Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.8
3.9
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization
sustainability-logo
Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (2 April 2024) | Viewed by 5189

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anna Manowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation, Silesian University of Technology, 2 Akademicka St., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: sustainable development; energy; efficiency; environmental impact; economics; primary fuel, electricity and renewable energy markets; energy transformation; modelling dependencies on energy markets; forecasting prices on energy markets
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Joachim Pielot

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Faculty of Mininig, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation, Silesian University of Technology, 2 Akademicka St., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: control of mineral processing processes; in particular production optimization in coal processing technological systems, electronic systems, metrology of electrical and non-electrical quantities; analog and digital signal processing; modern technologies of acquiring, processing and using natural resources and producing their substitutes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue addresses the energy transition under decarbonisation conditions, understood as the implementation of an ambitious policy of reducing emissions and a stronger link with both the electricity market and the primary fuel market.

The key element of the transformations is sustainable technology, which supports the development of innovative solutions in line with Poland’s Responsible Development Strategy.

Undoubtedly, these issues have a significant impact on the functioning of both the global electricity and primary fuel markets.

All this makes it necessary to look anew and in a completely different way at the changes taking place on these markets, especially in terms of raw material prices, the structure of energy mixes, and modern technologies for obtaining and processing natural resources.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Markets for primary fuels; electricity and renewable energy; current state and development prospects for energy markets; energy transformation; modern technologies for the extraction, processing and use of natural resources and the production of their substitutes, forecasting prices and modelling dependencies on energy markets.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Anna Manowska
Prof. Dr. Joachim Pielot
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • sustainable development of the energy markets
  • renewable energy sector
  • primary fuels market
  • electricity market
  • modern technologies for the extraction, processing and use of natural resources and the production of their substitutes
  • energy transformation
  • decarbonisation

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2639 KiB  
Article
Holistic Assessment of Decarbonization Pathways of Energy-Intensive Industries Based on Exergy Analysis
by Matthias Leisin and Peter Radgen
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010351 - 30 Dec 2023
Viewed by 786
Abstract
The decarbonization of the industrial sector plays a crucial role in a successful energy transition. This transformation is very costly and complex, as many of the existing production processes and plants will have to be partially or completely replaced to reduce carbon dioxide [...] Read more.
The decarbonization of the industrial sector plays a crucial role in a successful energy transition. This transformation is very costly and complex, as many of the existing production processes and plants will have to be partially or completely replaced to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This raises questions about how significant reductions in CO2 emissions resulting from decarbonization will affect the use of resources to produce a certain product and the overall value of sustainability. This article considers the relationship between CO2 reduction and the impact on the resource efficiency of an industrial production process. For this purpose, a methodology was developed that holistically assesses the decarbonization pathway of an industrial sector. This holistic assessment takes into account the energy carriers, raw materials, and auxiliary and construction materials used for the operation and building of the significant plant components and summarizes them as a total use of resources. For this purpose, the use of resources is represented by the thermodynamic quantity exergy, which takes into account both the energy and material components of a production process. The energy and material streams in a production process are balanced by applying exergetic analysis. This methodology is used for current state-of-the-art and future decarbonized production processes in order to quantify the effects of the decarbonization process. By comparing the calculated resource efficiencies, the thermodynamic impact on the sustainability of decarbonization paths can be set in relation to the amount of CO2 saved. For validation, the developed methodology is applied to a conventional and a decarbonized ammonia production process. The conventional production route represents the production of ammonia by methane steam reforming, and the decarbonized production route is represented by synthesis gas production via water electrolysis and an air separation unit. The resource efficiency of the conventional ammonia production route, taking into account the energy sources, raw materials, construction materials, and auxiliary materials used, is 59%, producing a total of 1539 kg of CO2 emissions per ton of ammonia. The decarbonized process has a resource efficiency of 45%, while no CO2 emissions are produced in this manufacturing process. This means that the decarbonization of the production process reduces resource efficiency by 14%. In relation to the reduced amount of CO2, specific resource efficiency decreases by 9.09%/tCO2. The decline in resource efficiency is mainly due to the high level of heat and energy recovery in the conventional process and the very electricity-intensive hydrogen production in the decarbonized production process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 4141 KiB  
Article
Supercapacitors as Key Enablers of Decarbonization and Renewable Energy Expansion in Poland
by Andrzej Nowrot and Anna Manowska
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010216 - 26 Dec 2023
Viewed by 709
Abstract
Decarbonization and the replacement of coal-fired power plants with solar and wind farms require adequately large energy storage facilities. This is especially important in countries such as Poland, which still do not have a nuclear power plant. Supercapacitors represent a new generation of [...] Read more.
Decarbonization and the replacement of coal-fired power plants with solar and wind farms require adequately large energy storage facilities. This is especially important in countries such as Poland, which still do not have a nuclear power plant. Supercapacitors represent a new generation of energy storage. The paper demonstrates that the use of supercapacitors presents an opportunity to increase the share of solar and wind power plants in the energy market. Furthermore, there is no need to replace all coal plants (that are being gradually decommissioned) with nuclear ones. The paper underscores that any further decarbonization and increase in the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the Polish energy market necessitates the deployment of large energy storage facilities. Rechargeable batteries have a short lifespan, and their production results in significant greenhouse gas emissions. The widespread use of supercapacitors in a new generation of energy storage unveils new possibilities and bolsters decarbonization efforts. Based on an annual analysis of hourly electricity production from wind farms and PVs, a formula is proposed to calculate the capacity of energy storage necessary for the operation of the grid-powered national electricity, mainly from RES. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 4389 KiB  
Article
Rationalization of Electrical Energy Consumption in Households through the Use of Cheap IoT Module with Cloud Data Storage
by Sergiusz Boron
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15507; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115507 - 31 Oct 2023
Viewed by 942
Abstract
This article explores mechanisms to enhance the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources (RES), with a particular emphasis on photovoltaic installations. One such strategy involves implementing a customized electricity rate system for individual consumers. This paper discusses the potential economic and environmental benefits [...] Read more.
This article explores mechanisms to enhance the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources (RES), with a particular emphasis on photovoltaic installations. One such strategy involves implementing a customized electricity rate system for individual consumers. This paper discusses the potential economic and environmental benefits of transitioning from a flat-rate tariff to a time-of-day tariff. This modification can lead to increased energy consumption during off-peak hours, aligning with occasional periods of photovoltaic installations’ overproduction, which might require their temporary shutdowns. The energy that could be produced by RES is supplied by conventional power plants (mostly coal-fueled). Not only does this have negative effects on the environment, but it also increases energy costs. In order to make an informed decision regarding the change of tariff, the consumer must be aware of its potential benefits and drawbacks. The article introduces an IoT-based, cost-effective system with cloud data storage for monitoring residential electricity consumption, offering various features, including an assessment of the financial viability of switching tariffs. This system has been operational for more than six months in real installation, encouraging homeowners to transition from a flat rate tariff to time-of-day tariff and optimize their use of electrical appliances. The article presents the potential benefits of this action, encompassing both financial aspects for users of the installation and environmental protection issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
Configurational Path of Decarbonisation Based on Coal Mine Methane (CMM): An Econometric Model for the Polish Mining Industry
by Katarzyna Tobór-Osadnik, Bożena Gajdzik and Grzegorz Strzelec
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 9980; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15139980 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 826
Abstract
This study presents the econometric model for the Polish mining industry on the topic of the configuration path of decarbonisation based on coal mine methane (CMM). CMM is released from coal mines around the world, including Poland. CMM is taken into account in [...] Read more.
This study presents the econometric model for the Polish mining industry on the topic of the configuration path of decarbonisation based on coal mine methane (CMM). CMM is released from coal mines around the world, including Poland. CMM is taken into account in the decarbonisation of countries with the highest underground coal production. Over the past ten years, CMM emissions have been gaining greater attention due to their status as We accept greenhouse gas (GHG) and their potential use as a clean energy resource. The very important problem for the mining plants is the system of controlling the level of methane. In this paper, we present an econometric model for mine production linear programming, taking into account both market considerations and controlling the amount of methane released into the air from mines. This model can use to control methane in the Polish mining industry. Moreover, this model can be used in the strategy of decarbonisation of the Polish industry according to the European strategy toward net zero (2050). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization)
13 pages, 843 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Removing Coal from Poland’s Energy Mix on Selected Aspects of the Country’s Energy Security
by Aurelia Rybak, Aleksandra Rybak and Jarosław Joostberens
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3457; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043457 - 14 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1347
Abstract
The article presents the results of research on the impact of the transformation of Poland’s energy mix on the country’s energy security. Since energy security is a very complex problem, the impact of the transformation has been verified in three aspects, i.e., greenhouse [...] Read more.
The article presents the results of research on the impact of the transformation of Poland’s energy mix on the country’s energy security. Since energy security is a very complex problem, the impact of the transformation has been verified in three aspects, i.e., greenhouse gas emissions; energy availability in terms of its quantity, sufficient to meet the needs of citizens; and energy prices. The MANOVA model was used in the research. The model allowed us to examine the relationship between the share of coal in the energy mix and the above-mentioned factors. The MANOVA model allowed us to determine the influence of one explanatory variable on several response variables. The results obtained enabled the verification of the adequacy of the changes that have been made in the energy mix over the last 10 years. As is shown, the factor that is related to changes in the share of coal in the energy mix is the energy surplus, while a relationship between both prices and emission levels and the changes in the share of coal in the energy mix has not been established. Furthermore, a simulation was carried out, which showed that the correlation between price, emissions, and the share in the mix was obtained only by reducing 2017–2020 emissions by an average of 6% and prices by 17%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Technology and Policy: Energy Transformation under Decarbonization)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop