The CO2NSTRUCT European project: Modelling the role of Circular Economy in construction value chains for a carbon-neutral Europe

Linear climate mitigation models look into aggregated economic sectors and model greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disregarding downstream value chains, making particular sectors accountable for downstream (or upstream) GHG emissions. Hence, the present climate mitigation models inconsistently account for indirect GHG emissions; underrepresent upstream and downstream value chains; do not address Circular Economy (CE) practices; do not cover resource consumption, thus not considering materials' circularity. To provide curated policy support for decision-making for carbon neutrality and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), models need to shift from linear to circular. To achieve this, a link between energy-climate mitigation modelling and cradle-to-cradle assessment CE analytical tools must be established. This is the core issue covered in the CO2NSTRUCT Horizon project (2022-2026). CO2NSTRUCT proposes a framework to supplement the well-established JRC-EU-TIMES model, using a highly comprehensive technological representation with CE measures. The framework will apply CE measures to the value chain of six carbon-intensive construction materials (i.e., cement, steel, brick, glass, wood, and insulation materials) and will provide new components to the JRC-EU-TIMES model, including citizen behaviour; societal impacts; rebound effects; supply and value chains. The results will be used for policy approaches integrating CE into climate change mitigation actions

Critical skills needs and challenges for STEM/STEAM graduates increased employability and entrepreneurship in the solar energy sector

Energy produced by photovoltaic module (PVM) is poised to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG-7) by 2030 and Net-Zero by 2050 but not until ample graduates with adequate Solar Energy Technology (SET) skills are produced by Higher education institutions (HEIs). Although PVM has witnessed significant penetration globally, the sustainability of the growth of the sector is challenged by attendant monotonic skilled labour shortages. The evolving growth imbalance is critical in the European Union (EU), limits her global competitiveness and necessitates the need to create wider awareness on the green technology to stimulate more production of solar energy sector (SES) specific skills graduates. Discussing the mismatch between the skills Europe needs and has in the SES, the study outlines key critical skills Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) cum Arts (STEAM) graduates ought to possess to secure sector employment and the challenges limiting them from acquiring the competencies. The review is conducted via extensive study of relevant literature, analysis of interviews and observations. Academic, industrial, and entrepreneurial skills are identified as critical SES needs. Designing and running educational modules/curricula that embed the identified solar technology specialist skills on students and learners are proposed as vehicle to increase their employability and entrepreneurship. This study profiles trends and developments in the SES for stakeholders’ increased awareness while presenting the specialist skills in-demand for employment in the sector. The adoption of SET Training (SETechTra) curricula/modules by the EIs will substantially increase the production of industry-ready graduates whilst decreasing the SES skills gap

Latent Thermal Energy Storage Application in a Residential Building at a Mediterranean Climate

An innovative thermal energy storage system (TESSe2b) was retrofitted in a residential building in Cyprus with a typical Mediterranean climate. The system comprises flat-plate solar collectors, thermal energy storage tanks filled with organic phase change material, a geothermal installation consisting of borehole heat exchangers with and without phase change material and a ground source heat pump, an advanced self-learning control system, backup devices and several other auxiliary components. The thermal energy storage tanks cover the building’s needs at certain temperature ranges (10–17◦ C for cooling, 38–45◦ C for heating and 50–60◦ C for domestic hot water). A performance evaluation was conducted by comparing the TESSe2b system with the existing conventional heating and cooling system. The systems were simulated using commercial software, and the performance of the systems and the building’s energy needs were calculated. Based on the energy quantities, an economic analysis followed. The equivalent annual primary energy consumption with the conventional system resulted in being 43335 kWh, while for the storage system, it was only 8398 kWh. The payback period for the storage system was calculated to be equal to 9.76 years. The operation of the installed storage system provided data for calculations of the seasonal performance factor and storage performance. The seasonal performance factor values were very high during June, July and August, since the TESSe2b system works very efficiently in cooling mode due to the very high temperatures that dominate in Cyprus. The measured stored thermal energy for cooling, heating and domestic hot water resulted in being 14.5, 21.9 and 6.2 kWh, respectively. Moreover, the total volume of the phase change material thermal energy storage tanks for heating and domestic hot water was calculated to be roughly several times smaller than the volume of a tank with water as a storage medium. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

High temperature instruments and methods developed for supercritical geothermal reservoir characterisation and exploitation-The HiTI project

During the early years of the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP), development of three distinctive technological and scientific approaches were formalised and then carried out until 2010 within a European funded project called HiTI (high temperature instruments for supercritical geothermal reservoir characterisation and exploitation). These approaches were: (1) development of several downhole instruments allowing them to function up to 300 °C and 400 °C, (2) identification of two new Na/Li cation ratio geothermometric relationships valid at very high temperature, (3) tracer testing with high temperature tolerant organic isomers and finally and (4) basalt rock deformation and petrophysical properties laboratory investigations at high temperature and pressure conditions. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Social acceptance of wind and solar power in the Brazilian electricity system

Renewable energy is often associated with the production of clean electricity and free of significant adverse impacts. However, several studies have been highlighting the importance of the assessment of social impacts of these technologies, including not only the benefits but also the potential negative aspects most frequently affecting local population. The energy matrix in Brazil is already built up on a renewable system largely supported on hydropower but other technologies with special emphasis on wind power start to have a major role, with a strong growth forecasted for this sector in the coming years. This article discusses the integration of solar and wind power in the Brazilian electricity system focusing on the social awareness and acceptance for the population living in high potential regions. For this, a questionnaire was proposed with the aim of evaluating the level of knowledge of wind and solar power, their social acceptance and perceptions towards cost, local development and environmental impacts. The questionnaire was implemented in an academic institution in the State of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) including students and professors as key actors for the present and future energy policy decision making. The implementation process and the obtained results are described allowing to conclude on the high level of acceptance of solar and wind power in the country and the region, with low evidence of not in my backyard syndrome.The authors wish to acknowledge the support of ALGORITMI research Centre at University of Minho. This work has been supported by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013. The authors are grateful to the Rectory of Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN) who allowed for the implementation of the survey.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio