In this work, the exergy analysis of two configurations of hybrid solar–sugarcane cogeneration power plant is proposed in order to evaluate the overall efficiency enhancement of the cycle. Solar thermal energy was coupled to a sugarcane cogeneration power plant localized on the tropical region of Brazil, in order to preheat the feeding water supplied to the steam generators and to reduce the fuel consumption during the sugarcane-harvesting season in order to stock the unused fuel for its use during the off-season. The exergy analysis of the cycle was proposed based on a thermodynamic model, which considered real operational states, and allowed to quantify the main parameters of performance, such as the solar-to-electricity (STE) efficiency, the power generation increasing, the percentage of fuel saved, and the exergy destruction rates of the equipment. The results showed that, under design conditions, almost 10% of fuel was saved, and the overall exergy destruction decreased 11% approximately. Additionally, as a result of the hourly analysis of the annual operation, it was found that the power plant operated 331 extra hours, 8.50 GWh of electricity were generated, and due to this fact, it has attained economic benefits for the operation of the sugarcane cogeneration power plant.

In this study, the use of compressed and liquefied natural gas is evaluated for heavy-duty passengers (HDPV) and freight vehicles (HDFV). The evaluation is conducted considering the socioeconomic and vehicle fleet characteristics of Colombia. The energy consumption, the CO₂, and the pollutant emissions of a baseline and four natural gas penetration scenarios are analyzed. The results show that the inclusion of natural gas reduces the energy consumption per capita of the HDPV and HDFV by up to 40% by 2050. Furthermore, PM_2.5 emissions per capita are reduced up to 77% for HDPV and 90% for HDFV, while CO emissions per capita decreased by 82%. Additionally, the technological renovation of HDFV emerges as an effective way to reduce pollutant emissions in the medium term. The establishment of strategies to make HDFV cleaner and more efficient is imperative for the long term. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the influence of the gross domestic product per capita (GDPc) over the indicators analyzed. The results show that higher GDPc demands more ambitious actions to decarbonize the transportation sector, since a considerable increase in energy consumption and emissions from heavy-duty vehicles is identified.

In this study, a methodology to measure fuel consumption for light duty vehicles (LDV) in Colombia was elaborated based on existing methodologies from road transportation worldwide. This methodology was proposed as a tool for the evaluation of energy efficiency strategies applied to vehicles, as well as establishing the baseline for measurement, control, and regulation of consumption of fossil fuels based on metrological criteria. Additionally, the capacities for measurement within Colombia were analyzed, and procedures stated by the Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America were adopted for measuring fuel consumption of LDV by gravimetric methods. An uncertainty model based on the Guide to the expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) was elaborated, and the contribution of different variables associated to the measurement process the instruments, the equipment, and the ambient conditions over the uncertainty of the measurand, were analyzed.

Battery-electric trucks (BETs) are the most viable alternative to diesel vehicles, already reaching cost-competitive conditions in some applications. However, as commercial truck loans are largely asset-backed, uncertainty around BET residual values (RVs) increases financial institutions’ risk exposure, which in turn leads to higher interest rates. This negatively affects the total cost of ownership (TCO), discourages private investment, and slows large-scale technology adoption, thereby hindering the development of a second-hand market and reinforcing RV uncertainty. Existing TCO studies assume mature capital markets, in which financing conditions for BETs (e.g., interest rates) are exogenous and independent of technology-related risk. This overlooks how RV uncertainty for nascent technologies translates into differentiated financing conditions. This paper addresses this gap by explicitly modeling how variations in RV influence risk-related financing parameters and endogenizing financing conditions in the TCO analyses. The study considers interest rates for different regions and company sizes. Results focused on the European Market show that for a heavy-duty truck, a 0% residual value pushes TCO parity beyond 2030 (with a reference in 2024), while a 30% residual value brings it closer to 2028. Similarly, doubling interest rates from ~5% to ~10% delays TCO parity by roughly two years. This study also compares purchase subsidies and residual value guarantees (RVGs) as policy mechanisms from a government cost-effectiveness perspective and assesses their impact on TCO parity. We find that combining subsidies with RVGs achieves comparable TCO outcomes for BETs at lower public costs, advancing TCO parity to 2026, compared to purchase subsidies alone.