Search results

Sustainable development calls for a larger share of intermittent renewable energy. To mitigate this intermittency, Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) technology was introduced. This technology can be made more sustainable by recovering the heat of the compression phase and reusing it during the discharge phase, resulting in an adiabatic CAES without the need for burning of fossil fuels. The key process parameters of CAES are temperature, pressure ratios, and the mass flow rates of air and thermal fluids. The variation in these parameters during the charge and discharge phases significantly influences the performance of CAES plants. In this chapter, the transient thermodynamic behavior of the system under various operating conditions is analyzed and the impact of heat recovery on the discharge phase energy efficiency, power generation, and CO₂ emissions is studied. Simulations are carried out over the air pressure range from 2,500 to 7,000 kPa for a 65 MW system over a five-hour discharge duration. It is also assumed that the heat loss in the air storage and the hot thermal fluid tank is insignificant and standby duration does not impact the status of the system. This result shows that the system exergy and the generated power are more sensitive to pressure change at higher pressures. This work also reveals that every 10°C increase on the temperature of the stored air can lead to a 0.83% improvement in the energy efficiency. The result of the transient thermodynamic model is used to estimate the reduction in CO₂ emissions in CAES systems. According to the obtained result, a 65 MW ACAES plant can reduce about 17,794 tons of CO₂ emission per year compared to a traditional CAES system with the same capacity.

Sustainable development calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet. The approach that considers sustainable development as the fight against poverty, through the promotion of a sustainable and equitable economy, as the attempt to reduce polluting emissions to promote environmental protection and as the satisfaction of social goals to increase the well-being of populations is adopted. Sustainability development is therefore a complex and subjective concept, considering the three dimensions that define the phenomenon: economic, environmental and social.

The authors have chosen subjective variables, which provide information on the perception of the ‘sustainable development’ in the European countries. Data come from the database of ‘Eurofound’, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The authors applied a formative measurement model, according to which indicators are considered as the cause of the phenomenon analysed, unlike with the reflective model. To conduct the quantitative analysis, the authors have adopted a non-compensatory approach: Mazziotta and Pareto index which summarising a set of individual indicators that are assumed to be not fully substitutable. The authors place at the centre of the analysis, variables deriving from the perceptive state of the different European populations, offering new hints to measure sustainable development on the basis of subjective assumptions.

Purpose – The accounting literature has demonstrated increased concern over issues of sustainability. One of the most critical issues that corporations face at the moment is climate change. This especially concerns companies that are substantial consumers of materials and energy. Corporations have increasingly acknowledged that to address this issue the existing ways of managing business must be changed.

This study examines the challenges posed by measurement of energy efficiency performance in an energy-intensive industry. It covers the challenges encountered with respect to the energy efficiency indicator and its use as a management tool.

Methodology – The case study method was used to conduct the research, which took place in a single firm in an energy-intensive process industry.

Findings – The results indicate that the current energy efficiency indicator, specific energy consumption (SEC), does not meet the criteria for good performance measurement. In particular, the controllability of energy efficiency seems problematic. Another major challenge is target setting. Measurable targets are needed to identify and prioritise areas where consumption and emission can be reduced.

Practical implications – The study provides practical knowledge on what is happening in organisations that pursue sustainable development and in particular, environmental efficiency.

Originality/value – Although the conceptual challenges in energy efficiency measurement are well known in the technical literature, discussions dealing with its management have been few in number. This study is a cross-disciplinary work and combines technical energy efficiency literature and management accounting research on performance management.

A mathematical model for sustainable optimization is presented. The sustainability parameters are linked to end-of-life considerations in product design and development. The sustainability considerations such as total embodied energy, eco-materials selection, CO₂ emission, cost savings due to recycling and reuse including the water savings are presented for helical compression springs used in mattresses.

Currently, waste is regarded as a symptom of inefficiency. The generation of waste is a human activity, not a natural one. Currently, landfilling and incinerating wastes are common waste management techniques; but the use of these methods, in addition to wasting raw materials, causes damage to the environment, water, soil, and air. In the new concept of “Zero Waste” (ZW), waste is considered a valuable resource. A vital component of the methodology includes creating and managing items and procedures that limit the waste volume and toxicity and preserve and recover all resources rather than burning or burying them. With ZW, the end of one product becomes the beginning of another, unlike a linear system where waste is generated from product consumption. A scientific treatment technique, resource recovery, and reverse logistics may enable the waste from one product to become raw material for another, regardless of whether it is municipal, industrial, agricultural, biomedical, construction, or demolition. This chapter discusses the concept of zero landfills and zero waste and related initiatives and ideas; it also looks at potential obstacles to put the ZW concept into reality. Several methods are presented to investigate and evaluate efficient resource utilization for maximum recycling efficiency, economic improvement through resource minimization, and mandatory refuse collection. One of the most practical and used approaches is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, which is based on green engineering and the cradle-to-cradle principle; the LCA technique is used in most current research, allowing for a complete investigation of possible environmental repercussions. This approach considers the entire life cycle of a product, including the origin of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and final disposal, or recycling. Using a life cycle perspective, all stakeholders (product designers, service providers, political and legislative agencies, and consumers) may make environmentally sound and long-term decisions.