Sustainable Development using renewable energy systems

This editorial introduces the main findings from the 29th Volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management. The issue includes both contributions to the 2019 Sustainable Development of Energy Water and Environmental Systems conference and ordinary journal submissions. In either case, the research is centred on sustainable development using renewable energy systems – with particular attention to technology assessment, pricing & regulation and systems analyses. Case studies and model development from Austria, Cape Verde, Columbia, and Iran are presented – with varying focal points. Different drive trains for the electrification of the transportation sector are assessed. Lastly, pricing regimes for evolving district heating systems as well as consumer involvement in 4th generation district heating and social factors for implementing building energy conservation policy are considere

Editorial - International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management Volume 25

This editorial introduces the 25th volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management. This volume presents research on low-temperature district heating in China, prospects for energy savings in Aalborg, Denmark, and impacts on heating systems, offshore wind power and electricity interconnection in the Baltic sea, integration of electricity markets in the United States, and finally the modelling of renewable energy systems both on the remote island of Bonaire and in Chile

Energy Transition and Sustainability

This issue presents some of the latest findings within energy planning research and form a special issue from the 2021 5th Annual Conference of the Portuguese Association of Energy Economics as well as for the 2020 Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environmental Systems conference series. The work presented probes into the effects of the European emissions’ trading system on innovation, and the development of the Chinese wind power industry. Notable is also an analysis of people at Portuguese universities revealing lesser knowledge of renewable energy technologies but a more positive attitude towards this among women – and vice versa among men. EnergyPLAN-based energy systems analyses with cases from Iran and Serbia are presented, and different indicators for energy systems analyses are deliberated in a Mexican context. Marine energy developments in Columbia, the United Kingdom, Canada and Denmark are discussed with a focus on siting and barriers.  Also, barriers against solar energy exploitation in Indonesia are explored as are barriers against energy savings in Nigeria

Recent Advances in Technology, Strategy and Application of Sustainable Energy Systems

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had strong impacts on national and international freight, construction and tourism industry, supply chains, and has resulted in a rapid decline in the demand for traditional energy sources. In fact, research has outlined that urban areas depend on global supply chains for their day-to-day basic functions, including energy supplies, food and safe access to potable water. The disruption of global supply chains can leave many urban areas in a very vulnerable position, in which their citizens may struggle to obtain their basic supplies, as the COVID-19 crisis has recently shown. Therefore, solutions aiming to enhance local food, water and energy production systems, even in urban environments, have to be pursued. The COVID-19 crisis has also highlighted in the scientific community the problem of people’s exposure to outdoor and indoor pollution, confirmed as a key element for the increase both in the transmission and severity of the contagion, on top of involving health risks on their own. In this context, most nations are going to adopt new preferential policies to stimulate the development of relevant sustainable energy industries, based on the electrification of the systems supplied by renewable energy sources as confirmed by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Thus, while there is ongoing research focusing on a COVID 19 vaccine, there is also a need for researchers to work cooperatively on novel strategies for world economic recovery incorporating renewable energy policy, technology and management. In this framework, the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) conference provides a good platform for researchers and other experts to exchange their academic thoughts, promoting the development and improvements on the renewable energy technologies as well as their role in systems and in the transition towards sustainable energy systems. The 14th SDEWES Conference was held in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It brought together around 570 researchers from 55 countries in the field of sustainable development. The present Special Issue of Energies, specifically dedicated to the 14th SDEWES Conference, focuses on four main fields: energy policy for sustainable development, biomass energy application, building energy saving, and power plant and electric systems

Decarbonisation of transport: options and challenges

This EASAC report reviews options for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from European transport. It argues for stronger policies to bridge the gap between the GHG emission reductions that will be delivered by current policies and the levels needed to limit global warming to less than 2°C or even 1.5°C (Paris Agreement). The report focusses on road transport because, in the EU, this contributes 72% of transport GHG emissions. EASAC recommends a combination of transitional measures for the next 10-15 years and sustainable measures for the long term, based on a three level policy framework: avoid and contain demand for transport services; shift passengers and freight to transport modes with lower emissions (trains, buses and ships); and improve performance through vehicle design, more efficient powertrains and replacing fossil fuels with sustainable energy carriers including low-carbon electricity, hydrogen and synthetic fuels. Opportunities for the EU to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and create high quality jobs are also discussed

Editorial:International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management Vol 11

This editorial introduces the 11th volume of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management. The volume addresses smart energy systems and the optimal ways of integrating renewable energy into these. Two of the contributions are from the perspective of energy storage with one arguing that other storage options are preferable to designated electricity storage. This includes thermal storages for house heating and gas and liquid fuel storage for e.g. the transportation sector. Secondly, a paper investigates more narrowly communal vs individual electricity storage in residential PV systems with a view to lowering grid dependency. Lastly, an analysis investigates the role of flexible electricity demand as a means to integrate fluctuating renewable energy sources such as wind and PV