621 research outputs found
Future trajectories of renewable energy consumption in the European Union
Renewable energy sources (RESs) are able to reduce the European Union (EU)âs dependence
on foreign energy imports, also meeting sustainable objectives to tackle climate change and to enhance
economic opportunities. Energy management requires a quantitative analysis and the European
Commission follows the performance of each Member State (MS) in order to define the corrective
measures towards 2020 targets. Starting from historical data reported in the Eurostat database and
through a mathematical model, this work proposes future trajectories towards 2020 of the share of
energy from renewables (REs) in terms of gross final energy consumption (GFEC). Furthermore,
a quantitative analysis based on two indicesâ(i) the share of REs in GFEC, and (ii) gross final
renewable energy consumption (GFREC) per capitaâpermits a comparison among 28 MSs. The share
of REs in GFEC in EU 28 varies from 19.4% to 21.8% in future trajectories towards 2020. Sweden and
Finland occupy the top part of the ranking, while six MSs (Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg,
The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) are not able to reach the 2020 targets
Cognitive Plasticity in Foraging Vespula germanica Wasps
Vespula germanica (F.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is a highly invasive social wasp that exhibits a rich behavioral repertoire in which learning and memory play a fundamental role in foraging. The learning abilities of these wasps were analyzed while relocating a food source and whether V. germanica foragers are capable of discriminating between different orientation patterns and generalizing their choice to a new pattern. Foraging wasps were trained to associate two different stripe orientation patterns with their respective food locations. Their response to a novel configuration that maintained the orientation of one of the learned patterns but differed in other aspects (e.g. width of stripes) was then evaluated. The results support the hypothesis that V. germanica wasps are able to associate a particular oriented pattern with the location of a feeder and to generalize their choice to a new pattern, which differed in quality, but presented the same orientation
Dataset for assessing the economic performance of a residential pv plant. The analysis of a new policy proposal
This data article aims at providing a data description about the manuscript entitled âThe post COVID-19 green recovery in practice: assessing the profitability of a policy proposal on residential photovoltaic plantsâ. The definition of a business plan is a complex decision because the choice of the input data significantly influences the economic assessment of a project. An Excel file is used to construct an economic model based on the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology using Net Present Value (NPV) as an indicator. The choice of input data is defined by literature analysis, and policy proposals are identified by the Revival Decree adopted by Italian Government to contrast human and economic shock effected by COVID-19. The aggregation of these data enabled us to obtain both baseline and alternative scenarios to define if the realization of a residential photovoltaic (PV) plant is economically feasible. Similar data can be obtained for other countries according to the policy actions adopted, and this work can be easily replicated in different geographical contexts and considering varying categories of stakeholders (e.g., consumers, which are called upon to implement a green transition)
The sustainable development of mobility in the green transition: Renewable energy, local industrial chain, and battery recycling
The transportation sector has a strong negative impact on the environment and
therefore requires new sustainable development measures. This paper proposes a
new indicator of sustainability in transport obtained through a multi-criteria analysis
based on Eurostat data and a panel of 10 academics. The results show a positive per formance of Sweden in the period 2015â2019 and a small number of countries
above the European average. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis based on these
experts identifies the critical success factors associated with purchasing electric vehi cles. The greatest importance is assigned to purchase cost, followed by battery
autonomy. Our analysis proposes that electric vehicles are unable to achieve a sus tainable transition unless three conditions are met: (i) use of renewable sources,
(ii) local industrial development of the sector, and (iii) battery recycling. Therefore,
Europe urgently needs to realize new industrial activities and avoid social unsustain ability. The long-term objective of a policy plan is to promote independence from external sources of energy, materials, and other resource
A sustainable revolution: Let's go sustainable to get our globe cleaner
The concept of sustainability is a clear blue sea, a snowy mountain, a flowery meadow, in which there is resource sharing that allows us to satisfy human needs without damaging natural resources. The challenge is complex, and we hope to support the decarbonization of our society and mitigate climate changes. This Special Issue aims to outline different approaches in several sectors with a common point of view: seeing our world with a green perception and encouraging a sustainable revolution to provide a cleaner world
Polymers as compressible soft spheres
We consider a coarse-grained model in which polymers under good-solvent
conditions are represented by soft spheres whose radii, which should be
identified with the polymer radii of gyrations, are allowed to fluctuate. The
corresponding pair potential depends on the sphere radii. This model is a
single-sphere version of the one proposed in Vettorel et al., Soft Matter 6,
2282 (2010), and it is sufficiently simple to allow us to determine all
potentials accurately from full-monomer simulations of two isolated polymers
(zero-density potentials). We find that in the dilute regime (which is the
expected validity range of single-sphere coarse-grained models based on
zero-density potentials) this model correctly reproduces the density dependence
of the radius of gyration. However, for the thermodynamics and the
intermolecular structure, the model is largely equivalent to the simpler one in
which the sphere radii are fixed to the average value of the radius of gyration
and radiiindependent potentials are used: for the thermodynamics there is no
advantage in considering a fluctuating sphere size.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure
Energy Improvement in the Building Sector: An Economic Analysis Relating to the Most Common Italian Masonry
The construction sector is a major contributor to total energy consumption, therefore, it is crucial to adopt energy efficiency strategies capable of reducing energy impact in buildings. Among these strategies, exterior wall insulation is one of the most cost-effective options to achieve energy savings for both newly constructed and renovated buildings. In this paper, based on an economic analysis, we aim to determine the economically optimal thickness of insulation material to be used for retrofit interventions of masonry structures. The study analyzes 10 different insulating materials and 5 masonry structures widespread in Italy. The results show that each masonry structure requires a careful evaluation of the thickness of the insulating material to be applied in retrofit operations. Moreover, varying the type of insulating material used, even if applied to the same wall structure, there are different levels of thickness to be applied in order to optimize the performance of the structure
Survey data for assessing the socio-economic performance of End of Life options of a bio-based product based on expert knowledge
This data article aims at providing a data description about the manuscript entitled âA socio-economic indicator for EoL strategies for bio-based productsâ [1]. Data regarding the socio-economic assessment of End of Life (EoL) options for the specific case of PLA-based film for food packaging are presented, with a special emphasis on policy recommendations and actions for the EoL practices in the bioeconomy sectors. A new framework, based on data gathering and validation through experts involvement, is proposed in order to calculate a new indicator to measure the socio-economic performance of EoL practices (SEI-EoL) for bio-based products. Experts were identified from the Horizon 2020 LIFE-funded projects and/or Scopus databases. Two rounds of survey were carried out to determine the weights of socio-economic criteria for bio-based products and the values for the selected case study. The aggregation of these data enabled us to obtain a final ranking of different EoL alternatives. Finally, a third round of survey was conducted to further deepen our understanding of actions and recommendations needed to improve EoL practices in bio-based sectors. Resulting data have a mix of quantitative and qualitative characterization. A potential reuse of these data can allow future estimations, empirical analyses or a direct comparison with the use of experimental observations
Introduction : contemporary orientations in African cultural studies
Abstract: This paper offers a glimpse of work generated by the 2014 John Douglas Taylor conference on âContemporary Orientations in African Cultural Studiesâ. The conference generated a number of inquiries into the time and place of contemporary African cultural work, many of which theorized beyond the frameworks that postcolonial and globalization studies frequently offer. Under the shifting paradigms of cultural studies, the work of this conference, as well as the current project, moves away from reading the African everyday as exclusively a construction out of a series of colonial histories and relationalities, or global cultural flows. In line with Jean and John Comaroffsâ Theory From the South, this issue is instead dedicated to relocating the global centres from which cultural studies emanates and positing African workâs challenge to normative zones of cultural critique. âContemporary orientationsâ attempts to relocate the time and space of critique in African studies, but it resists the gesture to posit a stable trajectory through which time moves. Rather, the terms of the contemporary and the orientation depend on how they are read in relation to a multitude of other temporalities, orientations, and objects
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