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In the transition towards a low-carbon society, the application of district heating systems is reconsidered. The new interest entails a lot of questions about district heating design and performance, especially in combination with contemporary dwellings that have a reduced space heating demand. This study presents the simulation results that support the design and performance assessment of a district heating system for a carbon neutral neighbourhood in Kortrijk, within the framework of the European demonstration project ECO-Life.

As energy issues are at the top of the policy agenda worldwide, policy-makers increasingly need better decision-supporting processes to assist them in fostering a sustainable energy future. This paper reflects on the interpretation of sustainable development, and links these reflections with the theory and practice of impact assessment applied on energy issues. An analysis of existing impact assessment approaches with regard to their contribution to sustainable development leads to a set of principles for 'sustainability assessment'. Through a study of a participatory impact assessment supporting the development of a radioactive waste management plan in Belgium, the interpretational limits of sustainable development in a nuclear energy context are discussed. This paper sheds light on the complex context in which impact assessment exercises must contribute to sustainable energy development, with a focus on the nuclear energy--(un)sustainability nexus.

[...]. O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi o de constatar o desempenho ambiental de explorações pecuárias da ilha de São Miguel, sendo umas certificadas pelo programa “Leite de vacas felizes” da Bel e outras não certificadas, e verificar o nível de consciência ambiental de cada grupo de produtores relativamente aos impactes da sua atividade no meio ambiente. Para tal foi selecionada uma amostra constituída por 2 grupos de produtores: os certificados pela Bel no programa “vacas felizes”, e um conjunto de igual dimensão de explorações fora do programa. O instrumento utilizado para a recolha de dados foi um questionário aplicado diretamente aos donos das explorações. [...] ABSTRACT: [...]. The aim of this study was to assess the environmental performance of farmers operating in São Miguel, comparing producers certified by Bel’s “Leite de vacas felizes” program, with non certified producers,and to check the level of environmental awareness of each group of producers in respect to their activity. To do so we selected a sample composed by two groups of producers: producers certified by Bel for the “Vacas felizes” program and another set of equalsize of farms outside the program. The instrument used for collecting data was a questionnaire applied directly to the farm owners. [...].

Climate change poses a profound challenge, impacting ecosystems, human populations and water resources. Adapting water resources to the evolving hydro-climatological conditions within river basins is paramount. This study assesses the climate change effects in the catchment above the Vír I reservoir, located on the Svratka River in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. To account for the uncertainty of climate change, an ensemble approach was employed. Using insights from 13 global climate models (CMIP6, SSP2-4.5 scenario), temperature variations were analysed. The analysis aims to provide insights into temperature variations within this catchment area, shedding light on the complexities of climate change impacts and their implications for water resource management.

In this context, phytochemicals were extracted from Ranunculus constantinopolitanus using ethyl acetate (EA), ethanol, ethanol/water (70%), and water solvent. The analysis encompassed quantification of total phenolic and flavonoid content using spectrophotometric assays, chemical profiling via high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for the extracts, and assessment of antioxidant activity via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), metal chelating (MCA), and phosphomolybdenum (PBD) assays. Moreover, antimicrobial activity was assessed against four different bacterial strains, as well as various yeasts. Enzyme inhibitory activities were evaluated against five types of enzymes. Additionally, the extracts were examined for their anticancer and protective effects on several cancer cell lines and the human normal cell line. All of the extracts exhibited significant levels of ferulic acid, kaempferol, and caffeic acid. All tested extracts demonstrated antimicrobial activity, with Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being most sensitive to EA and ethanol extracts. Molecular docking studies revealed that kaempferol-3-O-glucoside strong interactions with AChE, BChE and tyrosinase. In addition, network pharmacology showed an association between gastric cancer and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside. Based on the results, R. constantinopolitanus can be a potential reservoir of bioactive compounds for future bioproduct innovation and pharmaceutical industries.

Abstract The International Geothermal Association (IGA), founded in 1988, is an international, worldwide, non-profit and non-governmental association whose objective and mission is to promote the research and utilization of geothermal resources, through the compilation, publication, and dissemination of scientific and technical data and information. The Information Committee (IC) of the IGA is responsible for advising the IGA Board on policies concerned with the collection, compilation, publication, exchange and dissemination of geothermal information, including information on utilization, development, technical findings, scientific research, meetings, publications and Association activities. The Committee is also responsible for the implementation of information policies determined by the Board.

Due to the continuous usage of soil organic matter by the plants and the execution of tillage operations additional organic matter has to be supplied to the soil. Biogas plants residues can effectively provide this additional organic matter. Different systems such as the umbilical and the tanker are used for the application of liquid organic fertiliser in the fields. The effect of the field size on the effectiveness of these two selected transport/application systems has been investigated analysed. A specialised software tool has been developed for this comparison. The tool uses as input the field characteristics, the machinery parameters, the task time elements, cost parameters, and operational parameters, and based on a detailed simulation of the executed operations provides the time and cost outputs for each followed system. Comparing the umbilical system with the tanker system, the results was shown that for increased field area size the maximum fixe cost that can be assigned to the umbilical system establishment in order to remain more economical compared to the tanker system is also increased. As far as it regards the comparison of the operational time, it was shown that for short distances of the biogas plant (less than 1 km) and relatively small field areas (up to approximately 2 ha), the tanker system is less time consuming than the umbilical system. Proceedings of the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 18-22 June 2012, Milan, Italy, pp. 353-356

Wind power is currently the most promising renewable technology and is expected to contribute significantly to achieving the “20-20-20” target set by EU - 20% reduction of greenhouse gases and 20% share of renewables by 2020. The development potential of wind power, especially offshore, is huge. The experience with large offshore wind farms so far has clearly shown that the offshore wind power is significantly more variable than the on-shore wind power, first of all because offshore wind power is more concentrated geographically than existing on-shore wind power. The focus is on time scales of interest for power system operation, thus ranging from minutes to hours. The simulations are based on the offshore wind power development plans developed in the TWENTIES project and includes details such as installed capacity and coordinates for each wind farm existing or planned to be installed in North Europe, by 2020 and 2030. For each target, a base case and a high scenario is simulated. The offshore wind power variability is quantified in terms of ramp rates.