSH The scheduling errors calculated based on mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are significantly smaller for such a coupling than those seen for wind generation forecasts, at 2.39% and 27%, respectively. This is even stronger emphasized by the fact that, those for wind generation were calculated for forecasts made for the next 1 to 24 h, while those for scheduled generation were calculated for forecasts made for the next 25 to 48 h. The results clearly show that the proposed scheduling approach ensures the high reliability of the WT–PSH energy source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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22 pages, 1057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Behavior of Secondary Education Students: A Case Study at Central Greece

by Stamatios Ntanos, Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos, Garyfallos Arabatzis, Vasilios Palios and Miltiadis Chalikias

Sustainability 2018, 10(5), 1663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051663 - 21 May 2018

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 6984

Abstract

During the last three decades, human behavior has been becoming energy alarming towards environmental sustainability. One of the most influential initiatives towards environmental protection and increased environmental consciousness is the solidification of primary and secondary environmental education. The purpose of this paper is [...] Read more.

During the last three decades, human behavior has been becoming energy alarming towards environmental sustainability. One of the most influential initiatives towards environmental protection and increased environmental consciousness is the solidification of primary and secondary environmental education. The purpose of this paper is to investigate different environmental profiles amongst secondary education students, in light of a multi-parametric analysis that involved the contributive role of school and family towards environmental awareness and participation. By reviewing relevant studies, the benefits offered by environmental education are presented. Accordingly, a questionnaire survey was deployed using a sample of 270 secondary education students, from schools situated in the prefecture of Larissa, central Greece. The statistical methods included factor analysis and cluster analysis. Particularly, four groups of different environmental characteristics are identified and interviewed. Results suggest that most students are environmental affectionate, although there is a need for more solidified environmental education and motivation from out-of-school societal opportunities, such as in the contexts of family and public socialization. The deployed research method and analysis can be proven supportive in adopting and scheduling school environmental programs after an initial identification of the various environmental attitudes among the student population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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15 pages, 898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Social Assessment of the Usage of Renewable Energy Sources and Its Contribution to Life Quality: The Case of an Attica Urban Area in Greece

by Stamatios Ntanos, Grigorios Kyriakopoulos, Miltiadis Chalikias, Garyfallos Arabatzis, Michalis Skordoulis, Spyros Galatsidas and Dimitrios Drosos

Sustainability 2018, 10(5), 1414; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051414 - 03 May 2018

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 4562

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and their contribution to citizens’ life quality. For this purpose, a survey was conducted using a sample of 400 residents in an urban area of the [...] Read more.

The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and their contribution to citizens’ life quality. For this purpose, a survey was conducted using a sample of 400 residents in an urban area of the Attica region in Greece. The methods of Principal Components Analysis and Logit Regression were used on a dataset containing the respondents’ views on various aspects of RES. Two statistical models were constructed for the identification of the main variables that are associated with the RES’ usage and respondents’ opinion on their contribution to life quality. The conclusions that can be drawn show that the respondents are adequately informed about some of the RES’ types while most of them use at least one of the examined types of RES. The benefits that RES offer, were the most crucial variable in determining both respondents’ perceptions on their usage and on their contribution to life quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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11 pages, 2600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Commodities and Crude Oil Prices: An Empirical Investigation of Their Relationship

by Eleni Zafeiriou, Garyfallos Arabatzis, Paraskevi Karanikola, Stilianos Tampakis and Stavros Tsiantikoudis

Sustainability 2018, 10(4), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041199 - 16 Apr 2018

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 4676

Abstract

Within the last few decades, the extended use of biodiesel and bioethanol has established interlinkages between energy markets and agricultural commodity markets. The present work examines the bivariate relationships of crude oil–corn and crude oil–soybean futures prices with the assistance of the ARDL [...] Read more.

Within the last few decades, the extended use of biodiesel and bioethanol has established interlinkages between energy markets and agricultural commodity markets. The present work examines the bivariate relationships of crude oil–corn and crude oil–soybean futures prices with the assistance of the ARDL cointegration approach. Our findings confirm that crude oil prices affect the prices of agricultural products used in the production of biodiesel, as well as of ethanol, validating the interaction of energy and agricultural commodity markets. The practical value of the present work is that the findings provide policy makers with insight into the interlinkages between agricultural and energy markets to promote biodiesel or bioethanol by affecting crude oil prices. The novelty of the present work stands on the use of futures prices that incorporate all available information and thus are more appropriate to identify supply and demand shocks and price spillovers than real prices. Finally, the period of study includes extremely low, as well as extremely high, crude oil prices and the results illustrate that biofuels cannot be substituted for crude oil and protect economies from energy volatility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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34 pages, 68429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Approach to a Holistic Tool for Assessing RES Investment Feasibility

by José María Flores-Arias, Lucio Ciabattoni, Andrea Monteriù, Francisco José Bellido-Outeiriño, Antonio Escribano and Emilio José Palacios-Garcia

Sustainability 2018, 10(4), 1153; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041153 - 11 Apr 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3947

Abstract

Combining availability, viability, sustainability, technical options, and environmental impact in an energy-planning project is a difficult job itself for the today’s engineers. This becomes harder if the potential investors also need to be persuaded. Moreover, the problem increases even more if various consumptions [...] Read more.

Combining availability, viability, sustainability, technical options, and environmental impact in an energy-planning project is a difficult job itself for the today’s engineers. This becomes harder if the potential investors also need to be persuaded. Moreover, the problem increases even more if various consumptions are considered, as their patterns depend to a large extent on the type of facility and the activity. It is therefore essential to develop tools to assess the balance between generation and demand in a given installation. In this paper, a valuable tool is developed for the seamless calculation of the integration possibilities of renewable energies and the assessment of derived technical, financial and environmental impacts. Furthermore, it also considers their interaction with the power grid or other networks, raising awareness of the polluting emissions responsible for global warming. Through a series of Structured Query Language databases and a dynamic data parameterization, the software is provided with sufficient information to encode, calculate, simulate and graphically display information on the generation and demand of electric, thermal and transport energy, all in a user-friendly environment, finally providing an evaluation and feasibility report. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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20 pages, 9647 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transforming Data Centers in Active Thermal Energy Players in Nearby Neighborhoods

by Marcel Antal, Tudor Cioara, Ionut Anghel, Claudia Pop and Ioan Salomie

Sustainability 2018, 10(4), 939; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10040939 - 23 Mar 2018

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4430

Abstract

In this paper, we see the Data Centers (DCs) as producers of waste heat integrated with smart energy infrastructures, heat which can be re-used for nearby neighborhoods. We provide a model of the thermo-electric processes within DCs equipped with heat reuse technology, allowing [...] Read more.

In this paper, we see the Data Centers (DCs) as producers of waste heat integrated with smart energy infrastructures, heat which can be re-used for nearby neighborhoods. We provide a model of the thermo-electric processes within DCs equipped with heat reuse technology, allowing them to adapt their thermal response profile to meet various levels of hot water demand. On top of the model, we have implemented computational fluid dynamics-based simulations to determine the cooling system operational parameters settings, which allow the heat to build up without endangering the servers’ safety operation as well as the distribution of the workload on the servers to avoid hot spots. This will allow for setting higher temperature set points for short periods of time and using pre-cooling and post-cooling as flexibility mechanisms for DC thermal profile adaptation. To reduce the computational time complexity, we have used neural networks, which are trained using the simulation results. Experiments have been conducted considering a small operational DC featuring a server room of 24 square meters and 60 servers organized in four racks. The results show the DCs’ potential to meet different levels of thermal energy demand by re-using their waste heat in nearby neighborhoods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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14 pages, 236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socio-Cultural Impact of Energy Saving: Studying the Behaviour of Elementary School Students in Greece

by Sideri Lefkeli, Evangelos Manolas, Konstantinos Ioannou and Georgios Tsantopoulos

Sustainability 2018, 10(3), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030737 - 07 Mar 2018

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4469

Abstract

Education makes it possible for students to become familiar with the rational management of energy as well as learn to implement energy saving practices in their everyday life. The study of certain student characteristics helps in the direction of applying strategies of behavioural [...] Read more.

Education makes it possible for students to become familiar with the rational management of energy as well as learn to implement energy saving practices in their everyday life. The study of certain student characteristics helps in the direction of applying strategies of behavioural change. The aim of this research is to record the knowledge and attitudes of elementary school students in the Prefecture of Evros with regard to energy saving. The collection of research data was done through the use of a structured and anonymous questionnaire with closed questions. The method used for the collection of the research data was cluster sampling. This involved 17 elementary schools of the continental part of the prefecture. 612 questionnaires were completed by students of the 5th and 6th grade of these schools. The evaluation of the research data showed that 69.6% of the students think that the most appropriate house temperature is 20°C with 79.1% of the students keeping the thermostat switched off while the house is aired. With regard to the use of TV, stereo, play station and PC the research showed that 93.8% of the students switch off the above devices when these are not in use. In parallel, 86.6% of the respondents usually or always switch off the lights when coming out of a room and 46.2% of the students use energy saving bulbs. Also, 93% of the students recycle because they believe that doing so contributes to the protection of the environment while 41% always chooses to walk to school. With regard to the significance of reasons concerning energy saving 85.9% thinks that energy saving is important to very important for reducing environmental pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

16 pages, 635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Public Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy: A Case Study from Greece

by Stamatios Ntanos, Grigorios Kyriakopoulos, Miltiadis Chalikias, Garyfallos Arabatzis and Michalis Skordoulis

Sustainability 2018, 10(3), 687; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030687 - 03 Mar 2018

Cited by 148 | Viewed by 16361

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discover the factors shaping public opinion about renewable energy sources and investigate willingness to pay for expansion of renewable energy sources in the electricity mix. Data was collected through a questionnaire applied in Nikaia, an urban [...] Read more.

The purpose of this study is to discover the factors shaping public opinion about renewable energy sources and investigate willingness to pay for expansion of renewable energy sources in the electricity mix. Data was collected through a questionnaire applied in Nikaia, an urban municipality of Greece. The respondents have a positive attitude towards renewable energy systems. Most of them have good knowledge of solar and wind energy systems and are using solar water heating, while several respondents own a solar PV system. Environmental protection is seen as the most important reason for investing in a renewable energy system. Willingness to pay for a wider penetration of RES into the electricity mix was estimated to be 26.5 euros per quarterly electricity bill. The statistical analysis revealed the existence of a relationship between RES perceived advantages and willingness to pay for renewable energy. Furthermore, by using a binary logit model, willingness to pay was found to be positively associated with education, energy subsidies, and state support. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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23 pages, 310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Investment Planning of Bulk Energy Storage Systems

by Dina Khastieva, Ilias Dimoulkas and Mikael Amelin

Sustainability 2018, 10(3), 610; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030610 - 27 Feb 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3585

Abstract

Many countries have the ambition to increase the share of renewable sources in electricity generation. However, continuously varying renewable sources, such as wind power or solar energy, require that the power system can manage the variability and uncertainty of the power generation. One [...] Read more.

Many countries have the ambition to increase the share of renewable sources in electricity generation. However, continuously varying renewable sources, such as wind power or solar energy, require that the power system can manage the variability and uncertainty of the power generation. One solution to increase flexibility of the system is to use various forms of energy storage, which can provide flexibility to the system at different time ranges and smooth the effect of variability of the renewable generation. In this paper, we investigate three questions connected to investment planning of energy storage systems. First, how the existing flexibility in the system will affect the need for energy storage investments. Second, how presence of energy storage will affect renewable generation expansion and affect electricity prices. Third, who should be responsible for energy storage investments planning. This paper proposes to assess these questions through two different mathematical models. The first model is designed for centralized investment planning and the second model deals with a decentralized investment approach where a single independent profit maximizing utility is responsible for energy storage investments. The models have been applied in various case studies with different generation mixes and flexibility levels. The results show that energy storage system is beneficial for power system operation. However, additional regulation should be considered to achieve optimal investment and allocation of energy storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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22 pages, 5030 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Spatial Decision Support System Framework for the Evaluation of Biomass Energy Production Locations: Case Study in the Regional Unit of Drama, Greece

by Konstantinos Ioannou, Georgios Tsantopoulos, Garyfallos Arabatzis, Zacharoula Andreopoulou and Eleni Zafeiriou

Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020531 - 16 Feb 2018

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 4471

Abstract

Renewable Energy Sources are expected to play a very important role in energy production in the following years. They constitute an energy production methodology which, if properly enabled, can ensure energy sufficiency as well as the protection of the environment. Energy production from [...] Read more.

Renewable Energy Sources are expected to play a very important role in energy production in the following years. They constitute an energy production methodology which, if properly enabled, can ensure energy sufficiency as well as the protection of the environment. Energy production from biomass in particular is a very common method, which exploits a variety of resources (wood and wood waste, agricultural crops and their by-products after cultivation, animal wastes, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and food processing wastes) for the production of energy. This paper presents a Spatial Decision Support System, which enables managers to locate the most suitable areas for biomass power plant installation. For doing this, fuzzy logic and fuzzy membership functions are used for the creation of criteria layers and suitability maps. In this paper, we use a Multicriteria Decision Analysis methodology (Analytical Hierarchy Process) combined with fuzzy system elements for the determination of the weight coefficients of the participating criteria. Then, based on the combination of fuzzy logic and theAnalytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a final proposal is created thatdivides the area into four categories regarding their suitability forsupporting a biomass energy production power plant. For the two optimal locations, the biomass is also calculated.The framework is applied to theRegional Unit of Drama, which is situated in Northern Greece and is very well known for the area’s forest and agricultural production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development of Electrical Energy Storage Technologies in Energy Production)

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