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Abstract Background The aim of this paper is to reconsider the necessity for the green transition and the key preconditions for the implementation of a circular economy in Western Balkan countries. With the objective of the research in mind, the method of analysis and synthesis was applied to determine (1) regulatory and institutional prerequisites for the green transition; (2) the need for the Western Balkan countries to redefine the model of sustainable economic growth towards the green transition; (3) the development opportunities for recovery defined in the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans; and (4) the possibility of implementing the circular economy in the Western Balkans. Main text The main findings of the research indicate that: (1) the countries of the Western Balkan region, following the example of the EU, should define a national strategic approach to the green transition with an accompanying action plan and regulatory framework; (2) the biggest challenge of the green transition is the reform of the energy sector and the restructuring of the energy-intensive economy; (3) the countries have untapped potential in renewable energy sources and report the improvement of energy efficiency; (4) the circular economy can boost the green transition, because the countries of the region have a five-time lower value of resource productivity than the average of the EU, while the generation of waste (excluding major mineral wastes) per GDP unit is lower compared to the EU; (5) cross-sectoral governance should be more coordinated. Conclusions The green transition might be a development opportunity for the Western Balkans, which should enable sustainable economic growth as well as energy security and environmental protection. However, the implementation of the Green Agenda is not easy, because the region faces the problem of underdeveloped regulatory and institutional capacities that might provide not only the base for long-term planning but also financial resources for the efficient implementation of projects. In addition, it is essential to understand the principles of the Green Agenda and the interaction of all activities that should enable the achievement of defined goals.

While traditional methods for modelling the thermal and electrical behaviour of photovoltaic (PV) modules rely on analytical and empirical techniques, machine learning is gaining interest as a way to reduce the time, expertise, and tools required by designers or experts while maintaining high accuracy and reliability. This research presents a data-driven machine learning tool based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) that can forecast yearly PV electricity directly at the optimal PV inclination angle without geographic restrictions and is valid for a wide range of electrical characteristics of PV modules. Additionally, empirical correlations were developed to easily determine the optimal PV inclination angle worldwide. The ANN algorithm, developed in Matlab, systematically and quantitatively summarizes the behaviour of eight PV modules in 48 worldwide climatic conditions. The algorithm’s applicability and robustness were proven by considering two different PV modules in the same 48 locations. Yearly climatic variables and electrical/thermal PV module parameters serve as input training data. The yearly PV electricity is derived using dynamic simulations in the TRNSYS environment, which is a simulation program primarily and extensively used in the fields of renewable energy engineering and building simulation for passive as well as active solar design. Multiple performance metrics validate that the ANN-based machine learning tool demonstrates high reliability and accuracy in the PV energy production forecasting for all weather conditions and PV module characteristics. In particular, by using 20 neurons, the highest value of R-square of 0.9797 and the lowest values of the root mean square error and coefficient of variance of 14.67 kWh and 3.8%, respectively, were obtained in the training phase. This high accuracy was confirmed in the ANN validation phase considering other PV modules. An R-square of 0.9218 and values of the root mean square error and coefficient of variance of 31.95 kWh and 7.8%, respectively, were obtained.The results demonstrate the algorithm’s vast potential to enhance the worldwide diffusion and economic growth of solar energy, aligned with the seventh sustainable development goal.

The study evaluates the potential of different vegetable wastes namely, composite vegetable waste (CVW), potato waste (PW), sweet potato waste (SPW) and yam waste (YW) as an alternative feedstock for the production of renewable sugars. Thermal assisted chemical pretreatment followed by enzymatic saccharification yielded maximum sugars (0.515 g/g CVW, 0.56 g/g PW, 0.57 g/g SPW and 0.56 g/g YW) with total carbohydrate depolymerization of 95.01%, 88.30%, 90.32% and 88.59% respectively. Obtained sugars were valorized into bioethanol through fermentation using S. cerevisiae by optimizing the pH and temperature. The highest ethanol yield of 251.85 mg/g was obtained from SPW at 35°C followed by YW (240.98 mg/g), PW (235.4 mg/g) and CVW (125.6 mg/g) at pH 5.0. Utilizing the abundantly available vegetable wastes as a renewable feedstock for reducing sugars and subsequent bioethanol production will influence the economics and sustainability of the process positively in circular biorefinery format.

Over the years, the commercial buildings sector has emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing sector and the commercial space is expected to grow four fold between 2015 and 2030. Due to the absence of thermal comfort regulations in India, designers frequently overdesign cooling systems in accordance with international norms, leading to unsustainable practises and energy wastage. The conventional building construction in India’s warm and humid climate make people uncomfortable due to heat gains, forcing the use of cooling equipment that require a lot of energy. Use of passive design options in the building envelope is thought to be a viable strategy for lowering energy usage. The different effects of building exterior components and passive design solutions on the indoor thermal environment can be effectively integrated using the criterion of thermal comfort. A new thermal discomfort index based on adaptive comfort using the numerical method and trapezoidal rule is established and used as a basis of comparison to assess the relative performance of building envelopes. In comparison to the reference building envelope in warm, humid climate, the research shows that careful attention to building envelope design with consideration of various passive options can improve the indoor thermal environment by 5.82 °C, reduce thermal discomfort by 80.75 percent and save energy up to 77 percent.

Con el aumento de la demanda de refrigeración y la penetración de recursos de energía renovable descentralizados en las redes eléctricas, la gestión de la demanda de electricidad (DSM) se ha convertido en una herramienta importante para la planificación de la electricidad y la descarbonización en el Sur Global. En la India, la aplicación comercial del DSM no es nueva, pero la respuesta a la demanda (DR) a escala residencial impulsada por los servicios públicos sigue siendo un área inexplorada. Este documento contribuye en dos frentes: para explicar las percepciones de los hogares y los profesionales de la RD: disyunciones entre estas percepciones y sus implicaciones para la aceptación de la RD residencial. Utilizando un enfoque de coproducción, este documento extrae información de dos grupos de partes interesadas en la India: 25 expertos en políticas y servicios públicos de RD y 24 consumidores domésticos. Nuestros resultados muestran que el salvavidas tecnológico subraya de manera generalizada la comprensión de los profesionales de la RD y la agencia de los hogares, un factor crucial en la adopción de la RD a escala residencial sigue siendo una pieza que falta. El documento concluye que, sin considerar la agencia del cabeza de familia, ofrecer un futuro descarbonizado basado en la respuesta a la demanda será un desafío y los consumidores pueden permanecer encerrados en las prácticas socioculturales existentes que niegan la adopción de la DRA. Avec l'augmentation de la demande de refroidissement et la pénétration des ressources énergétiques renouvelables décentralisées dans les réseaux d'électricité, la gestion de la demande d'électricité (DSM) est devenue un outil majeur de planification et de décarbonisation de l'électricité dans les pays du Sud. En Inde, l'application commerciale du DSM n'est pas nouvelle, mais la réponse à la demande à l'échelle résidentielle (DR) axée sur les services publics reste un domaine inexploré. Cet article contribue sur deux fronts – pour expliquer les perceptions des ménages et des praticiens de la RD : les disjonctions entre ces perceptions et ses implications pour l'acceptation de la DR résidentielle En utilisant une approche de coproduction, cet article tire des enseignements de deux ensembles de parties prenantes en Inde - 25 experts en politique et services publics de la RD et 24 consommateurs domestiques. Nos résultats montrent que le sauveurisme technologique souligne de manière omniprésente la compréhension des praticiens de la RD et de l'agence domestique, un facteur crucial dans l'adoption de la RD à l'échelle résidentielle qui reste une pièce manquante. Le document conclut que, sans tenir compte du pouvoir d'action des ménages, il sera difficile d'offrir un avenir décarboné basé sur la réponse à la demande et que les consommateurs peuvent rester enfermés dans des pratiques socioculturelles existantes qui annulent l'adoption de la DR. With the rise in cooling demand and the permeation of decentralised renewable energy resources in electricity networks, electricity demand-side management (DSM) has become a major tool for electricity planning and decarbonisation in the Global South. In India, the commercial application of DSM is not new, yet utility-driven residential-scale demand response (DR) remains an unexplored area. This paper contributes on two fronts – to explicate householders and practitioner's perceptions of DR: disjunctions between these perceptions and its implications for the acceptance of residential DR. Using a co-production approach, this paper draws insights from two sets of stakeholders in India - 25 DR policy and utility experts and 24 household consumers. Our results show that technological saviourism pervasively underscores practitioners understanding of DR and householder agency, a crucial factor in the adoption of DR at the residential scale remains a missing piece. The paper concludes that without considering householder agency, delivering a decarbonised future based on demand response will be challenging and consumers may remain locked into-existing socio-cultural practices that negate the adoption of DR. مع ارتفاع الطلب على التبريد وتغلغل موارد الطاقة المتجددة اللامركزية في شبكات الكهرباء، أصبحت إدارة جانب الطلب على الكهرباء (DSM) أداة رئيسية لتخطيط الكهرباء وإزالة الكربون في الجنوب العالمي. في الهند، لا يعد التطبيق التجاري للوسائط الرقمية والإلكترونية جديدًا، ومع ذلك تظل الاستجابة للطلب على نطاق سكني مدفوعة بالمرافق منطقة غير مستكشفة. تساهم هذه الورقة على جبهتين – لتوضيح تصورات أصحاب المنازل والممارسين حول الحد من مخاطر الكوارث: الانفصال بين هذه التصورات وآثارها على قبول الدكتور المقيم باستخدام نهج الإنتاج المشترك، تستمد هذه الورقة رؤى من مجموعتين من أصحاب المصلحة في الهند - 25 خبيرًا في سياسة الحد من مخاطر الكوارث والمرافق و 24 مستهلكًا منزليًا. تظهر نتائجنا أن الإنقاذ التكنولوجي يؤكد بشكل واسع على فهم الممارسين لوكالة الطبيب المقيم وصاحب المنزل، وهو عامل حاسم في اعتماد الطبيب المقيم على المستوى السكني لا يزال جزءًا مفقودًا. وتخلص الورقة إلى أنه دون النظر في وكالة الأسر المعيشية، فإن تحقيق مستقبل خالٍ من الكربون بناءً على استجابة الطلب سيكون أمرًا صعبًا وقد يظل المستهلكون محاصرين في الممارسات الاجتماعية والثقافية القائمة التي تلغي تبني الدكتور.

AbstractInvestment cost associated to the generation of renewable energy such as wind and solar is generally estimated to be higher. As the wind and solar energy generation do not require any fuel, the marginal cost of electricity generation through renewable energy technologies is very low. Therefore, in the long run, the prices are expected to get reduced, once investment cost is recovered; whereas, in the short run, the expected energy price of electricity increases.However, the final electricity price depends on several factors such as distribution cost, operating cost, storage cost (if any), load factor, and cost associated to switching of technology for electricity generation through total energy mix. In case of solar and wind energy generation, the technologies have grid priorities, but solar and wind are highly sensitive to weather conditions. Therefore, to make the system efficient, an energy system also depends on coal fired plant, gas fired plants, nuclear plants, biomass, hydro, etc. for meeting the energy supply needs. Based on overall capacities, investment costs, energy imports and fuel prices, the final electricity prices are decided. With the current trends in advancement of technologies, and priority for one technology over the other, the prices can still fluctuate in the future.In the current energy literature, methods available for price forecasting followed the modelling approaches that use range of variables for forecasting the possible scenarios. These scenarios and forecasting might affect an investment decisions of investors. However, the challenging future scenario in European energy mix addresses the issue of falling electricity price while the renewable energy technologies getting cheaper; which tends to freeze further investments, unless sufficient government support is available.The current study aims to explore the various economic forecasting methods presented in the literature for the purpose of energy price modelling, in different contexts, such as geographies, demand, supply, marketing, strategy, etc. The results suggest a large variation in the methodologies being used by scientists to address the issues in different countries. A wide range of variable selection approach has been observed. Our study suggests that the current market has not researched well on long run forecasting methods. This study also aims to present some thoughts on energy marketing in the context of emerging economies, such as India for the energy policy framing.

This article studies the economical, technical and environmental aspects of a third generation district heating (DH) network with absorption chillers installed at substation level in order to satisfy the cooling demands. This network solution hence takes advantage of the distribution facilities of existing DH systems. The study aims at evaluating the technical and environmental performances of this new district heating architecture, when sized and operated according to an economic objective using the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization formalism. It is compared to the case where cooling demands are met using individual chillers.The paper first presents the production, distribution, demand and storage models. Regarding the demand side, different heating and cooling scenarios are studied by varying the proportions of residential and tertiary buildings. The model is fed in a second part with data from the French context. In particular, we rely on typical French weather conditions, thermal loads and energy costs.The analysis of the results focuses on the cooling part. It appears that the thermal network solution achieves on average a 3.6% reduction in the levelized cost of space cooling energy. In the worst case space cooling exergy efficiency goes through a 82% decrease. GHG emissions decrease on average by 7.7% thanks to the absence of leakage of refrigerant with high global warming potential. Overall, these emissions are low due to the low carbon content of French electricity.