Search Results (32,949)

As one of the top contributors to global environmental impact, the building and construction sector has significant potential to mitigate resource consumption both during and after construction. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification has formalized this mitigation process, but it remains unclear whether the operational performance of LEED-certified buildings matches their theoretical design in reducing environmental impacts and advancing sustainable development in the built environment. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on real-world building performance by evaluating the operational energy use of LEED-certified buildings in Philadelphia relative to their immediate urban neighbors. The methodology includes identifying buildings from the Philadelphia Large Building Energy Benchmarking dataset, along with U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certification records, and analyzing LEED-certified buildings in comparison with their functionally similar non-LEED buildings in proximity. The research employs a multi-dimensional analytical framework grounded in the Energy and Atmosphere (EA) credit structure of LEED. In raw city-wide terms, certified buildings used far more energy per floor area than non-certified buildings (79.4 vs. 22.7 kWh/sq ft), but this gap largely reflects differences in building function, size, and location. After structural clustering and geographically constrained matching, certified buildings still showed a higher mean energy use intensity, by roughly 56 to 59 kWh/sq ft across all neighborhood sizes (k = 3, 5, 10). However, none of these differences was statistically significant at the 95% level. This apparent gap was not uniform: it was concentrated in large, service-intensive types such as healthcare and public/cultural facilities, rather than observed across all building categories. The results therefore provide no evidence that certified buildings outperform comparable non-certified peers in operational energy use, rather than positive evidence that they underperform. By utilizing large-scale benchmarking data and comparative analytical methods, this work enhances understanding of the effectiveness of LEED-related energy interventions and supports evidence-based decision-making for policymakers, designers, contractors, and building owners seeking to improve energy performance in existing buildings. Full article

Hull form optimization is a key technical approach for developing energy-efficient ship hulls. However, selecting appropriate optimization parameters remains challenging. Traditional methods often rely heavily on designer experience, leading to subjective and inconsistent parameter choices. Consequently, optimization results vary significantly and lack generalizability. This study focuses on container ships, using the KCS model to investigate the impact of optimization parameter distribution and hull surface deformation on wave-making resistance. Through systematic analysis, an optimized parameter selection methodology is developed, resulting in significant improvements in wave-making resistance performance for container ships. Specifically, a 20.28% reduction in wave-making resistance and a −3.01% reduction in total resistance are achieved. Full article

Heat stress is a growing concern in cattle production systems due to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events driven by climate change. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the multifaceted impacts of heat stress and focuses on nutritional strategies to mitigate its effects on ruminating cattle. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Heat stress adversely affects cattle physiology, behavior, rumen function, and overall productivity, particularly in dairy animals with high metabolic activity. During heat stress episodes, changes in the microbial population have been reported; however, there is no clear consensus, as findings vary widely among studies depending on diet, feed intake, animal type and experimental design. This variability limits the ability to draw general conclusions regarding changes in the rumen microbiome driven by heat stress. In this context, dietary nutritional intervention strategies offer a practical and scalable approach to enhance thermotolerance and maintain performance under heat stress conditions. Key nutritional strategies include modifications in diet composition to reduce metabolic heat production, with some approaches carrying potential risks to animal health, e.g., increasing dietary energy density through concentrates while minimizing forage content. Supplementation with rumen-protected nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, and minerals can be used to support immune function, antioxidant capacity, and metabolic stability. Polyphenols and betaine contribute to oxidative stress reduction and gut integrity, while probiotics may be used to improve rumen fermentation and nutrient utilization. Sensor technologies, including rumen boluses and wearable devices, offer the potential to monitor physiological responses to heat stress in real time and offer opportunities for precision feeding and early intervention. Most published studies only cover short periods of heat stress, and there is a lack of in vitro models simulating rumen hyperthermia. In parallel, future research should therefore prioritize longitudinal, in vivo trials that integrate physiological, metabolic, and microbial responses to understand the long term and systemic effect of heat stress. In addition, controlled trials in commercial settings are necessary to prove the transferability of results to commercial herds. A multidisciplinary approach combining nutritional, environmental, and technological strategies is likely to play an important role in safeguarding cattle welfare and productivity in a warming climate. Full article

The fundamental dilemma of energy transition lies in whether an economy can guide its energy system to break free from deep dependence on fossil fuels in a sustained and orderly manner. This requires not only institutional incentives for innovation but also, more critically, a social-level shift in focus from “physical expansion” to “human development.” This paper incorporates these two conditions into a unified causal framework. Taking the pilot program for the construction of IP-strong provinces in China launched in 2016 as a quasi-natural experiment, and using panel data from 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China over the period 2010–2022, this study employs the Spatial Durbin Difference-in-Differences (SDM-DID) model and the Double Machine Learning (DML) method to examine the joint impacts and transmission mechanisms of the regional IP strong chain and the deep synergy between investment in physical capital and investment in human capital on energy green controllability. The findings are as follows. First, both the IP strong chain and deep synergy significantly improve energy green controllability. The local effect of deep synergy is far greater than the direct effect of the IP system itself, making it the core structural force driving the green transition. Second, the institutional dividend of the IP strong chain generates positive spatial spillovers to neighboring regions through the patent information disclosure channel. In contrast, the spatial spillovers of deep synergy are obstructed by administrative barriers and fiscal boundaries. Third, deep synergy plays a significant partial mediating role in the process through which the IP strong chain affects energy green controllability, with more than one-third of the total policy effect being released through this channel. Fourth, a path-wise test reveals a notable structural difference: the human capital investment path significantly outperforms the physical capital investment path in terms of transmission efficiency and robustness. This indicates that, at the current stage, the institutional effectiveness of the IP system in driving the green transition is largely achieved by improving the quality, capacity, and security level of human capital, rather than by restructuring the physical capital stock. The above conclusions remain robust after replacing the machine learning algorithm, adjusting the sample split ratio, and excluding the interference of concurrent competitive policies. This paper reveals the complete causal chain through which institutional public goods are transmitted to system governance capacity via the factor allocation structure, providing new empirical evidence for understanding the deep-seated relationship between intellectual property governance and the energy transition. Full article

With the growing depth of underground mining, issues surrounding solid waste storage and the effective use of mine water have become pivotal to achieving sustainable mining practices. The complex ionic composition of mine water impacts the performance of traditional cemented tailings backfill (CTB) materials. Gold mine tailings, combined with cement, were repurposed as the cornerstone raw materials in this investigation. Solutions with identical target concentration gradients for Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, and HCO₃⁻ were prepared separately using NaCl, Na₂SO₄, and NaHCO₃, respectively, with each salt dosed to achieve the desired anion concentration. These solutions served as mixing water for preparing samples with tailings and cement. Strength, energy dissipation characteristics, and microstructure of CTB were investigated by single-axis compression test, XRD, and SEM-EDS analysis. Experimental results demonstrate that adding three reagents—NaCl, Na₂SO₄, and NaHCO₃ (covering Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, and HCO₃⁻ ions, respectively)—at appropriate concentrations enhances mechanical properties. At their optimum concentrations, these salts increased the compressive strength of CTB by approximately 30%, reaching ~4 MPa. However, further increases in salt concentration produced inconsistent strength responses, with bicarbonate-containing mixtures exhibiting the most pronounced strength reduction. These effects are primarily attributed to competition between the introduced anions and cement hydration reactions, which alters the pore structure and consequently the density and strength of the hardened matrix. Incorporating different ion-covering backfill at appropriate concentrations enhances mechanical strength. These findings provide new opportunities for CTB mix design and mine water utilization. However, as this study considered only single-ion systems, further investigation is needed to elucidate the combined effects of multiple ions present in actual mine water. Full article

Sustainable development views energy as a determinant of the interdependence between economic growth and ecosystem protection, which influences the specificity of energy-production relationships in the hospitality and catering sectors (HoReCa) and the Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) sector. The primary goal of this study is to identify and assess the structural relationships between environmental, fiscal, production, and energy factors in industrial enterprises and their impact on production and resource potential within the intersectoral network of the HoReCa and MRO sectors, taking into account emission burdens and fiscal instruments. The research procedure utilized partial least squares coherent structural equation modeling (PLSc-SEM). The model was built using Eurostat data from 2008 to 2020 for companies in 23 countries of the European Union. The analysis showed that the energy consumption of the hospitality and catering establishments (HoReCa) is the strongest predictor of MRO sector activity (β = 0.910), whereas the emission intensity of MROs exerts a comparatively minor effect. The results document the dominance of scale over emission intensity in shaping environmental burdens. Furthermore, they confirm the negative impact of environmental taxes on the remuneration fund of highly qualified specialists. The full mediation of operational scale was also demonstrated in the relationships between energy demand, emissions levels, and labor costs. The results of the study clearly indicate the need to integrate building energy policy with the decarbonization of technical services. From a macroeconomic perspective, this approach supports the achievement of sustainable development goals. Implementing predictive maintenance demonstrates a dual synergistic effect, combining maximized resource productivity with a simultaneous reduction in carbon footprint. Full article

As the key driver of economic development, sci-tech finance presents a new opportunity for China’s economic green transformation. This paper employs the difference-in-difference method to examine the influence of sci-tech finance policies on urban carbon emission efficiency. The results show the following: (1) Generally, the technology finance policy can notably enhance urban carbon emission efficiency, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness checks. (2) Mechanism tests indicate that sci-tech finance can promote low-carbon development via innovation, financing, and energy structure channels. (3) Heterogeneity tests reveal that sci-tech finance has a more pronounced impact on emissions reduction in the eastern regions, areas with strict environmental regulations, regions with a higher degree of marketization, and non-resource-based cities. (4) A spatial Durbin model was employed to analyze the spatial spillover effects of science and technology finance. (5) The Double Machine Learning (DML)model was used for verification and inspection, and found that sci-tech is conducive to improving the carbon emission efficiency of cities. Finally, this study offers policy recommendations, including formulating region-specific implementation guidelines for the growth of sci-tech finance, taking into account the distinct features of each area. Full article

In South Africa, escalating consumption of digital devices poses significant threats to ecological sustainability and has far-reaching implications for environmental degradation. The ratio of digital devices to human beings is rapidly increasing, underscoring the urgency of interrogating the sustainability implications of digital expansion. This study investigated the complex relationship between digitalisation and sustainable development, focusing on the social, environmental, and economic impacts in the South African context. For this systematic review, researchers synthesised and analysed the findings of 44 articles, published between 2015 and 2025. Using a knowledge–implementation–effect (K-I-E) cycle, the research sought to bridge knowledge gaps, critically assess the ecological costs of digital innovation, and explore how digital technologies align or conflict with sustainability goals. The study hypothesised that unchecked digitalisation exacerbates climate vulnerability, e-waste, and energy consumption, thereby threatening environmental integrity and social equity. The findings underscore the digitalisation–carbon footprint paradox, capturing a contradiction of the digital age, whereby technological progress helps reduce environmental impact and at the same time drives new forms of environmental pressure. This paradox reflects a tension between efficiency gains and expanded energy consumption. The study has major implications for policymakers because it promotes eco-friendly principles. Notably, there is a paucity of literature on digitalisation and sustainability in South Africa, with existing studies largely confined to narrow, sector-specific analyses rather than providing integrated, systemic, and cross-sectoral perspectives. Full article

Railway transport management has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. The advent of computer technology and the capacity for information transmission brought greater safety and the ability to remotely control interlocking devices. These enable the centralisation of railway transport management, leading to higher operational efficiency and reduced staffing costs. At the same time, this technological progress has enabled the development of additional automation functions, which we can abbreviate as ARS (Automated Route Setting). The international designation Automatic Route Setting (ARS) includes actions that enable the automation tool to execute instructions to the signal box without the intervention of operating personnel (the dispatcher). Their importance increases with line speed and the size of the remotely controlled area. Thanks to them, the dispatcher gains time because the ARS can automatically resolve some operational situations or allow the dispatcher to address them in advance, thereby distributing the workload over a wider time window. However, the interlocking system itself remains the primary safety mechanism and will prevent ARS if any element of the infrastructure is occupied. At the same time, it is not possible to automate safety-critical functions that require direct assistance from the operating personnel. In the article, the authors analysed functions in which ARS is currently widely used. In the next part, they focused on the possible expansion of the palette of these functions that could be included in the ARS regime using multi-criteria analysis. The WSA method was applied using data obtained from routine users of the system. This approach enabled the incorporation of practical operational experience into the evaluation process and provided an empirical basis for assessing and prioritising the analysed functions. The next step was a safety-critical analysis and determination of the conditions under which they could be included in the ARS regime. The safety-critical functions are left aside. It is assumed that these will still have to be performed by the operator, not by the ARS. Detailed implementations and quantification of their impacts on the dispatcher’s activities are then carried out for selected ARS functions. The analysis therefore yields a prioritised ranking of ARS functions, indicating the order in which their implementation would be most appropriate from an operational perspective. This ranking provides a systematic basis for the phased deployment of ARS functionalities, considering their expected operational benefits and practical applicability in railway traffic management. The last part of the article is a look into the future, because the development in the field of safe communication between the train and the infrastructure (V2I) and the transmission of valid information provides many new challenges not only in the field of ARS itself, but also in the optimisation of the entire process of managing and organising rail transport. If we can use the ARS functions today, it is only a matter of technical development to be able, for example, to guide trains to the exact time when a train route will be built for this train. This will also enable optimising the train’s energy consumption and tracking capacity use. The ideal state is when the infrastructure fully communicates with the train in GoA4 mode and optimises both the train’s ride and the use of the infrastructure. Full article

Spectral line shapes are used to diagnose parameters of white dwarfs and neutron stars in particular. In magnetized plasmas, the motion of the radiating atom in the plasma needs to be considered in the collision process as the electronic structure of the atom depends on its center-of-mass translational momentum. More broadly, collision models do not explicitly or fully account for the motion of the nucleus, accounting for deflection through conservation of momentum. Traditionally, the correlation between electronic and nuclear motion has been captured through mass-polarization terms involving momenta scalar products between different electrons. We reformulate the collision problem accounting for the motion of the nucleus, taking advantage of unitary transformations. In this new formulation, Coulomb interactions between the atom and projectile/plasma particle become displaced Coulomb interactions, and exchange interactions include corrections of order $1/M_A$. We demonstrate the resulting impact on the elastic scattering T-matrices of the $1s$ state of hydrogen, where the lowest-energy electrons increase the real part by 20–30% while leaving the imaginary part practically unaltered. Lastly, we present a formulation so that the atomic motion can be explicitly included in the collision problem for magnetic-field applications. Full article

This study advances sustainable wastewater management by investigating the efficacy of untreated pine cone powder (PCP), an abundant and renewable forest byproduct, for Fe^II removal from aqueous solutions. The surface morphology and composition of PCP was characterized by performing SEM-EDX, FTIR, point of zero charge, and total specific surface area analysis. Investigation of experimental factors revealed that equilibrium adsorption capacity increases with higher pH and temperature but decreases with elevated initial Fe^II concentration and ionic strength. The experimental kinetic and equilibrium data were best fitted to the pseudo first-order and Freundlich models, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis further indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature, accompanied by an increase of randomness at the solid–liquid interface. Low activation and Temkin bonding energies suggest that physical adsorption is the dominant removal mechanism. With a maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of 12.7 mg g⁻¹, PCP represents a promising eco-friendly adsorbent for the removal of Fe^II. By transitioning from conventional, high-footprint water treatments to such low-impact, eco-friendly alternatives, this research supports the circular valorization of biomass as a viable solution for the sustainable mitigation of industrial heavy metal pollution. Full article

Amidst booming digital economy and tightening climate governance, enhancing green total-factor energy efficiency has become pivotal for socioeconomic transformation. Whether digital economy drives urban green energy transition remains unresolved, particularly regarding factor mobility mechanisms and spatial spillovers. Using panel data of 281 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2022, this study applies Double Machine Learning and Spatial Durbin Models to examine digital economy’s impact on urban green energy efficiency. Findings indicate that (i) digital economy significantly enhances local green energy efficiency through green technological innovation, green finance development, and industrial upgrading; (ii) it facilitates talent and capital agglomeration toward digitally advanced regions, with innovation factor mobility serving as a crucial mediator; and (iii) significant spatial positive correlation exists, where digital economy generates pronounced spillovers to neighboring cities that exceed direct effects, fostering regional synergies. This research overcomes conventional methodological limitations and pioneers integrating innovation factor mobility into digital economy-green transition analysis, revealing factor reconfiguration as the core mechanism. Findings provide policy implications for cross-regional digital-energy coordination, factor marketization reforms, and differentiated green strategies. Full article

The current trend towards decarbonization has increased the pressure towards land use change through the installation of solar parks on agricultural fields. The usefulness of RothC to model the evolution of soil carbon after the installation of the solar park has been validated in a field with historic data. The model has been applied to evaluate the impact of a large-scale modification of land use in Valencia (Spain), a mediterranean region with an ambitious plan for the installation of renewable energy. The removal of the orange trees for the installation of a solar park would generate a carbon release in CO₂ eq to 72 Mg ha⁻¹. If the soil is left vacant of vegetation, another 28 Mg ha⁻¹ would be emitted in 30 years. By contrast, if the soil is covered by scrubland, an overall CO₂ capture of −226 Mg ha⁻¹ could be achieved, including the impact of the initial plant removal. If we consider the Valencia region, the installation of 12.000 hectares of solar parks could generate up to 1.2 × 10⁶ Mg of CO₂ emissions or capture 2.7 × 10⁶ Mg of CO₂. Also, a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the effect of the main labels has been performed, revealing that the original carbon content is the most relevant label, followed by plant input and the % of soil covered by the solar panels. The limited availability in experimental data means that this study should be considered an exploratory evaluation of the impact of including plantations in solar parks. Full article

This study presents a cradle-to-grave Life-Cycle Assessment of a multifunctional building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) skylight system combining a recycled aluminum frame, double-glazing unit, semi-transparent cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic glass, and an organic phase change material (PCM) for passive thermal regulation. Assessed over a 30-year service life in accordance with EN 15804+A2 using One Click LCA, the system is evaluated across 13 environmental impact categories for a declared unit of 0.72 m². Results show that materials production is the dominant environmental driver across all categories, contributing 72.0% of total GWP (78.00 kg CO₂-eq). Component replacement is the second contributor with 9.8% of GWP. End-of-life burdens account for 7.7% of cradle-to-grave GWP. When Module D credits are included, the system achieves an indicative net GWP balance of −808.34 kg CO₂-eq, that is conditional on a static Romanian grid-mix assumption; under progressive grid decarbonization this benefit is reduced, so the figure should be read as scenario-dependent potential rather than an immutable property of the product. Abiotic depletion of mineral elements is the only category where Module D does not fully offset system burdens, highlighting the relevance of critical raw material considerations for CdTe technologies. These findings demonstrate that BIPV depend on low-impact manufacturing and underscore the importance of multi-indicator LCA as the appropriate evaluation framework for integrated energy-generating building products. Full article

The wood furniture sector, heavily reliant on wood panels, faces supply risks and generates significant waste, which can be managed through recycling or energy recovery. This study investigates the environmental impacts of wood waste end-of-life management and the use of virgin versus recycled raw materials in the wood furniture sector, aiming to identify the most sustainable scenario in wood manufacturing between wood waste recycling as output and recycled wood as input. Environmental impacts of four scenarios were analyzed and compared through the life cycle assessment with the “grave-to-cradle” approach. Inventory was supported by information and data from an Italian furniture company, while the impact assessment was performed using the ReCiPe method and the SimaPro software. The results from the impact assessment and gravity analysis show the main contribution of different scenarios due to the incineration of wood waste and the manufacturing of wood panels; the sensitivity analysis highlights how increasing recycling allows for greater performance improvement than increasing recycled inputs. Although limited by the assumptions related to the case study, this research enriches the discussion on the environmental convenience of recycling manufacturing waste and using recycled materials and confirms the importance of life cycle assessment for implementing circular economy strategies in companies. Full article