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Aprotic lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) batteries are a prominent example of ultrahigh energy density batteries. Although Li–O2 batteries hold a great potential for large-scale electrochemical energy storage and electric vehicles, their implementation is lagging due to the complex reactions occurring at the cathode. Great effort has been applied to find practical cathodes through the incorporation of different materials acting as catalysts. Here we tap into the quantification of the environmental footprint of seven high-performance Li–O2 batteries. The batteries were standardized to feed a 60 kWh electric vehicle. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is applied to determine and compare how different batteries and respective components contribute to environmental footprints, categorized in 18 groups. To get a bigger picture, results are compared with the environmental burdens of a reference lithium ion battery, reference sodium ion battery, and the average value of lithium–sulfur batteries. Overall, Li–O2 batteries present lower environmental burdens in 9 impact categories, with similar impacts in 5 categories in comparison with lithium–sulfur and lithium ion batteries. With an average value of 55.76 kg·CO2 equiv in Global Warming Potential for the whole Li–O2 battery, the cathode is the major contributor, with a relative weight of 44.5%. These results provide a road map to enable the practical design of sustainable aprotic Li–O2 batteries within a circular economy perspective.
Maider Iturrondobeitia; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Rikardo Minguez; Erlantz Lizundia. Environmental Impact Analysis of Aprotic Li–O2 Batteries Based on Life Cycle Assessment. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2021, 9, 7139 -7153.
AMA StyleMaider Iturrondobeitia, Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki, Rikardo Minguez, Erlantz Lizundia. Environmental Impact Analysis of Aprotic Li–O2 Batteries Based on Life Cycle Assessment. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2021; 9 (20):7139-7153.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaider Iturrondobeitia; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Rikardo Minguez; Erlantz Lizundia. 2021. "Environmental Impact Analysis of Aprotic Li–O2 Batteries Based on Life Cycle Assessment." ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 9, no. 20: 7139-7153.
The former consensus on a link between energy consumption and improved well-being of a country has been scrutinized by scholars for decades and is, succinctly, for the time being a contested thesis. Until the 1970s the relation of energy to well-being was defined as linearly proportional, and in a later period still as an increasing logarithmic function. Recent empirical research falsified the assumption of an overt link between well-being and increased energy consumption in countries with high per-capita energy usage. Going forward, our research shows for the first time a possible proof for a negative correlation between energy consumption and well-being after a Well-being Turning Point (WTP). We used a world data set, not limited to high-income countries but including 176 nations with available data sets. Our findings could support both the logarithmic growth of well-being together with energy, as well as the contradicting saturation theses supporting degrowth, and thus opens the discussion in all directions. In this paper Energy Footprint data within Eora database and Global Multi Regional Input Output methodology have been calculated, which includes also the energy embodied in imported/exported products and services (also known as consumption-based energy accounts). The use of footprint accounts has been demonstrated in our previous research to be necessary when analysing global energy consumption trends; as it records the energy consumption reality better than the usually used Total Primary Energy Supply which is provided by the International Energy Agency. In this paper, we provide in a novel way, some statistical support for an Energy WTP, i.e. a high-energy threshold after which a further consumption increase results in a reduced Human Development Index. We tested our results for possible biases (e.g. excluding outlier countries and including a factor for considering the weight of high population countries) and concluded that a WTP is one possible interpretation of the data. Thus, we would like to open a discussion about how energy consumption could end up having a negative effect on well-being, considering its indirect impacts in citizens of a country.
Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Conrad Kunze; Anthony Coxeter; Gorka Bueno; Thomas Wiedmann; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Discovery of a possible Well-being Turning Point within energy footprint accounts which may support the degrowth theory. Energy for Sustainable Development 2020, 59, 22 -32.
AMA StyleOrtzi Akizu-Gardoki, Conrad Kunze, Anthony Coxeter, Gorka Bueno, Thomas Wiedmann, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Discovery of a possible Well-being Turning Point within energy footprint accounts which may support the degrowth theory. Energy for Sustainable Development. 2020; 59 ():22-32.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOrtzi Akizu-Gardoki; Conrad Kunze; Anthony Coxeter; Gorka Bueno; Thomas Wiedmann; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. 2020. "Discovery of a possible Well-being Turning Point within energy footprint accounts which may support the degrowth theory." Energy for Sustainable Development 59, no. : 22-32.
Lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries present a great potential to displace current energy storage chemistries thanks to their energy density that goes far beyond conventional batteries. To promote the development of greener Li–S batteries, closing the existing gap between the quantification of the potential environmental impacts associated with Li–S cathodes and their performance is required. Herein we show a comparative analysis of the life cycle environmental impacts of five Li–S battery cathodes with high sulfur loadings (1.5–15 mg·cm−2) through life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and cradle-to-gate boundary. Depending on the selected battery, the environmental impact can be reduced by a factor up to 5. LCA results from Li–S batteries are compared with the conventional lithium ion battery from Ecoinvent 3.6 database, showing a decreased environmental impact per kWh of storage capacity. A predominant role of the electrolyte on the environmental burdens associated with the use of Li–S batteries was also found. Sensitivity analysis shows that the specific impacts can be reduced by up to 70% by limiting the amount of used electrolyte. Overall, this manuscript emphasizes the potential of Li–S technology to develop environmentally benign batteries aimed at replacing existing energy storage systems.
Sergio Lopez; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Erlantz Lizundia. Comparative life cycle assessment of high performance lithium-sulfur battery cathodes. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 282, 124528 -124528.
AMA StyleSergio Lopez, Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki, Erlantz Lizundia. Comparative life cycle assessment of high performance lithium-sulfur battery cathodes. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 282 ():124528-124528.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSergio Lopez; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Erlantz Lizundia. 2020. "Comparative life cycle assessment of high performance lithium-sulfur battery cathodes." Journal of Cleaner Production 282, no. : 124528-124528.
Globalisation and the outsourcing of industrial manufacturing from developed to less developed countries has an increasing effect on the national energy balances of most developed economies. The current standard metric Total Primary Energy Supply of a country does not take into account the energy embodied in goods and services imported from other countries, leading to the perverse outcome of a country appearing to be more sustainable the more it outsources its energy-intensive industries. Academia has addressed this problem by suggesting the use of the Total Primary Energy Footprint as an additional metric, but there has not been a clear proposal put forward by academia to governments or international institutions about how to officially adopt Consumption-Based Accounting in the field of energy. This paper states that acknowledging the existence of embodied energy flows is indispensable when formulating new national and international energy policies for the transition towards energy systems that are socially and environmentally more sustainable. In this study, the Hidden Energy Flow indicator of 44 countries has been quantified using, for the first time, five different Global Multi-Regional Input-Output databases for the latest available year, 2011. The proposed indicator provides a percentage to be added to or subtracted from the Total Primary Energy Used value of a country, provided by the International Energy Agency, to get its real consumption-based energy requirement. This study demonstrates that, from 44 countries analysed, the ten most developed countries demand on average 18.5% more energy than measured by the International Energy Agency; the medium developed 24 countries demand 12.4% more, and the ten least developed countries demand 1.6% less. This means that most developed and medium developed countries displace their indirect energy consumption towards less developed countries in a hidden way. Furthermore, this research supports evidence that direct energy consumption in households is less relevant than the energy embodied in goods and services purchased by households, reaching 59.1% in the case of Switzerland, used as a reference among developed countries. The proposed Hidden Energy Flow indicator supports scientists, policymakers and citizens in the effort to focus the energy transition actions towards conducting the necessary energy consumption and production changes in the most effective way, improving energy justice and energy democracy.
Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Takako Wakiyama; Thomas Wiedmann; Gorka Bueno; Iñaki Arto; Manfred Lenzen; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Hidden Energy Flow indicator to reflect the outsourced energy requirements of countries. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 278, 123827 .
AMA StyleOrtzi Akizu-Gardoki, Takako Wakiyama, Thomas Wiedmann, Gorka Bueno, Iñaki Arto, Manfred Lenzen, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Hidden Energy Flow indicator to reflect the outsourced energy requirements of countries. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 278 ():123827.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOrtzi Akizu-Gardoki; Takako Wakiyama; Thomas Wiedmann; Gorka Bueno; Iñaki Arto; Manfred Lenzen; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. 2020. "Hidden Energy Flow indicator to reflect the outsourced energy requirements of countries." Journal of Cleaner Production 278, no. : 123827.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought global mobility into the spotlight, with well over 100 countries having instituted either a full or partial lockdown by April 2020. Reduced mobility, whilst causing social and economic impacts, can also be beneficial for the environment and future studies will surely quantify such environmental gains. However, accurate quantification is intimately linked to good quality data on transport modal shares, as passenger cars and public transport have significantly different emissions profiles. Herein, we compile a currently lacking dataset on global modal transport shares for 131 countries. Notably, these are the countries covered by the Google Community Mobility Reports (plus Russia and China for their global relevance), thus allowing for a smooth integration between our dataset and the rich information offered by the Google Community Mobility Reports, thus enabling analysis of global emissions reductions due to mobility restrictions. Beyond the current pandemic, this novel dataset will be helpful to practitioners and academics alike working in transport research.
Grigorios Fountas; Ya-Yen Sun; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Francesco Pomponi. How Do People Move Around? National Data on Transport Modal Shares for 131 Countries. World 2020, 1, 34 -43.
AMA StyleGrigorios Fountas, Ya-Yen Sun, Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki, Francesco Pomponi. How Do People Move Around? National Data on Transport Modal Shares for 131 Countries. World. 2020; 1 (1):34-43.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGrigorios Fountas; Ya-Yen Sun; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Francesco Pomponi. 2020. "How Do People Move Around? National Data on Transport Modal Shares for 131 Countries." World 1, no. 1: 34-43.
Nowadays, there is a wide scientific consensus about the unsustainability of the current energy system and at the same time, social awareness about climate change and the IPCC’s goals is increasing in Europe. Amongst the different pathways towards them, one alternative is the radical transition to a democratic low-carbon energy system where the local scale has a key leading role. Under this scope, this research is framed within the mPOWER project, financed by the European Commission’s H2020 programme, which promotes collaboration among different European municipalities in order to boost the transition to a renewable-based participatory energy system. This paper presents the starting point of the mPOWER project, where the main energy features of 27 selected European municipalities are collected and analysed for the year 2016. An open public tender and selection process was carried out among European cities in order to choose the candidates to participate in mPOWER project. A view of this situation will be taken by the mPOWER project as a diagnostic baseline for the following steps: a peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing process among these European municipalities, and subsequently, among a more extensive group. The first finding of the paper is that, even if those municipalities are trying to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, they are highly dependent on fossil fuels, even in cases where renewable energies have significant presence. Second, their energy consumption is logarithmically related to the human development index and gross domestic product but not to the size of the cities and their climate characteristics. Finally, despite the work that these cities are making towards energy transition in general and within the mPOWER project in particular, the paper shows a high difficulty mapping their energy systems. The lack of accurate and unified data by the municipalities is a sign of disempowerment at a local and public level in the energy sphere and makes difficult any strategy to advance towards a bottom-up energy transition. Among other goals, the mPOWER project aims to reveal these kinds of difficulties and help local authorities in managing their transition paths.
Estitxu Villamor; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Olatz Azurza; Leire Urkidi; Alvaro Campos-Celador; Izaro Basurko; Iñaki Barcena Hinojal. European Cities in the Energy Transition: A Preliminary Analysis of 27 Cities. Energies 2020, 13, 1315 .
AMA StyleEstitxu Villamor, Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki, Olatz Azurza, Leire Urkidi, Alvaro Campos-Celador, Izaro Basurko, Iñaki Barcena Hinojal. European Cities in the Energy Transition: A Preliminary Analysis of 27 Cities. Energies. 2020; 13 (6):1315.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEstitxu Villamor; Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Olatz Azurza; Leire Urkidi; Alvaro Campos-Celador; Izaro Basurko; Iñaki Barcena Hinojal. 2020. "European Cities in the Energy Transition: A Preliminary Analysis of 27 Cities." Energies 13, no. 6: 1315.
Historically, the growth of energy consumption has fuelled human development, but this approach is no longer socially and environmentally sustainable. Recent analyses suggest that some individual countries have responded to this issue successfully by decoupling Total Primary Energy Supply from human development increase. However, globalisation and international trade have allowed high-income countries to outsource industrial production to lower income countries, thereby increasingly relying on foreign energy use to satisfy their own consumption of goods and services. Accounting for the import of embodied energy in goods and services, this study proposes an alternative estimation of the Decoupling Index based on the Total Primary Energy Footprint rather than Total Primary Energy Supply. An analysis of 126 countries over the years 2000–2014 demonstrates that previous studies based on energy supply highly overestimated decoupling. Footprint-based results, on the other hand, show an overall decrease of the Decoupling Index for most countries (93 out of 126). There is a reduction of the number of both absolutely decoupled countries (from 40 to 27) and relatively decoupled countries (from 29 to 17), and an increase of coupled countries (from 55 to 80). Furthermore, the study shows that decoupling is not a phenomenon characterising only high-income countries due to improvements in energy efficiency, but is also occurring in countries with low Human Development Index and low energy consumption. Finally, six exemplary countries have been identified, which were able to maintain a continuous decoupling trend. From these exemplary countries, lessons have been identified in order to boost the necessary global decoupling of energy consumption and achieved welfare.
Ortzi Akizu-Gardoki; Gorka Bueno; Thomas Wiedmann; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede; Iñaki Arto; Patxi Hernandez; Daniel Moran. Decoupling between human development and energy consumption within footprint accounts. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 202, 1145 -1157.
AMA StyleOrtzi Akizu-Gardoki, Gorka Bueno, Thomas Wiedmann, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede, Iñaki Arto, Patxi Hernandez, Daniel Moran. Decoupling between human development and energy consumption within footprint accounts. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 202 ():1145-1157.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOrtzi Akizu-Gardoki; Gorka Bueno; Thomas Wiedmann; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede; Iñaki Arto; Patxi Hernandez; Daniel Moran. 2018. "Decoupling between human development and energy consumption within footprint accounts." Journal of Cleaner Production 202, no. : 1145-1157.
Axial flux machines are used frequently in wind energy applications due to their high power densities and efficiencies. However, the parametrical dependencies of those generators affect the generated power and efficiencies. For instance, turbine blade structures dimensions, change dramatically the speed and torque characteristics. Hence, this study includes a pursuit of optimization and the related design parameters for an axial generator in terms of its off grid operations. The analytical design relations and simulated data have shown that the geometric dimensions and morphology of the machine can be analyzed effectively under the finite element method and the optimization of the machine can be provided with a good accuracy by applying the response surface optimization. Cogging torque and power density formulated aim function gives a good optimization for the design. According to this approach, the general performance of the machine is maximized and the cogging torque and weight are kept to be decreased. Design variables are optimized by considering the generator size. Consequently, an optimal 4.8% increase in weight can yield to a 27.4% power enhancement in the machine.
Serdal Arslan; Erol Kurt; Ortzi Akizu; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Design optimization study of a torus type axial flux machine. Journal of Energy Systems 2018, 2, 43 -56.
AMA StyleSerdal Arslan, Erol Kurt, Ortzi Akizu, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Design optimization study of a torus type axial flux machine. Journal of Energy Systems. 2018; 2 (2):43-56.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSerdal Arslan; Erol Kurt; Ortzi Akizu; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. 2018. "Design optimization study of a torus type axial flux machine." Journal of Energy Systems 2, no. 2: 43-56.
Within the context of an energy transition towards achieving a renewable low-impact energy consumption system, this study analyses how bottom-up initiatives can contribute to state driven top-down efforts to achieve the sustainability related goals of (1) reducing total primary energy consumption; (2) reducing residential electricity and heat consumption; and (3) increasing generated renewable energy and even attaining self-sufficiency. After identifying the three most cited German bottom-up energy transition cases, the initiatives have been qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. The case study methodology has been used and each initiative has been examined in order to assess and compare these with the German national panorama. The novel results of the analysis demonstrate the remarkable effects of communal living, cooperative investment and participatory processes on the creation of a new sustainable energy system. The study supports the claim that bottom-up initiatives could also contribute to energy sustainability goals together within the state driven plans. Furthermore, the research proves that the analysed bottom-up transitions are not only environmentally and socially beneficial but they can also be economically feasible, at least in a small scale, such as the current German national top-down energy policy panorama.
Ortzi Akizu; Gorka Bueno; Iñaki Barcena; Erol Kurt; Nurettin Topaloğlu; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Contributions of Bottom-Up Energy Transitions in Germany: A Case Study Analysis. Energies 2018, 11, 849 .
AMA StyleOrtzi Akizu, Gorka Bueno, Iñaki Barcena, Erol Kurt, Nurettin Topaloğlu, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Contributions of Bottom-Up Energy Transitions in Germany: A Case Study Analysis. Energies. 2018; 11 (4):849.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOrtzi Akizu; Gorka Bueno; Iñaki Barcena; Erol Kurt; Nurettin Topaloğlu; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. 2018. "Contributions of Bottom-Up Energy Transitions in Germany: A Case Study Analysis." Energies 11, no. 4: 849.
Jesus Maria Larrañaga Lesaca; Ekaitz Zulueta Guerrero; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede; Josean Ramos-Hernanz; Ana Larrañaga Juaristi; Ortzi Akizu. Measuring global effectiveness of integrated electric energy systems. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2017, 42, 18121 -18133.
AMA StyleJesus Maria Larrañaga Lesaca, Ekaitz Zulueta Guerrero, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede, Josean Ramos-Hernanz, Ana Larrañaga Juaristi, Ortzi Akizu. Measuring global effectiveness of integrated electric energy systems. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2017; 42 (28):18121-18133.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJesus Maria Larrañaga Lesaca; Ekaitz Zulueta Guerrero; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede; Josean Ramos-Hernanz; Ana Larrañaga Juaristi; Ortzi Akizu. 2017. "Measuring global effectiveness of integrated electric energy systems." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 42, no. 28: 18121-18133.
Ortzi Akizu; Leire Urkidi; Gorka Bueno; Rosa Lago; Iñaki Barcena; Martin Mantxo; Izaro Basurko; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Tracing the emerging energy transitions in the Global North and the Global South. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2017, 42, 18045 -18063.
AMA StyleOrtzi Akizu, Leire Urkidi, Gorka Bueno, Rosa Lago, Iñaki Barcena, Martin Mantxo, Izaro Basurko, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. Tracing the emerging energy transitions in the Global North and the Global South. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2017; 42 (28):18045-18063.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOrtzi Akizu; Leire Urkidi; Gorka Bueno; Rosa Lago; Iñaki Barcena; Martin Mantxo; Izaro Basurko; Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede. 2017. "Tracing the emerging energy transitions in the Global North and the Global South." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 42, no. 28: 18045-18063.
The effect of domestic charging of electric vehicles (EVs) on electricity demand at a national level was addressed. A study case was created to investigate how different charging regimes (i.e. control policies) and EV-uptake levels will affect the electricity demand of Great Britain (GB) and Spain in 2030. Charging rates, battery capacities, and battery and charger efficiencies were drawn from literature. Traffic patterns were acquired from the British Department for Transport and the Spanish Ministry of Public Works. Uncontrolled, dual tariff (time-based control), dynamic price (price-based control) domestic charging regimes were defined and applied to both power systems for different EV utilization levels. The results show that for low EV utilization, the GB system would be able to cope with the increased demand that EV domestic charging would create. The Spanish system would need additional generation to cover the EV charging needs. The anticipated high EV utilization would almost double peak the demand in both countries.
Panagiotis Papadopoulos; O Akizu; L M Cipcigan; N Jenkins; E Zabala. Electricity demand with electric cars in 2030: comparing Great Britain and Spain. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy 2011, 225, 551 -566.
AMA StylePanagiotis Papadopoulos, O Akizu, L M Cipcigan, N Jenkins, E Zabala. Electricity demand with electric cars in 2030: comparing Great Britain and Spain. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy. 2011; 225 (5):551-566.
Chicago/Turabian StylePanagiotis Papadopoulos; O Akizu; L M Cipcigan; N Jenkins; E Zabala. 2011. "Electricity demand with electric cars in 2030: comparing Great Britain and Spain." Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part A: Journal of Power and Energy 225, no. 5: 551-566.