• Energy Research
• 12. Responsible consumption close
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Improving access to sustainable energy services and reducing the carbon footprint and deforestation of developing countries presents a substantial challenge to the development industry. This paper aims to critically assess two prevalent business models emerging to meet this challenge: financial institution–technology provider partnerships and the one-stop-shop, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model. The authors find that collaborations between financial institutions and energy providers need to address grey areas such as product quality standards, marketing, and post-sales services, and incorporate feedback loops to continually evaluate the performance of the partnership. Pay-as-you-go presents an intriguing business case to leapfrog more traditional energy access programmes. However, more robust results from the field need to be reported before the PAYG movement can claim success. Ultimately, collaborative and integrated actions by all stakeholders are needed to achieve universal energy access.

The Flameless Combustion (FC) regime has been pointed out as a promising combustion technique to lower the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) while maintaining low CO and soot emissions, as well as high efficiencies. However, its accurate modeling remains a challenge. The prediction of pollutant species, especially NOx, is affected by the usually low total values that require higher precision from computational tools, as well as the incorporation of relevant formation pathways within the overall reaction mechanism that are usually neglected. The present work explores a multiple step modeling approach to tackle these issues. Initially, a CFD solution with simplified chemistry is generated [both the Eddy Dissipation Model (EDM) as well as the Flamelet Generated Manifolds (FGM) approach are employed]. Subsequently, its computational cells are clustered to form ideal reactors by user-defined criteria, and the resulting Chemical Reactor Network (CRN) is subsequently solved with a detailed chemical reaction mechanism. The capabilities of the clustering and CRN solving computational tool (AGNES—Automatic Generation of Networks for Emission Simulation) are explored with a test case related to FC. The test case is non-premixed burner based on jet mixing and fueled with CH4 tested for various equivalence ratios. Results show that the prediction of CO emissions was improved significantly with respect to the CFD solution and are in good agreement with the experimental data. As for the NOx emissions, the CRN results were capable of reproducing the non-monotonic behavior with equivalence ratio, which the CFD simulations could not capture. However, the agreement between experimental values and those predicted by CRN for NOx is not fully satisfactory. The clustering criteria employed to generate the CRNs from the CFD solutions were shown to affect the results to a great extent, pointing to future opportunities in improving the multi-step procedure and its application.

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of urbanization on energy consumption by applying the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) in case of Malaysia. The study covers the time period of 1970Q1–2011Q4. The unit root test and the ARDL bounds testing approach have been applied to examine integrating properties and long run relationship in the presence of structural breaks. Our results validated the existence of cointegration and exposed that urbanization is a major contributor in energy consumption. Affluence raises energy demand. Capital stock boosts energy consumption. Trade openness leads to affluence and hence increases energy consumption. The causality analysis finds that urbanization Granger causes energy consumption. The feedback effect is found between energy consumption and affluence and, energy consumption and capital. The bidirectional causality exists between trade openness and energy consumption.

Spatial data on Low-and-Middle-Income-Country (LMIC) cities, and deprived areas within cities, are often not readily available in support of local and global information needs. To address this information gap, we propose the systematic semi-automated SLUMAP framework that provides policy-relevant information on deprived urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based on free open-source software (FOSS). First, we assess user needs for spatial information on deprivation (ranging from local communities to global research and policy support). Second, we show how free or low-cost image datasets can be used for mapping the location of deprived areas at the city scale and providing an overall assessment of their spatial patterns. This is implemented as a grid-based approach using machine learning and assessing the contribution of a large number of spectral and spatial features derived from open or low-cost imagery. Third, we show how higher (spatial and spectral) resolution data can provide a detailed characterization of such areas, with a GEOBIA/machine-learning workflow and deep learning techniques. We illustrate the experiments and results on the city of Nairobi (Kenya)and discuss transferability to SSA cities.

The decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by passenger cars is one of the key factors for climate protection measures. Besides EU strategies for low-emission mobility, policy makers must consider the behavioural factors of buyers. This study aims to cover this gap by investigating the relation between the national cultural dimensions (Hofstede model) and car adoption by fuel type in EU countries. This could help car sellers to find better solutions for advertising cars with medium and low greenhouse gas emissions. To find better ways to increase the usage of medium- and low-emission cars using targeted advertising, correlations and a multiple regression analysis were used. The results show that the consumer preference for one type of fuel is correlated with at least one of Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions: the power distance index; individualism versus collectivism; masculinity versus femininity; the uncertainty avoidance index; long-term orientation versus short-term normative orientation; indulgence versus restraint. The major conclusion of the study underlines that, with increases in the individualism versus collectivism and indulgence versus restraint scores, the usage of low- and medium-emission cars also increases, and with the increase in the power distance and uncertainty avoidance index, the usage of low- and medium emission cars decreases. At the same time, the driving preference for low- and medium-emission vehicles decreases with the tendency towards collectivism and restraint of EU countries.

Abstract The energetic use of residues from agriculture can foster the transition towards a more renewable energy supply. However, sustainability issues have to be considered along the entire provision chain as they affect the resource and energy potential as well as the achievable contribution to climate mitigation. Straw is one of the most important agricultural residues in Germany. It is not yet used for energy purposes extensively and compared to other agricultural feedstock it shows low competition with food, feed or fiber. This paper analyses on the one hand the sustainable potential of cereal straw for energy application in Germany considering the actual agricultural conditions, and on the other hand the global warming potential from different energy provision chains based on straw. Different humus-balance tools that are able to assess the organic matter (OM) demand to presume soil fertility. The analysis of straw potentials was applied at NUTS 3 level for Germany, based on statistical data. The results of this analysis were used as input data for the modeling of concepts for straw provision and use. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were calculated for each concept in order to compare the global warming potential of various energy applications, to investigate the relative contribution of different production steps and to compare them with fossil energy applications. In total, 29.8 Tg of straw (fresh matter) are produced annually in Germany (1999–2007). Approximately 4.8 Tg of the total straw occurrence are annually required by animal husbandry. Between 7.97 and 13.25 Tg straw can be classified as sustainable straw. Highest straw potential (3.99 Mg ha−1) can be found in parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg–West Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. But there are also regions that show a net deficit. The cumulated GHG emissions for the resulting concepts are between 8 and 35 g CO2-eq. MJ−1. In comparison to fossil energy applications, the highest reduction potential occurs for concepts for combined heat and power (CHP) provision, i.e. 223 g CO 2 -eq . MJ el - 1 . This study highlights the possible contribution of straw as renewable energy carrier, but also demonstrates that there are regional restrictions for straw use.

The recycling of biogas residues resulting from the anaerobic digestion of organic waste on agricultural land is among the means to reduce chemical fertilizer use and combat climate change. This in sacco decomposition study investigates (1) the potential of the granulated biogas residue fraction to provide nutrients and enhance soil carbon sequestration when utilized as exogenous organic matter in grassland soils, and (2) the impact of different nitrogen fertilizers on the organic matter decomposition and nutrient release processes. The experiment was conducted in two permanent grasslands of the Greater Region over one management period using rooibos tea as a comparator material. The decomposition and chemical changes of the two materials after incubation in the soil were assessed by measuring the mass loss, total carbon and nitrogen status, and fibre composition in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Overall, after the incubation period, granulated biogas residue maintained up to 68% of its total mass, organic matter and total carbon; increased its content in recalcitrant organic matter by up to 45% and released 45% of its total nitrogen. Granulated biogas residue demonstrated resilience and a higher response uniformity when exposed to different nitrogen fertilizers, as opposed to the comparator material of rooibos tea. However, the magnitude of fertilizer-type effect varied, with ammonium nitrate and the combinatorial treatment of raw biogas residue mixed with urea leading to the highest organic matter loss from the bags. Our findings suggest that granulated biogas residue is a biofertilizer with the potential to supply nutrients to soil biota over time, and promote carbon sequestration in grassland soils, and thereby advance agricultural sustainability while contributing to climate change mitigation.