Articles

Future compatibility of district heating in urban areas — a case study analysis in the context of integrated spatial and energy planning

District heating is widely used for thermal energy supply and offers a broad range of benefits like the possibility to integrate decentral heat supply technologies or to foster the utilisation of renewable ene...

Authors: Peter Lichtenwoehrer, Susanna Erker, Franz Zach and Gernot Stoeglehner

Interdisciplinary decision support model for grid-bound heat supply systems in urban areas

In the past two centuries, energy consumption per capita has significantly increased. At the same time the fundamentals of energy provision have continuously developed towards fossil energy sources. This exten...

Authors: Susanna Erker, Peter Lichtenwoehrer, Franz Zach and Gernot Stoeglehner

Development aid for energy in Small Island Developing States

Energy is given high priority in the national development agendas of most Small Island Developing States (SIDS) because it is intertwined with social, economic and environmental challenges. Many SIDS experienc...

Authors: Aaron Atteridge and Georgia Savvidou

Valorisation of energy services: essay on the value addition due to renewable energy

The shift from fossil fuels and traditional renewable energy to costlier modern renewable energy based on geothermal wind and solar resources is explained.

Authors: Yoram Krozer

Potential of microfinanced solar water pumping systems for irrigation in rural areas of Burkina Faso

The population in Burkina Faso is rapidly adopting irrigation to adapt to negative impacts of climate change like prolonged drought, rainfall variability and desertification. The solar water pumping systems (S...

Authors: Daniel Yamegueu, Yunus Alokore and Giulia Corso

How to keep renewable energy enterprises to reach economic sustainable performance: from the views of intellectual capital and life cycle

Intellectual capital can not only help companies to obtain sustainable competitive advantage, but also serve as a key factor in corporate performance improvement and value creation. For knowledge-intensive and...

Authors: Xin-long Xu and Cheng Kun Liu

Exploring the potential for biomethane production by willow pyrolysis using life cycle assessment methodology

Biomethane, as a potential substitute for natural gas, reduces the use of fossil-based sources, promoting bioenergy applications. Biomethane for energy use can be produced using a variety of biomass types and ...

Authors: Elham Ahmadi Moghaddam, Niclas Ericsson, Per-Anders Hansson and Åke Nordberg

Deconstructing networks, unearthing consensus: Diffusion of “cleaner” cookstoves in rural Himalayas of India

Both social structures and people’s beliefs affect the diffusion of innovations, but few studies have been able to understand how these dual influences operate simultaneously. Understanding this simultaneity i...

Authors: Arundhati Jagadish and Puneet Dwivedi

Review of the United States energy system in transition

This review article provides a synthesis of the most significant transitions taking place in the energy systems of the USA in 2018. These include the leveling off of the total consumption of primary energy and...

Authors: Peter D. Saundry

From the economist’s point of view—a review of the “The German energy transition: Design, implementation, cost and lessons” by Thomas Unnerstall

Authors: Gerhard Fuchs

Sustainability of community-owned mini-grids: evidence from India

Community-owned solar mini-grids (SMGs) are increasingly promoted to provide communities access to reliable electricity, empowering local actors as they become active stakeholders in projects. However, early f...

Authors: Aparna Katre, Arianna Tozzi and Subhes Bhattacharyya

Morocco’s sustainable energy transition and the role of financing costs: a participatory electricity system modeling approach

Morocco is facing major challenges in terms of its future energy supply and demand. Specifically, the country is confronted with rising electricity demand, which in turn will lead to higher fossil fuel import ...

Authors: Thomas Schinko, Sönke Bohm, Nadejda Komendantova, El Mostafa Jamea and Marina Blohm

Intercomparison between Switch 2.0 and GE MAPS models for simulation of high-renewable power systems in Hawaii

New open-source electric-grid planning models have the potential to improve power system planning and bring a wider range of stakeholders into the planning process for next-generation, high-renewable power sys...

Authors: Matthias Fripp

An empirical analysis of rural and urban populations’ access to electricity: evidence from Pakistan

This study explores the electricity access to rural and urban populations and its impact on the economic growth in Pakistan.

Authors: Abdul Rehman, Zhang Deyuan, Abbas Ali Chandio and Imran Hussain

Exploring governance for sustainability in contexts of violence: the case of the hydropower industry in Colombia

The hydropower industry in Colombia is developing in contexts of violence because of armed conflict. The companies that drive hydropower development are usually large and benefit today from lessons that have b...

Authors: Jorge-Andrés Polanco

Trace element delivery for biogas production enhanced by alternative energy crops: results from two-year field trials

Energy crop production for biogas still relies mainly on maize, but the co-digestion of alternative energy crops (legumes, amaranth, ryegrass, flower mixtures) with maize can have several advantages. First, a ...

Authors: Wiebke Fahlbusch, Katharina Hey, Benedikt Sauer and Hans Ruppert

Towards marketing biomethane in France—French consumers’ perception of biomethane

French energy policy calls for ambitious growth in the biogas sector, with the quantity of biomethane fed into the public grid targeted at 8 TWh per year by 2023. Although today biomethane in France serves pre...

Authors: Carsten Herbes, Simon Chouvellon and Joachim Lacombe

The myth and the reality of energy recovery from municipal solid waste

Any manner of development can be sustainable only if the waste generated by it is not allowed to accumulate but is fully reused/recycled/recovered. Among the strategies to attain this goal have been the attemp...

Authors: S A Abbasi

Grid-based multi-energy systems—modelling, assessment, open source modelling frameworks and challenges

The transition to a sustainable future challenges the current energy grids with the integration of variable, distributed renewable energy sources. On a technical level, multi-energy systems may provide the nec...

Authors: Lukas Kriechbaum, Gerhild Scheiber and Thomas Kienberger

A review of material development in the field of carbon capture and the application of membrane-based processes in power plants and energy-intensive industries

This review highlights recent developments and future perspectives on CO₂ capture from power plants and energy-intensive industries to reduce CO₂ emissions. Different types of membrane materials for CO₂ capture w...

Authors: Xuezhong He

Protected areas as strategies for preserving vegetation cover in the vicinity of hydroelectric projects in the Brazilian Amazon

There are several studies associating the construction of power plants to the increase in deforestation rates. However, there are no case studies analyzing deforestation near power plants, seeking to find a lo...

Authors: Orleno Marques da Silva Junior, Marco Aurélio dos Santos, Claudio Fabian Szlafsztein, Jose Manoel Antelo Gomez and Juliana Pinto Pereira

Spatiotemporal modelling for integrated spatial and energy planning

The transformation of the energy system to a renewable one is crucial to enable sustainable development for mankind. The integration of high shares of renewable energy sources (RES) in the energy matrix is, ho...

Authors: Luis Ramirez Camargo and Gernot Stoeglehner

Collaborative energy visioning under conditions of illiberal democracy: results and recommendations from Ecuador

Sociotechnical transitions require pressure to be exerted from inside or outside of the prevailing ‘regime’, without which various path dependencies combine to maintain the status quo. Change agents including ...

Authors: Eduardo Noboa, Paul Upham and Harald Heinrichs

Returns, setbacks, and future prospects of bio-energy promotion in northern Ethiopia: the case of family-sized biogas energy

Solid biomass-based energy is expected to retain its position as a sole fuel source for households in the rural part of Ethiopia unless alternative energy sources are introduced. Synthesizing small-scale renew...

Authors: Haftu Etsay Kelebe

Anaerobic digestion and integration at urban scale: feedback and comparative case study

The anaerobic digestion process is well studied and developed since the last 50 years, notably for farming implementation. Furthermore, the international energy agenda has shifted in favor of renewable resourc...

Authors: J. R. Bautista Angeli, A. Morales, T. LeFloc’h, A. Lakel and Y. Andres

Drivers and risks for renewable energy developments in mountain regions: a case of a pilot photovoltaic project in the Swiss Alps

When renewable policies are in place, the mismatch between policy targets and lack of technology diffusion indicates a gap between codifying a policy and implementing it. In Switzerland, photovoltaic (PV) elec...

Authors: Paula Díaz and Oscar van Vliet

Towards a smart and sustainable residential energy culture: assessing participant feedback from a long-term smart grid pilot project

Smart grid tools (e.g., individualized disaggregated data, goal setting, and behavioural suggestions/feedback) increase opportunities to reduce or shift residential electricity consumption, but can they shape ...

Authors: Bronwyn Lazowski, Paul Parker and Ian H. Rowlands

Pakistan’s energy scenario: a forecast of commercial energy consumption and supply from different sources through 2030

The energy sector in Pakistan is facing several challenges resulting from insufficient production. The major objective of this study is to identify and forecast commercial energy consumption and supply from di...

Authors: Abdul Rehman and Zhang Deyuan

Transformation pathways of phasing out coal-fired power plants in Germany

While there are plenty of studies investigating the market penetration of new technologies, phase-out processes of a predominant technology are rarely analyzed. The present study explores the case of a declini...

Authors: Stefan Vögele, Paul Kunz, Dirk Rübbelke and Theresa Stahlke

Research on technology clusters and the energy efficiency of energy-saving retrofits of existing office buildings in different climatic regions

During the period of the “12th Five-Year Plan,” energy demand exhibited a rigorous growth trend along with the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization and the constant upgrading of consumption struc...

Authors: Qibo Liu and Juan Ren

Brette Pearl Spar Mable (BPSM): a potential recoverable catalyst as a renewable source of biodiesel from Thevetia peruviana seed oil for the benefit of sustainable development in West Africa

The energy requirements are globally on a rapid escalation, as technology advances, which is also true for a developing country like Nigeria, which is dependent on fossil fuels and its derivatives. Apart from ...

Authors: T. F. Adepoju, B. E. Olatunbosun, O. M. Olatunji and M. A. Ibeh

Quantitative scenario design with Bayesian model averaging: constructing consistent scenarios for quantitative models exemplified for energy economics

Scenario design is currently not a standardised process. The formulation of storylines representing different dimensions (for example economic or societal developments) demands an investigation of assumption c...

Authors: Monika Culka

Using aquatic plant biomass from de-weeding in biogas processes—an economically viable option?

Landscape maintenance in Germany today requires regular and extensive de-weeding of waterways, mostly to ensure water runoff and provide flood protection. The costs for this maintenance are high, and the harve...

Authors: Carsten Herbes, Vasco Brummer, Sandra Roth and Markus Röhl

Challenges for business change in district heating

The Swedish district heating sector is successfully transitioning to a low-carbon energy system. The industry has expanded since the 1950s and currently meets more than half the Swedish heat demand. The heat m...

Authors: Kristina Lygnerud

Spatial differences in the influence of science popularization resources development on the energy consumption carbon footprint in provincial regions of China

Science popularization resources development is an important means to improve public scientific literacy and has a crucial influence on the formation of public consumption habits, patterns and concepts, and ul...

Authors: Gang Ding, Yu Ding and Pingping Weng

Energy transition looming behind the headlines? Newspaper coverage of biogas production in Finland

Media coverage can play an important part in energy transitions. It creates awareness of landscape-level megatrends affecting energy systems. It influences and is influenced by public and policy agendas on a r...

Authors: Jari Lyytimäki, Nina A. Nygrén, Anna Pulkka and Salla Rantala

Environmental consciousness and choice of bulb for lighting in a developing country

Most countries in the world especially those in Asia and Africa have been undertaking policies meant to help promote science, technology and innovation towards meeting some provisions of the Sustainable Develo...

Authors: Anthony Amoah, George Hughes and Paragon Pomeyie

Contributions of flexible power generation from biomass to a secure and cost-effective electricity supply—a review of potentials, incentives and obstacles in Germany

With wind power and photovoltaics, volatile renewables have emerged as central pillars of the energy transition. This increases the demand for flexibility options to compensate fluctuations in power generation...

Authors: Alexandra Purkus, Erik Gawel, Nora Szarka, Markus Lauer, Volker Lenz, Andreas Ortwein, Philip Tafarte, Marcus Eichhorn and Daniela Thrän

Residential solar electricity adoption: how households in Sweden search for and use information

As a renewable energy solution, photovoltaics (PVs) are crucial in the transition to a more sustainable energy system. Besides large PV installations, household adoption of PVs will be an important contributio...

Authors: Jenny Palm and Elina Eriksson

A potential phosphorous fertilizer for organic farming: recovery of phosphorous resources in the course of bioenergy production through anaerobic digestion of aquatic macrophytes

A major problem with farming systems is the deficiencies in phosphorus (P) due to fixation in soils, erosion and run-off, and exports of herbal and animal products. P resources for the compensation of these lo...

Authors: Nele Stabenau, Andreas Zehnsdorf, Helmut Rönicke, Harald Wedwitschka, Lucie Moeller, Bachar Ibrahim and Walter Stinner

A qualitative evaluation approach for energy system modelling frameworks

The research field of energy system analysis is faced with the challenge of increasingly complex systems and their sustainable transition. The challenges are not only on a technical level but also connected to...

Authors: Frauke Wiese, Simon Hilpert, Cord Kaldemeyer and Guido Pleßmann

Sustainability assessment of the German energy transition

The goal of the energy transition in Germany is to achieve a sustainable supply of energy. Providing advice for decision-makers to either continue the current transition pathway or implement strategic adjustme...

Authors: Christine Rösch, Klaus-Rainer Bräutigam, Jürgen Kopfmüller, Volker Stelzer and Annika Fricke

A change in the wind? US public views on renewable energy and climate compared

Renewable energy development is a necessary step toward climate change mitigation, so these topics have often been linked. In US public discourse, however, they have somewhat different profiles—climate change ...

Authors: Lawrence C. Hamilton, Erin Bell, Joel Hartter and Jonathan D. Salerno

Social innovations in the German energy transition: an attempt to use the heuristics of the multi-level perspective of transitions to analyze the diffusion process of social innovations

For a successful transition to a sustainable energy system, not only technical but also social innovations are required. A major challenge to social innovation research is how to translate the social innovatio...

Authors: Rick Hölsgens, Stephanie Lübke and Marco Hasselkuß

Evaluation of various means of transport for urban areas

Personal transportation in urban areas is characterised by different transportation technologies with significantly varying properties regarding usability, infrastructural requirements and environmental impact...

Authors: Helmut Brunner, Mario Hirz, Wolfgang Hirschberg and Kurt Fallast

Mixed silage of Elodea and wheat straw as a substrate for energy production in anaerobic digestion plants

Waterweeds (Elodea nuttallii and Elodea canadensis) are invasive neophytes, which have been proliferating at a phenomenal rate during the last decades in German waterways. In case of overgrowth, the strong coveri...

Authors: Daniela Gallegos, Harald Wedwitschka, Lucie Moeller, Sören Weinrich, Andreas Zehnsdorf, Michael Nelles and Walter Stinner

Correction to: Balanced renewable energy scenarios: a method for making spatial decisions despite insufficient data, illustrated by a case study of the Vorderland-Feldkirch Region, Vorarlberg, Austria

In the publication of this article [1], there is an error in the Figures 4, 5 and 6 which are missing the map design and data source of the copyright owners.

Authors: Pia Nabielek, Hartmut Dumke and Kurt Weninger

Sustainability assessment of a micro hydropower plant in Nepal

Many rural electrification projects around the world employ micro hydropower plants (MHPs). These installations provide immediate and direct benefits to the local people. However, the sustainability of their o...

Authors: Ramchandra Bhandari, Lena Ganda Saptalena and Wolfgang Kusch

Anaerobic digestion of mixed silage of waterweed biomass and wheat straw in a long-term semi-continuous biogas production process

As part of the maintenance of lakes and rivers, large quantities of aquatic biomass are produced every year. Neophytes, such as Elodea nuttallii, compete with native species and cause a disturbance to the ecosyst...

Authors: Aline Bauer, Lucie Moeller, Harald Wedwitschka, Walter Stinner and Andreas Zehnsdorf

Carbon capture and sequestration in power generation: review of impacts and opportunities for water sustainability

This article reviews the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a viable mitigation strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in fossil-fuel power plants and discusses the impacts on the s...

Authors: Hisham Eldardiry and Emad Habib