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Environmental problems, combined with a finite supply of fossil fuels, have made the use of renewable energy sources necessary. Biomass is a renewable source of energy that has played a very important role in energy production in recent years. Because there are a number of technologies that can be used to convert biomass into energy, it is important to select the best option. The fact that multiple options are available that need to be evaluated based on a set of decision-making criteria makes this a multicriteria decision-making problem. This paper takes the first step in proposing an evaluation framework and identifying the importance of the relevant decision-making criteria in biofuel production technology selection. To determine the importance of the selection criteria, experts were asked to respond to an online questionnaire based on the best–worst method. The results indicate that air pollution, land use change, and human expertise are the three most important criteria for selecting the best biofuel production technology in our case country, Iran.

District heating (DH) has a major potential to increase the efficiency, security, and sustainability of energy management at the community scale. However, there is a huge challenge for decision makers due to the lack of knowledge about thermal energy demand during a year. Thermal energy demand is strongly dependent on the outdoor temperature, building area, and activities. In this context, this paper presents an innovative monthly thermal energy mapping method to calculate and visualize heat demand accurately for various types of buildings. The method includes three consecutive phases: (i) calculating energy loss, (ii) completing a dataset that includes energy and building information, and (iii) generating the monthly heat demand maps for the community. Determining the amount of demand and the best location for energy generators from the perspective of energy efficiency in a DH system in an urban context is one of the important applications of heat maps. Exploring heat demand characteristics and visualizing them on maps is the foundation of smart DHs.

Abstract The use of wind energy reduces CO 2 emission and increases new employment opportunities. The positive impacts of wind energy on the mitigation of climate change as well as opportunity to diminish energy dependency are indisputable. Wind energy helps decreasing import dependency, diversifying sources of production, and contributes to a sustainable development in many countries. This article explores the importance of global wind turbine development and other relevant issues which are important. In this energy scenario, global installed wind turbines, energy potential and employment issues were discussed. Wind energy deployment creates a significant number of jobs, and does so at a time when other energy sectors are shrinking. Global wind turbine installation for recent years (2006–2008) was thoroughly discussed along with employment issues regarding wind industry in the world. The wind energy sector has grown exponentially since the end of the 1990s, especially within many countries, and this has affected the employment levels of countries involved.

Malaysia has abundant potentials of renewable energy resources mainly because of its rich agriculture that makes high potential in bio-power and its tropical climate, which provides sufficient sunlight for utilization of solar systems. Feed in Tariff mechanism has been applied since 2011 in Malaysia to expand utilization of renewable energy for electricity generation. In this study, a broad range of data is gathered to develop a comprehensive system dynamics model to evaluate the impacts of Feed in Tariff mechanism on the generation mix of Malaysia during a 20-year period between 2011 and 2030. Results demonstrate that although the policy may lead to a satisfactory level of target achievement but the Malaysian government may face an increasing shortage in its RE fund budget starting around 2019 unless it increases its income sources by rising the surcharges on electricity bills or decreases its expenditures by optimizing the amount of FiT payments in different periods. The sensitivity analysis illustrates that the more funding will not lead to a more sustainable generation mix unless it is paid in the right time and in the right direction. Using this model, policymakers can carry out analysis to determine the amount of money that must be collected from the electricity consumers through the surcharges on electricity bills as well as the amount of feed in tariff to be paid for different renewable resources in different periods.

Cropping pattern plays an important role in providing food and agricultural water resources sustainability, especially in arid regions in which the concomitant socioeconomic dangers of water shortage would be inevitable. In this research, six indices are applied to classify 37 cultivated crops according to Central Product Classification (CPC). The respective 10-year data (2005–2014) were obtained from Agricultural Organization of South Khorasan (AOSKh) province. The water footprint concept along with some economic indicators are used to assess the water use efficiency. Results show that blue virtual water contributes to almost 99 percent of Total Virtual Water (TVW). In this occasion that an increasing pressure is exerted on groundwater resources, improper pattern of planting crops has to be beyond reproach. The improper cropping pattern in the study area led to the overuse of 346 × 106 m3 of water annually. More specifically, cereals cultivation was neither environmentally nor economically sustainable and since they accounted for the largest share of water usage at the province level, importing them should be considered as an urgent priority. Vegetable cultivation could be further increased—instead of other water-intensive crops such as fruits—at the province level, not only due to their low TVW, but also to their higher financial output.

Permeable reactive barriers are commonly used to treat contaminant plumes in the saturated zone. However, no known applications of horizontal permeable reactive barriers (HPRBs) exist for oxidizing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the unsaturated zone. In this study, laboratory column experiments were carried out to investigate the ability of a HPRB containing solid potassium permanganate, to oxidize the vapors of trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, and ethanol migrating upward from a contaminated saturated zone. Results revealed that an increase in initial water saturation and HPRB thickness strongly affected the removal efficiency of the HPRB. Installing the HPRB relatively close to the water table was more effective due to the high background water content and enhanced diffusion of protons and/or hydroxides away from the HPRB. Inserting the HPRB far above the water table caused rapid changes in pH within the HPRB, leading to lower oxidation rates. The pH effects were included in a reactive transport model, which successfully simulated the TCE and toluene experimental observations. Simulations for ethanol were not affected by pH due to condensation of water during ethanol oxidation, which caused some dilution in the HRPB.

Researchers have reported that despite technological development in photovoltaic technology and substantial cost reduction, there is still a narrow interest in architectural photovoltaic applications (APA). Lack of interest is correlated to various bottlenecks, and one of them is a lack of knowledge among architects on the possibilities and approaches to adopt APA. In response to the issues mentioned, the aim of the research presented was collecting qualitative and quantitative information from architects as lessons learned and perceptions in regards to APA. In total, 30 architects with and without experience of using photovoltaics (PV) were invited and interviewed. They were asked about their experience, design and decision-making process with PV, their understanding of integration, and the decisive factors to use APA. The results showed apparent differences between the experiences and perceptions, and they highlighted the lessons learned from realized projects. The analysis of the visual implication of PV integration shows that, to the eyes of architects, integration of PV into architecture does not depend on the PV product used, but instead, that when PV is part of the design concept and design process, the outcome is seen as a meaningful integration.