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Energies
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Pathways toward a Decarbonized Future Energy System: Sustainable Solutions
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Pathways toward a Decarbonized Future Energy System: Sustainable Solutions

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 5302

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Clemens Rohde

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Competence Center Energy Technology and Energy Systems, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Breslauer Straße 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany
Interests: energy efficiency; energy conservation; decarbonization; assessment and analysis of energy efficiency measures in household, commercial and industrial sectors
Dr. Ali Aydemir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Competence Center Energy Technology and Energy Systems, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Breslauer Straße 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany
Interests: energy efficiency in industry; heat decarbonisation; qualitative and quantitative technology assessment; waste heat utilization in industrial plants
Dr. Beatrice Marchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze, 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: sustainable logistics and supply chain management; energy efficiency; industrial symbiosis; energy storage system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Francesco Romagnoli

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Guest Editor
Institute of Energy Systems and Environment, Riga Technical University, Azenes iela 12/1, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
Interests: sustainable development; sustainability assessment; life cycle impact assessment; life cycle thinking; renewable energy technologies; energy and environmental balance of the renewable energy production systems; energy; biofuels and renewable energies from biomass; environmental impact assessment; climate change; biomass waste management; environmental analysis; urban resilience
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Simon Hirzel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Competence Center Energy Technology and Energy Systems, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Breslauer Straße 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany
Interests: energy efficiency in industry; qualitative and quantitative technology assessment; barriers and drivers for energy efficiency; energy demand modeling and potential studies; policy instruments for energy efficiency

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Creating a decarbonized energy system is one of the major challenges of our society. A lot of technological solutions to create this system are available at various stages of market readiness. Still, in many fields—in particular on the energy demand side—the pathways to the future energy system are still unclear.

Time is pressing. Although the Paris Climate Agreement sets the right goals, it is now a matter of implementation. Therefore, raising awareness of barriers towards the implementation, which are becoming ever more severe, becomes more and more important.

This Special Issue aims to present solutions and open questions towards creating a decarbonized energy system, technically feasible and, in a true sense, sustainable. Therefore, we strongly encourage interdisciplinary work to be submitted. Topics of particular interest are:

  • The importance of resource efficiency and sufficiency for the decarbonisation of the energy system.
  • The role of supply chains to drive the transition of energy systems.
  • The consideration of multiple benefits to drive the uptake of sustainable solutions.
  • The extension of the scope of impact assessments from carbon to environmental footprint.
  • The role of product policy to tackle climate change and to create truly sustainable products.
  • The role of financial institutions in the transition towards a decarbonized energy system.
  • The resilience of energy systems towards climate change adaptation and mitigations strategies.

Prof. Dr. Clemens Rohde
Dr. Ali Aydemir
Dr. Beatrice Marchi
Prof. Dr. Franceso Romagnoli
Dr. Simon Hirzel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy efficiency
  • energy conservation
  • sustainable energy
  • sustainable finance
  • circular economy
  • product policy
  • environmental assessment

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 2412 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Lifespan of Circular Products: A Generic Dynamic Programming Approach for Energy-Using Products
by Torsten Hummen, Stefanie Hellweg and Ramin Roshandel
Energies 2023, 16(18), 6711; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16186711 - 19 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1093
Abstract
Slowing down replacement cycles to reduce resource depletion and prevent waste generation is a promising path toward a circular economy (CE). However, an obligation to longevity only sometimes makes sense. It could sometimes even backfire if one focuses exclusively on material [...] Read more.
Slowing down replacement cycles to reduce resource depletion and prevent waste generation is a promising path toward a circular economy (CE). However, an obligation to longevity only sometimes makes sense. It could sometimes even backfire if one focuses exclusively on material resource efficiency measures of the production phase and neglects implications on the use phase. The (environmental) lifespan of circular products should, therefore, be optimized, not maximized, considering all life cycle phases. In this paper, a generic method for determining the optimal environmental lifespan (OEL) of energy-using products (EuPs) in a CE is developed, allowing the simultaneous inclusion of various replacement options and lifetime extension processes, like re-manufacturing, in the assessment. A dynamic programming approach is used to minimize the cumulative environmental impact or costs over a specific time horizon, which allows considering an unordered sequence of replacement decisions with various sets of products. The method further accounts for technology improvement as well as efficiency degradation due to usage and a dynamic energy supply over the use phase. To illustrate the application, the OEL of gas heating appliances in Germany is calculated considering newly evolved products and re-manufactured products as replacement options. The case-study results show that with an average heat demand of a dwelling in Germany, the OEL is just 7 years for climate change impacts and 11 years for the aggregated environmental indicator, ReCiPeendpoint(total). If efficiency degradation during use is considered, the OEL for both environmental impact assessment methods even lowers to 1 year. Products are frequently replaced with re-manufactured products to completely restore efficiency at low investment cost, resulting in higher savings potential. This not only implies that an early replacement before the product breaks down is recommended but also that it is essential to maintain the system and, thus, to prevent potential efficiency degradation. The results for cost optimization, as well as currently observed lifespans, vary considerably from this. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathways toward a Decarbonized Future Energy System: Sustainable Solutions)
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33 pages, 2303 KiB  
Article
Parameterized Modeling of the Energy Demand of Machining Processes as a Basis for Reusable Life Cycle Inventory Datasets
by Julia Zeulner, Vanessa Zeller and Liselotte Schebek
Energies 2023, 16(16), 6011; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16166011 - 16 Aug 2023
Viewed by 835
Abstract
Manufacturing processes have a significant contribution to energy consumption and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a product’s life cycle. Today, information on GHG emissions is increasingly demanded from companies in a life cycle perspective, based on the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment. [...] Read more.
Manufacturing processes have a significant contribution to energy consumption and related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a product’s life cycle. Today, information on GHG emissions is increasingly demanded from companies in a life cycle perspective, based on the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment. Manufacturing companies supply producers of final products and are, therefore, requested to provide data on GHG of their manufacturing processes and resulting products. Obtaining such data for real-world manufacturing processes represents a huge effort. This challenge can be overcome with the use of a parameterized model, the Extended Energy Modeling Approach (EEMA), that has been developed for the machining process, which is a widespread industrial manufacturing process. The model calculates the total energy demand from power key values, which report the average power consumption of the constant and variable units of the machinery equipment, the consumer groups, as well as the different operating states of the equipment. Therefore, EEMA enables the reuse of a single measurement campaign for follow-up investigations of the specific machine tool, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of data acquisition for the calculation of the total energy demand and life-cycle-based GHG emissions. To use EEMA for the compilation of life cycle inventory datasets, methodological requirements were analyzed to derive a procedure for LCA-compliant datasets for machine tools. The key findings of applying the EEMA for the case study of a turning machine show that the constant consumer groups have a significant influence on the total energy demand. The share of the variable consumer groups in the total energy demand increases with increasing machine utilization but is always below 5%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathways toward a Decarbonized Future Energy System: Sustainable Solutions)
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21 pages, 2705 KiB  
Article
Decarbonisation Policies in the Residential Sector and Energy Poverty: Mitigation Strategies and Impacts in Central and Southern Eastern Europe
by Ivana Rogulj, Marco Peretto, Vlasios Oikonomou, Shima Ebrahimigharehbaghi and Christos Tourkolias
Energies 2023, 16(14), 5443; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145443 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1249
Abstract
The decarbonisation policies for the EU building stock can improve living conditions, including thermal comfort and lower energy bills. However, these measures may impose financial burdens on low-income households, reducing their disposable income and exacerbating their vulnerability. The current study investigates the impact [...] Read more.
The decarbonisation policies for the EU building stock can improve living conditions, including thermal comfort and lower energy bills. However, these measures may impose financial burdens on low-income households, reducing their disposable income and exacerbating their vulnerability. The current study investigates the impact of decarbonisation policies on the EU’s building stock, with a specific focus on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), the new Emissions Trading System (ETS2) for buildings, and the phase-out of fossil heating systems. By employing a linear, static latest version of Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365)-based model and analyzing Eurostat data, this study quantifies the effects of these policies on energy consumption, costs, and necessary investments. Moreover, the study emphasizes their implications for low-income groups using vulnerability indicators. The findings demonstrate that a combination of MEPs, ETS2, and phasing out fossil heating systems effectively reduces energy consumption and costs across most countries. However, implementing ETS2 alone may lead to energy reduction and discomfort for low-income groups without addressing underlying demand-side issues. To address this, this study recommends the implementation of more ambitious MEPs or the provision of additional funding alongside ETS2. The phase-out of fossil fuel boilers emerges as the most cost-effective measure in the medium to long term. While MEPS and the phase-out of fossil fuel boilers improve living conditions, they also impose upfront cost burdens and reduce disposable income for low-income households. Therefore, high subsidy rates and supportive policies are necessary to ensure equitable access to investments. The main recommendations include (a) shifting financing to renewable heating systems for low-income households by 2025, addressing cost issues and policies favouring gas boilers; (b) implementing high-funding rate subsidies for energy efficiency in low-income households before 2025, with technical guidance; (c) prioritising the Energy Efficiency First principle in planning to avoid additional emissions or higher costs for low-income households; and (d) considering the energy behaviour of low-income groups in regulations, employing a combination of policies to achieve desired outcomes and ensure thermal comfort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathways toward a Decarbonized Future Energy System: Sustainable Solutions)
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16 pages, 2152 KiB  
Article
ISO 50001-Based Energy Management Systems as a Practical Path for Decarbonization: Initial Findings from a Survey of Technical Assistance Cohort Participants
by Heidi Fuchs, Peter Therkelsen, William C. Miller, Graziella Siciliano and Paul Sheaffer
Energies 2023, 16(14), 5441; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145441 - 18 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1556
Abstract
Organizations face rising pressure to take action to reduce their climate-affecting emissions (i.e., decarbonize). While many responses are possible, an essential approach—strategically managing their energy consumption as an essential business practice via an ISO 50001-based energy management system—is not yet widely recognized as [...] Read more.
Organizations face rising pressure to take action to reduce their climate-affecting emissions (i.e., decarbonize). While many responses are possible, an essential approach—strategically managing their energy consumption as an essential business practice via an ISO 50001-based energy management system—is not yet widely recognized as a framework for decarbonization. This study analyzes interim survey results from 24 organizations (a 48% response rate) implementing a rigorous energy management system, one deployed by the U.S. Department of Energy as “50001 Ready”, to test whether participating organizations perceive the energy management system under development as an essential aspect of their decarbonization efforts. The results are preliminary in nature, given the ongoing nature of the program and associated data collection; however, they are sufficient to refute our hypothesis that energy management systems are perceived by organizations participating in 50001 Ready cohorts to primarily affect energy performance with little-to-no connection regarding decarbonization efforts. Major findings include that participants’ decarbonization targets and commitments are driven by market imperatives (highlighting the importance of ISO 50001 as a management system tool) and that they see energy efficiency as vital to decarbonizing. We conclude by suggesting future research directions to further establish the premise that energy management systems are an effective, efficient, and long-lasting decarbonization strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathways toward a Decarbonized Future Energy System: Sustainable Solutions)
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