Energy Efficiency最新文献

{"title":"Does the energy transition lead to carbon neutrality in India by 2070? Investigation under inverted N-shaped environmental Kuznets curve","authors":"Aabidah Rashid,&nbsp;R. Gopinathan","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10386-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10386-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The recent progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals (2023) highlights that despite the current pace of positive and accelerating growth, developing nations are lacking the attainment of SDG7 by 2030 owing to their continuing reliance on traditional energy sources, and India is confronting an analogous situation. Therefore, at COP26, India committed to acquiring 50% of its energy consumption from renewables by 2030 and attaining net zero emissions by 2070. Thus, this study examines whether transition efforts toward renewable energy will lead to carbon neutrality. The study uses MTNARDL to confirm the asymmetric effect of renewable energy on the carbon neutrality target at various quantiles. Furthermore, we also examine how far India’s current economic growth pattern is from the achievement of SDG12 under the cubic specification of the EKC via both conditions (necessary and sufficient) from 1971–2021. The study confirms the asymmetric effect of renewable energy on carbon neutrality target and further reveals that renewable energy is effective for attaining carbon neutrality at lower quantiles. Moreover, the employed model ensures both conditions; hence, we confirm an inverse N-pattern EKC with two real tipping points. Furthermore, the estimated turning points reveal that India is currently experiencing a phase of rising CO₂ emissions. Besides, it is predicted to decline after 2036, when the per capita GDP reaches 3824.4 USD. For the economic growth-CO₂ nexus to exhibit a downwards trend, more stringent environmental policies must be implemented. Furthermore, the promotion of the renewable energy transition could contribute to the achievement of a carbon neutral economy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distributed air-conditioning system for multi-machine parallel collaborative operation in electric vehicles","authors":"Ding Peng,&nbsp;Gu Xiaoyong,&nbsp;Zhang Meijuan,&nbsp;Zhang Pengbo,&nbsp; Gaoliang","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10387-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10387-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Electric buses often face significant energy-consumption challenges, as air-conditioning units alone consume over 30% of such buses’ battery power at maximum capacity. To address this problem, we propose a distributed collaborative cooling method employing multiple refrigeration devices to reduce energy consumption by electric vehicle air-conditioning systems. Initially, numerical analysis is used to determine the heat load inside a vehicle, thereby facilitating the establishment of power and component models for multiple small refrigeration devices. Furthermore, a hybrid approach utilizing cameras and thermal infrared sensors is employed to detect passenger occupancy within a vehicle. The vehicle’s interior is divided into three zones—front, middle, and rear—each of which is equipped with a small refrigeration unit, rather than using a conventional single-unit configuration. The concept of the relative number of people ratio is introduced to gauge the requisite cooling capacity within the vehicle. Additionally, a novel method is proposed for pulse width modulation control of a refrigeration compressor, predicated on a comparison between the number of passengers and the interior temperature. High-temperature tests are conducted on an electric bus to evaluate the cooling performance and energy consumption of the novel refrigeration system across varying passenger loads. The results demonstrate that the system achieves the desired cooling effect while reducing energy consumption by up to 83.6% compared with traditional electric vehicle air-conditioning systems, thereby effectively extending the range of electric vehicles.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145352409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploratory analysis of PCM and thermal insulation strategies for buildings under future weather scenarios: Optimization of a residential prototype in the Global South – A case study in Brazil","authors":"Alexandre Santana Cruz,&nbsp;Leopoldo Eurico Gonçalves Bastos,&nbsp;Marcos Martinez Silvoso,&nbsp;Thiago Melo Grabois,&nbsp;Lucas Rosse Caldas","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10389-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10389-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study assessed a residential prototype located in the Global South, enhanced with thermal insulation and phase change material (PCM) in the envelope. The goal was to minimize discomfort hours and cooling energy demand while addressing the impact of climate change through future predicted weather files. To achieve this, EnergyPlus, coupled with the jEPlus + EA tool, employed the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGAII) for multi-objective optimization, while the CCWorldWeatherGen tool was used to generate future predicted weather files. The optimization centered on a case study located in the three hottest Brazilian bioclimatic zones. Various passive parameters related to the envelope were optimized, including building orientation, glazing solution, window size, shading device depth, thermal insulation, and PCM thickness, along with PCM melting temperature. Results highlighted the importance of optimizing the building’s orientation, glazing properties, window size, and shading devices for enhancing thermal-energy performance. As for the future weather conditions, combining these strategies with thermal insulation in cooling-dominant regions reduced the discomfort hours and energy demand by up to 80% and 60%, respectively. Although the findings were based on the Brazilian context, they are applicable to similar climates, especially in Global South countries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancements in optimization strategies for energy routing, demand response, and load forecasting in energy internet and smart grid: an overview","authors":"Assala Nacef,&nbsp;Djamila Mechta,&nbsp;Lemia Louail,&nbsp;Saad Harous","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10385-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10385-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Electricity plays a fundamental role in modern society, supporting essential services and contributing to economic and technological development. However, the centralized architecture of the traditional power grid and its dependence on fossil fuels have raised concerns regarding inefficiency, environmental impact, and limited operational flexibility. In response, Smart Grids (SG) and the Energy Internet (EI) have emerged as advanced paradigms that facilitate decentralized energy exchange, including peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading. These systems introduce new challenges, particularly in energy routing, load forecasting, and demand response. Despite growing research in these areas, the literature remains fragmented, with limited integration across these interdependent components. This review addresses this gap by examining the development of the Energy Internet, comparing it with Smart Grids, and analyzing its physical and software infrastructure. The operational principles of the EI are briefly outlined, and the main challenges related to energy routing, demand response, and load forecasting are discussed. The study presents a comprehensive analysis of energy routing within the SG and EI frameworks, highlighting its dependencies on load forecasting and demand response. Existing solutions in the literature are classified by method into graph theory, game theory, autonomous, and heuristic-based approaches, and are systematically compared. The findings presented in this review serve as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to advance the field of energy routing in the context of Smart Grids and the Energy Internet.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145256715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal performance of a box-window double-skin façade with semi-transparent photovoltaics","authors":"Hoda Asdaghi,&nbsp;Rima Fayaz","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10382-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10382-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research investigates using a box-window double-skin facade with semi-transparent photovoltaics in an office building located in Iran's cold and dry climate to reduce energy consumption. Simulations were conducted using EnergyPlus and LadybugTools to analyze the facade's impact on heating, electricity generation, thermal comfort, and daylighting, with two air gap depths of 0.25 m and 0.5 m. Findings show that decreasing the air gap depth from 0.5 m to 0.25 m results in higher interior temperatures. During hot periods, the Outdoor Air Curtain mode of the box-window facade achieves greater indoor temperature reduction than the Air Exhaust mode. The study found that a 20% transparent PV configuration on the exterior of the façade generates less AC power than a 40% PV position inside. The AC power output for the whole year and the lowest amount of illuminance in June are 2099 kWh and 311 (20-Ex). For optimal daylighting throughout the year, the study recommends the 20% transparent PV setup, which results in 5.6% more energy savings compared to reference glass. This configuration achieved a maximum Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) of 1.04 in July while shading devices effectively reduced overheating.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145211009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What factors determine the adoption of solar home systems? Empirical evidence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan","authors":"Syed Muhammad Amir,&nbsp;Martin J. Pasqualetti,&nbsp;Babar Shahbaz,&nbsp;Ashfaq Ahmad Shah,&nbsp;Iftikhar Ali,&nbsp;Syed Umair Anwar,&nbsp;Raza Ullah","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10368-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10368-4","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pakistan relies almost entirely on fossil fuels, producing significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that pose a serious threat to the ecosystem, particularly by contributing to global warming. Mitigating these effects requires a strong emphasis on the adoption of renewable energy sources. Prioritizing renewable energy sources not only reduces environmental harm but also helps bridge the gap between energy demand and supply, which continuously pushes a large portion of the population into energy poverty. This brings us to our principal questions: What are the determinant factors in the adoption of Solar Home Systems (SHS), and what problems are being faced by current users? To answer these questions, we surveyed 300 households through face-to-face interviews in two selected villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. We employed the binary logistic regression model and frequency distributions coupled with percentages. The binary logistic regression results were found significant (χ&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; (9) = 224.3 and &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.000) with the non-significant value (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.290 &gt; 0.05) of the Hosmer and Lemeshow test. Age and gender of the respondents have a negative influence on SHS adoption. In contrast, factors that positively impact adoption include education, income, family size, the cost-effectiveness of SHS compared to other alternatives, knowledge of SHS initial costs, knowledge of its operation and maintenance, and knowledge of its potential compared to other renewable energy sources. Despite the benefits of SHS, users face several challenges. The most significant issues include solar panel breakage due to strong winds, a lack of training opportunities for sustainable SHS use, higher-than-expected operational costs, and limited access to technical experts for troubleshooting. Additionally, we examined SHS users’ willingness to expand the capacity of their SHS in the future. The findings indicate that while households express interest in expansion, financial constraints limit their ability to scale up SHS capacity. SHS can be considered as a smart strategy in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as the SDG 7 (emphasizing affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (climate action). This research serves as a baseline study, providing stakeholders the awareness related to the factors affecting SHS adoption. This research suggests that the government should work intensively on renewable energy promotion, including SHS to deal with the power shortage and the growing climate changes in the country. They should work closely with different organizations and companies providing quality SHS through public–private partnerships. The introduction of government subsidies, enhancing technical support and focusing on capacity building will attract widespread adoption of SHS. Moreover, regulatory and policy measures should be taken by allowing excess solar energy from SHS to be fed into the national grid (net metering) a","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145170422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NABERS: 25 year program overview","authors":"Paul Bannister","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10376-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10376-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In 2024, the National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS) celebrated 25 years since the launch of its first rating in 1999. This paper provides an overview of the scheme’s development and operation as well as showing data trends gathered from NABERS energy ratings. NABERS is one of few rating schemes internationally that focusses entirely on the measured in-use performance of existing buildings rather than design features. Buildings are rated based on their performance (e.g. energy use, water use from bills) relative to empirically derived benchmarks for an equivalent median building. NABERS also has a Commitment Agreement process for new buildings, which enables new building projects to commit to a post-construction NABERS rating. In the financial year 2023–24, NABERS certified 2228 office buildings in Australia, covering over 24 million m² of office space. Over the life of the program, more than 4200 unique office buildings have been rated, representing the majority of the office sector in Australia. NABERS has catalysed significant improvements in operational energy efficiency in the office and shopping centre sectors via a combination of market-based and regulatory drivers. NABERS ratings are mandatory for office buildings seeking to sell or lease spaces greater than 1000m². The success of NABERS is based on its simplicity, quality and relatively low cost, all of which make it well suited to the property industry. It has supported the commoditization of energy efficiency performance between building owners and tenants, and between portfolios and shareholders. In sectors where such market-based motivators are absent, however, NABERS has been less successful and further work is required to achieve uptake and efficiency improvements. Government-led procurement requirements and mandatory disclosure appear to be the most obvious drivers that could improve performance in these sectors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Practices to collect and assess data on energy audits and energy management systems to inform the implementation of the European Energy Efficiency Directive","authors":"Ada Elsa Claus,&nbsp;Katharina Norpoth,&nbsp;Janine Hurtig,&nbsp;Daniel Vallentin","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10365-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10365-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The European Union’s revised Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) obliges certain enterprises to conduct an energy audit or introduce an energy management system. This political instrument is expected to contribute to achieving the energy saving targets set by the European Union. However, the lack of comparable data in EU Member States complicates evaluations of its impact. A comparative analysis based on a collaboration between energy agencies from ten Member States shows different collection practices and varying availability of data on enterprises reporting an energy audit or energy management system. This indicates the need for harmonisation and standardisation of reporting processes and data collection to inform policy making. Furthermore, the analysis shows varying interpretations across Member States regarding the indicators on energy audits to be reported in their National Energy and Climate Progress Reports (NECPRs). To ensure good data quality in the NECPR database, the European Environment Agency should adopt guidelines and clear definitions for these indicators. The NECPR indicators proposed in this paper can serve as a basis for the European Commission to update reporting indicators under the revised EED. Moreover, Member States could agree to further harmonise their monitoring practices, including collecting and sharing data supplementary to the indicators reported via the NECPR. This paper suggests that they agree on a basic data set collected through their national procedures to monitor the energy audit and energy management system obligation under the EED. This paper proposes indicators for a basic data set to enable valuable impact analyses of this obligation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10365-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145073969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Women’s empowerment and renewable energy consumption in Ghana: bridging gender disparities and advancing inclusive development","authors":"Emmanuel Y. Gbolonyo,&nbsp;Camara K. Obeng,&nbsp;Jacob Nunoo,&nbsp;Mark K. Armah","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10372-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10372-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Despite the pressing need to accelerate renewable energy consumption (RE/REC) to achieve universal energy access and climate goals, the critical role of women as primary energy users remains underexplored in contemporary literature and energy policy. This study investigates the relationship between women’s empowerment (WE) and renewable energy consumption in Ghana, a focal point in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration technique based on annual time-series data from 1980 to 2020, we find that women's socio-economic and political empowerment positively influence REC in both the short and long run but the effect is significant with the former. Additionally, GDP per capita, foreign direct investment, and human capital enhance REC, whereas urbanization exerts a negative effect. We also use Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) to support our findings. Further analysis using Granger Causality test shows a unidirectional link from WE to REC. Finally, we use a novel Kernel-based Regularized Least Squares (KRLS) approach to show that REC increases at higher levels of WE. The study recommends implementing gender-sensitive financing, supporting women-led renewable energy enterprises, and enhancing female participation in energy governance to leverage WE for sustainable energy transitions in Ghana.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-025-10372-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145073970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systems-based analysis of energy demand reduction and efficiency policies using fuzzy cognitive maps","authors":"Guillermo Borragán,&nbsp;Tom Dauwe,&nbsp;Nele Renders","doi":"10.1007/s12053-025-10362-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12053-025-10362-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Energy Efficiency (EE) and Energy demand reduction (EDR) policies are crucial for addressing both energy security and climate change. However, despite their strategic importance, they often face significant barriers, including institutional resistance, limited funding, and short-term political priorities that tend to overlook long-term efficiency gains. This study utilizes fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) to model the factors influencing EE/EDR policy effectiveness across European countries. To capture the importance and interrelation of factors predefined from the literature, expert knowledge was leveraged through interviews with European energy agency representatives. Qualitative expert assessments were then transformed into numerical values, generating weighted causal matrices. Centrality measures subsequently identified key factors within an aggregated European model. Results revealed six pivotal factors: continuous financial support, favourable regulatory frameworks, consumer engagement, ease of implementation, long-term policy mandates, and support from industry and stakeholders. Scenario analysis explored the impact of three policy interventions: increased market actor support, weakened monitoring frameworks and increased energy literacy for end-consumers. The results of the interventions indicated that isolated interventions had limited impact on overall EE/EDR system outcomes, underscoring its complexity. However, consumer literacy initiatives mitigated negative behavioural effects, such as rebound effects and misaligned targeting, while weakened monitoring frameworks diminished policy coherence and increased redundancies. These findings reinforce the need for long-term policy stability, regulatory clarity, and robust end-user engagement. A systems-based approach, accounting for interdependencies and system dynamics, is crucial for effective EE/EDR policy design, as isolated interventions are insufficient.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":537,"journal":{"name":"Energy Efficiency","volume":"18 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145073936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}