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Abstract Reaching universal access to electricity by 2030 requires a massive deployment of mini-grids in rural areas of developing countries. Among the many challenges hindering this process, there are the high uncertainties in assessing demand patterns in rural communities, the costs of field survey campaigns, and the absence of ample and reliable datasets coming from existing projects. This paper tries to address these issues by presenting and discussing a database of load profiles from sixty-one off-grid mini-grids from developing countries worldwide, gathered from the literature, private developers and fieldworks, and reported with technical, socio-economic and geographical characterization factors. A clustering procedure led to the identification of five archetypal load profile clusters, which are presented and analyzed together with their load duration curves. Subsequently, the distribution among the clusters of the various characterization factors selected is studied. The proposed approach allows to widen the range of load profiles usually considered, and to seek correlations between the load profile shapes, the peak power and average energy consumption per connection, the number of customers, the age of measurement, geographical position, operator model, type of tariff and generation technologies present. This work establishes a first step in the creation of a shared database for load profiles of rural mini-grids, helping to overcome the lack of available data and difficulties of demand assessment, proposing original insights for researchers to understand load patterns, and contributing to reduce risks and uncertainties for mini-grid developers.

This paper presents the direct power control (DPC) of asymmetrical six-phase permanent magnet synchronous generator (A6PMSG) which supplied the isolated load via two PWM rectifiers. The study concerns the method of control by the converter (DPC). The proposed method is around two hysteresis controllers that enable the adjustment of active and reactive power. The research in this paper is verified by MATLAB SIMULINK software. It has been demonstrated through the simulation results that the proposed strategy can be an attractive and practical solution to multi-phase machines applications.

Urea is the most common nitrogen (N) fertilizer in agriculture, due to its cheaper price and high N content. Although the reciprocal influence between NO3- and NH4+ nutrition are well known, urea (U) interactions with these N-inorganic forms are poorly studied. Here, the responses of two tomato genotypes to ammonium nitrate (AN), U alone or in combination were investigated. Significant differences in root and shoot biomass between genotypes were observed. Under AN+U supply, Linosa showed higher biomass compared to UC82, exhibiting also higher values for many root architectural traits. Linosa showed higher Nitrogen Uptake (NUpE) and Utilization Efficiency (NUtE) compared to UC82, under AN+U nutrition. Interestingly, Linosa exhibited also a significantly higher DUR3 transcript abundance. These results underline the beneficial effect of AN+U nutrition, highlighting new molecular and physiological strategies for selecting crops that can be used for more sustainable agriculture. The data suggest that translocation and utilization (NUtE) might be a more important component of NUE than uptake (NUpE) in tomato. Genetic variation could be a source for useful NUE traits in tomato; further experiments are needed to dissect the NUtE components that confer a higher ability to utilize N in Linosa.

Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste cooking oils by transesterification with ethanol (also called ethanolysis) in order to substitute fossil fuels. In this work, the batch ethanolysis of high oleic sunflower oil was transferred into a continuous microstructured device, which induces a better control of heat and mass transfers. Various parameters were studied, notably the initial ethanol to oil molar ratio. An innovative method using NIR spectroscopy was also developed to on-line monitor the transesterification reaction of high oleic sunflower oil with ethanol in microreactors (circular PFA tube 1/1600 OD, 0.0200 ID). The reactions were monitored directly in the microreactors through sequential scans of the reaction medium by the means of an adequate probe. The asset of the method is that no sample collection or preparation is necessary. Partial Least Squares regression was used to develop calibration and prediction models between NIR spectral data and analytical data obtained by a reference method (gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, GC–FID). This method is fast, safe, reliable, nondestructive and inexpensive contrary to conventional procedures, such as gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography generally used to determine the composition of crude transesterification medium.

Atmospheric methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas, and its mole fraction has more than doubled since the preindustrial era. Fossil fuel extraction and use are among the largest anthropogenic sources of CH4 emissions, but the precise magnitude of these contributions is a subject of debate. Carbon-14 in CH4 (14CH4) can be used to distinguish between fossil (14C-free) CH4 emissions and contemporaneous biogenic sources; however, poorly constrained direct 14CH4 emissions from nuclear reactors have complicated this approach since the middle of the 20th century. Moreover, the partitioning of total fossil CH4 emissions (presently 172 to 195 teragrams CH4 per year) between anthropogenic and natural geological sources (such as seeps and mud volcanoes) is under debate; emission inventories suggest that the latter account for about 40 to 60 teragrams CH4 per year. Geological emissions were less than 15.4 teragrams CH4 per year at the end of the Pleistocene, about 11,600 years ago, but that period is an imperfect analogue for present-day emissions owing to the large terrestrial ice sheet cover, lower sea level and extensive permafrost. Here we use preindustrial-era ice core 14CH4 measurements to show that natural geological CH4 emissions to the atmosphere were about 1.6 teragrams CH4 per year, with a maximum of 5.4 teragrams CH4 per year (95 per cent confidence limit)—an order of magnitude lower than the currently used estimates. This result indicates that anthropogenic fossil CH4 emissions are underestimated by about 38 to 58 teragrams CH4 per year, or about 25 to 40 per cent of recent estimates. Our record highlights the human impact on the atmosphere and climate, provides a firm target for inventories of the global CH4 budget, and will help to inform strategies for targeted emission reductions.

As part of the Copenhagen Accord, individual countries have submitted greenhouse gas reduction proposals for the year 2020. This paper analyses the implications for emission reductions, the carbon price, and abatement costs of these submissions. The submissions of the Annex I (industrialised) countries are estimated to lead to a total reduction target of 12-18% below 1990 levels. The submissions of the seven major emerging economies are estimated to lead to an 11-14% reduction below baseline emissions, depending on international (financial) support. Global abatement costs in 2020 are estimated at about USD 60-100 billion, assuming that at least two-thirds of Annex I emission reduction targets need to be achieved domestically. The largest share of these costs are incurred by Annex I countries, although the costs as share of GDP are similar for Annex I as a group and the seven emerging economies as a group, even when assuming substantial international transfers from Annex I countries to the emerging economies to finance their abatement costs. If the restriction of achieving two-thirds of the emission reduction target domestically is abandoned, it would more than double the international carbon price and at the same time reduce global abatement costs by almost 25%.

Abstract The hybrid pneumatic power system (HPPS) proposed in this research replaces the battery’s electric-chemical energy with flow work and optimizes the management and utilization of the energy. This power system is able to keep the internal-combustion engine working at its optimal condition and turn its waste energy into effective mechanical energy and so enhance the thermal efficiency of the whole system. Using computer simulation software ITI-SIM, this study simulates the overall dynamic characteristics of the system in accordance with the regulated running-vehicle test-mode ECE47, and, with experimental verification and analysis, proves that this system can meet the requirements of the standard running-car mode. As for recycling the waste energy, the experimental results show that this design could offset the shortcomings of the low-density of pneumatic power and so effectively enhance the efficiency of the whole system.

Three distinct dataset used to forecast the development of marine energy in Europe in the upcoming three decades: - European offshore wind farms - tidal energy converter deployements in Europe - wave energy converter deployements in Europe

This data set includes transport measurements data of zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films. The measurements were done using the van der Pauw / Hall effect technique in all configurations and with respect to the current intensity, thanks to the Carel Platform of the LMOPS laboratory. ITO was optimized to be used as a back contact in all-oxide solar cells and ZnO as a top window layer.

These data are part of a data portal that accompanies the special issue ‘Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture,’ published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B in 2023. To access the data portal, please visit: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bnzs7h4h4. This code represents a computational model investigating the dynamics of coupled and decoupled resource use and efficiency gains. It can be used to simulate the effects of exploration-exploitation strategies on efficiency, consumption and sustainability, considering different levels of direct and indirect rebound effects. The model simulates a population of agents who make decisions on whether to explore or exploit a natural resource. These agents become more efficient over time based on their chosen strategy, affecting resource consumption. Different scenarios are considered, including various rebound effects, which influence how efficiency gains impact resource use. The key elements of the model include agents' uncertainty about the efficiency of their actions, the operationalization of efficiency as a reward, and the calculation of resource consumption based on efficiency gains and rebound effects. The model provides insights into how agents' decisions and resource use evolve over time under different conditions. This computational framework offers a valuable tool for exploring the complex dynamics of resource consumption and management in the face of environmental challenges. It can be applied to gain a deeper understanding of the Jevons Paradox and its implications for sustainable resource use. This computational model simulates the dynamics of exploration and exploitation strategies within a population of agents. These agents make decisions on whether to explore new solutions or exploit existing ones, with a focus on maximizing efficiency. The model employs a N-armed bandit problem approach, where agents select actions to maximize efficiency gains. Efficiency is operationalized as a reward, and agents use sample means to estimate expected efficiency. A balance between exploration and exploitation is maintained through a probability-based algorithm. The code also encompasses resource domains, representing different resources and their dynamics, along with computations of resource consumption, existing resources, and sustainability indices. The simulations consider various parameter combinations to examine the model's behavior. Overall, the code serves as a tool for studying the interplay between exploration, exploitation, efficiency, and resource consumption within a population of agents across different scenarios, making it valuable for investigating the effects of rebound effects on resource consumption and sustainability. The simulations run a comprehensive set of parameter combinations to explore the model's behavior thoroughly. # Code from: Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: Exploration-exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Python scripts to run the model, as described in: Segovia-Martin J, Creutzig F, Winters J. 2023 Efficiency traps beyond the climate crisis: exploration–exploitation tradeoffs and rebound effects. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 378: 20220405. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0405 The code and supplementary materials are all freely accessible at the following link: [https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution](https://github.com/School-of-Collective-Intelligence/Jevons-Paradox-and-Cultural-Evolution) The simulator can be accessed via the following links: [https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/](https://jevons-collectiveintelligence.pythonanywhere.com/) or [https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/](https://jsegoviamartin.pythonanywhere.com/) The DOI of this Dryad repository: [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqnk) ##