The article aims to systematize the state of knowledge of and research on the inclusion of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risk in companies’ business models, with a special stress on energy sector companies. Many publications address incorporating ESG, but only some deal with it from the perspective of business models. This paper fills that gap. The methods of incorporating ESG risk into a sustainable business model, identified on the basis of the literature review, were verified based on the examples of three companies from the energy industry. A two-stage review of publications from the WoS and Scopus databases was carried out, considering a more comprehensive (sustainability) and a narrower (ESG risk) range of keywords, and the period from 2000 to 2022. The result showed that SMEs and large enterprises consider ESG risk in their risk management systems (ERMs), while small enterprises and start-ups do not. In Europe, Asia, and Australia, it is common to include ESG risk in an ERM, while it is rare in Latin America. In developing countries, companies in the service sector are more likely to include ESG risk in ERMs than those in the manufacturing sector. These findings may be useful for policymakers who wish to provide support and financial incentives for companies transforming their business models toward sustainability. Full article

The oil and gas business has high operating costs and frequently has significant difficulties due to asset, process, and operational failures. Remote monitoring and management of the oil field operations are essential to ensure efficiency and safety. Oil field operations often use SCADA or wireless sensor network (WSN)-based monitoring and control systems; both have numerous drawbacks. WSN-based systems are not uniform or are incompatible. Additionally, they lack transparent communication and coordination. SCADA systems also cost a lot, are rigid, are not scalable, and deliver data slowly. Edge computing and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) help to overcome SCADA’s constraints by establishing an automated monitoring and control system for oil and gas operations that is effective, secure, affordable, and transparent. The main objective of this study is to exploit the IIOT and Edge Computing (EC). This study introduces an I²OT-EC framework with flowcharts, a simulator, and system architecture. The validity of the I²OT-EC framework is demonstrated by experimental findings and implementation with an application example to verify the research results as an additional verification and testing that proves the framework results were satisfactory. The significant increase of 12.14% in the runtime for the crude well using the proposed framework, coupled with other advantages, such as reduced operational costs, decentralization, and a dependable platform, highlights the benefits of this solution and its suitability for the automatic monitoring and control of oil field operations. Full article

This paper presents a current literature review (from the years 2017–2022) on issues related to the application of power system stabilizers (PSSs) for damping electromechanical swings in power systems (PSs). After the initial selection of papers found in the databases used, over 600 publications were qualified for this review, of which 216 were subjected to detailed analysis. In the review, issues related to the following problems are described: applications of classic PSSs, applications of new stabilizer structures based on new algorithms (including artificial intelligence), development of new methods for tuning PSSs, and operation of PSSs in PSs with high power generation by renewable sources. Describing individual papers, the research methods used by the authors (simulations, measurement methods, and a combination of both) are specified, attention is paid to the waveforms presented in the papers, and reference is made to the types of PSs in which PSSs (large multimachine, reflecting real systems, smaller standard multimachine New-England type, and simplest single-machine) operate. The tables contain detailed comments on the selected papers. The final part of the review presents general comments on the analyzed papers and guidelines for future PS stability studies. Full article

BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) is an important technology to achieve international and Brazilian climatic goals, notably because it provides negative emissions. In addition, Brazil presents favorable conditions for the development of BECCS, given the country’s mature biofuel industry. Therefore, this research aims to provide a systematic literature review of the effective potential of and barriers to implementing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in Brazil. The platforms chosen for this study are Science Direct and Integrated Search Portal, which is a search portal administered by the University of São Paulo. The search initially identified 667 articles, of which 24 were analyzed after selection and screening. The results show that technical factors are not a current barrier to the implementation of BECCS in Brazil, especially in ethanol production. However, the economic results vary among articles, but no BECCS plant has been shown to be economically feasible without enhanced oil recovery. In addition, the concentrations of most ethanol distilleries in the southeast region of Brazil point to them as long-hanging fruit for the country. Nevertheless, due to limitations in CO₂ transportation, the costs of implementing BECCS increase significantly as CO₂ capture is expanded away from the southeast region. Full article

The delivery of electricity employing an electromagnetic field that extends across an intervening region is called a wireless power transfer (WPT). This approach paves the way for electric vehicles (EVs) to use newly available options to reduce their environmental impact. This article is a review that examines the WPT technology for use in electric vehicle applications from both the technical aspect and the environmental impact. This review will attempt to accomplish the following objectives: (1) describe the present state of the technology behind the development and application of a WPT across the transportation industry; (2) substantiate the actual implementation of WPT EV systems; and (3) estimate the functioning of the autonomous system, as well as detect the potential stumbling blocks and openings for enhancement. The most recent advancements and implementation in compensating topologies, power electronics converters, and control techniques are dissected and debated scientifically to improve the system’s performance. To evaluate the performance from a sustainable perspective, energy, environmental, and economic factors are utilized, and at the same time, policy drivers and health and safety problems are researched. Full article

Energy consumption is increasing rapidly; hence, the energy demand cannot be fulfilled using traditional power resources only. Power systems based on renewable energy, including solar and wind, are effective and friendly for the environment. Islanded hybrid microgrid systems (IHMS) are relatively new in this industry and combine two or more sustainable sources, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic (PV), and other renewable alternatives, ocean, wave, and geothermal energy, etc. While sustainable, long-lasting power sources are the best choice to satisfy the growing energy demands, they are still not yet ready to be used on a large scale due to their stochastic characteristics. Furthermore, integrating these sources into the existing energy system can cause high technical difficulties, due to the stochastic nature of solar and wind in the conventional grid system and common stand-alone framework. A review of research and applications of the effective hybridization of renewable energy sources is therefore essential to address those technical and economic issues and ensure system stability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. This article discusses the challenges that might arise when a PV plant and a wind power station are combined to produce power for the conventional main grid or in a stand-alone system. In addition, this analysis provides light on optimization approaches for improving power quality and cost-effectiveness in a solar and wind integrated IHMS. Voltage fluctuation, frequency deviation, and the uncertain nature of solar irradiation and wind sources are significant challenges for both grid-connected and standalone hybrid systems. This study then provides an overview of the control strategies which might help enhance the integration of the IHMS in producing electricity for distribution to the grid-connected load and the islanded load. In this study, the possible issues that can hinder the smooth integration of these renewable sources have been discussed. Finally, this study discusses the recent platforms being used in IHMS as well as the potential of dispatch strategies on solar and wind-integrated IHMS. Full article

The need for healthy indoor conditions, the energy crisis, and environmental concerns make building ventilation systems very important today. The elements of ventilation systems to reduce energy intensity are constantly the subject of much scientific research. The most recent articles published in the last three years are analyzed in this paper. Publications focused on the topic of reducing energy consumption in ventilation systems were selected and divided into five key research areas: (1) the aspect of the airtightness of buildings and its importance for the energy consumption, (2) the methods and effects of implementing the concept of demand-controlled ventilation in buildings with different functions, (3) the possibilities of the technical application of decentralized ventilation systems, (4) the use of earth-to-air heat exchangers, (5) the efficiency of exchangers in exhaust air heat-recovery systems. The multitude of innovative technologies and rapid technological advances are reflected in articles that appear constantly and prompt a constant updating of knowledge. This review constitutes a relevant contribution to recognizing current advancements in ventilation systems and may be helpful to many scientists in the field. Full article

Intelligent energy management in renewable-based power distribution applications, such as microgrids, smart grids, smart buildings, and EV systems, is becoming increasingly important in the context of the transition toward the decentralization, digitalization, and decarbonization of energy networks. Arguably, many challenges can be overcome, and benefits leveraged, in this transition by the adoption of intelligent autonomous computer-based decision-making through the introduction of smart technologies, specifically artificial intelligence. Unlike other numerical or soft computing optimization methods, the control based on artificial intelligence allows the decentralized power units to collaborate in making the best decision of fulfilling the administrator’s needs, rather than only a primitive decentralization based only on the division of tasks. Among the smart approaches, reinforcement learning stands as the most relevant and successful, particularly in power distribution management applications. The reason is it does not need an accurate model for attaining an optimized solution regarding the interaction with the environment. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need to accomplish a clear, up-to-date, vision of the development level, especially with the lack of recent comprehensive detailed reviews of this vitally important research field. Therefore, this paper fulfills the need and presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art successful and distinguished intelligent control strategies-based RL in optimizing the management of power flow and distribution. Wherein extensive importance is given to the classification of the literature on emerging strategies, the proposals based on RL multiagent, and the multiagent primary secondary control of managing power flow in micro and smart grids, particularly the energy storage. As a result, 126 of the most relevant, recent, and non-incremental have been reviewed and put into relevant categories. Furthermore, salient features have been identified of the major positive and negative, of each selection. Full article

For this study, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on digitalization in energy production, distribution, and consumption over a sufficiently long period in order to reveal the trends and particularities of this phenomenon at the sectoral level. For the systematic review of the literature, representative articles on the subject indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases were selected using the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram. As a result of the systematic review of the literature, a significant number of articles on the subject of digitalization in the energy sector were found—both over the entire period considered and especially in the last five years—indicating the magnitude of the digitalization process in this field. The impacts of digitalization in the energy production, distribution, and consumption sectors materialized in the aspects of health, safety, and environmental improvement; process improvements; and cost reductions. The most important technologies used in the digitalization process include data mining and machine learning, smart grid/smart metering/smart home, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, and automation solutions (e.g., robotics, drones, and distribution automation). Full article

The penetration of electric vehicles is becoming more and more widespread and recently electric buses and trains are fetching the attention of researchers and developers. In this review, we examine the charging systems applied to the fast charging of electric vehicles and buses as well as the charging strategies, mainly applied to electric buses. We also briefly delve into power topologies for a more electrified railway system where we discuss their different supply systems as well as their motor drive systems. Problems and charge challenges for electric buses and trains are discussed too. Full article

In order to address global warming, most countries in the world have established carbon neutral targets and are continuously taking action to achieve carbon neutrality. The building sector accounts for 36% of end-use energy consumption and 37% of energy-related CO₂ emissions globally, so carbon mitigation in building sector is considered to be the most critical step in completing the “last mile” of global carbon neutrality. Low-carbon buildings and communities are the foundation for achieving low-carbon cities and the key transition to reach the goal of carbon neutrality. Therefore, this review aimed to: (a) provide a comprehensive review of countries’ policies on low-carbon buildings and communities and a theoretical basis for improving the corresponding laws and regulations; (b) investigate low-carbon technologies related to building and community construction and operation, as well as identify the current technology gaps; (c) provide a comprehensive overview of low-carbon buildings and communities assessment systems to analyze and evaluate the economic, technical, environmental and social benefits of current building and community energy systems; and (d) identify enablers and barriers in low-carbon buildings and communities to provide direction for future research. The results of this paper can provide comprehensive insights in to further achieving low-carbon buildings and communities. Full article

In recent years, algorithmic-based market manipulation in stock and power markets has considerably increased, and it is difficult to identify all such manipulation cases. This causes serious challenges for market regulators. This work highlights and lists various aspects of the monitoring of stock and power markets, using as test cases the regulatory agencies and regulatory policies in diverse regions, including Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. Reported cases of market manipulations in the regions are examined. In order to help establish a relevant digital regulatory system, this work reviews and categorizes the indicators used to monitor the stock and power markets, and provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between the indicators and market manipulation. This study specifically compiles a set of 10 indicators for detecting manipulation in the stock market, utilizing the perspectives of return rate, liquidity, volatility, market sentiment, closing price and firm governance. Additionally, 15 indicators are identified for detecting manipulation in the power market, utilizing the perspectives of market power (also known as pricing power or market structure), market conduct and market performance. Finally, the study elaborates on the current challenges in the regulation of stock and power markets in terms of parameter performance, data availability and technical requirements. Full article

There is a significant push to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and develop low-cost fuels from renewable sources to replace fossil fuels in applications such as energy production. As a result, CO₂ conversion has gained widespread attention as it can reduce the accumulation of CO₂ in the atmosphere and produce fuels and valuable industrial chemicals, including carbon monoxide, alcohols, and hydrocarbons. At the same time, finding ways to store energy in batteries or energy carriers such as hydrogen (H₂) is essential. Water electrolysis is a powerful technology for producing high-purity H₂, with negligible emission of greenhouse gases, and compatibility with renewable energy sources. Additionally, the electrolysis of organic compounds, such as lignin, is a promising method for localised H₂ production, as it requires lower cell voltages than conventional water electrolysis. Industrial wastewater can be employed in those organic electrolysis systems due to their high organic content, decreasing industrial pollution through wastewater disposal. Electrocoagulation, indirect electrochemical oxidation, anodic oxidation, and electro-Fenton are effective electrochemical methods for treating industrial wastewater. Furthermore, bioenergy technology possesses a remarkable potential for producing H₂ and other value-added chemicals (e.g., methane, formic acid, hydrogen peroxide), along with wastewater treatment. This paper comprehensively reviews these approaches by analysing the literature in the period 2012–2022, pointing out the high potential of using electrolytic cells for energy and environmental applications. Full article

Growing energy demand worldwide and onshore limitations have increased interest in offshore renewable energy exploitation. A combination of offshore renewable energy resources such as wind and wave energy can produce stable power output at a lower cost compared to a single energy source. Consequently, identifying the best locations for constructing combined offshore renewable energy farms is crucial. This paper investigates the technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of Combined Offshore Wind and Wave Energy Farm (COWWEF) site selection. Past literature was evaluated using a systematic review method to synthesize, criticize, and categorize study regions, dataset characteristics, constraints, evaluation criteria, and methods used for the site selection procedure. The results showed that most studied regions belong to European countries, and numerical model outputs were mainly used in the literature as met-ocean data due to the limited coverage and low spatiotemporal resolution of buoy and satellite observations. Environmental and marine usage are the main constraints in the site selection process. Among all constraints, shipping lanes, marine protected areas, and military exercise areas were predominately considered to be excluded from the potential sites for COWWEF development. The technical viability and economic feasibility of project deployment are emphasized in the literature. Resource assessment and distance to infrastructures were mostly evaluated among techno-economic criteria. Wind and wave energy power are the most important criteria for evaluating feasibility, followed by water depth, indicators of variability and correlation of the energy resources, and distance to the nearest port. Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods and resource-based analysis were the most-used evaluation frameworks. Resource-based studies mainly used met-ocean datasets to determine site technical and operational performance (i.e., resource availability, variability, and correlation), while MCDM methods were applied when a broader set of criteria were evaluated. Based on the conducted review, it was found that the literature lacks evaluation of seabed conditions (seabed type and slope) and consideration of uncertainty involved in the COWWEF site selection process. In addition, the market analysis and evaluation of environmental impacts of COWWEF development, as well as impacts of climate change on combined exploitation of offshore wind and wave energy, have rarely been investigated and need to be considered in future studies. Finally, by providing a comprehensive repository of synthesized and categorized information and research gaps, this study represents a road map for decision-makers to determine the most suitable locations for COWWEF developments. Full article

Flexographic printing is a highly sought-after technique within the realm of packaging and labeling due to its versatility, cost-effectiveness, high speed, high-quality images, and environmentally friendly nature. A major challenge in flexographic printing is the need to optimize energy usage, which requires diligent attention to resolve. This research combines lean principles and machine learning to improve energy efficiency in selected flexographic printing machines; i.e., Miraflex and F&K. By implementing the 5Why root cause analysis and Kaizen, the study found that the idle time was reduced by 30% for the Miraflex machine and the F&K machine, resulting in energy savings of 34.198% and 38.635% per meter, respectively. Additionally, a multi-linear regression model was developed using machine learning and a range of input parameters, such as machine speed, production meter, substrate density, machine idle time, machine working time, and total machine run time, to predict energy consumption and optimize job scheduling. The results of the research exhibit that the model was efficient and accurate, leading to a reduction in energy consumption and costs while maintaining or even improving the quality of the printed output. This approach can also add to reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process and help companies meet sustainability goals. Full article