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Changes of Global Energy Systems
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Changes of Global Energy Systems

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 2020) | Viewed by 16725

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sara Giarola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Earth Science&Engineering Department, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Interests: multiscale modelling and optimisation of energy systems; sociotechnical energy systems transitions; climate change mitigation; biorefineries
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims at contributing to the energy policy dialogue by bringing forth scientific and multidisciplinary knowledge to explore, assess and validate analyses of the energy systems transitions and their feasibility in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Emphasis will be given to research contributions on the intersection between energy systems transition modelling and climate change mitigation, focusing on the water, energy and food nexus, as well as highlighting the role that the society can play on the energy systems transition pace.

The Special Issue on “Changes of Global Energy Systems” aims to systematically explore feasibility and robustness of the energy systems change in the context of keeping global warming below 1.5 °C (or 2 °C) compared to pre-industrial time. With this Special Issue, we aim to comprehensively frame a discussion about status, potentials, limits, and barriers to deep decarbonisation. In view of this, we welcome papers and reviews regarding novel mathematical approaches, policy analyses, case studies, as well as novel indicators development to model and monitor the energy systems transitions either at a sectoral, national or at a global level. The issue structure will rely upon (but not be limited to) coverage of the following topics:

  1. Enabling CO2 and non-CO2 emissions reductions beyond global net zero, including mitigation efforts in demand and supply side of the energy system,;
  2. Robustness and validation of energy systems pathways via feasibility assessment of negative emission technologies deployment, renewables penetration, storage uptake, energy systems electrification, digitalisation;
  3. Modelling behavioural changes due to global warming mitigation;
  4. Interlinks of energy systems change with climate action, food and water conservation;
  5. Equity in distributional mitigation costs.

Dr. Sara Giarola
Guest Editor

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

  • net-zero emissions
  • mitigation of CO2 and non-CO2 emissions
  • behavioural changes and sustainable lifestyles
  • equity in climate policy
  • energy, food and water nexus
  • technology transitions of the energy systems
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • negative emission technologies
  • digitalisation
  • carbon budget estimates

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1546 KiB  
Article
Determinants of Improving the Strategy of Sustainable Energy Management of Building Sustainable Value for Stakeholders—Experience of Organizations in Poland
by Aneta Wysokińska-Senkus
Energies 2021, 14(10), 2878; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14102878 - 17 May 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2161
Abstract
The purpose of the research was to identify the factors determining the improvement of the sustainable energy management strategy in the process of building lasting value for stakeholders, identifying key activities supporting the process of improving the sustainable energy management strategy, and analyzing [...] Read more.
The purpose of the research was to identify the factors determining the improvement of the sustainable energy management strategy in the process of building lasting value for stakeholders, identifying key activities supporting the process of improving the sustainable energy management strategy, and analyzing the degree of use of environmental indicators by organizations in Poland. In the research process, to achieve the assumed research goals, it was decided to use the following research methods: The “Delphic Method” and the CAWI method (Computer-Assisted Web Interview). The research was carried out on a sample of 102 organizations in Poland. The study identifies goals for the sustainable development of the organization, activities supporting the process of sustainable energy management, and indicators in the field of energy management. The key factors for the improvement of energy management strategies have been identified, including implementation of modern technologies, reduction of energy consumption, development of procedures, increase of employee awareness, and clearly defined goals in the field of energy management. The strategy of the organization’s future actions towards achieving sustainable development determines the process of creating value for stakeholders. Dialogue with stakeholders is one of the basic conditions for proper planning and implementation of the organization’s strategy and taking actions in the field of sustainable energy management. Effective energy management becomes a necessity. Organizations must take a number of steps to achieve maximum resource efficiency. This can only be achieved through a holistic approach to the process of formulating the goals of the organization, which is necessary in decision-making processes and in the approach to energy management. The Polish economy has been built on coal and other fossil fuels. So far, the majority of polish organizations have not cared about the natural environment and energy management, which is why the research on redefining their strategies is a novelty. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes of Global Energy Systems)
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31 pages, 4591 KiB  
Article
Modelling Future Agricultural Mechanisation of Major Crops in China: An Assessment of Energy Demand, Land Use and Emissions
by Iván García Kerdan, Sara Giarola, Ellis Skinner, Marin Tuleu and Adam Hawkes
Energies 2020, 13(24), 6636; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13246636 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
Agricultural direct energy use is responsible for about 1–2% of global emissions and is the major emitting sector for methane (2.9 GtCO2eq y−1) and nitrous oxide (2.3 GtCO2eq y−1). In the last century, farm mechanisation [...] Read more.
Agricultural direct energy use is responsible for about 1–2% of global emissions and is the major emitting sector for methane (2.9 GtCO2eq y−1) and nitrous oxide (2.3 GtCO2eq y−1). In the last century, farm mechanisation has brought higher productivity levels and lower land demands at the expense of an increase in fossil energy and agrochemicals use. The expected increase in certain food and bioenergy crops and the uncertain mitigation options available for non-CO2 emissions make of vital importance the assessment of the use of energy and the related emissions attributable to this sector. The aim of this paper is to present a simulation framework able to forecast energy demand, technological diffusion, required investment and land use change of specific agricultural crops. MUSE-Ag & LU, a novel energy systems-oriented agricultural and land use model, has been used for this purpose. As case study, four main crops (maize, soybean, wheat and rice) have been modelled in mainland China. Besides conventional direct energy use, the model considers inputs such as fertiliser and labour demand. Outputs suggest that the modernisation of agricultural processes in China could have the capacity to reduce by 2050 on-farm emissions intensity from 0.024 to 0.016 GtCO2eq PJcrop−1 (−35.6%), requiring a necessary total investment of approximately 319.4 billion 2017$US. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes of Global Energy Systems)
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20 pages, 2338 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Causal Relations between the Kaya Identity Index and ODIAC-Based Fossil Fuel CO2 Flux
by YoungSeok Hwang, Jung-Sup Um, JunHwa Hwang and Stephan Schlüter
Energies 2020, 13(22), 6009; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13226009 - 17 Nov 2020
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3900
Abstract
The Kaya identity is a powerful index displaying the influence of individual carbon dioxide (CO2) sources on CO2 emissions. The sources are disaggregated into representative factors such as population, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, energy intensity of the GDP, [...] Read more.
The Kaya identity is a powerful index displaying the influence of individual carbon dioxide (CO2) sources on CO2 emissions. The sources are disaggregated into representative factors such as population, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, energy intensity of the GDP, and carbon footprint of energy. However, the Kaya identity has limitations as it is merely an accounting equation and does not allow for an examination of the hidden causalities among the factors. Analyzing the causal relationships between the individual Kaya identity factors and their respective subcomponents is necessary to identify the real and relevant drivers of CO2 emissions. In this study we evaluated these causal relationships by conducting a parallel multiple mediation analysis, whereby we used the fossil fuel CO2 flux based on the Open-Source Data Inventory of Anthropogenic CO2 emissions (ODIAC). We found out that the indirect effects from the decomposed variables on the CO2 flux are significant. However, the Kaya identity factors show neither strong nor even significant mediating effects. This demonstrates that the influence individual Kaya identity factors have on CO2 directly emitted to the atmosphere is not primarily due to changes in their input factors, namely the decomposed variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes of Global Energy Systems)
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26 pages, 11195 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Greenhouse Gases and Pollutant Emissions in the Road Freight Transport Sector: A Case Study for São Paulo State, Brazil
by Pedro Gerber Machado, Ana Carolina Rodrigues Teixeira, Flavia Mendes de Almeida Collaço, Adam Hawkes and Dominique Mouette
Energies 2020, 13(20), 5433; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13205433 - 18 Oct 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3632
Abstract
This study analyzes the road freight sector of São Paulo state to identify the best options to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and local pollutants, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons. Additionally, the investment cost of each vehicle is also [...] Read more.
This study analyzes the road freight sector of São Paulo state to identify the best options to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and local pollutants, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons. Additionally, the investment cost of each vehicle is also analyzed. Results show that electric options, including hybrid, battery, and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles represent the best options to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases emissions concomitantly, but considerable barriers for their deployment are still in place. With little long-term planning on the state level, electrification of the transport system, in combination with increased renewable electricity generation, would require considerable financial support to achieve the desired emissions reductions without increasing energy insecurity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes of Global Energy Systems)
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16 pages, 2396 KiB  
Article
Energy Performance of the European Union Countries in Terms of Reaching the European Energy Union Objectives
by Roman Vavrek and Jana Chovancová
Energies 2020, 13(20), 5317; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13205317 - 13 Oct 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2261
Abstract
European energy policy, especially the project of the Energy Union, is one of the most rapidly developing areas of the EU, and one through which European institutions are obtaining gradually more extensive power over the performance of the national energy sectors. The paper [...] Read more.
European energy policy, especially the project of the Energy Union, is one of the most rapidly developing areas of the EU, and one through which European institutions are obtaining gradually more extensive power over the performance of the national energy sectors. The paper focuses on an analysis of the energy performance of EU member states (MS) with regard to the priorities of the European Energy Union. For an assessment of the energy performance of EU countries, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was chosen, using the Coefficient of Variation method (CV) as an objective method for determining the weights of eight input indicators, including CO2 intensity, electricity and gas price, energy productivity, energy dependence, consumption of renewables and research and development. The analysis for the period from 2008 to 2016 showed significant changes in the input indicators, which directly influenced the results of both methods mentioned above. Long-term differences between the best- and worst-rated countries are seen mainly in CO2 emissions, energy imports and total consumption of renewable energy sources. It is these aspects of comprehensive energy performance and their convergence at the level of EU countries that we believe should be addressed in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes of Global Energy Systems)
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17 pages, 2112 KiB  
Article
Gini and Entropy-Based Spread Indexes for Primary Energy Consumption Efficiency and CO2 Emission
by Hellinton H. Takada, Celma O. Ribeiro, Oswaldo L. V. Costa and Julio M. Stern
Energies 2020, 13(18), 4938; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184938 - 21 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1940
Abstract
Primary energy consumption is one of the key drivers of global CO2 emissions that, in turn, heavily depends on the efficiency of involved technologies. Either improvement in technology efficiency or the expansion of non-fossil fuel consumption requires large investments. The planning and [...] Read more.
Primary energy consumption is one of the key drivers of global CO2 emissions that, in turn, heavily depends on the efficiency of involved technologies. Either improvement in technology efficiency or the expansion of non-fossil fuel consumption requires large investments. The planning and financing of such investments by global policy makers or global energy firms require, in turn, reliable measures of associated global spread and their evolution in time, at least from the point of view of the principles for responsible investment (PRI). In this paper, our main contribution is the introduction of index measures for accessing global spread (that is, measures of inequality or inhomogeneity in the statistical distribution of a related quantity of interest) of technology efficiency and CO2 emission in primary energy consumption. These indexes are based on the Gini index, as used in economical sciences, and generalized entropy measures. Regarding primary energy sources, we consider petroleum, coal, natural gas, and non-fossil fuels. Between our findings, we attest some stable relations in the evolution of global spreads of technology efficiency and CO2 emission and a positive relation between changes in global spread of technology efficiency and use of non-fossil fuel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes of Global Energy Systems)
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