• Energy Research
• 13. Climate action close
• 11. Sustainability close
• 15. Life on land close
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• COMSATS University Islamabad close

This study aimed to realize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e., no poverty, zero hunger, and sustainable cities and communities through the implementation of an intelligent cattle-monitoring system to enhance dairy production. Livestock industries in developing countries lack the technology that can directly impact meat and dairy products, where human resources are a major factor. This study proposed a novel, cost-effective, smart dairy-monitoring system by implementing intelligent wireless sensor nodes, the Internet of Things (IoT), and a Node-Micro controller Unit (Node-MCU). The proposed system comprises three modules, including an intelligent environmental parameter regularization system, a cow collar (equipped with a temperature sensor, a GPS module to locate the animal, and a stethoscope to update the heart rate), and an automatic water-filling unit for drinking water. Furthermore, a novel IoT-based front end has been developed to take data from prescribed modules and maintain a separate database for further analysis. The presented Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) can intelligently determine the case of any instability in environmental parameters. Moreover, the cow collar is designed to obtain precise values of the temperature, heart rate, and accurate location of the animal. Additionally, auto-notification to the concerned party is a valuable addition developed in the cow collar design. It employed a plug-and-play design to provide ease in implementation. Moreover, automation reduces human intervention, hence labor costs are decreased when a farm has hundreds of animals. The proposed system also increases the production of dairy and meat products by improving animal health via the regularization of the environment and automated food and watering. The current study represents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the proposed implementation with the existing systems that validate the novelty of this work. This implementation can be further stretched for other applications, i.e., smart monitoring of zoo animals and poultry.

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.

In this work, two meta-heuristic bio-inspired algorithms and our proposed hybrid technique (Bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (BFA) and BAT algorithm (BA) (HBB)) are proposed for optimizing and scheduling the appliances of residential consumers. BFA, BA and our proposed technique HBB are used for scheduling the appliances in order to find the optimal solution. Appliances have different power ratings and power consumption patterns. Three different operational time intervals of 5, 30 and 60 minutes are taken in this work and their comparison is carried out. Eighteen appliances are considered and they are classified into three categories: interruptible, non-interruptible and base load appliances. Single home scenario is considered in this work. Results show that proposed technique has significantly reduced electricity cost and peak-to-average ratio. Consumers have not only supposed to pay less electricity bill, however, utilities also have to bear less stress especially in on-peak hours.

Environmental quality indicators are crucial for responsive and cost-effective policies. The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between environmental quality indicators and financial development in Malaysia. For this purpose, the number of environmental quality indicators has been used, i.e., air pollution measured by carbon dioxide emissions, population density per square kilometer of land area, agricultural production measured by cereal production and livestock production, and energy resources considered by energy use and fossil fuel energy consumption, which placed an impact on the financial development of the country. The study used four main financial indicators, i.e., broad money supply (M2), domestic credit provided by the financial sector (DCFS), domestic credit to the private sector (DCPC), and inflation (CPI), which each financial indicator separately estimated with the environmental quality indicators, over a period of 1975-2013. The study used the generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to minimize the simultaneity from the model. The results show that carbon dioxide emissions exert the positive correlation with the M2, DCFC, and DCPC, while there is a negative correlation with the CPI. However, these results have been evaporated from the GMM estimates, where carbon emissions have no significant relationship with any of the four financial indicators in Malaysia. The GMM results show that population density has a negative relationship with the all four financial indicators; however, in case of M2, this relationship is insignificant to explain their result. Cereal production has a positive relationship with the DCPC, while there is a negative relationship with the CPI. Livestock production exerts the positive relationship with the all four financial indicators; however, this relationship with the CPI has a more elastic relationship, while the remaining relationship is less elastic with the three financial indicators in a country. Energy resources comprise energy use and fossil fuel energy consumption, both have distinct results with the financial indicators, as energy demand have a positive and significant relationship with the DCFC, DCPC, and CPI, while fossil fuel energy consumption have a negative relationship with these three financial indicators. The results of the study are of value to both environmentalists and policy makers.

Expansion of modern power systems due to increasing energy demands face the challenges of grid reinforcement cost, size and complexity, transmission losses, and environmental factors. Placement of renewable energy sources (RES) based generation systems addresses these challenges. However, the size and placement location of RES-based system require optimization of installation and operational cost with better return on investment and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This paper presents an optimized solution for RES-based generation system to be installed with the existing power system of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) region that is facing power shortfall and load shedding. The weather and climate data from NASA and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have been used and various models of on-grid hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) are compared to highlight their techno-economic benefits. An optimal hybrid photovoltaic, wind, and hydroelectric energy-based generation system is proposed with a significant reduction in cost of energy, net present cost, initial costs, and GHG emissions. Installation of the proposed hybrid RES-based generation system guarantees reduction in system power losses and line flows with an improved voltage profile of the system.

Globalization has resulted in several technical advancements, including the ability to connect people all over the world and drive the economies with higher agricultural output. With agricultural productivity expanding quickly, the negative impact of globalization on environmental degradation is being disregarded. Rapid agricultural expansion and globalization have resulted in significant increases in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The primary purpose of this research is to assess the role of Pakistan’s massive agriculture industry in encouraging or discouraging CO2 emissions under Globalization scenario. Therefore, we applied Non-linear Autoregressive Distributive Lag Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag model from 1971 to 2021. Our results showed that in presence of globalization, agricultural production shows asymmetries in case of positive and negative shocks. A positive shock in Agricultural production increased the CO2 emissions while negative shock in agricultural production decreased CO2 emissions. Furthermore, GDP, energy consumption and economic globalization have positive association with economic globalization while on the other hand, surprisingly trade and urbanization in the presence of globalization have negative association with CO2 emissions. Environmental deterioration due to greenhouse emissions causes climatic variation in the economy and several mitigation strategies are required on sustainable basis in Pakistan. So, our study recommends that farmers of Pakistan should adopt organic farming this will help to reduce CO2 emissions.

Les concepts d'opérations de fabrication allégée et de durabilité sont de nature congruente, marqués par la facette de l'amélioration de l'efficacité organisationnelle.Toutefois, seule la définition des déchets fait la différence.Cette définition prend une nouvelle dimension par la durabilité en intégrant la vaste gamme de réductions des conséquences environnementales sous la forme de 6R (réduire, réutiliser, recycler, récupérer, reconcevoir et remanufacturer) ; ce qui nécessite une approche intégrée consolidée.Par conséquent, pour affirmer l'exigence, une revue systématique de la littérature a été effectuée qui a examiné recherches antérieures en raison de leur originalité, de leur méthodologie, de leurs objectifs et de leurs limites. Sur la base de cette étude documentaire, 25 approches les plus connexes (approches intégrées Lean et durables) ont été sélectionnées et leur originalité a été étudiée. L'enquête a révélé que peu d'articles de recherche intègrent des approches Lean et durables. Cette étude identifie l'écart de l'intégration des pratiques Lean avec les 6R et un cadre a été développé qui a été mis en œuvre sur l'étude de cas qui porte la capacité d'atteindre des systèmes de production Lean durables basés sur les 6R. En raison d'une atmosphère plus sociale et respectueuse de l'environnement obtenue grâce à la mise en œuvre basée sur les 6R, les résultats obtenus sont une diminution de 50 % des coûts de chauffage en redessinant les fours (des fours à mazout aux fours à gaz), une amélioration de 36,33 % du temps à valeur ajoutée, de 40,14 % du délai d'exécution et de 22 % de réduction de l'utilisation de la main-d' œuvre. Cette amélioration indique que l'utilisation du cadre intégré proposé est très bénéfique pour tout type de secteur manufacturier. Los conceptos de operaciones de manufactura esbelta y sostenibilidad son de naturaleza congruente, marcados por la faceta de mejorar la eficiencia organizacional. Sin embargo, solo la diferencia radica en la definición de residuo. Esta definición recibe una nueva dimensión por sostenibilidad al incorporar el amplio alcance de las reducciones en las consecuencias ambientales en forma de 6R (reducir, reutilizar, reciclar, recuperar, rediseñar y remanufacturar); lo que requiere un enfoque integrado consolidado. Por lo tanto, para afirmar el requisito, se ha llevado a cabo una revisión sistemática de la literatura que examinó investigaciones anteriores en vista de su originalidad, metodología, objetivos y limitaciones. Con base en este estudio de literatura, se seleccionaron 25 enfoques más relacionados (enfoques integrados Lean y sostenibles) y se investigó su originalidad. La investigación reveló que pocos artículos de investigación están integrando enfoques Lean y sostenibles. Este estudio identifica la brecha de la integración de prácticas Lean con 6R y se desarrolló un marco que se implementó en el estudio de caso que conlleva la capacidad de lograr sistemas de producción Lean sostenibles basados en 6R. Debido a una atmósfera más social y respetuosa con el medio ambiente lograda a través de la implementación basada en 6R, los resultados logrados son una disminución del 50% en el costo de calefacción al rediseñar los hornos (desde hornos de petróleo hasta hornos de gas), una mejora del 36.33% en el tiempo de valor agregado, un 40.14% en el tiempo de entrega y una reducción del 22% en la utilización de la mano de obra. Esta mejora indica que el uso del marco integrado propuesto es altamente beneficioso para cualquier tipo de sector manufacturero. The concepts of lean manufacturing operations and sustainability are congruent in nature, marked by the facet of improving organizational efficiency.However, only difference lies in the definition of waste.This definition is given a new dimension by sustainability by incorporating the extensive scope of reductions in the environmental consequences in the form of 6R (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture); which requires a consolidated integrated approach.Therefore, as to affirm the requirement, a systematic literature review has been carried out which scrutinized previous researches in view of their originality, methodology, objectives and limitations.Based on this literature study, 25 most related approaches (lean and sustainable integrated approaches) were selected and their originality was investigated.Investigation revealed that few research articles are integrating lean and sustainable approaches.This study identifies the gap of the integration of lean practices with 6Rs and a framework was developed which implemented on the case study that carries ability to attain 6R based sustainable lean production systems.Because of more social and environmentally friendly atmosphere achieved through 6R based implementation, the results achieved are 50% decrease in heating cost by redesigning furnaces (from oil furnaces to gas furnaces), 36.33%improvement in value added time, 40.14% in lead-time and 22% reduction in labour utilization.This improvement indicates that use of proposed integrated framework is highly beneficial for any kind of manufacturing sector. تتطابق مفاهيم عمليات التصنيع الرشيقة والاستدامة بطبيعتها، وتتميز بجانب تحسين الكفاءة التنظيمية. ومع ذلك، يكمن الاختلاف الوحيد في تعريف النفايات. يتم إعطاء هذا التعريف بعدًا جديدًا من خلال الاستدامة من خلال دمج النطاق الواسع للتخفيضات في العواقب البيئية في شكل 6R (التقليل وإعادة الاستخدام وإعادة التدوير والاسترداد وإعادة التصميم وإعادة التصنيع) ؛ الأمر الذي يتطلب نهجًا متكاملًا موحدًا. لذلك، لتأكيد المتطلبات، تم إجراء مراجعة منهجية للأدبيات التي تم فحصها الأبحاث السابقة في ضوء أصالتها ومنهجيتها وأهدافها وقيودها. استنادًا إلى هذه الدراسة الأدبية، تم اختيار 25 نهجًا أكثر صلة (مناهج متكاملة مرنة ومستدامة) وتم التحقيق في أصالتها. وكشف التحقيق عن أن عددًا قليلاً من المقالات البحثية يدمج المناهج الرشيقة والمستدامة. تحدد هذه الدراسة فجوة دمج الممارسات الرشيقة مع 6Rs وتم تطوير إطار عمل تم تنفيذه على دراسة الحالة التي تحمل القدرة على تحقيق أنظمة إنتاج رشيقة مستدامة قائمة على 6R. بسبب تحقيق المزيد من المناخ الاجتماعي والصديق للبيئة من خلال التنفيذ القائم على 6R، تحققت النتائج انخفاض بنسبة 50 ٪ في تكلفة التدفئة عن طريق إعادة تصميم الأفران (من أفران النفط إلى أفران الغاز)، وتحسين بنسبة 36.33 ٪ في وقت القيمة المضافة، و 40.14 ٪ في المهلة الزمنية، وانخفاض بنسبة 22 ٪ في استخدام العمالة. يشير هذا التحسن إلى أن استخدام الإطار المتكامل المقترح مفيد للغاية لأي نوع من قطاع التصنيع.

Abstract Biodiesel is typically produced from a wide variety of edible vegetable oils. The cost of biofuels is projected to rise in the future as an alternative and ecologically suitable replacement to traditional fuel. Reliable and inexpensive raw materials, including meat processing by-products or waste animal fats, have rapidly attracted interest in biodiesel production. The operational and reaction parameters play an important role in the conversion of processes and biodiesel yield. Kinetic models explain the reaction rate and process optimization to improve the biodiesel conversion process. The process intensification approaches applied by different researchers are illustrated in the current study. This paper proposes a groundbreaking solution to stepping up biodiesel development by utilizing a coalescer reactor and a preliminary review to justify the solution's potential for further analysis. Optimization techniques and kinetics studies used to enhance biodiesel production from renewable sources are explored in the current review paper.