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In the article is investigated the process of developing of the energy sector in individual countries and globally. It was established that the peak intensity of growth of consumption of energy resources accounted to the period of active economic growth and a downward trend to reach a sufficient level of welfare and economic development. Found that global energy process is uneven and a phase of energy transition in countries with different levels of development is going on with a deviation in decades.

Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE), defined as the ratio of gross primary productivity (GPP) to total ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET), is an important indicator of the coupling between the terrestrial carbon and water cycles. China's Loess Plateau (CLP) has been experiencing climatic warming in recent decades and large-scale revegetation since the early 2000s. Understanding the combined effects of revegetation and climate change on ecosystem WUE patterns is important for a better prediction of future changes of the water and carbon cycles in the region. In this study, we decompose ecosystem WUE into a two-component process, i.e., the ratio of carbon uptake to plant transpiration, GPP/T, and the ratio of plant transpiration to total evapotranspiration, T/ET. Based on this, we investigate the temporal variations of ecosystem WUE and examine the underlying controls of WUE dynamics on CLP during 1985-2015. We find that ecosystem WUE on CLP remains more or less unchanged during 1985-1999 as a result of an increased T/ET that is largely offset by a decreased GPP/T induced by increases in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit. In comparison, ecosystem WUE significantly increases during 2000-2015, owing to the increased leaf area index, which promotes the fraction of plant transpiration over total ET (i.e., T/ET). In facing the upcoming peak of greenness and continuing climate warming, our results suggest that CLP's ecosystem WUE may experience a downward trend in the future due to diminishing positive effects of leaf area index but increasing negative effects of atmospheric vapor pressure deficit. Our study highlights the importance of decomposing ecosystem WUE into component processes to better understand the mechanisms that underlying the changes of ecosystem WUE and to predict future ecosystem WUE dynamics.

The circulating fluidized bed gasifier (CFBG) has become an important and promising technology in biomass conversion. In this paper, a series of investigations were conducted with a biomass CFBG in order to demonstrate its performance. The CFBG was operated at atmospheric pressure with gum wood powders. The experimental results indicate that the CFBG can operate over a broad range of operating conditions with satisfactory gasification results. Based on the discussion of gasification processes, it was found that fast pyrolysis of biomass is the most important process which makes the CFBG so advantageous. Analysis of the experimental data highlights the important roles of temperature and secondary reactions so suggesting favourable operation conditions.

The transition to alternative energy sources requires a long period, attracting significant investments in the process of creating and developing environmentally friendly fuels. Creating an environmentally safe, energy-efficient economy is a prerequisite for sustainable development of each country. The above-mentioned factors determine the relevance of the study of the problems of the functioning and development of energy, which is mainly due to the economic expediency of renewable energy and the requirements of the country's energy independence. The objective of the article is to determine the features of ensuring the energy efficiency of the Ukrainian economy using alternative energy sources. Research shows that the development of alternative energy will allow us to move away from the use of traditional fuels and create the prerequisites for the energy independence of countries. Taking into account the natural factors and the significant dependence of Ukraine on imported primary energy sources, it is determined that solving the problem of increasing energy efficiency of the economy is possible only with the stimulation of the use of alternative energy sources. The most promising sources of energy are identified, namely: biofuels, wind energy, geothermal energy, solar energy, solar thermal, controlled thermonuclear fusion, energy of tides and effluents. The recommendations for realization of such directions of the policy of the state regulation in the energy sphere as energy security, energy efficiency, energy saving are given. Переход на альтернативные источники энергии требует длительного периода, привлекая значительные инвестиции в процесс создания и разработки экологически чистого топлива. Создание экологически безопасной, энергоэффективной экономики является предпосылкой устойчивого развития каждой страны. Вышеперечисленные факторы определяют актуальность изучения проблем функционирования и развития энергетики, что в основном обусловлено экономической целесообразностью использования возобновляемых ...

The paper reveals the necessity of implementation of Climate Change Education at universities to raise environmental awareness of the citizens and employees in the short run. The survey conducted in Bangladesh and Ukraine showed the concern of the youth for environmental issues in their regions but also proved the lack of knowledge and underestimation of the current state of the environment. The obtained results highlighted the current situation from the students’ viewpoints and attitudes towards governmental eco-policy, climate education and eco-friendly lifestyles.

In this paper the short review of the fundamental and applied investigations of π-electroncontaining polymers including biologic compounds is presented.

Comparison results for absorbed dose mapping of the Co60 industrial radiation facility BULGAMMA of Sopharma PLC, Bulgaria using a practical and computational dosimetry are presented in the paper. The gamma radiation facility is based on JS-8500 Co60 irradiator produced by MDS Nordian, Canada. The absorbed dose distributions of gamma rays in an irradiated product on JS-8500 Co60 irradiator have been calculated using the ModeGR Monte Carlo software. The software ModeGR was designed specially for simulation of the absorbed dose distribution within multi-layer packages irradiated with gamma ray from flat panoramic Co60 source rack using a Monte Carlo method. Absorbed dose measurements into containers filled with material using Ethanol Chlorobenzene chemical dosimeters were carried out to validate the software ModeGR. The comparison results show that software ModeGR can be used as a predictive tool for detailed dose mapping in gamma irradiated product.

The article deals with theoretical and methodological foundations and applied aspects of the regional policy of energy saving aimed at the efficient use of energy resources in the region, diversification of energy supplies, modernization of energy infrastructure through the introduction of new technologies and protection of regional interests in the energy sector. The basic approaches and methods for the formation of regional policy of energy saving are determined. It allows deepening and expanding of the basic applied researches, and solving of more complex theoretical and applied problems of regional development. It is mentioned, that the development of regional energy saving policy involves the formation of appropriate legal, financial and credit policy; scientific research, economic, organizational and management measures; advertising and marketing support. It is proved, that for the practical implementation of regional policy the complex combination of economic feasibility, social effectiveness and environmental safety is required. У статті досліджені теоретико-методологічні основи та прикладні аспекти формування регіональної політики енергозбереження, спрямованої на ефективне використання паливно-енергетичних ресурсів регіону, диверсифікацію джерел енергопостачання, модернізацію енергетичної інфраструктури на основі впровадження новітніх технологій та захисту регіональних інтересів у сфері енергетики. Визначено основні підходи і методи до формування регіональної політики енергозбереження, що дозволяє поглибити фундаментальні та розширити прикладні дослідження, вирішувати все складніші теоретичні і практичні завдання регіонального розвитку. Зазначено, що розробка регіональної політики енергозбереження передбачає формування відповідної нормативно-правової, фінансово-кредитної політики; проведення наукових досліджень, економічних, організаційно-управлінських заходів; рекламно-інформаційного та маркетингового забезпечення. Обґрунтовано, що для практичної реалізації даної регіональної політики необхідне комплексне поєднання економічної доцільності, соціальної ефективності та екологічної безпеки. В статье исследованы теоретико-методологические основы и прикладные аспекты формирования региональной политики энергосбережения, направленной на эффективное использование топливно-энергетических ресурсов региона, диверсификацию источников энергоснабжения, модернизацию энергетической инфраструктуры на основе внедрения новейших технологий и защиту региональных интересов в сфере энергетики. Определены основные подходы и методы к формированию региональной политики энергосбережения, что позволяет углубить фундаментальные и расширить прикладные исследования, решать все более сложные теоретические и практические задачи регионального развития. Отмечено, что разработка региональной политики энергосбережения предполагает формирование соответствующей нормативно-правовой, финансово-кредитной политики; проведение научных исследований, экономических, организационно-управленческих мероприятий; рекламно-информационного и маркетингового обеспечения. Обосновано, что для практической реализации данной региональной политики необходимо комплексное сочетание экономической целесообразности, социальной эффективности и экологической безопасности.

This study employs an electricity system capacity panning model with detailed economic dispatch and unit commitment decisions/constraints to quantitatively answer two key questions: How does the enactment of the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 impact the cost of electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, and investment in electricity capacity in the PJM Interconnection over the 2023-2035 period? Given new and expanded federal subsidies for clean electricity resources in the Inflation Reduction Act, what additional capacity investments and resource deployment would be required and at what cost for the PJM region to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80-90% by 2035 while maintaining an affordable and reliable electricity supply? Executive summary: In August 2022, Congress passed and President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which enacts a comprehensive set of financial incentives (tax credits, grants, rebates, loans) that support all sources of carbon-free electricity, promote vehicle and building electrification and efficiency, and subsidize carbon capture and storage (CCS). The implementation of IRA means that the full financial weight of the federal government is now behind the clean energy transition. This will have transformative effects on the economics of decarbonization in the PJM Interconnection (and across the United States). IRA will spark a new, sustained period of growth in PJM electricity consumption, which could rise ~19% from 2021 to 2030. The law also subsidizes the cost of deploying new renewable energy capacity and maintaining the region’s existing nuclear fleet. As a result, this study finds that clean electricity could supply 60% [58-66% across sensitivities] of PJM demand in 2030, up from 48% [43-61%] without enactment of IRA. However, realizing this potential will require a dramatic acceleration in the pace of wind and solar interconnection and transmission expansion in the PJM Interconnection. The growth of lower-cost, carbon-free electricity under IRA will significantly reduce CO2 emissions from PJM power generation, which could fall 37% [3-66%] from 2019/2021 levels. In contrast, PJM emissions would increase 12% [0-15%] from 2021 levels without IRA. However, PJM emissions may rebound after 2032 when a production tax credit for existing nuclear reactors established by IRA is set to expire. Unless equivalent policy support is extended beyond 2032, our modeling finds 12 GW [0-33 GW] of the PJM nuclear fleet is likely to retire by 2035, with new natural gas capacity and generation increasing to fill the resulting gap and meet growing demand, reversing some of the emissions progress achieved through 2030. In addition to driving down greenhouse gas emissions, IRA also lowers the cost of electricity supply in the PJM region. We find the average cost of bulk electricity supply for PJM load serving entities (LSEs), including transmission expansion and state policy requirements, will be about $42/MWh [~$40-45/MWh] in 2030, about 5-10% lower than without IRA, and well below costs paid in 2019 ($50.2/MWh) and 2021 (~$61/MWh). The primary sources of cost savings are reduced wholesale energy prices, lower costs to meet state clean energy policy goals (due to federal subsidies), and growing demand (which spreads fixed costs over more MWh). While IRA puts the PJM region on a path to lower-cost electricity and lower greenhouse gas emissions, the new federal policy is not sufficient to drive deep decarbonization of the PJM interconnection on its own. Fortunately, by subsidizing the cost of all new carbon-free electricity resources, IRA also makes it cheaper and easier for PJM states to reduce emissions further while preserving affordability. Part 2 of this study presents a cost-optimized blueprint of the additional capacity investments and resource deployment required for the PJM region to deeply decarbonize over the 2023-2035 period. Specifically, we apply two stylized policy constraints and model the evolution of the PJM capacity mix and operations to meet those constraints: A clean electricity standard (CES) requiring increased shares of carbon-free electricity generation in the region (55% clean share by 2025, 70% by 2030, 85% by 2035), and; A CO2 emissions cap and trading scheme (cap & trade) requiring decreasing region-wide emissions (58% below 2005 emissions by 2025, 80% by 2030, 95% by 2035) This study finds that, due to passage of IRA, the PJM region could cut CO2 emissions from power generation by 80-90% by 2035 while keeping average bulk electricity supply costs for LSE’s comparable to or lower than levels experienced in recent years (2019 & 2021). However, deep decarbonization in the PJM region will require much more rapid expansion of low-carbon electricity resources and supportive transmission expansion above and beyond the rates of deployment made economical by IRA. By 2035, the region will also likely deploy more advanced ‘clean firm’ resources like gas power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) or long-duration electricity storage technologies (LDS), to replace coal- and gas-fired power capacity. We also identify and map several affordable resource portfolios and spatial patterns for clean electricity resource siting across the PJM region, demonstrating that the region has some flexibility to address local priorities and concerns.

Anaerobic reactors in full-scale biogas plants often encounter process instability; thus, their operational efficiency and further promotion remain limited. Process monitoring can be used to ensure better process stability during anaerobic digestion, the key to which depends on the selection and quantitation of appropriate state indicators. The present review focuses on the recent progress related to state indicators in the field of process monitoring and discusses in detail the ability to identify process status and especially, provide early warning information on process instability, in addition to the current monitoring status at the industrial level. Results show that the explorations of effective state indicators have experienced vigorous development. Most of the proposed state indicators have mainly focused on the gas and liquid phases, and those commonly used are sufficient to achieve effective monitoring in different systems; however, their suitability for use as potential early warning indicators varies. A comprehensive interpretation of the process state requires a combination of different state indicators to supply complementary information. Moreover, the current mode based on setting threshold values to diagnose process stability remains primitive. To ensure that the early warning is more feasible and universal, improvements can be made in terms of establishing a plant-specific database and focusing on the response trends to process disturbance as a basis for diagnosis. On the other hand, monitoring of most key state indicators is limited to external laboratory tests and accordingly, the consequent additional monitoring costs can be reduced by creating a suitable schedule regarding their frequency.