Energy crisis in Europe: the European Union’s objectives and countries’ policy trends—new transition paths?

Amidst the ongoing European energy crisis, the EU has proposed a legislative package to enhance gas independence from Russia, diversify energy supplies, and increase renewable energy targets. However, the urgency for energy security has led some countries to prioritise gas independence over decarbonisation, potentially sacrificing or delaying EU targets. Considering this framework, this article contributes to the body of knowledge by examining the electricity mix of the six most significant EU countries in terms of generation capacity, considers their alignment with 2025 energy transition goals, and analyses the latest legislative trends to evaluate their compatibility with EU objectives. The findings from these analyses indicate that EU members are currently prioritising gas independence, which has led to re-starting or extending the lifespan of coal-fired power plants and an increasing interest in nuclear energy as a low-carbon alternative. These findings have significant implications as they reveal how countries are being steered away from their pre-crisis energy transition paths, resulting in the formation of new perspectives for both the short and long term.This research has been funded by the European Social Fund and the Secretariat of Universities and Research of Catalonia.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Uncertainty analysis for industries investing in energy equipment and renewable energy sources

This paper studies the optimal design and operation of new energy equipment including renewable energy sources for prosumer industries. In order to augment the interest of industries in performing energy actions, the economic parameters of the investment are analysed and the risk related to it considering the uncertainty in energy markets is evaluated. A two-stage optimization approach is proposed considering the whole lifetime of the energy equipment and an uncertainty analysis performed through the evaluation of the deterministic model under Latin Hypercube Samples of uncertain parameters. A case study based on a real industry is presented, whose results expose the robustness of the optimization methodology and the acceptable risk of investing in renewable energy sources and energy equipment for prosumer purposes.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No ContaminantObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraPostprint (published version

Energy-Investment Decision-Making for Industry: Quantitative and Qualitative Risks Integrated Analysis

Industrial SMEs may take the decision to invest in energy efficient equipment to reduce energy costs by replacing or upgrading their obsolete equipment or due to external socio-political and legislative pressures. When upgrading their energy equipment, it may be beneficial to consider the adoption of new energy strategies rising from the ongoing energy transition to support green transformation and decarbonisation. To face this energy-investment decision-making problem, a set of different economic and environmental criteria have to be evaluated together with their associated risks. Although energy-investment problems have been treated in the literature, the incorporation of both quantitative and qualitative risks for decision-making in SMEs has not been studied yet. In this paper, this research gap is addressed, creating a framework that considers non-risk criteria and quantitative and qualitative risks into energy-investment decision-making problems. Both types of risks are evaluated according to their probability and impact on the company’s objectives and, additionally for qualitative risks, a fuzzy inference system is employed to account for judgmental subjectivity. All the criteria are incorporated into a single cost–benefit analysis function, which is optimised along the energy assets’ lifetime to reach the best long-term energy investment decisions. The proposed methodology is applied to a specific industrial SME as a case study, showing the benefits of considering these risks in the decision-making problem. Nonetheless, the methodology is expandable with minor changes to other entities facing the challenge to invest in energy equipment or, as well, other tangible assets.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No ContaminantPostprint (published version

Quantitative and qualitative risk-informed energy investment for industrial companies

© 2023 Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/In the ongoing energy transition, small and medium-sized industrial companies are making energy equipment investments due to the obsolescence of their current equipment as well as social, political and market pressures. These firms typically choose investments with low risk exposure based on a combination of criteria that are not always quantifiable. However, published studies on energy investment to date have not been suitable for industrial SMEs because they do not assess the value of the investment over time, ignore the qualitative aspects of decision-making, and do not consider uncertainties. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper proposes a methodology that considers both quantitative and qualitative parameters and risks over time through an extended two-stage risk-informed approach. The proposed methodology includes fuzzy and statistical techniques for evaluating both qualitative and quantitative parameters, as well as their uncertainties, at the time of decision-making and over the investment lifetime. Fuzzy logic is used in the first stage of the optimisation process to measure qualitative parameters and their uncertainty, while quantitative parameters are expressed using probability density functions to account for their uncertainty and measure the quantitative risk assumed by the investor. This methodology is applied to a case study involving a real industrial SME, and the results show that considering both quantitative and qualitative parameters and uncertainties in the optimisation process leads to a more balanced consideration of economic, environmental and social criteria and reduces the variability of the outcome compared to economic-only approaches that do not account for risks. Specifically, the case study shows that considering these parameters and uncertainties resulted in a 15.7% reduction in the size of the cogeneration system due to its environmental and social impacts, and 4.2% reduction in the variability of the economic result.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Semi-supervised transfer learning methodology for fault detection and diagnosis in air-handling units

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are the major energy consumers among buildings’ equipment. Reliable fault detection and diagnosis schemes can effectively reduce their energy consumption and maintenance costs. In this respect, data-driven approaches have shown impressive results, but their accuracy depends on the availability of representative data to train the models, which is not common in real applications. For this reason, transfer learning is attracting growing attention since it tackles the problem by leveraging the knowledge between datasets, increasing the representativeness of fault scenarios. However, to date, research on transfer learning for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning has mostly been focused on learning algorithmic, overlooking the importance of a proper domain similarity analysis over the available data. Thus, this study proposes the design of a transfer learning approach based on a specific data selection methodology to tackle dissimilarity issues. The procedure is supported by neural network models and the analysis of eventual prediction uncertainties resulting from the assessment of the target application samples. To verify the proposed methodology, it is applied to a semi-supervised transfer learning case study composed of two publicly available air-handling unit datasets containing some fault scenarios. Results emphasize the potential of the proposed domain dissimilarity analysis reaching a classification accuracy of 92% under a transfer learning framework, an increase of 37% in comparison to classical approaches.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats SosteniblesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum ResponsablesPostprint (published version

A facility and community-based assessment of scabies in rural Malawi.

Background Scabies is a neglected tropical disease of the skin, causing severe itching, stigmatizing skin lesions and systemic complications. Since 2015, the DerMalawi project provide an integrated skin diseases clinics and Tele-dermatology care in Malawi. Clinic based data suggested a progressive increase in scabies cases observed. To better identify and treat individuals with scabies in the region, we shifted from a clinic-based model to a community based outreach programme. Methodology/principal findings From May 2015, DerMalawi project provide integrated skin diseases and Tele-dermatological care in the Nkhotakota and Salima health districts in Malawi. Demographic and clinical data of all patients personally attended are recorded. Due to a progressive increase in the number of cases of scabies the project shifted to a community-based outreach programme. For the community outreach activities, we conducted three visits between 2018 to 2019 and undertook screening in schools and villages of Alinafe Hospital catchment area. Treatment was offered for all the cases and school or household contacts. Scabies increased from 2.9% to 39.2% of all cases seen by the DerMalawi project at clinics between 2015 to 2018. During the community-based activities approximately 50% of the population was assessed in each of three visits. The prevalence of scabies was similar in the first two rounds, 15.4% (2392) at the first visit and 17.2% at the second visit. The prevalence of scabies appeared to be lower (2.4%) at the third visit. The prevalence of impetigo appeared unchanged and was 6.7% at the first visit and 5.2% at the final visit. Conclusions/significance Prevalence of scabies in our setting was very high suggesting that scabies is a major public health problem in parts of Malawi. Further work is required to more accurately assess the burden of disease and develop appropriate public health strategies for its control

Ahora / Ara

La cinquena edició del microrelatari per l’eradicació de la violència contra les dones de l’Institut Universitari d’Estudis Feministes i de Gènere «Purificación Escribano» de la Universitat Jaume I vol ser una declaració d’esperança. Aquest és el moment en el qual les dones (i els homes) hem de fer un pas endavant i eliminar la violència sistèmica contra les dones. Ara és el moment de denunciar el masclisme i els micromasclismes començant a construir una societat més igualitària. Cadascun dels relats del llibre és una denúncia i una declaració que ens encamina cap a un món millor

Modelling and optimization of industrial prosumers with renewable energy sources

Tesi amb menció de Doctorat InternacionalTesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacionsIn reference to IEEE copyrighted material which is used with permission in this thesis, the IEEE does not endorse any of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya's products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. If interested in reprinting/republishing IEEE copyrighted material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution, please go to http://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/rights_link.html to learn how to obtain a License from RightsLink(English) The current energy transition fosters the insertion of renewable energies and system decentralisation intending to achieve a more secure, sustainable and efficient energy market. The industry can play a key role in this transition due to the digitalization resulting from the industrial revolution 4.0 and the current revolution 5.0, which encourages its renewal through resilient and human-centred solutions. Of all industrial entities, SMEs are particularly interesting as they consume more than 13% of global energy and find it more difficult than large companies to adopt new energy management strategies. Intending to favour energy transition and improve industrial competitiveness, this thesis addresses the energy situation of industrial SMEs to transform their consumer infrastructures into prosumer infrastructures capable of exchanging green energy with the utility grid, boosting also market decentralisation. To do so, the present thesis proposes a complete framework for the optimization of the investment in energy equipment to be made by industrial SMEs, aiming to improve their performance by adopting a prosumer role in the electricity market. This framework is based on the development of a methodology that includes the modelling of the energy infrastructure of the industrial plant, the modelling of quantitative and qualitative factors together with their uncertainties, and the solving of a two-stage optimization problem. This two-stage optimization problem analyses the costs and benefits of the investments, as well as the prosumer operation of the infrastructure over its expected lifetime. Uncertainties in both quantitative and qualitative parameters are also introduced into the problem and the risks faced by the industrial SME in upgrading its energy system are assessed and minimised. The proposed methodology has been applied to several case studies, the results of which show the benefits of transforming an industrial SME from a consumer to a prosumer. The optimization of the investment, considering quantitative and qualitative factors, risks, and the prosumer operation of the system throughout its lifetime, results in technically and financially robust solutions. Therefore, it has been possible to verify the usefulness of the proposed methodological framework to be applied to industrial SMEs, promoting their transformation into active entities in the energy markets and increasing their competitiveness.(Castellà) La actual transición energética fomenta la inserción de energías renovables y la descentralización del sistema con el objetivo de conseguir un mercado energético más seguro, sostenible y eficiente. La industria puede desempeñar un papel clave en esta transición debido a la digitalización resultante de la revolución industrial 4.0 y a la contemporánea revolución 5.0, que promueve su renovación mediante soluciones resilientes y centradas en el ser humano. De todas las entidades industriales, las PYMES son especialmente interesantes, ya que consumen más del 13% de la energía mundial y tienen más dificultades que las grandes empresas para adoptar nuevas estrategias de gestión energética. Con la intención de favorecer la transición energética y mejorar la competitividad industrial, esta tesis aborda su situación energética para transformar las infraestructuras de consumo de las PYMES industriales en infraestructuras prosumidoras capaces de intercambiar energía verde con la red eléctrica, impulsando también la descentralización del mercado. Para ello, la presente tesis propone un marco completo para la optimización de la inversión en equipos energéticos que deben realizar las PYMES industriales, con el objetivo de mejorar su rendimiento adoptando un papel de prosumidor en el mercado eléctrico. Esta optimización se basa en el desarrollo de una metodología que incluye la modelización de la infraestructura energética de la planta industrial, la de los factores cuantitativos y cualitativos junto con sus incertidumbres, y la resolución de un problema de optimización de doble etapa. Este problema de optimización analiza los costes y beneficios de las inversiones, así como la operación prosumidora de la infraestructura a lo largo de su vida. También se introducen en el problema incertidumbres en los parámetros cuantitativos y cualitativos, y se evalúan y minimizan los riesgos a los que se enfrenta la PYME industrial al actualizar su sistema energético. La metodología propuesta se ha aplicado a varios casos de estudio, cuyos resultados han demostrado los beneficios de transformar una PYME industrial de consumidora a prosumidora. La optimización de la inversión, teniendo en cuenta los factores cuantitativos y cualitativos, los riesgos y el funcionamiento prosumidor del sistema a lo largo de su vida, da lugar a soluciones técnica y financieramente sólidas. De esta manera, se ha podido comprobar la utilidad del marco metodológico propuesto para ser aplicado a las PYMES industriales, promoviendo su transformación en entidades activas en los mercados energéticos y aumentando su competitividad.DOCTORAT EN ENGINYERIA ELECTRÒNICA (Pla 2013

Autonomous aerial vehicle: flight control and energy management

The project finality is to redesign and adapt a commercial drone for rescue operations. Modifications will include flight control and energy management.Main objectives of the project are: - to selec/design suitable parts and components to increase flight autonomy. Solar PV cells and corresponding controllers are considered - to study and program an algorithm for energy management - to adapt control flight to include programmed trajectories and adaptive behaviour - to built up a prototype from existing drone parts- to perform the experimental validation 1. Definition and planning of the project.2. Analysis and selection of the UAV’s components3. Analysis and selection of the battery4. Analysis and selection of the generation system of renewable energy5. Design and manufacturing of the energy management electronics6. Design and manufacturing of the control and measurement electronics7. Elaboration of the management’s energy algorithm8. Component’s integration and electrical checking9. Experimental validation10. Analysis of the results and proposal of improvements11. Documentation of the project