Energy Efficiency最新文献

Corporations operating in energy-intensive industries have faced increasing pressure to introduce green management practices (GMPs), while seeking to pursue profitability for the benefit of shareholders. Although chief executive officers (CEOs) and corporate boards with environmental governance experience are likely to seek the adoption of GMPs, it may not happen among young and low financial performance corporations owing to a lack of operational experience and financial constraints. Drawing from institutional theory, this study proposes that the influence of CEOs and corporate boards’ environmental governance experience on GMPs will depend on their age and financial position of the corporations. Four hypotheses were tested using panel data (2011–2015) from 209 publicly-listed corporations drawn from energy-intensive industries in Malaysia. The results reveal that CEOs with environmental governance experience among young and high financial corporations are likely to adopt GMPs, but not among old and low financial performance corporations. The results also reveal that corporate boards with environmental governance experience are likely to adopt GMPs among young and old corporations, and low and high financial performance corporations. The findings provide strong implications for government policy in general, and the emerging economies in particular to promote environmental governance for achieving sustainable development goals.

Energy efficiency is vital for energy transitions, and energy-poor, vulnerable, and hard-to-reach groups are at risk of being left behind. In this context, local middle actors have been suggested as partners in deploying targeted energy support. Nevertheless, scarce research has engaged with them to assess if they are willing and capable of contributing, if they can reach households, and if they have unmet needs. In this research, we draw on the mapping of 198 local organizations and 34 semi-structured interviews conducted after deploying a pilot energy support service in Setúbal, Portugal. Interviews characterized the organizations and target audiences, assessed energy literacy, explored potential collaborative roles, and recognized drivers, barriers, and solutions. Results show that most organizations are willing to disseminate activities, forward citizens, facilitate contacts, co-organize events, and participate in training. Half can identify vulnerable families for proactive support. Drivers include environmental concerns, community participation, and social support. However, few seem able to conduct energy support, hire/redirect staff, or participate in coordination. Scarce human resources, lack of time, other priorities, and financing concerns severely constrain local organizations. This case study finds some potential for local organizations to act as intermediaries in energy support, building on their communication channels and trusted relationships to fulfill specific roles. However, they are often hard-to-reach themselves and burdened with demanding activities. Thus, we suggest that fostering collaborations with local organizations is challenging but possible. It requires dedicated funding, time, and resources to empower, capacitate, and reward middle actors for their contributions in delivering energy support.

With an increasing energy deficit, improving the thermal properties of building materials is nowadays a priority. The incorporation of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and expanded perlite (EP) into cement mortar has shown enormous potential to improve overall thermal performance. This study aims to numerically evaluate the efficiency of using EPS and EP reinforced composites as coating mortars. First, several reinforced mortars were prepared by adding different proportions of EPS and EP to the cement mortar. The thermal, mechanical and microstructural performances of EPS and EP mortars were subsequently analyzed using Hot Disk and MATEST instruments as well as FTIR spectroscopy and XRD analysis. COMSOL Multiphysics software was then used to simulate the inner temperature variation of a hollow brick coated on both sides with the optimal reinforced mortar mix. The results showed that an increase in the amount of reinforcing material led to a reduction in both mechanical strength and thermal properties of the mortar. Optimum performance could be achieved by incorporating 2.5% expanded polystyrene into the mortar, which resulted in approximately 37%, 15%, and 26% reduction in thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and volumetric heat capacity, respectively, compared to standard mortar. This thermal improvement was achieved while ensuring a satisfactory mechanical and chemical properties. By applying varying thicknesses of this reinforced mortar to the brick, the internal surface temperature was reduced by approximately 0.2–1.8 °C during periods of maximum flux exposure. Therefore, the application of these composites as a thermally enhanced coating mortar on building walls seems to be an adequate solution.

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The internalization of the social cost of carbon (SCC) is the most efficient alternative to reduce the emissions that cause global warming. However, the carbon pricing initiatives implemented in many countries differ significantly from the empirical estimates of the SCC. Therefore, this study simulates the economic and environmental effects of internalizing the SCC in all the world’s nations through the environmental extension of a multi-regional input–output (MRIO) price model. The results show that the most affected countries economically are characterized by having an energy matrix with high participation of fossil fuels. In addition, there are relevant increases in the prices of energy and food, which are likely to raise poverty rates in low- and middle-income countries. It is concluded that the global emission reduction can vary between 5.1% and 50.3% depending on the SCC used, and only ten countries explain 77% of this reduction. In addition, global emissions reduction falls if data from a more recent base year is used, demonstrating that the structural transformations of the economy also strongly affect the impacts of carbon pricing. Finally, it is recommended that energy efficiency measures be incentivized to address partially this cost shock.

The energy demand in Turkey is increasing continuously because of the fact that it is a developing economy. However, it has limited energy sources. As a result of these circumstances, energy efficiency projects are essential for industry and other energy consumption areas. This paper proposes energy recovery by analyzing energy and exergy in a porcelain tableware firing kiln, a ceramics industry branch. The actual data obtained from the measurements made on the kiln were used in the energy and exergy analysis calculations. The energy consumption of the glaze kiln has been calculated as 3868 kJ/s. The incoming energy is lost around 14.78% by the main exhaust flue gas and 28.58% by the cooling exhaust gas. The primary energy casualties are kiln walls and other losses. They are 43.36% and 38.9%, respectively. Finally, according to energy and exergy analyses, suggestions were made on the processes with high energy losses, and depreciation was made.

This article is a methodical attempt to understand the factors that influence energy consumption in households in the mountainous settlement of Metsovo, Greece. So far, most of the research on the settlement has indirectly approached the investigation of the factors that shape the energy behavior of households. In the present research, the identification of factors is directly approached through linear regression and clustering methods. Income, heating system, and household size were identified as the main factors influencing household energy expenditure. Since mountain areas are plagued by energy poverty, the study of household energy behavior inevitably highlights aspects of this phenomenon. By highlighting these factors and the spatial dimension of energy consumption (i.e., higher thermal energy needs in mountain areas), it was possible to suggest more targeted measures specifically designed for mountain areas, complementing the existing energy policy.

Amid the formidable global energy challenges, promoting sustainable energy consumption practices within households has emerged as a promising avenue for addressing energy-related issues and promoting sustainability. This study represents a significant contribution to existing research by examining the factors that shape sustainable energy consumption behavior in households. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, the research introduces a unique aspect by examining the role of consumer energy conservation preferences in bridging the intention-behavior gap. For this purpose, the authors analyzed the data of 1,552 households in Lahore division using Partial Least Square-Structural Equational Modelling (PLS-SEM). The key findings of the study showed that consumer’s sustainable energy consumption intentions and their energy conservation preferences are important determinants of sustainable energy consumption behavior, with energy conservation preferences also act as a significant moderator. It was observed that individuals with strong energy conservation preferences are more likely to translate their intentions into actual behavior, demonstrating the significance of these preferences in bridging intention-behavior gap. Moreover, our results reveal that individuals' attitudes and perceived behavior control indirectly impact their sustainable energy consumption behavior. The outcome of the study has broader applicability which carries sustainable policy insights in advancing sustainability and improving energy efficiency.

Buildings can play an important role in reducing GHG emissions through increased energy efficiency. The European Commission mandates that all new buildings should be “zero emission buildings” (ZEB), aiming at a zero GHG emission building stock by 2050. The extent to which ZEB can contribute to reduced GHG emissions, however, varies between countries, due to different energy systems. It is also important to consider other environmental effects to avoid that climate benefits come with unintended consequences. Here, we explore the life-cycle environmental performance for a ZEB in a case where electricity and heating are largely fossil-free. The assessment concentrates on i) environmental impact of the use stage in relation to the product stage, ii) the interrelation between different energy sources, with focus on household electricity, and iii) the performance for more impact categories than primary energy use and climate change. While our results generally support the use of ZEBs from an environmental perspective, they also show that the climate benefit in this setting is marginal. However, given that energy systems are connected and energy savings in one place can reduce the demand for fossil energy elsewhere, the climate benefit of ZEBs is likely underestimated. Besides methodological implications for future studies, this indicates that current EU policy is promising, as incentives for implementation of ZEBs are unaffected by domestic effects.

Energy Service Companies (ESCO) provide various services to their customers through Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs), including technical support, financial assistance, installation, maintenance, and insurance services. However, emerging risks during this extended process can lead to uncertainties for energy efficiency implementations, ESCOs, and their clients. Understanding of uncertain factors of such energy efficiency applications is therefore crucial. This study aims to evaluate the risks that emerge in the stages of EPC implementations in Türkiye. An expert survey was conducted to assess these risks, with participants consisting of energy managers, representatives from Turkish ESCOs, experts from the financial sector, academics, and decision-makers. Based on the survey responses, the Best–Worst Method (BWM), a multi-criteria decision-making approach, was employed to evaluate the risks in EPCs. Binary comparison vectors, indicating the relative importance of evaluated risk factors, were formulated using the BWM, enabling the calculation of risk weights and the analysis of response consistency. It is revealed that “Financial and Market Risks” is the most important, and “Technological Risks” is the least important risk criterion for EPCs in Türkiye. In the end, policy recommendations were developed to improve EPC applications in Türkiye.

This study identifies and explores the key factors influencing the Malaysian public’s energy-conserving behaviors from adopting Solar-Plus-Storage (SPS) technology and their roles as mediators towards sustainable electricity consumption. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect quantitative data to statistically test the hypotheses in this explanatory research. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling with SPSS and SmartPLS software was used to examine data from 188 responses received. The results of the direct effects indicate the significant influence of the behavioral, technical, and environmental factors on consumers’ energy-conserving behaviors, consumers’ energy-conserving behaviors on sustainable electricity consumption, and the behavioral, technical, and environmental factors on sustainable electricity consumption. Meanwhile, the results of the mediation effects reveal that consumers’ energy-conserving behaviors mediated the influence of behavioral, financial, and environmental factors on sustainable electricity consumption. The findings can pave the way for policymakers to recognize the affordable prices of batteries and solar panels can accelerate the market uptake of the Solar-Plus-Storage system. Future studies should consider the impact of consumer environmental awareness from technology usage and explore more variables that affect consumers’ energy-conserving behaviours.

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