Search Results (438)

This study addresses a critical policy paradox in transport infrastructure planning: the necessity for substantial decarbonization investments amid declining freight demand forecasts in less developed territories. Despite reduced demand, such investments remain justified for advancing sustainability, regulatory compliance, and long-term system resilience. Herein, an integrated decision support framework is developed that optimizes infrastructure investment sequencing while maximizing private capital participation and ensuring technology–regulation alignment. Using comprehensive freight transport data from Latvia (2012–2023), a scenario tree analysis integrated with S-curve technology adoption models is employed to evaluate optimal infrastructure sequencing strategies for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The methodology combines Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) demand forecasting with total cost of ownership (TCO)-based technology adoption curves and hierarchical modal split modeling. The analysis further identifies distinct market segments and adoption trajectories, demonstrating how strategic infrastructure sequencing can accelerate low- and zero-emission technology uptake across different freight distances and policy scenarios. The results demonstrate that strategic sequencing generates net present value (NPV) savings of approximately EUR 18.2 million (at a 4% discount rate) compared to immediate full-scale deployment while maintaining regulatory compliance timelines. The framework provides policymakers with systematic evidence-based criteria for infrastructure investment timing, contributing to the efficient allocation of scarce public resources in the transition to sustainable freight transport. Full article

Sub-hourly operational optimization of Power-to-X (PtX) hydrogen systems remains largely unexplored, despite their growing importance as flexible assets in renewable-dominated energy systems. Existing models typically assume hourly market resolution and linear process behavior, overlooking how intra-hour price volatility and non-linear electrolyzer efficiencies shape operational costs, flexibility, and emissions. This study pioneers a data-driven optimization framework that integrates synthetic 15 min electricity-price generation, agent-based simulation, and mixed-integer quadratically constrained programming (MIQCP) to evaluate hydrogen-production strategies under the forthcoming European 15 min market regime. Using a Danish PtX facility with on-site wind and solar generation as a case study, the framework quantifies how adaptive scheduling compares with non-adaptive baselines across multiple volatility scenarios. The results show that dynamic 15 min optimization reduces hydrogen-production costs by up to 40% relative to hourly scheduling, and that extending the objective function to include electricity-sales revenue improves net profitability by approximately 11%. Although adaptive scheduling slightly increases CO₂ intensity due to altered renewable utilization, it substantially enhances flexibility and cost efficiency. Scientifically, this study introduces the first reproducible synthetic-data approach for sub-hourly optimization of non-linear electrolyzer systems, bridging a critical gap in the demand-side-management and sector-coupling literature. Practically, it provides evidence-based guidance for PtX operators and regulators on designing adaptive, volatility-responsive control strategies aligned with Europe’s transition to high-frequency electricity markets and net-zero objectives. Full article

The growing market penetration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) requires very efficient bidirectional on-board chargers. These converters must allow the power transfer from the grid to the battery of the vehicle and vice versa, since Vehicle to Grid (V2G) applications enable a mitigation of the peak demand and help regulate both the voltage and the frequency of the grid. In this paper, an innovative double asymmetric modulation was studied and applied to a resonant Dual Active Bridge (DAB), CLLC resonant filter configuration. The results of the study showed a significant efficiency boost and an easier controllability of the converter with respect to more traditional modulations or variable frequency techniques, maintaining Zero-Voltage Switching (ZVS) conditions for all the switches in a wide operating range, from 28 to 100% of the maximum power (4–14 kW). A map of optimum points, where converter losses are minimized, is calculated offline through an algorithm in MATLAB R2024a and a proper interpolation between these points allows any output power for each possible voltage level of the battery to be achieved: from 250 V up to 400 V. The modulations are compared and evaluated through simulations carried out in PLECS, both offline and using hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), as well as through experimental tests. Full article

The rapid growth of China’s electric vehicle (EV) market has led to a peak in end-of-life (EOL) power batteries, yet the recycling sector remains dominated by informal operations. This paper incorporates the formal and informal recycling participation behaviours of EV owners into the framework of evolutionary games, systematically examines the mechanism by which governmental incentive and disincentive mechanisms influence the evolutionary stability of each party, and constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model involving the government, recycling enterprises, and EV owners. Numerical simulation experiments conducted using PyCharm 2.3 provide an in-depth exploration of the strategic evolutionary trajectories of each participating agent. The findings indicate that (1) the stable strategy for the game-theoretic system of EOL power battery recycling is government non-regulation, recycling enterprises adopting formal recycling practices, and EV owners participating in formal recycling; (2) strengthening penalties against recycling enterprises will accelerate their transition towards formal recycling strategies, while increasing incentive levels can significantly enhance the steady-state probability of firms opting for formal recycling; (3) government subsidies for EV owners encourage both EV owners and recycling enterprises to adopt formal recycling, with recycling enterprises shifting first. This study enriches the application of evolutionary game theory in the field of EOL power battery recycling and further provides guidance for the healthy development of the recycling industry. Full article

This study examines Pakistan’s steel sector’s readiness to comply with the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which mandates verified emissions disclosures for carbon-intensive imports. Although the sector primarily uses electric arc furnace (EAF) technology, recognized for its lower emissions, Pakistan lacks a formal Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework to support product-level emissions certification. Through qualitative research, including stakeholder engagements and policy analysis, the study identifies key barriers related to emissions data, institutional capacity, and trade exposure. This study proposes actionable policy recommendations to strengthen MRV systems, facilitate compliance, and enhance the sector’s competitiveness in regulated markets. Full article

Compared with pure pumped storage, hybrid pumped storage plants (HPSPs) face more complex challenges in electricity markets, such as multi-time-scale decision-making and coupled market mechanisms. Existing mid- to long-term curve decomposition strategies often lead to deviations from actual spot prices and compressed bidding space, limiting profitability and sustainable development. To address this, this study introduces Contracts for Difference (CfDs) to enhance revenue and operational flexibility. A bi-level optimization model is developed for joint participation in spot and frequency regulation markets under CfDs: the upper level maximizes HPSP revenue through capacity allocation and bidding, while the lower level maximizes social welfare via joint energy and ancillary service market clearing. The model is solved using a commercial solver and NSGA-II. Simulations show that CfDs increase spot market revenue by 33.2% and improve bidding alignment with price fluctuations, demonstrating strong market adaptability. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected global economies, including the electricity sector. Governments implemented strict containment measures to mitigate the health crisis, including lockdowns, social distancing, and event cancelations. These interventions, while essential for public health, also disrupted energy demand and supply patterns. This study supports regulators by quantifying the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic on local electricity prices (LEPs) in the Nord Pool market (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) during 2020. The findings highlight a crucial link between crisis response strategies and the transition to sustainable energy systems. In times of uncertainty, governments tend to prioritize renewable energy investments, particularly wind power, which offers a clean and resilient alternative to fossil-fuel-based electricity generation. Using the PMG-ARDL estimator, our analysis reveals a significant long-term negative association between government interventions and LEP, as well as between wind energy production (WEP) and LEP. Specifically, an additional gigawatt of wind energy generation reduces local electricity prices by up to EUR 0.09, confirming the merit-order effect. These findings emphasize the environmental and economic benefits of expanding wind energy capacity as a stabilizing force in electricity markets. Moreover, while health-related news influenced LEP fluctuations in the long run, government restrictions had a limited short-term impact, likely due to the inelastic nature of electricity demand and supply. This study reinforces the argument that integrating more renewable energy sources can enhance market resilience, reduce price volatility, and contribute to long-term sustainable development, making the energy transition an essential pillar of post-pandemic recovery strategies. Full article

Quality Infrastructure (QI) underpins safe, sustainable, and competitive markets through metrology, standardization, accreditation, conformity assessment, and market surveillance. While mandatory schemes address immediate safety concerns, voluntary conformity assessments offer strategic advantages for emerging technologies by enabling market differentiation, regulatory anticipation, and gradual adaptation without compliance burdens. Focusing on Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology (Inmetro), this study addresses operational gaps in implementing voluntary schemes under the modernized regulatory framework introduced by Inmetro’s Ordinance No. 30/2022. Using electric mobility to illustrate sustainability pathways, we show how voluntary assessments can operationalize and enable measurement of environmental and social co-benefits. Our five-stage qualitative methodology integrated documentary analysis of Brazilian regulations; comparative examination of approaches in the European Union, the United States, and South Korea; development of a 14-step methodological roadmap aligned with ISO/IEC standards; expert validation through a structured questionnaire with twelve specialists from government, industry, academia, and certification bodies; and systematic consolidation of feedback. The roadmap provides operational guidance on product definition, technical requirements, certification processes, and continuous improvement, with optional modules for advanced technologies and ESG criteria. Expert validation confirmed viability while identifying barriers (costs, laboratory capacity, cultural limitations) and enablers (fiscal incentives, procurement recognition). When applied to electric mobility, voluntary battery certification enhances safety and performance, charging infrastructure assessment improves reliability, and component schemes enable circular economy principles, directly supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. We conclude that strategically designed voluntary conformity schemes can accelerate regulatory convergence, strengthen competitiveness, and contribute to sustainability outcomes in modernizing economies. Full article

The recent updates to the Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) framework in the European energy market, along with new rules for providing manual frequency restoration reserve (mFRR) products in the Nordic Energy Activation Market (EAM), have introduced a finer Market Time Unit (MTU) resolution. These developments underscore the growing importance of flexible assets, such as power-to-hydrogen (PtH) facilities, in delivering system flexibility. However, to successfully participate in such markets, well-designed and accurate bidding strategies are essential. To fulfill this aim, this paper proposes a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model to determine the optimal bidding strategies for a typical PtH facility, accounting for both the technical characteristics of the involved technologies and the specific participation requirements of the mFRR EAM. The study also explores the economic viability of sourcing electricity from nearby wind turbines (WTs) under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The simulation is conducted using a case study of a planned PtH facility at the Port of Hirtshals, Denmark. Results demonstrate that participation in the mFRR EAM, particularly through the provision of downward regulation, can yield significant economic benefits. Moreover, involvement in the mFRR market reduces power intake from the nearby WTs, as capacity must be reserved for downward services. Finally, the findings highlight the necessity of clearly defined business models for such facilities, considering both technical and economic aspects. Full article

Are environmental regulations the primary driver of rising electricity prices? Evidence from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) suggests a more nuanced reality. This paper examines the impact of RGGI on wholesale and retail electricity prices using a difference-in-differences framework. We analyze three key policy events—the 2005 announcement, the 2009 implementation, and the 2014 adjustment of the emissions cap—drawing on detailed panel data from power plants in both RGGI and non-RGGI states. Our results indicate that wholesale electricity prices in RGGI states did not increase following the 2005 announcement relative to non-RGGI states. By contrast, retail electricity prices rose by about 11% in the short run, coinciding with electricity market restructuring, though this retail price gap declined over time. Over the subsequent decade, RGGI states achieved substantial reductions in CO₂ emissions alongside a transition to cleaner generation technologies. Importantly, the industry’s response to environmental regulation did not immediately affect electricity prices. However, as the emissions cap tightened, price effects became more pronounced: following the 2014 adjustment that reduced the cap to roughly 50% of its 2008 level, wholesale prices increased by 0.68 to 5.57 cents/kWh. These findings suggest that while the short-run effects of environmental regulation on electricity prices are limited, more stringent caps over time can lead to measurable price impacts. Full article

The transition to sustainable energy systems is essential for attaining global carbon neutrality targets. Demand-side flexibility for carbon mitigation is investigated, and a low-carbon operational strategy tailored for industrial park energy systems is proposed. Demand response (DR) is classified into price-based and alternative categories, with respective models developed utilizing a price elasticity matrix and accounting for electricity-to-heat conversion. Integrated energy system (IES) involvement in the carbon trading market is incorporated through a stepped carbon pricing mechanism to regulate emissions. A mixed-integer linear programming model is constructed to characterize IES operations under ladder-type carbon pricing and DR frameworks. The model is resolved via the off-the-shelf commercial solver, facilitating effective optimization of dispatch over multiple time intervals and complex market interactions. Case study findings indicate that implementing stepped carbon pricing alongside DR strategies yields a 44.45% reduction in carbon emission costs, a 9.85% decrease in actual carbon emissions, and a 10.62% reduction in total system costs. These results offer a viable approach toward sustainable development of IES, achieving coordinated improvements in economic efficiency and low-carbon performance. Full article

The transition toward sustainability in the electric power sector, driven by increasingly renewable integration, has amplified the need to understand complex market dynamics. This study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature by presenting a systematic and reproducible methodology for profiling generating-unit operators’ macro-behaviour in the Italian Ancillary Services market (MSD). Focusing on the Northern zone (NORD) during the pivotal period of 2022–2024, a stability-driven k-means clustering framework is applied to a dataset of capacity-normalized features from the day-ahead market (MGP), intraday market (MI), and MSD. The number of clusters is determined using the Gap Statistic with a 1-SE criterion and validated with bootstrap stability (Adjusted Rand Index), resulting in a robust and reproducible 13-group taxonomy. The use of up-to-date data (2022–2024) enabled a unique investigation into post-2021 market phenomena, including the effects of geopolitical events and extreme price volatility. The findings reveal clear operator-coherent archetypes ranging from units that mainly trade in the day-ahead market to specialists that monetize flexibility in the MSD. The analysis further highlights the dominance of thermoelectric and dispatchable hydro technologies in providing ancillary services, while illustrating varying degrees of responsiveness to price signals. The proposed taxonomy offers regulators and policymakers a practical tool to identify inefficiencies, monitor concentration risks, and inform future market design and policy decisions. Full article

Electric vehicles are key to sustainable mobility, but their limited range remains a major obstacle to widespread adoption. Extending driving distance requires optimizing energy use across subsystems. This study combines bibliometric mapping (2017–2024, Scopus) with a focused qualitative review to structure recent research. Results highlight a strong emphasis on energy efficiency, with China leading due to its market size, industrial base, and supportive policies. Major research directions tied to range extension include energy storage, motion control, thermal regulation, cooperative driving, and grid interaction. Among these, hybrid energy storage systems and motor control stand out for their measurable impact and industrial relevance, while thermal management, regenerative braking, and systemic approaches (V2V and V2G) remain underexplored. Beyond mapping contributions, the study identifies ongoing gaps and calls for integrated strategies that combine electrical, thermal, and mechanical aspects. As EV adoption accelerates and battery demand increases, the findings emphasize the need for battery-aware, multi-objective energy management strategies. This synthesis provides a vital framework to guide future research and support the development of robust, integrated, and industry-ready solutions for optimizing EV energy use and extending driving range. Full article

Despite the ongoing electromobility revolution in urban areas, fleet managers still prefer combustion engines over electric vehicles. Fleet electrification can deliver tangible benefits not only for the urban environment but also for the company itself. However, this requires a robust economic and technical analysis approach. This study assesses the technical and economic viability of integrating electric vehicle (EV) fleets into the Turkish manual frequency recovery reserve (mFRR) market. Using a life-cycle costing (LCC) framework, three operational scenarios are modeled: Baseline (leased EVs without V2G), V2G+ (leased EVs with aggregator-based mFRR), and High Utilization (owned EVs with full V2G integration and increased rental activity). The baseline scenario assumes a net cost of USD 142,500 over 10 years, excluding revenue share. V2G+ reduces this amount to USD 137,000, generating an annual income of approximately USD 4400 from its share of the frequency reserve. A high utilization scenario, combining V2G with ownership and higher rental income, reduces the net LCC to USD 125,500 and generates over USD 12,000 annually, reaching breakeven around year 7. Sensitivity analyses show that the financial profitability of the system is significantly influenced by EV purchase prices, aggregator fees, mFRR capacity payments, and vehicle utilization rates. Adding a 30–50% solar-powered charging enclosure further reduces operating costs by up to USD 21,500, demonstrating the synergistic potential of integrating V2G and distributed photovoltaics. These results influence not only the priorities for electrifying the urban vehicle fleet, but also smart city regulations in the area of energy management, through the development of bidirectional charging standards and pilot implementation of V2G in emerging markets such as Turkey. Full article

The multi-timescale optimization dispatch method for integrated energy systems proposed in this paper balances sustainability and low-carbon characteristics. It first incorporates shared energy storage resources such as electric vehicles into system dispatch, fully leveraging their spatiotemporal properties to enhance dispatch flexibility and rapid response capabilities for integrating renewable energy and enabling clean power generation. Second, an incentive-penalty mechanism enables effective interaction between the system and the green certificate–carbon joint trading market. Penalties are imposed for failing to meet renewable energy consumption targets or exceeding carbon quotas, while rewards are granted for meeting or exceeding targets. This regulates the system’s renewable energy consumption level and carbon emissions, ensuring robust low-carbon performance. Third, this strategy considers the close coordination between heating, cooling, and electricity demand response measures with the integrated energy system, smoothing load fluctuations to achieve peak shaving and valley filling. Finally, through case study simulations and analysis, the advantages of the multi-timescale dispatch strategy proposed in this paper, in terms of economic feasibility, low-carbon characteristics, and sustainability, are verified. Full article