Search Results (7)

The rapid growth in natural gas consumption by gas-fired generators and the emergence of power-to-hydrogen (P2H) technology have increased the interdependency of natural gas and power systems, presenting new challenges to energy system operators due to the heterogeneous uncertainties associated with power loads, renewable energy sources (RESs), and gas loads. These uncertainties can easily spread from one infrastructure to another, increasing the risk of cascading outages. Given the erratic nature of RESs, P2H technology provides a valuable solution for large-scale energy storage systems, crucial for the transition to economic, clean, and secure energy systems. This paper proposes a new approach for the co-optimized operation of gas and electric power systems, aiming to reduce combined operating costs by 10–15% without jeopardizing gas and energy supplies to customers. A mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model is developed for the optimal day-ahead operation of these integrated systems, with a case study involving the IEEE 24-bus power system and a 20-node natural gas system. Simulation results demonstrate the model’s effectiveness in minimizing total costs by up to 20% and significantly reducing renewable energy curtailment by over 50%. The proposed approach supports UN Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring sustainable energy (SDG 7), fostering innovation and resilient infrastructure (SDG 9), enhancing energy efficiency for resilient cities (SDG 11), promoting responsible consumption (SDG 12), contributing to climate action (SDG 13), and strengthening partnerships (SDG 17). It promotes clean energy, technological innovation, resilient infrastructure, efficient resource use, and climate action, supporting the transition to sustainable energy systems. Full article

The west coast of Great Britain has the potential for barrages to create tidal range reservoirs that both facilitate electricity generation and prevent flooding from sea level rise. Seawater flows into and out of the reservoir, or impoundment, through turbines and sluices. The impounded water follows the natural tidal sequence but with a delay which creates a head between the two bodies of water. Traditional designs for barrages use earth embankments, with impermeable cores and rockfill protection. More recently, breakwaters and jetties have been constructed using precast concrete vertical caissons. A novel design using horizontal precast caissons is described and evaluated. Wave forces are estimated using Goda’s method for a vertical breakwater to assess their impact on stability and ground-bearing pressures. The stability of the barrage is checked for hydrostatic and wave forces. The volumes of materials and relative costs are presented. Precast caissons are found to be viable financially and should be both quicker and easier to construct and install. The horizontal caissons show advantages over the vertical type, and although untried, they should be easier to construct than submerged tube tunnels. Further work is needed to validate the design, including dynamic modelling and detailed construction assessment to confirm the cost rates. Full article

This study aims to determine the influence of the fiscal, monetary, and public policy environment in Sri Lanka and its impact on sustainable development before and after COVID-19. This study used the document analysis qualitative research method to obtain and analyse fiscal, monetary, and public policy data. It assigned and measured the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) values and trends. The goals were clustered into social, environmental, and sustainability-related intellectual capital to measure their dimensional capital status values and trends. Despite the economic crisis, Sri Lanka has moderately progressed in sustainable development, with most improvements in social capital. The environmental and sustainability-related intellectual capital dimensions follow. The 17 SDGs were advancing at various levels. Two were on track (Goal 4: Quality education and Goal 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure). Five moderately improved goals (Goal 2: Zero hunger, Goal 3: Good health and well-being, Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation, Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production, and Goal 13: Climate action). Seven were stagnant (Goal 5: Gender equality, Goal 7: Affordable clean energy, Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth, Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities, Goal 14: Life below water, Goal 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, and Goal 17: Partnership for the goals). Two showed a decrease (Goal 1: Poverty and Goal 15: Life on land). No data are reported for Goal 10 (Reduce inequalities). Fiscal and monetary policies were overly focussed on economic repair and reconstruction. Public policy has nevertheless contributed to sustainable development. This is the first study to examine the multidimensional policy environment and its impact on sustainable development in Sri Lanka. Full article

The United Nations Member States created a common roadmap for sustainability and development in 2015. The UN-SDGs are included in the 2030 Plan as an immediate call to action from all nations in the form of global partnerships. To date, a handful of countries have achieved substantial progress toward the targets. The climate–water–energy–food nexus is being advocated as a conceptual method for achieving sustainable development. According to research, frameworks for adopting nexus thinking have not been the best solution to clearly or sufficiently include thoughts on sustainability. Therefore, there is much room for other solutions; these are in the form of newer Fourth Industrial Revolution digital technologies, as well as transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy. In this paper, we come to understand these two models and their linkages between climate, water, energy, and food; their application and challenges, and, finally, the effects on the UN-SDGs. It was found that both circular economy and newer Fourth Industrial Revolution digital technologies can positively support the nexus as well as directly address the UN-SDGs, specifically SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13. Full article

Bioenergy production from waste is one of the emerging and viable routes from renewable resources (in addition to wind and solar energy). Many developing countries can benefit from this as they are trying to solve the large amounts of unattended garbage in landfills. This waste comes in either liquid (wastewater and oil) or solid (food and agricultural residues) form. Waste has negative impacts on the environment and, consequently, any form of life that exists therein. One way of solving this waste issue is through its usage as a resource for producing valuable products, such as biofuels, thus, creating a circular economy, which is in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5, 7, 8, 9, and 13. Biofuel in the form of biogas can be produced from feedstocks, such as industrial wastewater and municipal effluent, as well as organic solid waste in a process called anaerobic digestion. The feedstock can be used as an individual substrate for anaerobic digestion or co-digested with two other substrates. Research advancements have shown that the anaerobic digestion of two or more substrates produces higher biogas yields as compared to their single substrates’ counterparts. The objective of this review was to look at the anaerobic digestion process and to provide information on the potential of biogas production through the co-digestion of sugarcane processing wastewater and municipal solid waste. The study deduced that sugar wastewater and municipal solid waste can be considered good substrates for biogas production in SA due to their enormous availability and the potential to turn their negative impacts into value addition. Biogas production is a feasible alternative, among others, to boost the country from the current energy issues. Full article

Since the initiation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, academia and industry have been taking action to seek how to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via research, practice, and community engagement. Due to the UN SDGs comprising comprehensive domain-centric ontologies for reaching a consensus on their achievement, so far there has been a literature gap on how and what product design strategies can help achieve which of the SDGs. Inspired by the implication of creating a better world with design, this study conducted a scoping review to synthesize existing design strategies toward the implementation of the SDGs. More than 110 design strategies/methods were collected and synthesized as evidence to map onto the ontological domains of the SDGs. The results indicate that Goals 8, 9, 11, and 12 can be correspondingly addressed by the current body of design strategies, whereas a gap exists in the design strategies to address Goals 15, 16, and 17. Most of the corresponding strategies can be workable to Goals 3, 4, 6, and 7 to a certain extent and, in a broad sense, are in line with the contextual implications of Goals 1, 2, 5, 10, 13, and 14. This study provides a useful starting point for researchers to explore how design has been contributing to the sustainability goals. It also contributes to existing knowledge of the design discipline by providing methodological guidance for researchers and practitioners to conduct further research and practice on the UN SDGs. Full article

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, which set out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets and 231 unique indicators as a significant initiative towards socio-economic development. The SDGs provide the construction industry with a new lens through which global needs and desires can be translated into business solutions. This paper explores the role of the construction industry in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The paper uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. Following a comparative review of the literature on the 17 SDGs, a questionnaire was designed and administered among 130 respondents, and 105 responses were received. These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with 16 sustainable construction experts. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through side-by-side comparisons of the qualitative data with the quantitative data. The findings show that the construction industry has a critical role in achieving almost all the 17 SDGs. The roles were, however, prevalent in 10 key SDGs, namely: sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); climate action (SDG 13); clean water and sanitation (SDG 6); responsible consumption and production (SDG 12); industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9); life on land (biodiversity) (SDG 15); gender equality (SDG 5); good health and well-being (SDG 3); affordable and clean energy (SDG 7); decent work and economic growth (SDG 8). The study confirmed the role played by the construction industry in achieving these SDGs. The findings from this study provide further insights into the ever-increasing state-of-the-art regarding the construction industry’s role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Full article