Search Results (23)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death in Bangladesh, disproportionately affecting low socio-economic status (SES) populations. This review, guided by the WHO Social Determinants of Health framework and Rockefeller-Lancet Planetary Health Report, examined how social, economic, and ecological factors link SES to TB burden. The first literature search identified 28 articles focused on SES-TB relationships in Bangladesh. A second search through snowballing and conceptual mapping yielded 55 more papers of diverse source types and disciplines. Low-SES groups face elevated TB risk due to smoking, biomass fuel use, malnutrition, limited education, stigma, financial barriers, and hazardous housing or workplaces. These factors delay care-seeking, worsen outcomes, and fuel transmission, especially among women. High-SES groups more often face comorbidities like diabetes, which increase TB risk. Broader contextual drivers include urbanisation, weak labour protections, cultural norms, and poor governance. Recommendations include housing and labour reform, gender parity in education, and integrating private providers into TB programmes. These align with the WHO End TB Strategy, UN SDGs and Planetary Health Quadruple Aims, which expand the traditional Triple Aim for health system design by integrating environmental sustainability alongside improved patient outcomes, population health, and cost efficiency. Future research should explore trust in frontline workers, reasons for consulting informal carers, links between makeshift housing and TB, and integrating ecological determinants into existing frameworks. Full article

About 50% of Italian households’ overall energy consumption is satisfied by natural gas, mainly for space heating, leading to substantial CO₂ emissions. In Italy’s mild climate, fourth-generation district heating (4GDH) networks coupled with renewable energy sources (RESs) could represent a viable option for reaching the ambitious space heating decarbonization objectives set by the EU. In this paper, such a decarbonization pathway, consisting in a centralized heat pump (HP)-powered 4GDH network, with and without the addition of a distributed PV plant, is assessed and compared with the individual natural gas boilers-based Italian reference scenario. A cluster of buildings, comprising 200 dwellings, representative of common households in Rome, has been chosen as the case study. Starting from the cluster’s hourly space heating demand, a semi-dynamic MATLAB/Simulink model has been developed to size the technological components and evaluate their performance with respect to outdoor environmental conditions. The scenario comparison is carried out by means of techno-economic and environmental indicators: the levelized cost of heat (LCOHE), CO₂ emissions, and carbon avoidance cost (CAC). Moreover, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out to address the uncertainty regarding the main economic parameters, namely the electricity and natural gas price and the HP and DH investment cost. The results show that 4GDH-based layouts significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, at the expense of the LCOHE. The sensitivity analysis highlights how a significant reduction in both the electricity price and the DH network capital cost are required for achieving price parity with the fossil-fuel based scenario. Full article

Under California’s Clean Miles Standard (or SB 1014), transportation network companies (TNCs) must transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2030. One significant hurdle for TNC drivers is the electric vehicle (EV) acquisition and operating costs versus an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. This study therefore evaluates net TNC driving earnings through EV acquisition pathways—financing, leasing, and renting—along with EV-favoring policy options. Key metrics assessed include (1) total TNC income when considering service fees, fuel costs, monthly vehicle payments, etc., and (2) the time EVs take to reach parity with their ICE counterparts. Monthly comparisons illustrate the earning differentials between new/used EVs and gas-powered vehicles. Our analyses employing TNC data from 2019 to 2020 suggest that EV leasing is optimal for short-term low-mileage drivers; EV financing is more feasible for those planning to drive for TNCs for over two years; EV rentals are only optimal for higher mileages, and they are not an economical pathway for longer-term driving. Sensitivity analyses further indicate that EV charging price discounts are effective in shortening the time for EVs to reach cost parity over ICEs. Drivers may experience a total asset gain when reselling their TNC vehicle after two to three years. Full article

The introduction of a significant industrial carbon price in Alberta, Canada, has precipitated major changes in its electricity market, both for fossil fuel generators, which has resulted in a rapid transition from coal to natural gas, as well as for renewable energy projects, which can monetize emission offset credits. Coal, which generated close to half of the electricity in the province in 2016 before the major changes were introduced, had fallen to less than 8 percent by the end of 2023 and was completely phased out by June 2024. Conversely, wind energy grew from 6 to 12 percent of the annual supply, in part due to the increasing value of the carbon credits whose value is connected to the deemed greenhouse emissions they are displacing. As wind energy increased in penetration, it lowered its own market price, which was discounted from the average market price by 10–43 percent, but in turn increased the relative importance of its offset. This paper examines the evolution of emissions displaced by wind energy in Alberta by considering 10 years of historical merit order data and creating a counterfactual scenario where historical wind generation is replaced by next-in-merit units. On average, coal made up 84 percent of the marginal energy and 93 percent of the marginal emissions in 2018. As the coal capacity declined, natural gas units replaced coal on the margins, jumping from 21 percent of next-in-merit generation in 2020 to 84 percent in 2023. Alberta uses a deemed emissions displacement factor, which is a combination of historical build and operating margins that declined from 0.65 tCO₂e/MWh in 2010 to 0.52 tCO₂e/MWh in 2023. Using the counterfactual scenario, an alternative offset value is considered, which had a maximum difference of 57 percent (9 CAD/MWh) of increased value over the actual historical offset. However, the counterfactual rate of emission offsets fell to near parity with the deemed grid displacement factor by 2022 as natural gas became increasingly dominant in the market. As the carbon price is scheduled to increase from 65 CAD/tCO₂e in 2023 to 170 CAD/tCO₂e by 2030, the provincial offset could reach a maximum value of 53 CAD/MWh in 2030 but begin to decline thereafter as the carbon price drives decarbonization, thereby lowering displaced emissions in either method of calculation. The introduction of significant carbon pricing into a thermally dominated electricity market resulted in more emissions being displaced by renewable energy than they were credited for in the short term, but the resultant decarbonization of the grid decreases the long-term value of emission offsets. Full article

This paper reviews the existing studies employing total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis to evaluate the comparative economic viability of battery electric trucks (BETs) and diesel trucks (DTs). A key finding is that until recent years, BETs have not been cost-competitive with DTs. Light-duty trucks and medium-duty trucks started to become competitive in 2021 (1) according to some estimates, whereas heavy-duty trucks might remain to be not competitive even in future decades. However, (2) TCO estimates differ across continents. (3) The combing effect of fuel prices and taxes is most likely responsible for the fact that BETs enjoy a stronger competitive position relative to DTs in Europe, Asia, and Oceania, whereas, in North America, most estimates assign them poor competitiveness, both presently and in the coming years. (4) Most studies underline that significant cost disproportions persist in the heavy-duty truck segment due to its demanding operational requirements and a lack of robust high-powered charging infrastructure. Consequently, substantial financial incentives and subsidies will be required for heavy-duty trucks to enhance their economic viability, potentially accelerating cost parity from post-2035 to the near future. This paper identifies several constraints in its TCO analysis, including limited data on residual values, variability in discount rates, depreciation costs, and a lack of longitudinal and market data for BETs. Full article

Green hydrogen (GH₂) is emerging as a key driver of global energy transition, offering a sustainable pathway to decarbonize energy systems and achieve climate objectives. This review critically examines the state of GH₂ research production technologies and their integration into renewable energy systems, supported by a bibliometric analysis of the recent literature. Produced via electrolysis powered by renewable energy, GH₂ shows significant potential to decarbonize industries, enhance grid stability, and support the Power-to-X paradigm, which interlinks electricity, heating, transportation, and industrial applications. However, widespread adoption faces challenges, including high production costs, infrastructure constraints, and the need for robust regulatory frameworks. Addressing these barriers requires advancements in electrolyzer efficiency, scalable fuel cell technologies, and efficient storage solutions. Sector-coupled smart grids incorporating hydrogen demonstrate the potential to integrate GH₂ into energy systems, enhancing renewable energy utilization and ensuring system reliability. Economic analyses predict that GH₂ can achieve cost parity with fossil fuels by 2030 and will play a foundational role in low-carbon energy systems by 2050. Its ability to convert surplus renewable electricity into clean energy carriers positions it as a cornerstone for decarbonizing energy-intensive sectors, such as industry, transportation, and heating. This review underscores the transformative potential of GH₂ in creating a sustainable energy future. By addressing technical, economic, and policy challenges and through coordinated efforts in innovation and infrastructure development, GH₂ can accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral energy systems and contribute to achieving global climate goals. Full article

Urban expansion and fossil fuel dependence have led to energy and environmental concerns, highlighting the need for sustainable solutions. Rooftop photovoltaic (RPV) systems offer a viable solution for urban energy transition by utilizing idle rooftop space and meeting decentralized energy needs. However, due to limited information on building function attributes, detailed assessments of RPV potential at the city scale are still complicated. This study introduces a cost-effective framework that combines big Earth data and deep learning to evaluate RPV potential for various investment entities. We introduced a sample construction strategy that considers built environment and location awareness to improve the effectiveness and generalizability of the framework. Applied to Shanghai, our building function recognition model achieved 88.67%, 88.51%, and 67.18% for accuracy, weighted-F1, and kappa, respectively. We identified a potential installed capacity of 42 GW with annual electricity generation of 17 TWh for industrial and commercial, 16 TWh for residential, and 10 TWh for public RPVs. The levelized cost of electricity ranges from 0.32 to 0.41 CNY/kWh, demonstrating that both user-side and plant-side grid parity was achieved. This study supports sustainable development by providing detailed urban energy assessments and guiding local energy planning. The methods and findings may offer insights for similar studies globally. Full article

The refining industry is shifting from decarbonization to hydrogenation for processing heavy fractions to reduce pollution and improve efficiency. However, the carbon footprint of hydrogen production presents significant environmental challenges. This study couples refinery linear programming models with life cycle assessment to evaluate, from a long-term perspective, the role of low-carbon hydrogen in promoting sustainable and profitable hydrogenation refining practices. Eight hydrogen-production pathways were examined, including those based on fossil fuels and renewable energy, providing hydrogen for three representative refineries adopting hydrogenation, decarbonization, and co-processing routes. Learning curves were used to predict future hydrogen cost trends. Currently, hydrogenation refineries using fossil fuels benefit from significant cost advantages in hydrogen production, demonstrating optimal economic performance. However, in the long term, with increasing carbon taxes, hydrogenation routes will be affected by the high carbon emissions associated with fossil-based hydrogen, losing economic advantages compared to decarbonization pathways. With increasing installed capacity and technological advancements, low-carbon hydrogen is anticipated to reach cost parity with fossil-based hydrogen before 2060. Coupling renewable hydrogen is expected to yield the most significant economic advantages for hydrogenation refineries in the long term. Renewable hydrogen drives the transition of refining processing routes from a decarbonization-oriented approach to a hydrogenation-oriented paradigm, resulting in cleaner refining processes and enhanced competitiveness under emission-reduction pressures. Full article

The electrification of heavy-duty trucks stands as a critical and challenging cornerstone in the low-carbon transition of the transportation sector. This paper employs the total cost of ownership (TCO) as the economic evaluation metric, framed within the context of China’s ambitious goals for heavy truck electrification by 2035. A detailed TCO model is developed, encompassing not only the vehicles but also their related energy replenishing infrastructures. This comprehensive approach enables a sophisticated examination of the economic feasibility for different deployment contexts of both fuel cell and battery electric heavy-duty trucks, emphasizing renewable energy utilization. This study demonstrates that in the context where both fuel cell components and hydrogen energy are costly, fuel cell trucks (FCTs) exhibit a significantly higher TCO compared to battery electric trucks (BETs). Specifically, for a 16 ton truck with a 500 km range, the TCO for the FCT is 0.034 USD/tkm, representing a 122% increase over its BET counterpart. In the case of a 49 ton truck designed for a 1000 km range, the TCO for the FCT is 0.024 USD/tkm, marking a 36% premium compared to the BET model. The technological roadmap suggests a narrowing cost disparity between FCTs and BETs by 2035. For the aforementioned 16 ton truck model, the projected TCO for the FCT is expected to be 0.016 USD/tkm, which is 58% above the BET, and for the 49 ton variant, it is anticipated at 0.012 USD per ton-kilometer, narrowing the difference to just 4.5% relative to BET. Further analysis within this study on the influences of renewable energy pricing and operational range on FCT and BET costs highlights a pivotal finding: for the 49 ton truck, achieving TCO parity between FCTs and BETs is feasible when renewable energy electricity prices fall to 0.022 USD/kWh or when the operational range extends to 1890 km. This underscores the critical role of energy costs and efficiency in bridging the cost gap between FCTs and BETs. Full article

This review paper examines the applicability of biogas and biomethane as potential maritime fuels and examines issues of these fuels from a supply chain perspective (from production to end use). The objectives are to identify: (1) the latest research, development, and innovation activities; (2) issues and key barriers related to the technology readiness to bring biogas/biomethane to market; and (3) commercialisation issues, including cost parity with natural gas (the main competitor). A survey of the literature was carried out based on research articles and grey literature. The PESTEL and SWOT analyses identified opportunities for these fuels due to the relevant regulations (e.g., Fit for 55; the recent inclusion of the Mediterranean Sea as a SECA and PM control area; MPEC 79), market-based measures, and environmental, social, and governance strategies. The potential of biomass feedstock is estimated to have a substantial value that can satisfy the energy needs of the maritime industry. However, production costs of biomethane are high; estimated to be 2–4 times higher compared to natural gas. The market is moving in the direction of alternative drop-in fuels, including liquefied and compressed biomethane (LBM and CBM) and biogas. In terms of potential market penetration, LBM can be used as a marine drop-in fuel for the existing fleet that already combust LNG and LPG due to similar handling. Currently, these vessels are LNG and LPG tankers. However, in newly built vessels, LBM can be also supplied to container ships, vehicle carriers, and bulk carriers (about 20% of newly built vessels). Provided that compressed natural gas infrastructure exists, CBM can be exploited in vessels with low energy needs and low space requirements and shore-side electrification, because investments in retrofits are lower compared to constructing new infrastructure. Full article

The main objective of this work was to investigate the potential of hydrogen and fuel cells replacing diesel and internal combustion engines in the ultraclass haul trucks deployed in the mining sector. Performance, range, durability, and cost are the main criteria considered for comparing the two fuels and engine options. Fuel cell system (FCS) performance is characterized in terms of heat rejection, efficiency, and fuel consumption for a hybrid platform equivalent to a 3500 hp diesel engine operating on a representative open pit mining duty cycle. A hybrid platform was chosen because the heat rejection, with a constrained radiator frontal area, limits the maximum fuel cell-rated power by about 50% compared to that of the diesel truck. The hybrid powertrain was 81–88% more efficient than the diesel powertrain on the truck duty cycle. A liquid hydrogen storage system is required for an equal range or time between refilling, but the packaging remains a challenge. Fuel cell and battery durability were evaluated for their performance degradation and lifetime. Achieving a fuel cell lifetime comparable to the time between major overhauls for diesel trucks necessitates the oversizing of the membrane-active area, catalyst overloading, and voltage clipping. For an equal lifetime, the battery must be oversized to control its depth of discharge and charge/discharge rates. A total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis considering the initial capital expenditures, as well as the lifetime cost of fuel, operation, and maintenance, indicates that fuel cells and hydrogen can compete with diesel. A breakeven fuel cost for TCO parity is obtained if H₂ is available at USD 5.79–6.85/kg vs. diesel at USD 3.25/gal and the FCS-specific cost is USD 323/kW_e relative to USD 250/kW for a diesel genset. Volume manufacturing is required for FCS cost reduction. High volume is possible through the standardization, modularity, and proliferation of class 8 long-haul truck systems across different heavy-duty applications. Full article

Cooking with electricity (eCook) in low-and-middle-income developing countries is still an expensive option compared to using conventional fuels such as charcoal and firewood, so there is a need to identify solutions to make it affordable for all in line with the targets of SDG7. The initial aim of this paper is to understand and provide a comparative analysis of the cooking energy costs through a range of contextualized cooking scenarios—when cooking either with conventional fuels (e.g., charcoal, firewood) or with eCook appliances (e.g., electric pressure cookers (EPC) or hotplates), that are connected to and supplied from an integrated or portable battery (eCook battery). The cooking cost for the eCook cooking scenarios is assessed with and without fuel stacking where a degree of eCook exists alongside other conventional fuels. These studies offer a more realistic concept of the cooking practice to characterize the best fit for cooking scenarios and the main factors required to close the gap between the energy cost of conventional fuel and eCook batteries. The results suggest that to close the affordability gap between firewood and battery-based eCook, three main factors must be considered when estimating the cooking cost: the non-market cost of firewood; ensuring a low mini-grid tariff that is within range of the national grid tariff; and using an optimal eCook battery size with the capability to meet the required demand. In fact, when taking these factors into account; for the 2022 analysis, cooking 100% using an eCook battery is in a range of USD 29–30/month implying that there could be an opportunity for parity when the firewood cost reaches USD 29/month. The same applies to the cooking prediction costs for 2030, reducing further to USD 20–21/month. However, if the firewood is harvested sustainably, ensuring it is high in quality and dry, it would be difficult for battery eCook to compete. It should be emphasized that this research has relevance for governments, practitioners, and researchers. Full article

Economic Load Dispatch (ELD) belongs to a non-convex optimization problem that aims to reduce total power generation cost by satisfying demand constraints. However, solving the ELD problem is a challenging task, because of its parity and disparity constraints. The Pigeon-Inspired Optimizer (PIO) is a recently proposed optimization algorithm, which belongs to the family of swarm intelligence algorithms. The PIO algorithm has the benefit of conceptual simplicity, and provides better outcomes for various real-world problems. However, this algorithm has the drawback of premature convergence and local stagnation. Therefore, we propose an Oppositional Pigeon-Inspired Optimizer (OPIO) algorithm—to overcome these deficiencies. The proposed algorithm employs Oppositional-Based Learning (OBL) to enhance the quality of the individual, by exploring the global search space. The proposed algorithm would be used to determine the load demand of a power system, by sustaining the various equality and inequality constraints, to diminish the overall generation cost. In this work, the OPIO algorithm was applied to solve the ELD problem of small- (13-unit, 40-unit), medium- (140-unit, 160-unit) and large-scale (320-unit, 640-unit) test systems. The experimental results of the proposed OPIO algorithm demonstrate its efficiency over the conventional PIO algorithm, and other state-of-the-art approaches in the literature. The comparative results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm provides better results—in terms of improved accuracy, higher convergence rate, less computation time, and reduced fuel cost—than the other approaches. Full article

The clean hydrogen in the prioritized value chain platform could provide energy incentives and reduce environmental impacts. In the current study, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis has been successfully applied to the clean hydrogen value chain in different sectors to determine Japan’s clean hydrogen value chain’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as a case study. Japan was chosen as a case study since we believe that it is the only pioneer country in that chain with a national strategy, investments, and current projects, which make it unique in this way. The analyses include evaluations of clean energy development, power supply chains, regional energy planning, and renewable energy development, including the internal and external elements that may influence the growth of the hydrogen economy in Japan. The ability of Japan to produce and use large quantities of clean hydrogen at a price that is competitive with fossil fuels is critical to the country’s future success. The implementation of an efficient carbon tax and carbon pricing is also necessary for cost parity. There will be an increasing demand for global policy coordination and inter-industry cooperation. The results obtained from this research will be a suitable model for other countries to be aware of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in this field in order to make proper decisions according to their infrastructures, potentials, economies, and socio-political states in that field. Full article

Many countries, especially China, have extensively promoted liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace diesel in heavy-duty vehicles for to achieve sustainable transport aims, including carbon peaks and neutrality. We developed a life-cycle calculation model for environmental load differences covering vehicle and fuel cycles to comprehensively compare the LNG tractor-trailer and its diesel counterpart in China on a full suite of environmental impacts. We found that the LNG tractor-trailer consumes less aluminum but more iron and energy; emits less nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, nonmethane volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter but more greenhouse gases (GHG) and carbon monoxide (CO); and causes less abiotic depletion potential, acidification potential, and human toxicity potential impacts but more global warming potential (GWP) and photooxidant creation potential (POCP) impacts. Poor fuel economy was found to largely drive the higher life-cycle GHG and CO emissions and GWP and POCP impacts of the LNG tractor-trailer. Switching to the LNG tractor-trailer could reduce carbon dioxide by 52.73%, GWP impact by 44.60% and POCP impact by 49.23% if it attains parity fuel economy with its diesel counterpart. Policymakers should modify the regulations on fuel tax and vehicle access, which discourage improvement in LNG engine efficiency and adopt incentive polices to develop the technologies. Full article