The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2022) | Viewed by 23334

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Statistics and Methodology, Institute of Statistics and Methodology, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: modelling; optimization; numerical simulation; sensitivity analysis of the economic evaluation of renewable energies; production and processing of renewable energy; social and marketing aspects of renewable energy; statistical and econometric analysis of renewable energy sources; supply chain management of renewable energy systems

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Guest Editor
Department of Business Economics, Institute of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: feasibility and economic evaluation of renewable energies (especially biomass and solar energy); energy plants and plantations; waste management; complex energy systems and circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Research Team of Renewable Energy Sources, Nagykanizsa Campus, Faculty of Engineering, University of Pannonia, 8200 Veszprém, Hungary
Interests: energy storage; economics of renewable energy; photovoltaic systems; biomass for energy use; complex energy systems; energy plants; energy engineering; energy management; feasibility of renewable energy plants; investment analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Worldwide, a significant part of the biomass has been converted into heat energy, electricity, or transport fuel. The importance of other renewable energy sources (RESs) is also increasing, and novel technologies emerge every year. Lack of resources, as a key factor, will primarily result in modern forms and processes in the field of energy and waste management. The economic feasibility and the methodological issues can be also regarded as determinant factors for the future spreading. Energy policy is based on the macroeconomic benefits (environmental protection, import substitution, employment). The attitude of people to the RES is very important for a sustainable future.

Contributions may pertain to any aspect of the technological process and modelling of renewable energy sources in connection with mathematical modelling, for a better process understanding, optimization, and control. Any manuscript connected to the technological, micro- or macro-economic, or methodological background of RES is welcome in our Special Issue. Manuscripts focusing on the opportunities and feasibility of complex cycles and processes (e.g., systems connected to the concept of circular economy) are also welcome.

This Special Issue “The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources” will particularly focus on the economic benefits of renewable and sustainable energy, which may include:

  • Renewable energy technologies (biomass, solar, geothermal, hydraulic, ocean, wind energy);
  • Technologies of energy plants, plantations, varieties, energy use of organic wastes and by-products;
  • Energy efficiency technologies;
  • Complex energy and circular systems, local self-sufficiency in energy supply;
  • The economic and environmental background of the above-mentioned technologies;
  • Case studies, investment analysis;
  • Results of questionnaires in renewable energy topics;
  • Methodological questions of renewables and of energy policy.

Although this Special Issue especially welcomes papers on the technological, economic, and methodological aspects of renewable energy systems, any related topics are also encouraged, provided that they are within the context of the Special Issue. Theoretical and empirical studies are both welcome.

We would like to encourage researchers to publish their original experimental and theoretical results in our Special Issue, in any renewable energy topic with an economic background.

Prof. Dr. Péter Balogh
Dr. Zoltán Gabnai
Dr. Gabor Pinter
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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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

  • Economic modelling and simulation
  • Renewable technologies
  • Biomass
  • Renewable energy resources
  • Application of renewable energy production
  • Analysis the production process of biofuels
  • Energy systems
  • Circular systems

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 207 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue on “The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources”
by Zoltán Gabnai, Gabor Pinter and Péter Balogh
Processes 2023, 11(2), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020565 - 13 Feb 2023
Viewed by 897
Abstract
The worldwide use of renewable energy sources has been growing significantly year by year, accompanied by continuous technological development [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)

Research

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16 pages, 20202 KiB  
Article
CWM-CGAN Method for Renewable Energy Scenario Generation Based on Weather Label Multi-Factor Definition
by Guixiong He, Kaicheng Liu, Songcen Wang, Yang Lei and Jiaxi Li
Processes 2022, 10(3), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10030470 - 25 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1414
Abstract
With the increasing installed capacity of renewable energy in the energy system, the uncertainty of renewable energy has an increasingly prominent impact on power system planning and operation. Renewable energy such as wind and solar energy is greatly affected by the external weather. [...] Read more.
With the increasing installed capacity of renewable energy in the energy system, the uncertainty of renewable energy has an increasingly prominent impact on power system planning and operation. Renewable energy such as wind and solar energy is greatly affected by the external weather. How to use a reasonable method to describe the relationship between weather and renewable energy output, so as to measure the uncertainty of renewable energy more accurately, is an important problem. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a renewable energy scenario generation method based on a conditional generation countermeasure network and combination weighting method (CWM-CGAN). In this method, the combination of AHP and the entropy weight method is used to analyze the meteorological factors, the weather classification is defined as the condition label in the conditional generation countermeasure network, and the energy scenario is generated by the conditional generation confrontation network. In this paper, the proposed method is tested with actual PV data, and the results show that the proposed model can describe the uncertainty of PV more accurately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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20 pages, 2500 KiB  
Article
Uncertain Operating Conditions Implications on Multistage Operations Optimal Design and Environmental Impact
by Alessandro Di Pretoro, Xavier Joulia, Flavio Manenti and Ludovic Montastruc
Processes 2022, 10(2), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10020344 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1668
Abstract
Energy demand is increasingly the most relevant cost item in chemical plants. Operating expenses indeed play a main role in all plants processing large amounts of feedstock via well-established processes in the petrochemical industry. In staged operations, the optimal number of stages is [...] Read more.
Energy demand is increasingly the most relevant cost item in chemical plants. Operating expenses indeed play a main role in all plants processing large amounts of feedstock via well-established processes in the petrochemical industry. In staged operations, the optimal number of stages is usually obtained by means of an economic optimization. However, the designed equipment, external duties, and thus operating expenses may considerably vary under the effect of external disturbances. The main purpose of this paper is to outline a simple but effective procedure to account for perturbations in the assessment of the optimal number of stages. The analysis shows that appropriate investments could lead to a unit design able to mitigate the higher duty requirements when external perturbations occur. The results highlight that the optimal number of stages varies when uncertainty is considered and, with low computational effort, this can be effectively quantified by means of the applied methodology. Furthermore, the same approach has been applied to sustainability indicators over the uncertain domain as well. In those cases, when more stages correspond to more flexible equipment, the environmental impact is positively affected, and a double benefit can be observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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21 pages, 10025 KiB  
Article
A Techno-Economic Model for Wind Energy Costs Analysis for Low Wind Speed Areas
by Kehinde A. Adeyeye, Nelson Ijumba and Jonathan S. Colton
Processes 2021, 9(8), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9081463 - 21 Aug 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4154
Abstract
The global population is moving away from fossil fuel technologies due to their many disadvantages, such as air pollution, greenhouse gases emission, global warming, acid rain, health problems, and high costs. These disadvantages make fossil fuels unsustainable. As a result, renewable energy is [...] Read more.
The global population is moving away from fossil fuel technologies due to their many disadvantages, such as air pollution, greenhouse gases emission, global warming, acid rain, health problems, and high costs. These disadvantages make fossil fuels unsustainable. As a result, renewable energy is becoming more attractive due to its steadily decreasing costs. Harnessing renewable energy promises to meet the present energy demands of the African continent. The enormous renewable energy potential available across the African continent remains largely untapped, especially for wind energy. However, marginal and fair wind speeds and power densities characterize African wind energy resulting in low and unsustainable power in many areas. This research develops a techno-economic model for wind energy cost analysis for a novel, Ferris wheel-based wind turbine. The model is used to techno-economically analyze the siting of wind turbine sites in low wind speed areas on the African continent. The wind turbine’s technical performance is characterized by calculating the annual energy production and the capacity factor using the wind Weibull probability distribution of the cities and theoretical power curve of the wind turbine. Its economic performance is evaluated using annualized financial return on investment, simple payback period, and levelized cost of electricity. The techno-economic model is validated for 21 African cities and shows that the Ferris wheel-based design is very competitive with four current, commercial wind turbines, as well as with other sources of energy. Hence, the new wind turbine may help provide the economical, clean, renewable energy that Africa needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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37 pages, 1746 KiB  
Article
Relationships between the Number and Power of Hungarian Household-Sized Photovoltaic Power Plants and Selected Indicators of the Settlements: A Case Study
by Nóra Hegedűsné Baranyai, Henrik Zsiborács, András Vincze, Nóra Rodek, Martina Makai and Gábor Pintér
Processes 2021, 9(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9010004 - 22 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
In the global transformation of energy systems, solar energy plays a prominent role, since the energy from our star is a limitless and clean resource, which is available practically almost everywhere. In spite of the immense advancements of photovoltaic systems, which utilize this [...] Read more.
In the global transformation of energy systems, solar energy plays a prominent role, since the energy from our star is a limitless and clean resource, which is available practically almost everywhere. In spite of the immense advancements of photovoltaic systems, which utilize this source of energy, no in-depth research has been carried out regarding the present Hungarian status of the small-scale photovoltaic power plants, the most common type of solar power plant in Hungary. The novelty of this study is that it examines the number and power of these small-scale power plants at the settlement level within the service areas of the various distribution companies, by also considering the economic and infrastructural dimensions of the settlements. The paper seeks answers to the questions whether there are any significant relationships between the number and the power of power plants of this type and the indicators of the settlements, and if so, how strong they are. Besides pairwise correlations, the study also involved the analysis of the relationship between the ranking of the settlements based on the settlements’ complex indicators that were created from the settlements’ indicators and the ranking of the settlements according to the number and power of household-sized photovoltaic power plants per 1000 people. In the course of exploring the relationships, a regression model was also devised concerning the number of household-sized photovoltaic power plants and the settlement indicators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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15 pages, 4850 KiB  
Article
Study of Dynamics of Heat Transfer in the Flat-Plate Solar Collector
by Joanna Aleksiejuk-Gawron and Andrzej Chochowski
Processes 2020, 8(12), 1607; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8121607 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1739
Abstract
Flat plate solar collector has been presented as an example of a heat-exchanger with two input signals, solar radiation intensity and temperature of working medium on the input, and one output signal, the temperature of a working medium on the output. The dynamics [...] Read more.
Flat plate solar collector has been presented as an example of a heat-exchanger with two input signals, solar radiation intensity and temperature of working medium on the input, and one output signal, the temperature of a working medium on the output. The dynamics of heat exchange were analyzed for two models of a solar collector—an analog one using a thermoelectric analogy, and a digital one—determined experimentally in on-line mode using the parametric identification method. The characteristics of both models were compared in terms of their step and frequency response for selected construction and operational parameters. Tests of step responses determined for the analog model indicate that the dynamics of heat exchange in the solar collector depending on two input signals is varied. For step-forcing of input signals of the analog model, in both cases, a stable steady state is achieved, but while the first of the signals is inertial, the second one is oscillatory. The phenomenon of temperature oscillation at the collector outlet suggests the need to introduce a new physical quantity in the thermoelectric analogy-thermal inductance. Such an assessment of the dynamics of the solar collector can be useful for proper designing (construction parameters simulation) and diagnostics (operational parameters simulation) of the device. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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25 pages, 4479 KiB  
Article
Optimal Sizing and Techno-Economic Analysis of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems—A Case Study of a Photovoltaic/Wind/Battery/Diesel System in Fanisau, Northern Nigeria
by Nasser Yimen, Theodore Tchotang, Abraham Kanmogne, Idriss Abdelkhalikh Idriss, Bashir Musa, Aliyu Aliyu, Eric C. Okonkwo, Sani Isah Abba, Daniel Tata, Lucien Meva’a, Oumarou Hamandjoda and Mustafa Dagbasi
Processes 2020, 8(11), 1381; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8111381 - 30 Oct 2020
Cited by 68 | Viewed by 6147
Abstract
Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRESs) have been touted as an appropriate way for supplying electricity to remote and off-grid areas in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where rural electrification challenges are the most pronounced. This study proposes a two-step methodology for [...] Read more.
Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRESs) have been touted as an appropriate way for supplying electricity to remote and off-grid areas in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where rural electrification challenges are the most pronounced. This study proposes a two-step methodology for optimizing and analyzing a stand-alone photovoltaic/wind/battery/diesel hybrid system to meet the electricity needs of Fanisua, an off-grid and remote village of northern Nigeria. In the first step, the MATLAB environment was used to run simulations and optimize the system via the genetic algorithm. Then, techno-economic and emissions analysis was carried out in the second step to compare the proposed system to the existing traditional modes of rural electrification in sub-Saharan Africa, namely, the grid-extension and diesel generator. The break-even distance parameter was adopted in the comparison with grid-extension. Besides, the hypothetical project of replacing the diesel generator by the optimal system was analyzed using the Simple Payback Period (SPP) and Net Present Value (NPV) parameters. The resulting optimal design architecture included an 89.271-kW photovoltaic array, a 100.31-W diesel generator, and 148 batteries with a total annualized cost (TAC) and cost of energy (COE) of USD 43,807 and USD 0.25/kWh, respectively. The break-even distance found was 16.2 km, while the NPV and SPP of the hypothetical project were USD 572,382 and 2.8 years, respectively. The savings in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the proposed system compared to the grid extension and the diesel generator were found to be 85,401.08 kg/year and 122,062.85 kg/year, respectively. This study highlighted the role that solar PV-based HRESs could play in the sustainable electricity supply in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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11 pages, 2975 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Performance of Anti-Freeze Protection System of a Solar Thermal System
by Sebastian Pater
Processes 2020, 8(10), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8101286 - 14 Oct 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1907
Abstract
In a moderate, transitory climate, to prevent freezing of outdoor pipes and collectors in solar thermal systems, anti-freezing fluids are commonly used. There is little experience of using water without any additives as a solar thermal fluid in such a climate. Based on [...] Read more.
In a moderate, transitory climate, to prevent freezing of outdoor pipes and collectors in solar thermal systems, anti-freezing fluids are commonly used. There is little experience of using water without any additives as a solar thermal fluid in such a climate. Based on these findings, to fill the knowledge gap this article presents the long-term results of thermal performance and anti-freeze protection of a solar heating system with heat pipe evacuated tube collectors with water as a solar thermal fluid. The operation of this system under real conditions was analysed for five years in southern Poland. The annual value of solar insolation ranged from 839 to almost 1000 kWh/m2. The monthly efficiency of the solar collectors from March to October was usually higher than 25%, and the lowest was between November and January. The anti-freeze protection system consumed annually from 7 to 13% of the heat generated by the collectors in the installation. Supporting the operation of the central heating system in the building during the winter season highly improved the efficiency of the solar collectors. Results show that it is possible to use water without any additives as a solar thermal fluid in a moderate, transitory climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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24 pages, 7678 KiB  
Article
The Impacts of Tracking System Inaccuracy on CPV Module Power
by Henrik Zsiborács, Nóra Hegedűsné Baranyai, András Vincze, Philipp Weihs, Stefan F. Schreier, Christian Gützer, Michael Revesz and Gábor Pintér
Processes 2020, 8(10), 1278; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8101278 - 12 Oct 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2454
Abstract
The accuracy and reliability of solar tracking greatly impacts the performance of concentrator photovoltaic modules (CPV). Thus, it is of utmost significance to know how deviations in tracking influence CPV module power. In this work, the positioning characteristics of CPV modules compared to [...] Read more.
The accuracy and reliability of solar tracking greatly impacts the performance of concentrator photovoltaic modules (CPV). Thus, it is of utmost significance to know how deviations in tracking influence CPV module power. In this work, the positioning characteristics of CPV modules compared to the focus points were investigated. The performance of CPV modules mounted on a dual-axis tracking system was analysed as a function of their orientation and inclination. The actual experiment was carried out with CPV cells of 3 mm in diameter. By using a dual tracking system under real weather conditions, the module’s position was gradually modified until the inclination differed by 5° relative to the optimal position of the focus point of the CPV module. The difference in inclination was established by the perfect perpendicularity to the Sun’s rays. The results obtained specifically for CPV technology help determine the level of accuracy that solar tracking photovoltaic systems are required to have to keep the loss in power yield under a certain level. Moreover, this power yield loss also demonstrated that the performance insensitivity thresholds of the CPV modules did not depend on the directions of the alterations in azimuthal alignment. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that earlier, no information had been found regarding the tracking insensitivity point in CPV technologies. A further analysis was carried out to compare the yield of CPV to other, conventional photovoltaic technologies under real Central European climate conditions. It was shown that CPV needs a sun tracking accuracy of at least 0.5° in order to surpass the yield of other PV technologies. Besides providing an insight into the tracking error values of solar tracking sensors, it is believed that the results might facilitate the planning of solar tracking sensor investments as well as the economic calculations related to 3 mm cell diameter CPV system investments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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23 pages, 5499 KiB  
Article
Energy and Exergy Assessment of S-CO2 Brayton Cycle Coupled with a Solar Tower System
by Muhammad Ehtisham Siddiqui and Khalid H. Almitani
Processes 2020, 8(10), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8101264 - 8 Oct 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2398
Abstract
In this research, we performed energy and exergy assessments of a solar driven power plant. Supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle is used for the conversion of heat to work. The plant runs on solar energy from 8 a.m. to 4 [...] Read more.
In this research, we performed energy and exergy assessments of a solar driven power plant. Supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle is used for the conversion of heat to work. The plant runs on solar energy from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and to account for the fluctuations in the solar energy, the plant is equipped with an auxiliary heater operating on hot combustion gases from the combustion chamber. The capital city of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) is chosen in this study and the solar insolation levels for this location are calculated using the ASHRAE clear-sky model. The solar collector (central receiver) receives solar energy reflected by the heliostats; therefore, a radially staggered heliostat field is generated for this purpose. A suite of code is developed to calculate various parameters of the heliostat field, such as optical efficiencies, intercept factors, attenuation factors and heliostat characteristic angles. S-CO2 Brayton cycle is simulated in commercial software, Aspen HYSYS V9 (Aspen Technology, Inc., Bedford, MA, USA). The cycle is mainly powered by solar energy but assisted by an auxiliary heater to maintain a constant net power input of 80 MW to the cycle. The heliostat field generated, composed of 1207 rows, provides 475 watts per unit heliostat’s area to the central receiver. Heat losses from the central receiver due to natural convection and radiation are significant, with an average annual loss of 10 percent in the heat absorbed by the receiver. Heat collection rate at the central receiver reveals that the maximum support of auxiliary heat is needed in December, at nearly 13% of the net input energy. Exergy analysis shows that the highest exergy loss takes place in the heliostat field that is nearly 42.5% of incident solar exergy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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Review

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20 pages, 6329 KiB  
Review
Development of the Concept of Circular Supply Chain Management—A Systematic Review
by Péter Lengyel, Attila Bai, Zoltán Gabnai, Othman Mohammad Ahmed Mustafa, Péter Balogh, Erzsébet Péter, Nikoletta Tóth-Kaszás and Kornél Németh
Processes 2021, 9(10), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9101740 - 28 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4362
Abstract
This systematic review presents the most important characteristics and trends of research in circular supply chain management (CSCM), taking into account the impact of COVID. In addition, the similarities and differences between the basic concepts often used as synonyms for sustainability are also [...] Read more.
This systematic review presents the most important characteristics and trends of research in circular supply chain management (CSCM), taking into account the impact of COVID. In addition, the similarities and differences between the basic concepts often used as synonyms for sustainability are also presented. First, the sample database (39,000 records) was based on a search containing publications’ titles regarding supply chain management (SCM). After narrowing the topic from SCM towards CSCM, the considered paper characteristics were expanded, including abstract and author keywords, to get a manageable number of samples for the systematic analysis (6095 documents) and the most accurate results possible. The analysis’ base sample was divided into two periods (before and after 2012) due to a significant increase and change in the number of publications, their subject, characteristic journals and geographical location. Sustainability has emerged since 2012, while a circular approach emerged after 2017 with a significant share of research, mainly thanks to relevant EU policies. Although the role of the US has been decisive in the field, the European research bases of previous years have increasingly been replaced by Far Eastern dominance. Currently, CSCM’s most important journal is the International Journal of Supply Chain Management (Elsevier), but most articles on the impact of COVID have been published in Sustainability (MDPI). More effective policy implementation and the fight against COVID in the development of supply chains are also likely to spread the circular economic model in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Process and Modelling of Renewable Energy Sources)
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