Collaboration towards value creation for end-of-life solar photovoltaic panel in Ghana

This paper identifies value creation strategies and the role of stakeholders in advancing sustainable practices for end-of-life (henceforth EOL) solar photovoltaic panels (solar PV) in Ghana. This is preceded by an overview of the global outlook of sustainable practices for EOL solar PV as well as how these can be promoted in a developing country like Ghana. The framework discusses and promotes efficient collaboration towards value creation by stakeholders in advancing sustainable practices for end-of-life solar PV in Ghana. The methodology centers on an integrative review aimed at identifying the different aspects leading to a value creation framework for EOL solar PV. The paper discusses a hybrid public-private partnership (HPPP), which includes the types of synergy between different actors as well as their clear roles. The core options available to government, businesses and end-users in the value creation includes the provision of a technical solution, improved logistics and innovative business opportunities. The aforementioned options will achieve reduction, reuse, repair and/or recycling, targeted at promoting a unique collaboration between all relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, such options present an opportunity to promote awareness utilizing education in sustainability, thus promoting the need for extending the useful lifecycle of the products.© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

End of life analysis of solar photovoltaic panel : roadmap for developing economies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for handling end of life (henceforth EoL) scenarios of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels, which includes different options available to businesses and end-users, as well as promoting the collaboration between government and all relevant stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts purposeful sampling, secondary data and content analysis to develop an appropriate conceptual framework that helps to create awareness of the appropriate options for dealing with the EoL cases of solar PV panels. Findings From the data analysis, it is revealed that reuse, repair and recycling of solar PV panels can ensure value creation, public-private partnership and a solution for education in sustainability, and thus, prolonging the useful life cycle of the products. Research limitations/implications This paper limits the analysis on developing economies and the use of selected literature based on the recycling of solar PV panels. Originality/value This paper is an initial attempt to create an awareness by identifying, analyzing and educating the stakeholders to handle appropriately any EoL scenario of solar PV panels.© Emmanuel Ndzibah, Giovanna Andrea Pinilla-De La Cruz and Ahm shamsuzzoha. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcodefi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Unveiling the shades of partnerships for the energy transitionand sustainable development: Connecting public–privatepartnerships and emerging hybrid schemes

The transition to cleaner energy technologies and sustainable development requires the commitment and collaboration of the public and private sectors. Among such collaborations, public–private partnership (PPP) refers to the convergence and complementarity between public and private actors and represents an organizational arrangement for addressing strategic sustainability challenges such as reducing carbon emissions and plays a relevant role in transforming the sector after energy reforms. The rigidity of PPP schemes introduces certain limitations in adapting to the energy transition and sustainability needs. As a result, several hybrid schemes have emerged from PPPs, which are focal points in this paper. This article aims to contrast PPPs with emerging hybrid PPPs to facilitate their understanding. It contributes to the academic dialog on recognizing the relevance of emerging forms of collaboration in tackling contemporary issues. The review's primary outcome is a framework of PPPs and hybrid PPPs and the critical challenges for advancing the energy transition and sustainable development. The contributions from this study may help policymakers to design suitable tools for incorporating hybrid PPPs in climate change policies and institutional frameworks. The findings suggest developing mechanisms through which PPPs and hybrid PPPs foster cleaner technologies, thus improving energy efficiency and access and strengthening energy security strategies. Further work is needed to address key research issues related to (i) mechanisms for the institutional alignment of hybrid PPPs, (ii) assuring reciprocity and commitment, (iii) knowledge management, and (iv) capacity-building.© 2022 The Authors. Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,provided the original work is properly cited.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Unveiling the shades of partnerships for the energy transition and sustainable development: Connecting public-private partnerships and emerging hybrid schemes

The transition to cleaner energy technologies and sustainable development requires the commitment and collaboration of the public and private sectors. Among such collaborations, public-private partnership (PPP) refers to the convergence and complementarity between public and private actors and represents an organizational arrangement for addressing strategic sustainability challenges such as reducing carbon emissions and plays a relevant role in transforming the sector after energy reforms. The rigidity of PPP schemes introduces certain limitations in adapting to the energy transition and sustainability needs. As a result, several hybrid schemes have emerged from PPPs, which are focal points in this paper. This article aims to contrast PPPs with emerging hybrid PPPs to facilitate their understanding. It contributes to the academic dialog on recognizing the relevance of emerging forms of collaboration in tackling contemporary issues. The review's primary outcome is a framework of PPPs and hybrid PPPs and the critical challenges for advancing the energy transition and sustainable development. The contributions from this study may help policymakers to design suitable tools for incorporating hybrid PPPs in climate change policies and institutional frameworks. The findings suggest developing mechanisms through which PPPs and hybrid PPPs foster cleaner technologies, thus improving energy efficiency and access and strengthening energy security strategies. Further work is needed to address key research issues related to (i) mechanisms for the institutional alignment of hybrid PPPs, (ii) assuring reciprocity and commitment, (iii) knowledge management, and (iv) capacity-building

Prognostic relevance of glomerular filtration rate estimation obtained through different equations in hospitalized elderly patients

The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a predictor of important outcomes and its reduction has been associated with the risk of all-cause mortality in both general population and elderly patients. However while reduced renal function is common in older people, the best method for estimating GFR remains unclear, especially in an acute care setting. Most studies analyzing the accuracy of eGFR in the elderly were carried out in different heterogeneous settings. In this study, we compare the prognostic value of different formulas estimating GFR in predicting the risk of in-hospital morbidity and mortality within 3 months from discharge in elderly hospitalized patients. Data were extracted from \u201cRegistro Politerapia Societ\ue0 Italiana di Medicina Interna (REPOSI)\u201d. Patients with available creatinine values at hospital admission were selected and eGFR was calculated according to the different formulas: Cockcroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration, Berlin Initiative Study and Full Age Spectrum. 4621 patients were included in the analysis. Among these, 4.2% and 14.2% died during hospitalization and within 3 months from discharge, respectively. eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 at admission was associated with a very low risk of mortality during the hospital stay and within 90 days from discharge, while an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was associated with unfavorable outcomes, although with a poor level of accuracy (AUC 0.60\u20130.66). No difference in predictive power between different equations was found. Physicians should be aware of the prognostic role of eGFR in a comprehensive assessment of elderly in-patients

Prevalence, characteristics and treatment of chronic pain in elderly patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards

Background: Chronic pain is a frequent characteristic of elderly people and represents an actual and still poorly debated topic. Objective: We investigated pain prevalence and intensity, and its pharmacological therapy in elderly patients hospitalized in 101 internal medicine wards. Methods: Taking advantage of the “REgistro POliterapie Società Italiana Medicina Interna” (REPOSI), we collected 2535 patients of whom almost a quarter was older than 85 years old. Among them, 582 patients were affected by pain (either chronic or acute) and 296 were diagnosed with chronic pain. Results: Patients with pain showed worse cognitive status, higher depression and comorbidities, and a longer duration of hospital stay compared to those without pain (all p <.0366). Patients with chronic pain revealed lower level of independency in their daily life, worse cognitive status and higher level of depression compared to acute pain patients (all p <.0156). Moreover, most of them were not treated for pain at admission (73.4%) and half of them was not treated with any analgesic drug at discharge (50.5%). This difference affected also the reported levels of pain intensity. Patients who received analgesics at both admission and discharge remained stable (p =.172). Conversely, those not treated at admission who received an analgesic treatment during the hospital stay decreased their perceived pain (p <.0001). Conclusions: Our results show the need to focus more attention on the pharmacological treatment of chronic pain, especially in hospitalized elderly patients, in order to support them and facilitate their daily life after hospital discharge