Recent Advances in Low-Carbon and Sustainable, Efficient Technology: Strategies and Applications

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the supply chains of traditional fossil fuels. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) from 2020, oil-refining activity fell by more than the IEA had anticipated. It was also assumed that the demand in 2021 would likely be 2.6 million bpd below the 2019 levels. However, renewable markets have shown strong resilience during the crisis. It was determined that renewables are on track to meet 80% of the growth in electricity demand over the next 10 years and that sustainable energy will act as the primary source of electricity production instead of coal. On the other hand, the report also emphasized that measures for reducing environmental pollution and CO2 emissions are still insufficient and that significant current investments should be further expanded. The Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) conference series is dedicated to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for improving the sustainability of development by decoupling growth from the use of natural resources. The 15th SDEWES conference was held online from 1–5 September 2020; more than 300 reports with 7 special sections were organized on the virtual conference platform. This paper presents the major achievements of the recommended papers in the Special Issue of Energies. Additionally, related studies connected to the above papers published in the SDEWES series are also introduced, including the four main research fields of energy saving and emission reduction, renewable energy applications, the development of district heating systems, and the economic assessment of sustainable energy.

An Overview of Current Challenges and Emerging Technologies to Facilitate Increased Energy Efficiency, Safety, and Sustainability of Railway Transport

“…Finally, the production of biofuels, although relatively inexpensive, highly efficient, and readily available in terms of technology, has one distinct disadvantage in terms of arable land use for energy production, thus affecting food prices. A good overview of the recent advances in low-carbon and sustainable energy technologies can be found, for example, in reference [107].…”

Directions for Sustainable Development of China’s Coal Industry in the Post-Epidemic Era

“…Achieving safe and sustainable development of the coal industry must be based on the guarantee of sufficient coal. To ensure the security of coal energy storage, a mechanism should be established to release and reduce coal-mining capacity, and the main production source of electricity generation can be shifted to renewable energy sources [89]. When hydropower, wind power, solar power, and other energy sources are in normal production of electricity, coal mines reduce production and control output; when normal power production is not possible or production capacity is insufficient, coal is used again, and production capacity is phased out gradually and sensibly [90].…”

Sustainable energy ecosystems and renewable energy airport hydrogen storage systems under peak carbon and carbon neutrality targets

“…The tolerance of PT is PD , and the rate at which tolerance is used is 15 . The following six -cut values were taken into account: ={ 0.16, 0.33, 0.5, 0.66, 0.83, 1}.…”