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Abstract The increasing energy demand in developing countries has jeopardised energy security, necessitating the employment of solar energy to augment conventional energy sources. It is important to assess the annual performance parameters of solar power plants to understand its place in energy generation. This study analyses the performance and economic viability of a large-scale solar power park located in India. A 50 MWp Solar Photovoltaic Power Park (SPPP) located at Sakunala, in the State of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the largest solar power park in India, and the site receives an average solar radiation of 5.5–6.0 kWh/m2/day. The design, performance analysis, economic feasibility, and greenhouse gas mitigation of the 50 MWp SPPP is presented. The energy yields, performance ratio (PR), capacity utilization factor (CUF), and losses are assessed based on the IEC 61724 standards for two consecutive years (2018–2019 and 2019–2020). The performance results obtained are compared with the PVsyst simulation results. The PR, CUF, and energy yields are estimated as 0.779, 0.24, and 107,326.4 MWh in 2018–2019 and 0.691, 0.22, and 96,707.336 MWh in the year 2019–2020, respectively. The PVsyst simulator evaluates the PR, CUF, and energy yields as 0.80, 0.24, and 106,022 MWh, respectively. Further, the effect of power curtailment policies on solar PV projects is also discussed and the effect of curtailment policy on the economy of the solar power park in terms of payback period and emissions are analysed. The performance of the SPPP is also compared with those of other PV plants installed all over the world.

United Nation’s sustainable goals place emphasis on renewable energy resources to transform the world into a sustainable one and enable it to have affordable energy. Of late alternative green fuels are becoming promising sources of fuel to address the energy crisis. Waste cooking oil (WCO) is the raw material used for biodiesel preparation, which can be employed as a fuel in compression ignition (CI) engines. This article investigates the dual impact of biodiesel, a green fuel and a renewable green additive (turpentine oil) on the performance and emissions of a CI engine. The studies were performed using a B20 (20% biodiesel + 80% diesel) WCO biodiesel fuel blend with 2.5% and 5% vol. of turpentine oil as an additive. The outcome of this research showed an improvement in brake thermal efficiency for the B20 biodiesel blend with a 5% turpentine oil additive. Turpentine oil additive promoted more complete combustion and produced lower carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC) and smoke emissions. However, the oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions increased as the turpentine oil composition increased from 2.5% to 5%, which is 4.5% more than B20. The outcome of this study can be extended to accomplish the objectives of sustainable development goal 7 (affordable and clean energy) and goal 13 (climate action) which are planned to be achieved by 2030.

Cultural heritage of a country represents an array of monuments, historic buildings, arts and crafts, indigenous skills and traditions. The emerging threats to the cultural resources by way of decay, loss or destruction, has become a prime concern today. Heritage has become one of the vital components of tourism industry. It is being considered as cultural capital. The process of valuation of this capital is very complex since Heritage is basically a nonmarketed good. Different techniques used for valuating environmental resources which are similar in nature to Heritage, have led to the development of economic valuation models especially for valuation of Heritage as cultural assets. This economic approach has helped to derive the real value of heritage sites by way of consumer’s surplus and consumer’s willingness to pay for the use of cultural heritage assets and sustain sites for future generations.

This study evaluated the efficacy of enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) in restricting the mobility of heavy metals in soils. EICP is an environmentally friendly method that has wide ranging applications in the sustainable development of civil infrastructure. The study examined the desorption of three heavy metals from treated and untreated soils using ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) and citric acid (C6H8O7) extractants under harsh conditions. Two natural soils spiked with cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were studied in this research. The soils were treated with three types of enzyme solutions (ESs) to achieve EICP. A combination of urea of one molarity (M), 0.67 M calcium chloride, and urease enzyme (3 g/L) was mixed in deionized (DI) water to prepare enzyme solution 1 (ES1); non-fat milk powder (4 g/L) was added to ES1 to prepare enzyme solution 2 (ES2); and 0.37 M urea, 0.25 M calcium chloride, 0.85 g/L urease enzyme, and 4 g/L non-fat milk powder were mixed in DI water to prepare enzyme solution 3 (ES3). Ni, Cd, and Pb were added with load ratios of 50 and 100 mg/kg to both untreated and treated soils to study the effect of EICP on desorption rates of the heavy metals from soil. Desorption studies were performed after a curing period of 40 days. The curing period started after the soil samples were spiked with heavy metals. Soils treated with ESs were spiked with heavy metals after a curing period of 21 days and then further cured for 40 days. The amount of CaCO3 precipitated in the soil by the ESs was quantified using a gravimetric acid digestion test, which related the desorption of heavy metals to the amount of precipitated CaCO3. The order of desorption was as follows: Cd > Ni > Pb. It was observed that the average maximum removal efficiency of the untreated soil samples (irrespective of the load ratio and contaminants) was approximately 48% when extracted by EDTA and 46% when extracted by citric acid. The soil samples treated with ES2 exhibited average maximum removal efficiencies of 19% and 10% when extracted by EDTA and citric acid, respectively. It was observed that ES2 precipitated a maximum amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) when compared to ES1 and ES3 and retained the maximum amount of heavy metals in the soil by forming a CaCO3 shield on the heavy metals, thus decreasing their mobility. An approximate improvement of 30% in the retention of heavy metal ions was observed in soils treated with ESs when compared to untreated soil samples. Therefore, the study suggests that ESs can be an effective alternative in the remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metal ions.

Abstract Biodiesel has gained the forefront of our focus on renewable transportation fuels. This article provides a comprehensive review on the sources used as feedstock and their classification based on generation or type (edible, non-edible, waste resources and animal fats) along with a variety of classical and modern oil extraction techniques. The technical aspects of the various biodiesel production methods currently implemented to the best of our knowledge are discussed here, which include in-situ biodiesel production, both catalysed (homogeneous and heterogeneous systems) and uncatalysed classical production approaches, with emphasis on how each of these approaches are affected by their reaction parameters. The review also highlights the observed drawbacks of each process with a view to assessing the implementation of supercritical and superheated technologies as an alternative, economically feasible advancement. Supercritical process (SCP) has shown great prospect in the obtainment of high quality biodiesel from a wide range of high to low grade feedstock with minimal impacts on the presence of water or FFAs (free fatty acids). From available literature it is shown that these do not affect the process significantly, and various other supercritical fluids such as methyl acetate, tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) and dimethyl carbonate can also be used to avoid glycerol formation. The process however, suffers from high initial implementation cost being the most prominent drawback, among others like thermal degradation of the fuel. Another promising technique, the superheated vapour technology (SHV) has emerged as an alternative, with limited literature proving the superiority of either of these processes to be inconclusive. In future works, researchers need to look into various aspects such as developing a spiral reactor for heat recovery, using software based optimization for eliminating redundant experiments analysing production cost for industrial scale-up and improving the fuel’s oxidative stability by adding antioxidants for convenient long-term storage and use.

Field study was conducted during winter seasons (November–March) of 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 at the Research Farm of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India, with an aim to investigate the crop productivity, energy and C budget, carbon footprint and economic sustainability of peanut cultivation fertilized with varied levels of nitrogen under polythene mulching. The experiment laid out in split-plot design comprised of two mulching practices as the main-plot treatments and seven doses of N with or without supplementation of Rhizobium bio-fertilizer as the sub-plot treatments. Fertilization with 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) + Rhizobium under polythene mulching brought about significant enhancement in pod yield over other nutrient management practices. The effects on yield attributing characters were similar to that of pod yield. Energy indices namely net energy gain, energy productivity, energy intensiveness and energy profitability were the highest with 100% RDN + Rhizobium, irrespective of mulching situations. However, the maximum values of specific energy and nutrient energy ratio were recorded when the crop received 50% RDN with and without Rhizobium, respectively, under mulching and non-mulching situations. Human energy profitability was always greater under mulching situations over non-mulching. Total estimated carbon footprints improved with increase in N level from 0 to 100% RDN with Rhizobium under polythene mulching over non-mulching situations. Highest value of C sustainability index was also observed with polythene covering particularly with the application of 100% RDN + Rhizobium. This treatment combination also proved its superiority with respect to economic benefits in peanut cultivation.

Biomass burning (BB) is one of the largest sources of carbonaceous aerosols with adverse impacts on air quality, visibility, health and climate. BB emits a few specific aromatic acids (p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, syringic and dehydroabietic acids) which have been widely used as key indicators for source identification of BB-derived carbonaceous aerosols in various environmental matrices. In addition, measurement of p-hydroxybenzoic and vanillic acids in snow and ice cores have revealed the historical records of the fire emissions. Despite their uniqueness and importance as tracers, our current understanding of analytical methods, concentrations, diagnostic ratios and degradation processes are rather limited and scattered in literature. In this review paper, firstly we have summarized the most established methods and protocols for the measurement of these aromatic acids in aerosols and ice cores. Secondly, we have highlighted the geographical variability in the abundances of these acids, their diagnostic ratios and degradation processes in the environments. The review of the existing data indicates that the concentrations of aromatic acids in aerosols vary greatly with locations worldwide, typically more abundant in urban atmosphere where biomass fuels are commonly used for residential heating and/or cooking purposes. In contrast, their concentrations are lowest in the polar regions which are avoid of localized emissions and largely influenced by long-range transport. The diagnostic ratios among aromatic acids can be used as good indicators for the relative amounts and types of biomass (e.g. hardwood, softwood and herbaceous plants) as well as photochemical oxidation processes. Although studies suggest that the degradation processes of the aromatic acids may be controlled by light, pH and hygroscopicity, a more careful investigation, including closed chamber studies, is highly appreciated.

AbstractThe Green Revolution is often seen as epitomising the dawn of scientific and technological advancement and modernity in the agricultural sector across developing countries, a process that unfolded from the 1940s through to the 1980s. Despite the time that has elapsed, this episode of the past continues to resonate today, and still shapes the institutions and practices of agricultural science and technology. In Brazil, China, and India, narratives of science-led agricultural transformations portray that period in glorifying terms—entailing pressing national imperatives, unprecedented achievements, and heroic individuals or organizations. These “epic narratives” draw on the past to produce meaning and empower the actors that deploy them. Epic narratives are reproduced over time and perpetuate a conviction about the heroic power of science and technology in agricultural development. By crafting history and cultivating a sense of scientific nationalism, exceptionalism, and heritage, these epic narratives sustain power-knowledge relations in agricultural science and technology, which are underpinned by a hegemonic modernization paradigm. Unravelling the processes of assemblage and reproduction of epic narratives helps us make sense of how science and technology actors draw on their subjective representations of the past to assert their position in the field at present. This includes making claims about their credentials to envision and deliver sustainable solutions for agriculture into the future.