Journal of Asian Energy Studies

Achieving Net-Zero Energy Buildings: Analyzing and Optimizing Strategies Using Sensitivity Analysis

Alireza Asgari Motlagh, Saeideh Havaeji, Mansour Orangian, Alireza Samadani — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Enhancing building energy efficiency and incorporating renewable energy technologies are crucial for combating climate change and promoting sustainability. This study employed a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the influence of various parameters on building costs and energy consumption. Standardized Regression Coefficients (SRC) were used to measure the sensitivity of each variable. The type of glass, wall construction, window-to-wall ratios, and shading elements were identified as having the most significant impact on building costs and electricity usage. SRC values provided a numerical representation of the strength and direction of the relationship between these factors and the output variables. Furthermore, the study quantified the energy savings achieved through optimization methods. The data indicated an average reduction in consumption of 22%, with variations between 21% and 23% across different floors. These results highlighted the effectiveness of optimizing variables and applying energy-efficient design principles. The findings of this investigation enhance our understanding of the role of sensitivity analysis in optimizing building energy efficiency. They can serve as a reference for making decisions on integrating renewable energy technologies into buildings and designing them. These strategies can help reduce environmental impact, promote sustainable construction practices, and achieve significant energy savings.

Baseline Econometric Model and Solar Energy Requirement for Potential Hydrogen Demand in Tarlac, Philippines

Cherry Lyn Chao, Alvin Palanca, Kristian July Yap, Rizalinda de Leon — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This study aims to build a baseline econometric model for the possible development of green hydrogen production in Tarlac. Scenario analysis will consider hydrogen produced from renewable solar energy as an alternative energy carrier in the fuel mix for electricity generation in Tarlac to achieve sustainable economic growth and improve energy security while minimizing carbon emissions and improving resource efficiency. Tarlac is the chosen area to be considered in this study because this is where New Clark City is being established. New Clark City is a 9450-hectare disaster-resilient, environment-friendly, integrated urban development metropolis. It is important to build the baseline econometric model before proceeding with scenario generation. The parameters used are determined from available historical data through statistical procedures. The basic assumption is that the relationships between the independent and dependent variables that existed in the past will continue to be true in the future. The energy demand data and the continuous predictors were used to build a baseline econometric model for potential hydrogen demand in Tarlac, Philippines. Model equations were obtained using stepwise regression analysis. These model equations were used to forecast the energy demand up to 2032. These forecasted energy demands will be used in scenario generation to integrate green hydrogen production. Preliminary assessments of green hydrogen scenarios that are based on the assumption of renewable energy surplus generated from solar power plants in Tarlac are discussed. The forecasted demand will be used to assess the scenario generation in integrating green hydrogen in New Clark City. The proposed energy management strategy of storing surplus renewable energy, such as green hydrogen, for the power sector has the potential to impact various stakeholders, including industries and the government, significantly. This strategy aligns with transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, contributing to national and international environmental targets. Adopting green hydrogen storage can contribute to energy security by diversifying the sources of power generation.

CO2 Emissions Mitigation in ASEAN Countries: The Role of Renewable Energy Use and Financial Development

Saeed Solaymani, Ali Falahati, Kaveh Derakhshani Darabi, Hossain Kaviar — Wed, 15 May 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The nations comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) face a pressing need to enhance environmental sustainability, given their substantial reliance on fossil fuels, contributing to 5.2% of global CO₂ emissions. Thus, understanding the pivotal role of renewable energy in this context is paramount. This research employs a panel vector autoregression method to analyze the interplay of financial development, renewable energy, and CO₂ emissions across ASEAN nations from 1990 to 2020. Findings reveal that while renewable energy consumption shows an insignificant impact on carbon emissions, financial development, and economic growth significantly and positively influence emissions. Conversely, labor exhibits a notable negative correlation with CO₂ emissions. Moreover, a bidirectional relationship exists between financial development and economic growth, as well as between labor and GDP. Additionally, unidirectional links are observed from capital formation to CO₂ emissions, from renewable energy utilization to fossil fuel dependency, and from renewable energy usage to capital formation. These outcomes underscore the inadequacy of current financial systems in fostering environmental sustainability, highlighting the urgent need for integrating environmental considerations into their operations.

Assessing Public Awareness and Stakeholder Influence in Renewable Energy Implementation : A Case Study from Sulawesi, Indonesia

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This study aims to assess public awareness and stakeholder influence in implementing renewable energy projects in Sulawesi, Indonesia, focusing on the districts of Jeneponto, Pangkep, Polewali Mandar, and Majene. We employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to provide a comprehensive analysis. The data collected includes responses from 400 residents across the selected districts and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including government officials, NGO representatives, and private sector actors. The results indicate that public awareness of renewable energy technologies and policies is generally low, with only 27% of respondents demonstrating basic knowledge. Awareness levels were particularly low in rural areas, where over 70% of respondents were unfamiliar with renewable energy initiatives. The study also found significant correlations between demographic factors, such as education and income levels, and awareness, suggesting that targeted educational campaigns are necessary. In terms of stakeholder influence, the study highlights the challenges faced in implementing renewable energy projects, including financial constraints and regulatory complexities. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for enhancing renewable energy adoption through multi-sectoral collaboration and culturally adapted strategies. This research’s novelty lies in its comprehensive approach, which integrates public perception with stakeholder dynamics, as well as its focus on a regionally specific context within Indonesia, offering practical recommendations for accelerating the renewable energy transition in similar developing regions. This study also provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to bridge the gap between policy and practice in renewable energy adoption.

Improving the Drying Mechanism for Seaweed Through the Utilization of Closed-Drying with Modified Solar Air Heaters

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Direct drying for seaweed is preferable for local farmers since it costs no additional processing. However, the degradation of the dried product causes economic drawbacks, which means further methods can be developed to solve the problem. In this work, improvement is made by using a closed drying method for seaweed products and combined with a solar collector as an air heater. The high evaporation increases the humidity within the drying chamber, which improves up to 17.8%. In contrast, the supplied dry air from the collector reduces the humidity within the drying chamber, which becomes lower (4.4%) than the ambient. The closed method indicates a maximum temperature of 48.6°C and 53.7°C (with collector), while the ambient temperature is only 36.8°C. It makes the closed drying receive more solar energy, resulting in more water evaporation from the product up to 87.5% compared to the direct method (70.8%). It provides a simple and low-cost approach that can maximize the harvested solar energy for the drying process. It is suitable for supporting local farmers and maintaining sustainability through renewable energy.

DCC-GARCH Approach for Detecting Dynamic Relation among Selected Green Indices of Indian Stock Market

Archna Chaudhry — Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This research analyses the dynamic spillover effects of indices tracking green, energy, carbon, and sustainability sector equities to learn more about the interconnectedness of green finance. The DCC-GARCH model is used to analyze the channels via which shocks are transmitted between these assets using daily data from Feb 2018 to Aug 2023. Based on our research, there is a sizable amount of cross-market volatility. Notably, the Indian stock market benefits from the positive spillover impact of the S&P BSE GREENEX, S&P BSE CARBONEX, S&P BSE ENERGY, and S&P BSE 100ESG indices. The implications of our findings are of great importance for policymakers and investors in developing nations such as India. Furthermore, our research contributes to the growing literature on the interdependence of stock markets. It improves the understanding of stock markets of developing countries like India in the context of interconnection and volatility's influence, enabling informed judgments.

Enhancing Solar Still Efficiency: Optimal Water Depth and Wire Mesh-Pebble Structures

Dinesh Kumar, Raja Ramasamy — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0800

In underdeveloped countries, the shortage of clean drinking water is a major problem. One approach to tackle this issue has been to use solar energy for desalination, a process that turns saltwater into fresh water. This method utilizes solar thermal energy to evaporate water, separating the pure water from the salty water. However, traditional solar stills face challenges in producing sufficient water because of the limited heat transfer between the absorbing plate and the fluid used to extract energy. The research aims to improve the efficiency of solar stills for water desalination. In conventional solar stills, maintaining optimal water depth is a challenge. The study experimented with varying water depths (2 cm to 12 cm) in a modified solar still. The best result, with a maximum distillate output of 2050 ml/m²day, was achieved at a 2 cm water depth. To enhance performance, wire mesh and pebbles were added to increase absorptivity, raising the temperature of saline water. This modification led to a significant improvement, with the modified solar still producing a maximum distillate of 2670 ml/m²day. This research provides valuable insights into optimizing solar stills for better water yield and thermal efficiency.

Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of a Combined Cycle Power Plant Utilizing Natural Gas and Biogas from Cattle Manure Co-firing in South Central Timor

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The low electrification ratio in East Nusa Tenggara, particularly in South Central Timor Regency, poses a significant issue. Despite reaching an electrification rate of 92.33%, efforts to achieve 100% are ongoing. South Central Timor as one of the largest cattle farming areas in Indonesia, with its large grasslands and dry climate ideal for cattle farming, has substantial biogas potential from beef cattle manure through anaerobic digestion. Biogas from beef cattle manure has a net calorific value of 18.36 MJ/kg. Based on projections for 2027 using best fit regression, the average daily manure production capacity from 260,217 cattle in South Central Timor is 7.55 kilotons, which is equivalent to approximately 301,852 m³ of biogas. A small-scale combined cycle power plant (CCPP) is proposed to capitalize on this, with a capacity of 20.73 MW and a net thermal efficiency of 55.33%. The plant’s fuel mix will consist of 30% biogas and 70% natural gas by mass, with a fuel mass flow rate of 1 kg/s. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), internal rate of return (IRR), and net present value (NPV) obtained from the economic calculations are Rp1,126.76/kWh, 9.62%, and 222 billion IDR with assumptions of a 20-year plant lifetime, an electricity selling price of Rp1,352/kWh, and a discount rate of 6%. The plant is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 61 kilotons annually, while creating new job opportunities in the energy, livestock, and logistics sectors.