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In the present work, a novel hybrid solar-based smart building energy system is introduced and studied. The system comprises innovative photovoltaic-thermal-cooling (PVTC) panels integrated with hot and cold storages with two-way interaction with electricity, heat, and cooling networks (if any). The proposed system is compared with PV-based systems integrated with battery and heat pump for a case study complex building in Aarhus, Denmark. The comparison is conducted by evaluating the performance and economic indicators and investigating the effect of significant parameters on each scenario via a parametric study. Furthermore, the optimal operating conditions and sizing of the proposed system are determined using the genetic algorithm method considering initial cost and traded energy with local energy networks as the objective functions. The comparison results show that the proposed solution is the most cost-effective scenario with the lowest initial cost of about 457,000 $ and a payback period of 6.6 years. This is mainly due to the simultaneous interaction with electricity/heat/cooling networks as well as the elimination of the battery and the heat pump, which are offered by the proposed scenario. It is shown that, in comparison to PV panels, the PVTC can produce 328.7 MWh and 125.6 MWh extra heat and cooling annually. The scatter distribution of significant parameters shows that the panel area and heat storage capacity are not sensitive parameters, and keeping the cold storage capacity at the lower bound is a techno-economically better option.

Abstract Sustainability is an important and difficult consideration for the stakeholders/decision-makers when planning a biofuel supply network. In this paper, a Mixed-Integer Non-linear Programming (MINLP) model was developed with the aim to help the stakeholders/decision-maker to select the most sustainable design. In the proposed model, the emergy sustainability index of the whole biodiesel supply networks in a life cycle perspective is employed as the measure of the sustainability, and multiple feedstocks, multiple transport modes, multiple regions for biodiesel production and multiple distribution centers can be considered. After describing the process and mathematic framework of the model, an illustrative case was studied and demonstrated that the proposed methodology is feasible for finding the most sustainable design and planning of biodiesel supply chains.

In the last years, the concept of “smart city” has been the subject of increasing attention in urban planning and governance due to the sustainability challenges and great technological advancements. Although the relevant literature highlights those smart cities can create a fertile environment to drive innovation from a technological, managerial and organizational, and policy point of view how smart cities function, in terms of their value chain and in light of sustainability and circularity is still an open question. Based on these considerations, this work aims to investigate how smart cities deliver value by combining environmental, societal, and financial priorities to re-imagine their core business models and shift the boundaries of urban competition in light of circular economy principles. To reach this goal, the tool Sustainable Business Model Innovation Canvas has been applied in the urban context with the aim to create and leverage an environmental and societal surplus in light of circularity in the smart city framework. Preliminary results shed light on new vistas on the future and new challenges of smart cities particularly relevant for facing the current complexity of the economy, social, and environmental changes.

AbstractThe implementation of a circular economy is a fundamental step to create a greater and more sustainable future for a better use of resources and energy. Wastes and in particular municipal solid waste represent an untapped source of carbon (and hydrogen) to produce a large range of chemicals from methane to alcohols (as methanol or ethanol) or urea. The waste to chemical process and related economics are assessed in this concept article to show the validity of such solution both from an economic point of view and from an environmental perspective considering the sensible reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with respect to conventional production from fossil fuels.

A serious problem with using electrical actuators in legged locomotion is the significant energy loss. For this reason, we propose and analyse an alternative means of actuation: Controlled Passive Actuation. Controlled Passive Actuation aims at reducing the energy flow through electric actuators by actuating with a combination of an energy storage element and a Continuously Variable Transmission. In this work, we present a method where we apply a Continuously Variable Transmission with a storage element in the form of a mass to change the state of another mass (“the load”). An abstraction layer is created to abstract the inertia-driven Controlled Passive Actuation to a source of effort, a force actuator. On this abstracted system, feedback control can be applied to achieve control goals such as path tracking. With simulations and experiments, we show that inertia-driven Controlled Passive Actuation can be used to control the state of an (inertial) load. The experimental results show that the performance of the system is affected by the internal dynamics and limited rate of change of the transmission ratio of the Continuously Variable Transmission.

Renewable energy has been prioritized in Danish energy policy since the early 1980s. This has led to the current situation where Denmark is one of the leading countries in the world in the field of wind energy utilization. The background for this success is a story about how a society can manage the development and diffusion of sustainable technologies so that they are simultaneously socially acceptable and environmentally benign. Consequently, this article describes the relationship between the organization of wind power and the protection of nature. The aim is to analyse which kinds of public planning and policy can promote wind power and nature protection in a situation where a conflict exists between these two issues. The discussion acknowledges that it has been a serious problem to balance these contrasting considerations. However, it also suggests that the problems seem solvable if technology development, the social organization relating to the use of the technology and proper planning are brought together to work in a spirit of local involvement. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

CSR theories and practices which have been diffusing in the management world until very recently refer mainly to reactive strategies of (re-)legitimation of companies vis-a-vis their stakeholders. However, even in light of the challenges posed by today’s economic crisis, the present period can be an extremely favourable moment to move beyond this adaptive approach and to formulate and realize a more advanced view of the social dimension of business as sustainable innovation , i.e. a business model based on a twofold dynamic of ‘valorization of the context’: on the one hand, the inclusion in enterprises’ strategies of social instances and resources oriented to the natural environment and quality of life in and around the workplace; on the other hand, the ability to generate economic value through the creation of social value. Drawing on the findings of a research conducted on a sample of Italian organizations, the paper identifies and discusses three distinctive mechanisms which seem to sustain the production of ‘integrated value ’ in these companies: the balance between cultural tradition and exploration; the tendency to expand in the context and, at the same time, to include it; and human resource practices establishing a direct link between citizenship behaviours in and of the organization. In conclusion, the analysis suggests a wider-ranging perspective on the strategic and competitive implications of CSR practices.

Bioenergy crops are well known for their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the soil carbon stock. Although such crops are often held to be in competition with food crops and thus raise the question of current and future food security, at the same time mitigation measures are required to tackle climate change and sustain local farming communities and crop production. However, in some cases the actions envisaged for specific pedo-climatic conditions are not always economically sustainable by farmers. In this frame, energy crops with high environmental adaptability and yields, such as giant reed (Arundo donax L.), may represent an opportunity to improve farm incomes, making marginal areas not suitable for food production once again productive. In so doing, three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations would be met, namely SDG 2 on food security and sustainable agriculture, SDG 7 on reliable, sustainable and modern energy, and SDG 13 on action to combat climate change and its impacts. In this work, the response of giant reed in the marginal areas of an agricultural district of southern Italy (Destra Sele) and expected farm incomes under climate change (2021-2050) are evaluated. The normalized water productivity index of giant reed was determined (WP; 30.1gm-2) by means of a SWAP agro-hydrological model, calibrated and validated on two years of a long-term field experiment. The model was used to estimate giant reed response (biomass yield) in marginal areas under climate change, and economic evaluation was performed to determine expected farm incomes (woodchips and chopped forage). The results show that woodchip production represents the most profitable option for farmers, yielding a gross margin 50% lower than ordinary high-input maize cultivation across the study area.