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Projeto de investigação
Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research
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Towards Richer Assisted Living Environments
Publication . Condado, Paulo A.; Lobo, Fernando G.; Carita, Tiago; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Springer
This paper describes an ongoing research project which explores the design and use of inexpensive robotics, artificial intelligence techniques, and human–computer interaction methods, to enrich assisted living environments. Such environments provide help to the inhabitants of a home or office, assisting them to perform daily activities, helping them to socialize and interact with others, and to provide enhanced levels of security and safeness. We present the development of an inexpensive robotic solution to help people with disabilities and/or older adults to perform their daily activities. It can be used as a remote controlled surveillance system, and also as a personal assistant. It is able to recognize each inhabitant, his/her emotions, and detect abnormal situations such as falls and health problems. The whole system is designed to operate solely within a local network and special attention is given to the privacy and data protection of the users.
Energy Sustainability
Publication . Flores, João; Cavique, Miguel; Seixas, Júlia; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; UNIDEMI - Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Engenharia Mecânica e Industrial; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Energy Sustainability has been addressed through advancing technology efficiency, which may increase the impact of the use of natural resources. However, the increase in efficiency makes services cheaper, which causes a rebound effect, direct or indirect, on energy consumption and materials. Moreover, the popular concept of recycling seems insufficient to reduce the use of critical raw materials to provide energy services. From the perspective of the Earth’s limited resources, the sustainability problem needs a design approach to tackle the rebound effect from efficiency. This work aims to create a theoretical holistic review regarding energy use linked to technology efficiency, to understand how rebound effects may be prevented. In this work, the Axiomatic Design (AD) theory creates the framework that defines the Energy Sustainability functions and identifies the couplings that create the rebounds. According to AD, cycles occur on coupled designs, classified as poor designs. Decoupling the design clarifies two possible and complementary policies to achieve sustainability goals regarding the use of resources. The first is the circular economy, with constraints on energy and raw materials. The second is the massive use of local renewable energies. Plausible solutions come from mandating efficiency and taxation, dematerializing the economy, and reducing, reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling materials from products and systems. These solutions impact economic, environmental, and societal behaviors. The novelty of this approach is the definition of a system model for Energy Sustainability in the frame of AD, while tackling the rebound effect from technological efficiency.
Advancing the Circular Economy in Public Sector Organisations
Publication . Klein, Natacha; Ramos, Tomás B.; Deutz, Pauline; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Springer
Circular economy (CE) is a concept that is gaining attention as an approach to help accelerate the transition towards sustainability. Research has focused on the adoption of CE practices in the business sector while the adoption within public sector organisations has been relatively overlooked. Examining CE adoption in the public sector through the perceptive of employees is crucial because of their expertise in the organisation where they work. The main aim of this study is to identify what public employees perceive as suitable CE practices for their organisations and their critical role in implementation. As the adoption of CE practices is influenced by social and material configurations, this research has taken a case study approach, focused on the Portuguese Central Public Administration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with public employees working on CE and sustainability issues, and a complementary analysis was undertaken of governmental reports and legislative documents. The results show that public employees view the existence and potential of CE practices mainly in the area of public procurement but also in resource efficiency and optimisation, dematerialisation and in practices related to the R-hierarchy including reduce and reuse. Both technical-oriented practices aimed to achieve traditional resource efficiency, and human-centred practices targeted at reducing consumption and sharing resources have been identified. This research provides insights into how a specific group of stakeholders envisions CE activities for their sector. Identification of practices for central public sector has the potential to assist decision-makers in the process of defining priorities for CE planning, implementation and monitoring. This study focusing on CE practices in central public sector organisations contributes to the calls for an inclusion of human/socially-based practices centred around consumption reduction, sharing and dematerialisation activities to enhance the transformative and innovative potential of CE.
Electrokinetic Remediation for Environmental Security and Sustainability
Publication . Ribeiro, Alexandra B.; Prasad, M. N. V.; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade
Electrokinetic Remediation for Environmental Security and Sustainability Explore this comprehensive reference on the remediation of contaminated substrates, filled with cutting-edge research and practical case studies Electrokinetic Remediation for Environmental Security and Sustainability delivers a thorough review of electrokinetic remediation (EKR) for the treatment of inorganic and organic contaminants in contaminated substrates. The book highlights recent progress and developments in EKR in the areas of resource recovery, the removal of pollutants, and environmental remediation. It also discusses the use of EKR in conjunction with nanotechnology and phytoremediation. Throughout the book, case studies are presented that involve the field implementation of EKR technologies. The book also includes discussions of enhanced electrokinetic remediation of dredged co-contaminated sediments, solar-powered bioelectrokinetics for the mitigation of contaminated agricultural soil, advanced electro-fenton for remediation of organics, electrokinetic remediation for PPCPs in contaminated substrates, and the electrokinetic remediation of agrochemicals such as organochlorine compounds. Other topics include: A thorough introduction to the modelling of electrokinetic remediation An exploration of the electrokinetic recovery of tungsten and removal of arsenic from mining secondary resources An analysis of pharmaceutically active compounds in wastewater treatment plants with a discussion of electrochemical advanced oxidation as an on-site treatment A review of rare earth elements, including general concepts and recovery techniques, like electrodialytic extraction A treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in cold climate conditions Perfect for environmental engineers and scientists, geologists, chemical engineers, biochemical engineers, and scientists working with green technology, Electrokinetic Remediation for Environmental Security and Sustainability will also earn a place in the libraries of academic and industry researchers, engineers, regulators, and policy makers with an interest in the remediation of contaminated natural resources.
Targeting energy savings? Better on primary than final energy and less on intensity metrics
Publication . Rodríguez, M.; Teotónio, C.; Roebeling, P.; Fortes, P.; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.
Energy efficiency is a critical issue in public policies, as it is the key to decoupling economic growth and energy use. These objectives are becoming even more relevant to addressing the energy crisis and the new geopolitical scenarios delivered by the Ukraine war. Although several papers have analyzed energy efficiency goals, this paper focuses on energy savings targets, which represent the main efficiency metric for the European Union. This paper fills a gap in literature by analyzing the economic and environmental impacts of attaining energy efficiency targets through an energy fiscal policy, simulated by a hybrid computable general equilibrium model with technological detail. Six scenarios are defined for energy savings in primary/final energy consumption of fossil-fueled/all energy products, using Portugal as a case study. Relevant insights for policy makers from the simulated scenarios include: (i) achieving energy saving targets by alternative means, i.e., directed at primary or final energy consumption, provide heterogeneous impacts on the efficiency of the energy system and GDP, and some unexpected and undesirable outcomes concerning environmental impacts; (ii) a relatively lower taxation of all energy products deliver larger and more distorting impacts on electricity generation than higher taxes on fossil fuels only (a counterintuitive result), (iii) policies aiming to reduce primary energy instead of final energy provide the best outcomes (further increases in the efficiency of the energy system with smoother economic impacts), thereby pointing against the European Energy Taxation directive principle that taxation should be levied on final products, regardless of inputs used in their production and (iv) and targets should not be set up based on energy intensity indicators. Hence, it is shown that the size of the trade-off between economic and environmental concerns depends on where (primary or final energy consumption) and what (fossil or all energy products) energy savings are targeted.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Número da atribuição
UIDB/04085/2020