Energy, Sustainability and Society最新文献

{"title":"Barriers and drivers of participation in energy communities: towards inclusive energy communities in Norway and Denmark","authors":"Pariman Boostani,&nbsp;Giuseppe Pellegrini-Masini,&nbsp;Jørgen Klein","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00584-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00584-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>European countries have implemented strategies to improve energy resilience, such as promoting local energy supplies through energy communities. In this study, we explore the barriers and drivers that affect vulnerable individuals’ and groups’ participation in energy community projects in Norway and Denmark, as well as the factors influencing the development of inclusive energy communities. There is an interplay between the two objectives: the implementation and development of inclusive energy communities require, among other things, strategies to minimise barriers and amplify drivers for the participation of vulnerable individuals and groups.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>A qualitative approach was employed, starting with twenty interviews as a pilot study and progressing to thirty-four semi-structured interviews with project leaders, community members, and local authorities in four energy communities. Then, an online workshop was held among selected energy communities and policy stakeholders to exchange experiences and policy recommendations to facilitate the development of such projects. As a result, several key enablers have been identified, such as community engagement, fair participation, a sense of belonging, environmental behaviours, motivations, and awareness of energy communities. Conversely, barriers such as inadequate supportive policies, language, financial burdens, and a lack of trust in the project plan can hinder vulnerable individuals’ and groups’ participation in energy communities.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The findings offer several recommendations, including the need for financial support, clear policy definitions regarding energy vulnerability and energy poverty, and specific legislation to ensure the participation of vulnerable groups in energy communities. Additionally, the researchers suggest forming partnerships to develop these energy communities, creating multilingual platforms to enhance public knowledge, and sharing stories and risk assessments throughout the process. These steps aim to foster inclusive energy communities and facilitate the development of related projects.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00584-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"The effect of geopolitical risks from the Russian Federation and the Middle East on carbon and energy inequalities in Europe","authors":"Sakine Owjimehr,&nbsp;Mehdi Emami Meybodi,&nbsp;Zeinab Yadegar","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00582-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00582-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, geopolitical events have had a significant impact on global energy markets, particularly on oil prices. The Russian Federation and Middle Eastern countries are major energy producers, and when tensions rise in these regions, it has a worldwide impact on energy systems. European countries are heavily reliant on energy imports from these regions, making them particularly vulnerable to geopolitical risks. The study poses a key question: do geopolitical risks not only disrupt energy markets, but also exacerbate energy and carbon inequalities between countries? There are significant differences in energy access and carbon emissions across European nations, alongside ongoing political tensions involving the Russian Federation and the Middle East. This combination forms the foundation of our research. We employed statistical models known as Mean Group and Pooled Mean Group, utilizing an Auto Regressive Distributed Lag framework, to analyze the impact of political risks on these two forms of inequality. Our analysis covers 30 years of data, from 1993 to 2022, allowing us to capture major political events and see how they impact Europe’s energy situation.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Geopolitical risks from the Russian Federation and the Middle East have a stronger influence on energy and carbon inequalities than global geopolitical risks. Furthermore, geopolitical threats—capturing risk-related tensions such as war, military buildup, and nuclear risks—have a stronger and more persistent impact on European energy inequality than geopolitical acts, which reflect realized events such as conflicts and terrorism. The consumption of renewable energy has been shown to have different effects over time: it helps to reduce energy inequality in the short term, but contributes to increased inequality in the long term. Carbon and energy inequality respond in a similar way to the research variables.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>While renewable energy consumption has been shown to reduce inequality in the short term, disparities in infrastructure across European countries have been identified as a key driver of long-term inequality. Consequently, European countries should expand the development of renewable energy as a short-term geopolitical risk mitigation strategy while simultaneously investing in infrastructure harmonization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00582-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Modeling residential energy systems and building renovation using evolutionary algorithms with multi-objective optimization","authors":"Henrik Lukas Naß,&nbsp;Jannis Bela Grunenberg,&nbsp;Fares Aoun,&nbsp;Marius Bartkowski,&nbsp;Arjuna Nebel","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00581-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00581-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The residential building sector is a major contributor to Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions. Over 60 % of the energy used for space and domestic hot water heating comes from fossil fuels sources and remains the predominant energy choice in this sector. In order to achieve greenhouse gas emission targets, it is imperative to develop new energy systems for buildings. Energy system modeling is an effective tool for evaluating different energy systems. The evaluation process should encompass an analysis of both costs and greenhouse gas emissions, with the aim of minimizing the two objectives in order to identify suitable energy systems. As these goals are anticipated to conflict with each other, a multi-objective optimization approach is employed.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>This study simulates a multifamily residential building constructed in Germany prior to 1918. The energy system comprises: - photovoltaic-thermal roof tiles; - a battery energy storage system; - an air source heat pump; - a warm water storage; - a natural gas boiler with the option of replacement by a hydrogen-fueled boiler; - an energy management software for the electric vehicle battery. In addition, optimization enables the selection of six distinct energy renovation measures. AGE-MOEA, an evolutionary algorithm, is used for multi-objective optimization with the objectives being a reduction in total annual system costs and carbon dioxide (<span>(hbox {CO}_{2})</span>) emissions. The resulting Pareto front provides an optimized range of solutions, each with a specific system design, ranging from 49 to 116 €/(m²a) for annuity costs and 74 to 4 kg/(m²a) for annual <span>(hbox {CO}_{2})</span> emissions.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The outcomes of the proposed model demonstrate an appropriate representation of the expected behavior of a real-world energy system. The first step in the resulting energy system configurations can be classified as ’business as usual’. The second lowest cost option is characterized by self-sufficiency, offering a balanced trade-off between costs and <span>(hbox {CO}_{2})</span> emissions, as well as hydrogen heating to minimize <span>(hbox {CO}_{2})</span> emissions. While increased levels of renovation were observed to contribute to a reduction in <span>(hbox {CO}_{2})</span> emissions, the cost reduction does not offset the respective investment costs. Consequently, in the analysed example case, it can be inferred that improving energy efficiency through renovation only offsets associated costs if fuel prices are rising.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00581-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147797173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Modelling and simulation of a wind-driven pumping system for water distribution networks","authors":"Ahmed AbuElwan,&nbsp;Hassan Mansour,&nbsp;Yahia M. Fouda","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00575-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00575-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Providing a reliable water supply to remote, off-grid communities is a significant challenge in arid and semi-arid regions due to the high cost of extending the electrical infrastructure. Although wind energy offers a sustainable option, conventional wind-electric systems often require high maintenance and result in energy conversion losses. The aim of this study is to model and evaluate a mechanically coupled wind pumping system as a cost-effective and robust alternative for residential water distribution in such environments.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A comprehensive mathematical model was developed to simulate the dynamic performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) mechanically coupled to a centrifugal pump via a gearbox. The system was designed to lift water from a surface water source to a storage tank, thereby overcoming the intermittency of wind power. The simulation integrated the blade element momentum (BEM) theory for the turbine and affinity laws for the pump. A dynamic simulation was conducted using the hourly wind and water demand data for a case study in Ras Gharib, Egypt. In order to identify the optimal configuration for water reliability, two turbine design strategies were compared: Method A, which prioritized minimizing the starting wind speed, and Method B, which prioritized maximizing the aerodynamic efficiency.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The simulation results showed that coupling the turbine and the pump directly would effectively meet the community’s water demand. However, the parametric analysis revealed a trade-off between reliability and efficiency; some configurations achieved a water demand fulfillment rate of up to 99.7%, while others reached a peak efficiency of 37%, which were associated with varying design constraints. When using Method B to balance performance metrics, the optimal configuration achieved 89.6% demand fulfillment and 32% efficiency with a compact 2.3 m turbine radius. The sensitivity analysis further revealed that the reliability of the system is most sensitive to the sizing of the hydraulic load, particularly the diameter of the pipeline and the design speed of the pump.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This study confirms that mechanical wind pumping systems are a viable, sustainable solution for off-grid water distribution. The developed model provides a valuable planning tool that helps engineers and policymakers size and optimize the infrastructure in remote areas for potential agricultural and mixed-use applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00575-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147642314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Chile’s role in the global energy transition: critical minerals, geopolitics and socioenvironmental challenges","authors":"Axel Bastián Poque González,&nbsp;Yunesky Masip Macia,&nbsp;Suleivys M. Nuñez,&nbsp;Ernesto Pino-Cortés,&nbsp;Lorena Bearzotti","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00573-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00573-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The global energy transition relies on the availability of critical minerals, a significant proportion of which are found in Latin America. This raises important questions about the dependency experienced by mineral-producing countries in the region and its implications for global geopolitical power. This study, based on dependency theory, focuses on Chile. As a major global producer of critical minerals, Chile is an ideal case for investigating the interplay between mineral exploitation, the development and deployment of renewable energy, socioenvironmental conflicts and economic imbalances. An interdisciplinary, mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative analyses examines Chile’s economic structure, its position in the international arena and the socioenvironmental implications of mineral extraction.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The findings reveal an inherent paradox of the energy transition. The primary goal is to promote decarbonisation, mitigate climate change and transition to sustainable socioenvironmental practices. However, under the current patterns of the global economy, this process risks exacerbating local socioenvironmental issues in countries that produce minerals. Furthermore, it may fail to generate substantial economic value within clean technology-related supply chains in peripheral regions. The role of peripheral regions tends to be limited to supplying critical minerals for the production of technology in core economies. Resource-exporting nations face intricate trade-offs as key players in the energy transition due to their unequal socioenvironmental, economic and technological contexts.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Copper extraction plays a central role in the Chilean economy. The energy transition has triggered an increase in mining activities, which could pose new significant socioenvironmental risks and perpetuate technological disparities between core and peripheral countries. To address these challenges, long-term policies must focus on diversifying the Chilean economy, strengthening the cleantech production chain and improving governance. Collaborating with other countries at a regional level could accelerate Chile’s technological progress.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00573-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147830145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Renewable energy discourses of fossil fuel companies: obstruction and delay of climate action","authors":"Dipa Desai,&nbsp;Yutong Si,&nbsp;Diana Bozhilova,&nbsp;Sheila M. Puffer,&nbsp;Jennie C. Stephens","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00565-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00565-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>For decades, multinational fossil fuel companies have strategically promoted discourses to obstruct climate action. Initially, the fossil fuel industry publicized communications that denied the role of fossil fuels in climate destabilization. Recently, however, they have advanced nuanced messages to delay climate action and policy. As the climate crisis worsens and calls to phase out fossil fuels intensify, research into the industry has revealed pervasive “greenwashing” and a discrepancy between external messaging on renewable energy and internal operational positions. Corporate annual reports, which are public-facing communications, offer insights into how companies align their internal strategy with their external messaging. Based on a textual analysis of the annual reports of four of the largest fossil fuel companies (ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and TotalEnergies), this research compares how companies have adapted their communication strategies about renewable energy between 2016 and 2022.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The study reveals that each company focuses on different renewable energy technologies and highlights a variety of positive and negative messages about renewable energy. Since 2016, positive messaging about renewable energy has increased, including narratives on economic benefits, sustainable development, climate action, and strategic business benefits. Negative messaging, including mentions of variable energy intensity, potential business risks, and reductions in companies’ renewable energy businesses, constitutes a small yet consistent part of the communications. This combination of sentiments highlights the benefits of renewable energy while simultaneously undermining the positives with nuanced and negative messages about renewable energy. By promoting fossil fuels as a partner to renewable energy, corporate messages link renewable energy to fossil fuels, reinforcing discourses that slow down the energy transition and expand fossil fuel production with renewable energy development.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the annual reports of fossil fuel companies consistently employed a communication strategy of mixed-sentiment messages that link renewable energy to fossil fuels, particularly fossil gas (i.e., commonly known as natural gas). In this way, companies created and employed doublespeak and delay tactics, obscuring the need to phase out fossil fuels to achieve global climate and sustainability goals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00565-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147441362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Talking past each other: a review of the quantitative study of interlinkages between the sustainable development goals","authors":"Rega Sota,&nbsp;Sandra Venghaus","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00572-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00572-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The UN Agenda 2030 was approved unanimously by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 as the framework to guide humanity towards sustainable development. Assessing the interactions between the sustainable development goals (SDGs) has emerged as an important multidisciplinary research field, acknowledged both in official UN documentation and scholarly work. The earliest attempts at capturing SDG interlinkages began through qualitative frameworks in 2015 and continue unabated a decade later. Yet, the methodologies utilized for analyzing the SDG interactions have increased in conceptual diversity and are scattered across research domains.</p><h3>Main text</h3><p>In our article, we conducted a systematic review and detailed analysis of the quantitative methods used in the study of SDG interlinkages. Our findings indicate that the scientific community continues to explore the multifaceted interpretations of the 2030 Agenda. The implications of these diverse conceptualizations of SDG interlinkages are inconsistent terminology as well as multiple and incomparable operationalization efforts. A few recent frameworks break new paths towards consistent interpretations of interlinkages, but a research gap remains in operationalizing these enhanced methods.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The investigation of SDG interlinkages continues to occur through diverse qualitative and quantitative approaches and does not show signs of consolidation into more unified and widely applicable methods. We conclude that, rather than formulating new and increasingly sophisticated methodologies, a consistent approach in interlinkage research, driven by rigorous theoretical principles and causality, should be prioritized.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00572-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147362903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Emergent lock-ins in sustainability transitions: the example of energy system decentralisation","authors":"D. Bauknecht,&nbsp;S. Bolwig,&nbsp;K. Kubeczko,&nbsp;S. Olbrich,&nbsp;H. Rohracher,&nbsp;A. J. Wieczorek","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00574-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00574-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Energy systems are currently undergoing fundamental transformations, with several possible energy futures emerging, including various decentralised ones. However, transformations are characterised by uncertainty, and it is difficult to assess the sustainability of these different energy futures. There is a danger that premature choices could lead to lock-ins to sub-optimal pathways as seen from a broad sustainability perspective. This paper explores the role of potential lock-ins on the pathways towards emerging configurations of decentralised, carbon-neutral energy systems. Our analysis draws on four emerging ideal-type decentralisation configurations of ‘energy futures’ (individual system optimisation, individual autonomy, collective system optimisation, and collective autonomy) and the institutional, actor and technological preconditions required for them to become dominant forms of energy system organisation.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>We developed a forward-looking, ex-ante approach to identify emergent lock-ins that may be created along the transition pathways.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These new lock-ins have implications for the sustainability of decentralised energy futures and how such sustainability should be assessed. Such an analysis can inform sustainable energy policies, helping to keep different options open and to avoid a premature lock-in to potentially sub-optimal socio-technical energy configurations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00574-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147737489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"The good, the bad and the one paving the way? An investigation on public risk perception of electric vehicles, fossil fuels, and e-fuels in Germany","authors":"Regina Gimpel,&nbsp;Katrin Arning","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00571-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00571-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The transition towards sustainable and emission-free driving technologies has focused on decarbonization strategies, with electric vehicles (EVs) as a long-term solution for replacing fossil fuels. As a complementary defossilized short-term solution, e-fuels emerge, particularly by serving as a bridging fuel alternative for existing combustion vehicles. Beyond the development of technical alternatives, the inclusion of social perceptions is necessary to achieve a successful mobility transformation. In this study, we analyze the differences in the risk perception relating to fossil fuels, EVs, and e-fuels among the German public, to investigate the role of affective and cognitive risk perception dimensions and to measure the impact of individual factors such as climate change awareness, institutional trust and innovativeness by using a representative quantitative questionnaire survey (<i>N</i> = 517).</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The results show significant differences across the risk perception relating to fossil fuels, electric vehicles, and e-fuels among German laypeople. Notably, all risk perception ratings were rather low or moderate, whereas EVs were perceived as the riskiest, while e-fuels were considered the least risky. Furthermore, higher climate change awareness was found to be related to a significantly increased fossil fuel risk perception, whereas higher institutional trust was associated with significantly decreased risk perceptions of alternative fuel vehicles, EVs and e-fuels. There was a positive association between risk perceptions of e-fuels and fossil fuels as well as between EVs and e-fuels. However, there was a negative relation between the risk perception of EVs and fossil fuels. In addition, the analysis of risk perception dimensions supports the two-dimensionality of the construct of risk perception, differentiating between emotional, affect-driven and more rational, cognitive risk perception.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These findings underscore the importance of understanding public perceptions to facilitate the adoption of alternative fuels and driving technologies. Furthermore, it is advantageous to examine the specific factors that influence risk perception with respect to different technologies, as the results indicate differences between the observed drive types.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00571-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147642663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Optimized production scheduling: a case study on food and steel industries","authors":"Vanessa Zawodnik,&nbsp;Jana Reiter,&nbsp;Andreas Gruber,&nbsp;Jasmin Pfleger,&nbsp;Hanno Elsnig,&nbsp;Thomas Kienberger","doi":"10.1186/s13705-026-00570-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13705-026-00570-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The transition to a climate-neutral energy system requires industrial demand-side flexibility to complement renewable energy sources. Energy-intensive industries, such as iron and steel or food industries, play a pivotal role in this transformation by adopting demand-side management strategies. However, challenges remain in terms of aligning production scheduling without compromising operational constraints.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>This study presents two use cases that employ integer linear programming to optimize scheduling and investigate industrial flexibility, focusing on baking ovens in an industrial-scale bakery and a rolling mill in an electric steel plant. In the bakery, optimized schedules could reduce energy consumption during the nightshift (dayshift) by 30% (43%) and total runtime by 43% (55%). The rolling mill model achieves cost savings of up to 7% by aligning production schedules with volatile electricity prices over the medium term. There is a correlation observed between electricity price volatility and cost savings, with greater fluctuations yielding higher savings. The potential for load-shifting potential is demonstrated, with weekly shifts reaching nearly 40% of original energy consumption in favorable periods.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The results highlight the importance of tailored scheduling models in unlocking the potential for demand-side flexibility in industrial processes. While optimized bakery schedules improve energy efficiency, optimized rolling mill schedules demonstrate the feasibility of minimizing costs in the medium term through implicit demand response. The findings demonstrate the challenges through low automation levels, which can be overcome by combining optimization approaches with manual ‘what-if’ tools. Additionally, the need for more accurate energy price forecasts or intermediate electricity markets to bridge the gap between short-term spot market and the long-term futures markets is demonstrated. Overcoming computational constraints, ensuring user acceptance, and addressing market barriers are essential for scaling these strategies across industries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":539,"journal":{"name":"Energy, Sustainability and Society","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13705-026-00570-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147561742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}