The high energy consumption in Iran, particularly in the transportation sector, has contaminated large cities and jeopardized the society health. Therefore, in this study technical and economic features of the production of biodiesel plant in Iran from various wastes are investigated. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method’s findings, the southern area of Iran is selected for establishing the biodiesel plant in Iran. The biorefinery, which includes three units of sewage sludge, edible waste oil and microalgae. The results of the economic evaluation show that the lowest costs of investment and production of biodiesel are related to microalgae units ($0.375/kg) and edible waste oil ($0.53/kg), respectively. Also, among all units, the lowest break even prices are related to biodiesel production ($1.17/kg) and the highest ATROR rate (29.16%) belongs to the microalgae unit. This indicates that this unit is more profitable than other units and the invested cost is returned to the investor in a shorter period of time (3.43 years). On the other hand, the results of sensitivity analysis show that the highest sensitivity of changes in the selling price of biodiesel and the cost of raw materials to ATROR to the microalgae and sludge unit. Therefore, the construction of a biorefinery in Iran has an economic justification.
Sustainable construction practices rely on carefully selecting building materials and balancing environmental and economic considerations. This study examines the complex link between local climate, market dynamics, and building material selection. Market data analysis, parametric modeling, and brute‐force optimization are used to provide insights into construction decision‐making. Across 5540 simulations, a thorough assessment of the financial and energy performance of various materials for walls, roofs, windows, and floors is conducted. Incorporating Pareto ranking, parallel simulation, and sensitivity analysis, the comprehensive evaluation reveals the intricate tradeoffs between cost, thermal properties, and energy savings. The findings highlight the potential for optimal external wall solutions to reduce U‐values by up to 30% and achieve source energy savings of up to 25% source energy savings across diverse climates. By emphasizing the importance of local context in material selection, this study highlights how energy consumption patterns and transmission losses influence financial and energy performance, thus advancing sustainable construction practices.
24 September 2026 in Energy Conversion and Management