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Multicriteria Analysis for Energy Transition: A Route for Reaching Sustainable Development Goals

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A: Sustainable Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 April 2024) | Viewed by 7602

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Abdul Matin Ibrahimi

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Guest Editor

Organization for Research Promotion, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
Interests: renewable energy; energy policy; energy efficiency; expansion planning; sustainable development

Dr. Danish Mir Sayed Shah

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Energy Systems (Chubu Electric Power) Funded Research Division, IMaSS (Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability), Nagoya University, Nagoya 451-6038, Japan
Interests: intelligent energy systems; energy sustainability; energy management; hydrogen energy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The United Nations has settled on 17 interconnected global goals to address global challenges by improving health and education, reducing poverty and inequality, and stimulating economic growth while confronting the climate crisis. The fulfillment of sustainable energy provision is one of the most vital components of the UN SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Clean and sustainable energy is essential for economic growth and human development and is also a crucial input to achieve all the other goals of the 2030 Agenda. The energy transition is not only a shift toward a modern and efficient system but also constitutes a challenge to avoid broader environmental and societal crises.

The necessary steps to achieving affordable and clean energy demonstrate the complex interconnection between policy development, market design, and consumer behavior. In the recent era of the energy transition, besides the shocks of accelerating renewable energy integration and of the complex interaction of numerous technologies, the decline of formerly used business models and the emergence of drastic social and political struggles have been encountered. Addressing these increasing complexities will require a multi- and inter-disciplinary investigation encompassing technical, environmental, economic, and societal dimensions at various levels.

This Special Issue aims to draw from novel concepts and experiments to enhance the energy access that predominantly works as a base of equilibrium of hierarchies. Therefore, we welcome researchers to submit work focusing on energy-related topics, economic development, institutional reform, and policies that enable societies to address the complexity of energy transitions at various dimensions.

Dr. Abdul Matin Ibrahimi
Dr. Danish Mir Sayed Shah
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable development goals
energy policy
intelligent energy systems
power system optimization
smart cities and smart villages
renewable energy and technologies
energy usage and efficiency
emission reduction
expansion planning
institutional reform
sustainable energy in food production and agriculture

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Criteria Optimization of Energy and Water Consumption in Fruit- and Vegetable-Processing Plants in Poland

by Jędrzej Trajer, Radosław Winiczenko, Bogdan Dróżdż, Janusz Wojdalski and Robert Sałat

Energies 2023, 16(24), 8118; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16248118 - 17 Dec 2023

Viewed by 733

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable processing comes 6th in terms of energy consumption in the agri-food industry. At the same time, 88.4% of the industry’s final energy consumption structure is thermal energy, which depends heavily on electricity consumption. In addition, fruit and vegetable processing has a significant impact on the environment due to consumption of significant amounts of water. Reducing these three indicators simultaneously would increase the efficiency of the process while improving environmental protection. This paper proposes neural models of thermal energy, electricity and water consumption for selected major fruit- and vegetable-processing plants in Poland. These models were the basis for formulating a multi-criteria optimization task. Optimization of thermal energy, electricity and water consumption was carried out using genetic algorithms. The optimization results in the sense of Pareto can be the basis for the use of sustainable technology in selected fruit- and vegetable-processing plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multicriteria Analysis for Energy Transition: A Route for Reaching Sustainable Development Goals)

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25 pages, 2142 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Repurposing End-of-Life Coal Mines with Business Models Based on Renewable Energy and Circular Economy Technologies

by Alicja Krzemień, Aleksander Frejowski, Gregorio Fidalgo Valverde, Pedro Riesgo Fernández and Silverio Garcia-Cortes

Energies 2023, 16(22), 7617; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16227617 - 16 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 821

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology to select the most exciting business models based on renewable energy and circular economy technologies within end-of-life coal mines to help develop a renewable-based energy sector, promote sustainable local economic growth, and maximise the number of green and quality jobs. To achieve this goal, first, a structural analysis was developed to select the technical variables that better identify this complex system. Second, a morphological analysis allowed the construction of the scenario space. Third, a multicriteria assessment was developed to achieve this goal, based on the previously assessed relevant scenarios, considering the European Green Deal policies, technical variables that characterise end-of-life coal mine environments, technology readiness level, the European taxonomy, synergistic potentials, contributions to the circular economy, and sector coupling. Finally, result indicators were selected to analyse the alternative options derived from the justification approach, considering the targets set by the European Green Deal and related taxonomy and the regional policy indicators for the Just Transition Fund. The results show that eco-industrial parks with virtual power plants represent the most appropriate business model choice, according to the scoring given to the different aspects. They may be complemented by a hydrogen production plant, provided that specific economic subventions are obtained to achieve balanced financial results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multicriteria Analysis for Energy Transition: A Route for Reaching Sustainable Development Goals)

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18 pages, 2597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation and Prioritization of Power-Generating Systems Using a Life Cycle Assessment and a Multicriteria Decision-Making Approach

by Busola D. Akintayo, Oluwafemi E. Ige, Olubayo M. Babatunde and Oludolapo A. Olanrewaju

Energies 2023, 16(18), 6722; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16186722 - 20 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 877

Abstract

Millions of people in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to power, which emphasizes the need for sustainable and clean energy solutions. This study attempts to address this issue by integrating a life cycle assessment (LCA) and a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) analysis to determine the preferred energy technology for electrification. This research focuses on the environmental implications and long-term viability of various energy system options. The LCA evaluates midpoint characterization containing 18 environmental impact categories; the COPRAS and ARAS methods of MCDM analysis are then used to rank the energy alternatives based on their environmental performance. This study’s key finding is that the gas-powered power plant is the most preferred energy system alternative, while the geothermal power plant is the least preferred. This midpoint characterization study provides in-depth insights into how various stages contribute to major environmental impact categories like global warming, ozone depletion, and ecotoxicity. By considering environmental impacts and sustainability requirements, informed decisions may be made to encourage clean and cost-effective power generation, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and supporting economic growth and human development. Future research may include analysis from cradle-to-grave compared to cradle-to-gate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multicriteria Analysis for Energy Transition: A Route for Reaching Sustainable Development Goals)

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21 pages, 866 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Optimal Operation of CCHP System Combined Electric Vehicles Considering Seasons

by Junchao Cheng, Yongyi Huang, Hongjing He, Abdul Matin Ibrahimi and Tomonobu Senjyu

Energies 2023, 16(10), 4229; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104229 - 21 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1034

Abstract

Energy shortage has always been a problem that the world needs to face. The combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system, as a multi-level energy utilization system that can provide cooling, heating, and electric energy simultaneously, is considered to have good development prospects in alleviating energy problems. In addition, because of the rapid development of electric vehicles (EVs), using EVs as power supply devices has become a hot topic of research. In this paper, EVs are combined with the CCHP system as new power supply equipment, and the influence of the season on the user’s cooling, heating, and power demand is considered. Aiming at the minimum economic cost, the system is optimized by using the PSO algorithm in two operating modes: following electricity load (FEL) and following thermal load (FTL). The final results show that the participation of EVs can reduce costs in both operating modes, especially in FTL mode, which can reduce costs by 4.58%, 13.61%, 12.74%, and 3.57% in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. In addition, the FEL mode is more economical in spring and winter, and the FTL mode is more economical in summer and winter. In addition, the

C O_{2}

emissions in FEL mode are always less than in FTL mode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multicriteria Analysis for Energy Transition: A Route for Reaching Sustainable Development Goals)

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27 pages, 7854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

AI and Expert Insights for Sustainable Energy Future

by Mir Sayed Shah Danish

Energies 2023, 16(8), 3309; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083309 - 07 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3033

Abstract

This study presents an innovative framework for leveraging the potential of AI in energy systems through a multidimensional approach. Despite the increasing importance of sustainable energy systems in addressing global climate change, comprehensive frameworks for effectively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques into these systems are lacking. The challenge is to develop an innovative, multidimensional approach that evaluates the feasibility of integrating AI and ML into the energy landscape, to identify the most promising AI and ML techniques for energy systems, and to provide actionable insights for performance enhancements while remaining accessible to a varied audience across disciplines. This study also covers the domains where AI can augment contemporary and future energy systems. It also offers a novel framework without echoing established literature by employing a flexible and multicriteria methodology to rank energy systems based on their AI integration prospects. The research also delineates AI integration processes and technique categorizations for energy systems. The findings provide insight into attainable performance enhancements through AI integration and underscore the most promising AI and ML techniques for energy systems via a pioneering framework. This interdisciplinary research connects AI applications in energy and addresses a varied audience through an accessible methodology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multicriteria Analysis for Energy Transition: A Route for Reaching Sustainable Development Goals)

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