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Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B1: Energy and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2022) | Viewed by 14574

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Luis Maria Abadie

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Guest Editor

BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, 1st floor Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
Interests: energy economics; carbon markets; GHG emissions; financial economics

Dr. Ibon Galarraga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, 1st floor Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
Interests: public policies; policy instruments; environmental and resource economics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Concerns about climate change and the Paris Agreement are leading many countries to set goals close to net-zero emissions in energy systems by 2050. To achieve this objective, many areas are of great interest such as i) the development of renewable technologies, with great technical improvements over time that generate economic advantages; ii) efficiency improvements in both residential and industrial sectors; or iii) alternative modes and energy sources for transportation. This process is accompanied in many countries by carbon pricing mechanisms (carbon tax or carbon markets), as in the case of the European Trading Scheme (ETS). All this drives the decarbonization of energy systems. While in some sectors this decarbonization can be a manageable goal, in other sectors, such as some transportation and industrial sectors that intensively use carbon, this is a difficult goal.

This Special Issue focuses on the developments of technologies and economic instruments and policies to mitigate climate change.

Dr. Luis Maria Abadie
Dr. Ibon Galarraga
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

Electrical systems decarbonization
Carbon markets
Carbon tax
Renewable technological development
GHG emissions
Energy efficiency

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Change of Fossil-Fuel-Related Carbon Productivity Index of the Main Manufacturing Sectors in Poland

by Adam Dominiak and Artur Rusowicz

Energies 2022, 15(19), 6906; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15196906 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1264

Abstract

The article presents the global characteristics of the Polish manufacturing industry and the structure of its energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions related to direct emission as a result of fuel combustion and indirect emission as a result of electricity consumption. The share of individual sectors in energy consumption and emission levels was determined, and the changes in this share over the last 20 years were determined. A method for determining the carbon productivity index for the emissions of individual industries with the use of global macroeconomic indicators was proposed. The index allows for the comparison of the productivity of individual industries, regardless of the nature of production. The change in carbon productivity in Polish industry over time was presented. On this basis, it was assessed which industries are particularly promising in terms of decarbonising the Polish industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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25 pages, 1131 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the EU Energy Efficiency Label for Appliances: Issues, Potential Improvements and Challenges

by Amaia de Ayala and María del Mar Solà

Energies 2022, 15(12), 4272; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15124272 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2022

Abstract

The EU Energy Efficiency (EE) label for appliances, readjusted in March 2021 (Directive 2017/1369/EU), is a key instrument for nudging consumers towards more energy-efficient purchases. However, its effectiveness depends on its design, the information provided and consumers’ understanding of and trust in it. This paper seeks to contribute to the assessment of the EE label for appliances and to identify issues, potential improvements and challenges for successfully nudging consumers towards highly energy-efficient choices. To that end, 33 in-depth interviews have been conducted with three different groups (citizens, appliance retailers and experts in energy) to ascertain the opinions and experiences of different agents as to consumers’ preferences and opinions on EE and energy consumption. We focus on purchasing decision-making by Spanish consumers for the three main appliances: washing machines, fridges and dishwashers. The EE label for appliances seems to be well-known and reliable for consumers. The main weakness lies in people’s understanding of its content rather than in its design. The coloured alphabetical EE scale seems to be well understood and the restored A–G scale of the readjusted label positively valued. However, we find comprehension issues with regard to the information on energy consumption and the technical data at the bottom of the label. Monetary information on energy consumption seems to facilitate consumers’ understanding, but it is technically challenging due to the complexity of the unit of measurement. Results are discussed, taking into account the relevant literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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11 pages, 807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermodynamic Analysis of a Regenerative Brayton Cycle Using H₂, CH₄ and H₂/CH₄ Blends as Fuel

by Gontzal Lopez-Ruiz, Joseba Castresana-Larrauri and Jesús María Blanco-Ilzarbe

Energies 2022, 15(4), 1508; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15041508 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2195

Abstract

Considering a simple regenerative Brayton cycle, the impact of using different fuel blends containing a variable volumetric percentage of hydrogen in methane was analysed. Due to the potential of hydrogen combustion in gas turbines to reduce the overall CO

_{2}

emissions and the [...] Read more.

_{2}

emissions and the dependency on natural gas, further research is needed to understand the impact on the overall thermodynamic cycle. For that purpose, a qualitative thermodynamic analysis was carried out to assess the exergetic and energetic efficiencies of the cycle as well as the irreversibilities associated to a subsystem. A single step reaction was considered in the hypothesis of complete combustion of a generic H

_{2}

/CH

_{4}

mixture, where the volumetric H

_{2}

percentage was represented by

f_{H_{2}}

, which was varied from 0 to 1, defining the amount of hydrogen in the fuel mixture. Energy and entropy balances were solved through the Engineering Equation Solver (EES) code. Results showed that global exergetic and energetic efficiencies increased by 5% and 2%, respectively, varying

f_{H_{2}}

from 0 to 1. Higher hydrogen percentages resulted in lower exergy destruction in the chamber despite the higher air-excess levels. It was also observed that higher values of

f_{H_{2}}

led to lower fuel mass flow rates in the chamber, showing that hydrogen can still be competitive even though its cost per unit mass is twice that of natural gas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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11 pages, 918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Much Should We Spend to Fight against Climate Change? The Value of Backstop Technologies in a Simplified Model

by Carlos Pretel and Pedro Linares

Energies 2021, 14(22), 7781; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227781 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1446

Abstract

The estimation of the social cost of climate change is typically carried out with complex, difficult to interpret, integrated assessment models (IAMs). Instead, this paper presents a simple, tractable model with which to estimate the willingness to pay of societies against climate change. The model is based on an already comprehensive and intuitive one developed by Besley and Dixit, which has been modified by including a backstop technology (e.g., a renewable energy technology). This improved formulation allows for a more realistic representation of the climate change problem in that it is able to include the decoupling of economic growth and GHG emissions. The model allows us to understand the implications of different assumptions, such as the rate of growth of the economy, or the damages expected from climate change, on the willingness to pay against it. Our results show that, for a baseline scenario, the willingness to pay (WTP) is 0.52% of annual GDP, lower than that obtained by Besley and Dixit, which shows the significant benefits of developing competitive mitigation technologies. Our results also show the benefits of international collaboration, or of devoting more resources to R&D, as efficient ways to fight against climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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18 pages, 1153 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applying a Model of Technology Diffusion to Quantify the Potential Benefit of Improved Energy Efficiency in Data Centres

by Bryan Coyne and Eleanor Denny

Energies 2021, 14(22), 7699; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227699 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 1827

Abstract

Data centres are a key infrastructure for the global digital economy, helping enable the EU “Digital Decade” by 2030. In 2015, data centres were estimated to consume 2.5% of EU electricity demand. In Ireland, the concentrated presence of data centres could consume 37% of national electricity demand by 2028. The uncertainty of data centre facility-level energy efficiency paired with the need to achieve a low-carbon economy pose significant challenge for generation and transmission network planning. This is the first paper to apply a model of technology diffusion with a national forecast of changes in Irish data centre electricity demand through more efficient liquid cooling. The methodology serves as a technology-agnostic resource for practitioners performing forecasts under uncertainty with limited information. Results suggest that technology adoption could lower national electricity demand by 0.81% if adopted by new plant from 2019 to 2028. Savings rise to 3.16% over the same period if adopted by new and existing data centres. Adoption would also lower related emissions by 4.70% and 23.04% over the same period across both scenarios, respectively. Results highlight substantial potential electricity and associated emissions savings available in the sector and suggest policy options to support a transition towards a low-carbon economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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25 pages, 8985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Slow Steaming Speed for Container Ships under the EU Emission Trading System

by Nestor Goicoechea and Luis María Abadie

Energies 2021, 14(22), 7487; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227487 - 09 Nov 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3374

Abstract

Slow steaming is an operational measure in ocean-going vessels sailing at slow speeds. It can help climate mitigation efforts by cutting down marine fuel consumption and consequently reducing CO₂ and other Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). Due to climate change both the European Union (EU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are analysing the inclusion of international shipping in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) in the near future or alternatively implementing a carbon tax. The paper proposes a methodology to decide the optimal speed of a vessel taking into account its characteristics and the factors that determine its economic results. The calculated cash flow can be used in valuation models. The methodology is applied for a case study for any container ship in a range from 2000 to 20,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) on a leg of a round trip from Shanghai to Rotterdam. We calculate how speed reduction, CO₂ emissions and ship owner’s earnings per year may vary between a business-as-usual scenario and a scenario in which shipping is included in the ETS. The analysis reveals that the optimal speed varies with the size of the vessel and depends on several variables such as marine fuel prices, cargo freight rates and other voyage costs. Results show that the highest optimal speed is in the range of 5500–13,000 TEUs whether or not the ETS is applied. As the number of TEUs transported in a vessel increases emissions per TEU decrease. In an established freight rate market, the optimal speed fluctuates by 1.8 knots. Finally, the medium- and long-term expectations for slow steaming are analysed based on future market prices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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Other

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12 pages, 554 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Approaches to Carbon Emission Reductions and Technology in China’s Chemical Industry to Achieve Carbon Neutralization

by Lei Ma and Mei Song

Energies 2022, 15(15), 5401; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155401 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1450

Abstract

Based on China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, this study focused on its coal gasification in 2010–2019. Carbon emissions were calculated from industrial data, and an LMDt model was established to analyze the influencing factors of carbon emissions. Through scenario analysis, the paths of carbon emission reductions in the chemical industry were analyzed, and their emission reduction potential was estimated. The results showed that the carbon emissions in the chemical industry increased rapidly in 2010–2019, reaching 196 million tons in 2019. The emission structure was the most important factor in mitigating carbon emissions, and the emission intensity, industrial structure, economic development level, and labor force scale had different degrees of promotion effects, of which emission intensity was the strongest. The chemical industry can reach a carbon peak before 2030 under the three analyzed scenarios, and the emission reduction potential is the largest under the landing policy scenario. The results showed that carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) technology is key for carbon emission reductions and that it is necessary to adjust the industrial structure, reduce emission intensity, and increase forest carbon sink to achieve carbon neutrality in the chemical industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Change Mitigation)

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