• Energy Research

Although the paperless office (PLO) management system has been established with the goal of paper usage reduction, demand for paper has still showed an uptrend over the years. Given the substantial pressure on forest ecosystems due to a continued increase of paper consumption, understanding the behavioral aspects of paper consumption is, therefore, required. This present paper aims at exploring the factors underlying paper consumption behavior. Empirical data was acquired through a survey of 266 Indonesian students, involving both undergraduate and postgraduate students. A theoretical model, based on the Comprehensive Action Determination Model (CADM), was tested against the empirical data. It was found that the model received reasonable support from the data. Results indicate that reducing paper consumption behavior is strongly influenced by habit and, marginally significant, by intention. Furthermore, habit formation is influenced by both normative processes and situational influences. The results, to some extent, explain the PLO paradox in a way that the PLO program should have focused on breaking the habit of paper usage instead of promoting the benefits of PLO. Introducing a paper quota and rationing (fee) to new students, as the main target, is a potential policy intervention implied from the results.

Abstract Sophisticated modeling techniques can help policy makers examine technology interventions aimed at addressing climate change mitigation and other environmental issues. Since adoption of a new technology is not only based on technical properties, policy makers must also consider human behavior. This paper presents a model for simulating heating system adoption processes from an end-user perspective. A literature review was carried out to identify potential decision-making variables and their relationships. An empirical survey was then conducted to test the variables and their interconnections as well as to derive model parameters. The empirically grounded agent-based model is able to reproduce the general patterns of heating system diffusion observable in Norway. The results suggest that increased adoption of wood-pellet heating is dependent on improved functional reliability and the improvement of fuel stability. Price volatility of both wood-pellets and electricity are important variables. Spatial results indicate that wood-pellet adopters are those closeby wood-pellet suppliers.

Hybrid aerial and ground vehicles are seen as a promising option for deployment in a post-disaster assessment due to the risk of infrastructure damage that may hinder the assessment operation. The efficient operation of the hybrid aerial and ground vehicle, particularly routings, remains a challenge. The present study proposed a collaborative hybrid aerial and ground vehicle to support the operation of post-disaster assessment. The study developed two models, i.e., the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem combined with Assignment (2EVRPA) and the Two-Echelon Collaborative Vehicle Routing Problem (2ECoVRP) to evaluate optimal routings for both aerial and ground vehicles. The difference lies in the second echelon in which the 2EVRPA uses a single point-to-point assignment, whereas the 2ECoVRP considers the collaborative routings between the ground vehicle and the aerial vehicle. To demonstrate its applicability, the developed models were applied to solve the post-disaster assessment for the Mount Merapi eruption in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Sets of numerical experiments based on the empirical case were conducted. The findings indicate that the 2ECoVRP performs better than 2EVRPA in terms of the total operation time. The tabu search algorithm was found to be a promising method to solve the models due to its good quality solution and computational efficiency. The deployment of eight drones appears to be optimum for the given network configuration of the studied case. Flight altitude and battery capacity were found to be influential to the operation time, hence requiring further exploration. Other potential avenues for future research are also discussed.

With the burgeoning transition toward electrified automobile fleets, electric-vehicle batteries (EVBs) have become one of the critical aspects to be considered to avoid resources issues while achieving necessary climate goals. This paper compiles and syntheses reported barriers, enablers, involved stakeholders, and business models of Circular Economy (CE) implementation of the EVBs based on a systematic literature review (SLR). Findings indicate that inefficient and inadequate government policy, lack of safety standards, and high recycling costs are the three most reported barriers. The barriers have interconnections with each other, implying the necessity for simultaneous strategies. Based on the barriers-enablers analysis, the key strategies establishing the CE for the EVBs are innovative business models, economic incentives, EVB standards, legal environmental responsibilities, and certification, whereas the optimized supply-chain operations can be realized through eco-design of the EVBs, battery modularization, proper technology for checking, diagnosing, tracking, information sharing, extensive collaboration, alignment of supply-chain stakeholders, innovative business model, and certification. A conceptual framework presenting the required strategies for both establishing the CE and optimizing the circular supply chain system of the EVBs was then proposed. Potential future research directions are also discussed.

The potential use of aluminum debris as an energy source and carrier has been recently highlighted in the research. An aluminum debris power generator is a promising system that can be deployed in the aftermath of various types of disasters and provide portable electricity. Such a power generator produces electricity while simultaneously handling aluminum debris in disaster areas. We assess the economic and environmental performance of the aluminum debris power generator deployed to communal-scale disaster areas to determine its feasibility. The economic analysis indicates that aluminum debris power generators have a higher net present cost and levelized cost of energy than diesel generators, which are currently used for emergency power generation. However, aluminum debris power generators can improve their economic feasibility when the valuable boehmite by-product is considered. The aluminum debris power generator outperforms the diesel generator for the environmental impact on climate change. The life cycle assessment indicates that the primary source of the environmental impact comes from generator manufacturing. Our results suggest that recycling valuable materials and redesigning manufacture to reduce the use of critical materials can improve the profile of environmental impacts and provide economic benefits for aluminum debris power generators. Future research should be conducted to devise an ecosystem facilitating the sustainability of this type of generator.

Merapi is an active volcano in the Sleman District with eruptions occurring periodically. However, the time and the power of the eruptions of Merapi could not be predicted accurately. Therefore, considering the dense population around the peak of Mount Merapi, appropriate and fast handling is needed when an eruption occurs. One of the crucial parts to be handled is the availability of evacuation places for the affected population. Even though Sleman district already has contingency and evacuation plans, the existing contingency and evacuation plans cannot necessarily be implemented, as in the case of the 2010 eruption. The locations planned as the shelters based on the contingency and evacuation plans of 2009 are no longer safe, including the permanent shelters owned by Sleman Regency. Thus, in the 2010 eruption, the refugees had to be evacuated to other safe places. Hence, some additional locations planned to be temporary refuges or shelters are needed to anticipate the change in eruption patterns in the future. This paper aims to provide a model to determine suitable temporary shelter locations that meet several criteria, which include constraints (exclusionary criteria) and factors (evaluation criteria). The criteria in this study were defined based on a literature review, interviews, and a questionnaire survey on experts who have experience in the field of disasters, especially in the eruption of Mount Merapi. Constraint criteria are used to determine the candidates for shelters, i.e., the locations that are possible to be used as shelters. Potential shelters will be selected from the candidates that meet the factor criteria using geographic information system (GIS), fuzzy logic, multi-criteria decision making (analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and weighted linear combination (WLC)). The implementation of the model in the 2010 eruption case shows that the refugees experienced moving to a safe place three times during the evacuation, within a safe radius of 10, 15, and 20 km due to the increase in the power of the eruption. In this paper, therefore, the potential temporary shelters will be designed at a safe radius of 10, 15, and 20 km. For further research, the potential shelters determined can be used as input in determining the optimal shelter locations by developing an optimization model.

Abstract In 2003, the high dependency on electric heating combined with the high electricity price prompted a significant number of Norwegian households to consider alternative heating systems. The government introduced economic support for wood pellet heating and heat pumps. In contrast to the fast growing heat pump market, this financial support has not resulted in a widespread adoption of wood pellet heating. This paper studies factors that influence the choice of heating system based on Norwegian households’ perceptions. Electric heating, heat pump and wood pellet heating were compared, with a special focus on wood pellet heating. This study was conducted as a questionnaire survey on two independent samples. The first sample consisted of 188 randomly chosen Norwegian households, mainly using electric heating; the second sample consisted of 461 households using wood pellet heating. Our results show that socio-demographic factors, communication among households, the perceived importance of heating system attributes, and the applied decision strategy all influence the Norwegian homeowners. The significance of these factors differs between the two samples and the preferred type of anticipated future heating system. Strategies for possible interventions and policy initiatives are discussed.

Energy transitions as socio-technical processes involves interactions among different actors such as households, firms, and government, thus requiring an integrated approach to explore the transition’s dynamics. The present study aims to simulate the socio-technical transitions of photovoltaics (PV) in Indonesia using an empirically based hybrid simulation-optimization model. The model involves households’ decision-making, PV supply chain, and government interventions. The hybrid simulation-optimization model consists of integer linear programming to optimize PV’s supply chain configuration which was embedded within agent-based modeling and simulation (ABM). The empirical data involving 413 households from 34 provinces in Indonesia was acquired from a survey that was specifically designed based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) to specify and parameterize the model. Export tariff regulation, incentives for PV investment, environmental campaigns, and the combinations of those interventions were evaluated. The findings demonstrate that all of the interventions increase the intention toward PV, but the intention is not necessarily translated into adoption due to either financial or facility constraints. The findings highlight the necessity to include both demand and supply aspects endogenously in the transition model. The export tariffs combined with the incentives, followed by the export tariffs combined with the campaigns, is found to be preferable due to low supply chain unit cost and high reduction of greenhouse gas. Managerial implications and future research are discussed.