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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 48193

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Dr. Alberto Jesús Perea Moreno

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Guest Editor

Department of Applied Physics, Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: renewable energy; energy saving; biomass; sustainability; remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Francisco G. Montoya

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Guest Editor

Department of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Section, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Interests: geometric algebra; power quality; power theory; power engineering; optimization techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Sustainability on the topic “Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities”.

The use of renewable energies and energy saving and efficiency are needs of global society and universities. Universities have a large responsibility and social impact, as they are an example and engine of social change. Universities, in the European context, must be at the forefront of ESA processes, seeking to be at the same level, and preferably higher than the rest of society, seeking the goal of 20% in renewable energy for 2020 and, in the longer term, greater energy efficiency based on a diverse use of renewable energy and studying the feasibility of other energy processes (cogeneration, trigeneration, etc.). The application of renewable energies and efficiency allow universities to make significant savings in their costs, and contribute to sustainable development and the fight against climate change. Actions on these aspects in addition to the objective of saving should seek to promote research and form an example for the university community. This Special Issue aims to advance the contribution of energy saving and the use of renewable energies in order to achieve more sustainable universities. This Special Issue seeks contributions spanning a broad range of topics related but not limited to:

Solar energy
The use of rooftops for energy generation
Energy conversion from urban biomass or residues
Energy management for sewage water
Bioclimatic architecture and green buildings
Wind energy cogeneration
Public and private urban energy saving
Policy for urban energy saving
Electric meters
Zero-energy buildings

I believe that this Special Issue will help promote sustainability at universities.

Thank you for your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Jesús Perea Moreno
Prof. Dr. Francisco G. Montoya
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. Sustainability 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 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

Energy saving
renewable energy
universities
zero-energy buildings
energy efficiency
sustainability
bioclimatic architecture
sustainable transport
PV
CSP
energy saving in laboratories
energy saving in data processing centres

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 188 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities

by Francisco G. Montoya and Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9219; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219219 - 5 Nov 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1803

Abstract

The use of renewable energies and energy saving and efficiency are needs of global society and universities. Universities have a large responsibility and social impact, as they are an example and engine of social change. Universities, in the European context, must be at the forefront of sustainability progress, seeking to be at the same level, and preferably higher than the rest of society, seeking the goal of 20% in renewable energy for 2020 and, in the longer term, greater energy efficiency based on a diverse use of renewable energy and studying the feasibility of other energy processes (cogeneration, trigeneration, etc.). The application of renewable energies and efficiency allow universities to make significant savings in their costs and contribute to sustainable development and the fight against climate change. Actions on these aspects in addition to the objective of saving should seek to promote research and form an example for the university community. This Special Issue aims to advance the contribution of energy saving and the use of renewable energies in order to achieve more sustainable universities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

17 pages, 20564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Potential Role of Stakeholders in the Energy Efficiency of Higher Education Institutions

by Rubén Garrido-Yserte and María-Teresa Gallo-Rivera

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8908; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218908 - 27 Oct 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3642

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a huge potential to save energy as they are significantly more energy-intensive in comparison with commercial offices and manufacturing premises. This paper provides an overview of the chief actions of sustainability and energy efficiency addressed by the University of Alcalá (Madrid, Spain). The policies implemented have shifted the University of Alcalá (UAH) to become the top-ranking university in Spain and one of the leading universities internationally on environmentally sustainable practices. The paper highlights two key elements. First, the actions adopted by the managerial teams, and second, the potential of public–private collaboration when considering different stakeholders. A descriptive study is developed through document analysis. The results show that energy consumption per user and energy consumption per area first fall and are then maintained, thereby contributing to meeting the objectives of the Spanish Government’s Action Plan for Energy Saving and Efficiency (2011–2020). Because of the research approach, the results cannot be generalized. However, the paper fulfils an identified need to study the impact of HEIs and their stakeholders on sustainable development through initiatives in saving energy on their campuses and highlights the role of HEIs as test laboratories for the introduction of innovations in this field (monitoring, sensing, and reporting, among others). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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21 pages, 6593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Zapote Seed (Pouteria mammosa L.) Valorization for Thermal Energy Generation in Tropical Climates

by Miguel-Angel Perea-Moreno, Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo, Fernando Rueda-Martinez and Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno

Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4284; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104284 - 23 May 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3386

Abstract

According to the Law for the Use of Renewable Energies and the Financing of Energy Transition, Mexico’s goal for 2024 is to generate 35% of its energy from non-fossil sources. Each year, up to 2630 tons of residual biomass from the zapote industry are dismissed without sustainable use. The main purposes of this study were to determine the elemental chemical analysis of the zapote seed and its energy parameters to further evaluate its suitability as a solid biofuel in boilers for the generation of thermal energy in a tropical climate. Additionally, energy, economic, and environmental assessments of the installation were carried out. The results obtained show that zapote seed has a higher heating value (18.342 MJ/kg), which makes it appealing for power generation. The Yucatan Peninsula is the main zapote-producing region, with an annual production of 11,084 tons. If the stone of this fruit were used as biofuel, 7860.87 MWh could be generated and a CO₂ saving of 1996.66 tons could be obtained. Additionally, replacing a 200 kW liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) boiler with a biomass boiler using zapote seed as a biofuel would result in a reduction of 60,960.00 kg/year of CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, an annual saving of $7819.79 would be obtained, which means a saving of 53.19% relative to the old LPG installation. These results pave the way toward the utilization of zapote seed as a solid biofuel and contribute to achieving Mexico’s energy goal for 2024 while promoting sustainability in universities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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22 pages, 5756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Solar Energy in Mexican Universities. Case Study: The National School of Higher Studies Juriquilla (UNAM)

by Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo, Alida Ramirez-Jimenez, Jesús Manuel Dorador-Gonzalez, Miguel-Angel Perea-Moreno and Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3123; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083123 - 13 Apr 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4758

Abstract

Universities around the world should be at the forefront of energy-saving and efficiency processes, seeking to be at the same level or preferably higher than the rest of society, and seeking the goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020. Sustainability practices have been carried out by several universities. In Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is a leader in this subject; in fact, the newest National School of Higher Studies - Juriquilla (ENES-J) that belongs to UNAM, located in the city of Queretaro (Mexico), is involved in its sustainability plan, with one of its main objectives being to save electric energy. UNAM has some campuses outside of Mexico City, and one of them is the National School of Higher Studies Juriquilla (ENES-J) in the state of Queretaro, where there is the Orthotics and Prosthetics Laboratory (OPL), in which has been installed a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine type Haas Automation model UMC-750, which has 5-axis and is an effective means to reduce the number of setups and increase accuracy for multi-sided and complex parts. This machine will be used to design, build, and assess human prosthesis. This study aimed to contribute to sustainability policies at the ENES-J from UNAM, implementing a solar photovoltaic system (PVS) to deliver electricity to the grid and contribute to reducing the electricity load at the Orthotics and Prosthetics Laboratory (OPL), as well to propose new research lines to support the sustainability policies in universities, and also proposing a financial analysis. To achieve this, in an area of 96.7 m², 50 solar panels type mono-Si Advance Power API-M330 with an efficiency of 17.83% and a capacity factor of 20.4% will be installed and will provide 17.25 kW of power and 345 kWh of energy. The financial analysis shows the initial costs of 46,575 USD/kW, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs (savings) of 569 USD/kW-year, a monthly electricity export rate of 0.10 USD/kWh, electricity exported to the grid of 21.5 MWh, and an electricity export revenue of 2,145 USD. To assess the environmental balance with this PVS at ENES-J, an analysis of greenhouse gases (GHG) is carried out by using the RETScreen software. In this analysis, a GHG emission factor of 0.45 tCO₂/MWh was found, as well as a savings of 12,089 USD per year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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23 pages, 6806 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Sustainable Thermal Energy Generation at Universities by Using Loquat Seeds as Biofuel

by Miguel-Angel Perea-Moreno, Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo and Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno

Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 2093; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12052093 - 9 Mar 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4098

Abstract

Global energy consumption has increased the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), these being the main cause of global warming. Within renewable energies, bioenergy has undergone a great development in recent years. This is due to its carbon neutral balance and the fact that bioenergy can be obtained from a range of biomass resources, including residues from forestry, agricultural or livestock industries, the rapid rotation of forest plantations, the development of energy crops, organic matter from urban solid waste, and other sources of organic waste from agro-food industries. Processing factories that use loquats to make products such as liqueurs and jams generate large amounts of waste mainly in the form of skin and stones or seeds. These wastes are disposed of and sent to landfills without making environmentally sustainable use of them. The University of Almeria Sports Centre is made up of indoor spaces in which different sports can be practiced: sports centre pavilion (central court and two lateral courts), rocodrome, fitness room, cycle inner room, and indoor swimming pool. At present, the indoor swimming pool of the University of Almeria (UAL) has two fuel oil boilers, with a nominal power of 267 kW. The main objective of this study is to propose an energetic analysis to determine, on the one hand, the energetic properties of the loquat seed and, on the other hand, to evaluate its suitability to be used as a solid biofuel to feed the boilers of the heated swimming pool of the University of Almeria (Spain), highlighting the significant energy and environmental savings obtained. Results show that the higher calorific value of loquat seed (17.205 MJ/kg), is like other industrial wastes such as wheat straw, or pistachio shell, which demonstrates the energy potential of this residual biomass. In addition, the change of the fuel oil boiler to a biomass (loquat seed) boiler in the UAL’s indoor swimming pool means a reduction of 147,973.8 kg of CO₂ in emissions into the atmosphere and an annual saving of 35,739.5 €, which means a saving of 72.78% with respect to the previous fuel oil installation. A sensitivity analysis shows that fuel cost of base case is the variable with the most sensitivity changing the initial cost and net present value (NPV). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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16 pages, 3776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Benchmarking Energy Use at University of Almeria (Spain)

by Mehdi Chihib, Esther Salmerón-Manzano and Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro

Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041336 - 12 Feb 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4553

Abstract

Several factors impact the energy use of university campus buildings. This study aims to benchmark the energy use in universities with Mediterranean climates. The University of Almeria campus was used as a case study, and different types of buildings were analyzed. The second goal was to model the electricity consumption and determinate which parameter correlate strongly with energy use. Macro-scale energy consumption data during a period of seven years were gathered alongside cross-sectional buildings information. Eight years of daily outdoor temperature data were recorded and stored for every half hour. This dataset was eventually used to calculate heating and cooling degree-days. The weather factor was recognized as the variable with the greatest impact on campus energy consumption, and as the coefficient indicated a strong correlation, a linear regression model was established to forecast future energy use. A threshold of 8 GWh has been estimated as the energy consumption limit to be achieved despite the growth of the university. Finally, it is based on the results to inform the recommendations for decision making in order to act effectively to optimize and achieve a return on investment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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24 pages, 4164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Management in PV Based Microgrids Designed for the Universidad Nacional de Colombia

by Luis Fernando Grisales-Noreña, Carlos Andrés Ramos-Paja, Daniel Gonzalez-Montoya, Gerardo Alcalá and Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031219 - 7 Feb 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3356

Abstract

Stand-alone Electrical microgrids (MGs) require power management strategies to extend the life-time of their devices and to guarantee the global power balance of non-critical loads such as lighting of small sections of an university campus or individual air conditioning systems. This paper proposes an energy management strategy (EMS) for an isolated DC microgrid formed by a photovoltaic system (PVS), an energy storage system (battery), and a noncritical load. This configuration enables the photovoltaic system to control the power generation and ensures that the storage element does not exceed the safe limits of the state of charge. To control the generation of the photovoltaic system, two operating modes based on the perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm are implemented. The first one performs a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) action, while the second one regulates the power generated by the PVS to match the load requirement (power demand tracking, PDT). The management strategy also considers different operating states for ensuring the battery safety: normal operation, overcharge (at the maximum state of charge), and bulk charge (at the minimum state of charge); in those states the disconnection/connection of both the battery and the load is also considered. The main contribution of this work is to design and test a control strategy for an EMS aimed at regulating a standalone microgrid based on a PV system and an energy storage device. This solution is validated using detailed MG circuital simulations, which includes the PV source model (single-diode model), lithium-ion battery model, constant power load model and the DC/DC converters equations; moreover, realistic power generation and demand from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, located at Medellín-Colombia, are considered. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the energy management strategy, and in this way, enable to extend the battery lifetime and reduce the costs associated to the maintenance and disconnection of the microgrid in educational buildings or other applications focused on this type of DC microgrid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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22 pages, 4661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contribution of University to Environmental Energy Sustainability in the City

by Iñigo Leon, Xabat Oregi and Cristina Marieta

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030774 - 21 Jan 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3478

Abstract

The environmental energy sustainability of universities has aroused great interest in recent years. In this study, environmental impact assessment tools are used to analyse the environmental impacts of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) since 2015 and to identify reform scenarios to make the university more sustainable. University campuses can be considered to be small cities that impact the environment of the cities where they are located. The environmental impacts of the UPV/EHU Gipuzkoa campus and the impacts on the city of Donostia-San Sebastián in which the university is located are analysed. The environmental impacts are calculated using simulation tools based on three-dimensional models of the university campus and the city. These results are compared with actual impact results from monitoring. The simulation results differ from the monitoring results but provide a rapid determination of the best future scenarios for a more sustainable university by taking the impacts on the city into account. This study enables the university to align its efforts with the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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18 pages, 4968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pitch Angle Optimization by Intelligent Adjusting the Gains of a PI Controller for Small Wind Turbines in Areas with Drastic Wind Speed Changes

by Ernesto Chavero-Navarrete, Mario Trejo-Perea, Juan-Carlos Jáuregui-Correa, Roberto-Valentín Carrillo-Serrano and José-Gabriel Rios-Moreno

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6670; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236670 - 26 Nov 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5596

Abstract

The population growth demands a greater generation of energy, an alternative is the use of small wind turbines, however, obtaining maximum wind power becomes the main challenge when there are drastic changes in wind speed. The angle of the blades rotates around its longitudinal axis to control the effect of the wind on the rotation of the turbine, a proportional-integral controller (PI) for this angle achieves stability and precision in a stable state but is not functional with severe alterations in wind speed, a different response time is necessary in both cases. This article proposes a novel pitch angle controller based on auto-tuning of PI gains, for which it uses a teaching–learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm. The wind speed and the value of the magnitude of the change are used by the algorithm to determine the appropriate PI gains at different wind speeds, so it can adapt to any sudden change in wind speed. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by experimental results for a 14 KW permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbine located at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro (UAQ), Mexico. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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22 pages, 11762 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bibliometric Maps of BIM and BIM in Universities: A Comparative Analysis

by Mehdi Chihib, Esther Salmerón-Manzano, Nuria Novas and Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro

Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4398; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164398 - 14 Aug 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5192

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is increasingly important in the architecture and engineering fields, and especially in the field of sustainability through the study of energy. This study performs a bibliometric study analysis of BIM publications based on the Scopus database during the whole period from 2003 to 2018. The aim was to establish a comparison of bibliometric maps of the building information model and BIM in universities. The analyzed data included 4307 records produced by a total of 10,636 distinct authors from 314 institutions. Engineering and computer science were found to be the main scientific fields involved in BIM research. Architectural design are the central theme keywords, followed by information theory and construction industry. The final stage of the study focuses on the detection of clusters in which global research in this field is grouped. The main clusters found were those related to the BIM cycle, including construction management, documentation and analysis, architecture and design, construction/fabrication, and operation and maintenance (related to energy or sustainability). However, the clusters of the last phases such as demolition and renovation are not present, which indicates that this field suntil needs to be further developed and researched. With regard to the evolution of research, it has been observed how information technologies have been integrated over the entire spectrum of internet of things (IoT). A final key factor in the implementation of the BIM is its inclusion in the curriculum of technical careers related to areas of construction such as civil engineering or architecture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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16 pages, 3758 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Role of Smart Contracts in Sustainability: Worldwide Research Trends

by Esther Salmerón-Manzano and Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro

Sustainability 2019, 11(11), 3049; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113049 - 30 May 2019

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 7362

Abstract

The advent and development of digital technologies has had a significant impact on the establishment of contracts. Smart contracts are designed as computer code containing instructions for executing user agreements, offering a technologically secure solution with numerous advantages and applications. However, smart contracts are not without their problems when we try to fit them into the traditional system of contract law, and their presumed benefits can become shortcomings. Bibliometric studies can help to assess the current state of science in a specific subject and support decision making and research direction. Here, this bibliometric study is used to analyze global trend research in relation to this novel contractual methodology, the smart contract, which seems to have experienced exponential growth since 2014. Specially, this analysis was focused on the main countries involved and the institutions that lead this research worldwide. On the other hand, the indexations of these works are analyzed according to major scientific areas and the keywords of all the works, to detect the subjects to which they are grouped. Community detection has been used to establish the relationship between countries researching in this area, and six clusters have been identified, around which all the work related to this topic is grouped. This work shows the temporal evolution of research related to smart contracts, highlighting that there are two trends—e-commerce and smart power grids. From the perspective of driving sustainability, smart contracts could provide a contribution in the near future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Energy Sustainability at Universities)

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