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It is assumed that technological progress plays a vital role in energy efficiency improvements when the effects of industrial restructuring, infrastructure, environmental challenges, and economic shocks seem more dubious. However, a limited number of studies have been conducted to examine the impact of technological innovation on countries' energy efficiency levels. This study aims to explore the relationship between energy efficiency, technological innovation, and economic growth in 30 European countries by utilizing data from 2012 to 2020. To this end, a two-stage analysis is carried out. The first step involves estimating the total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) by the countries to illustrate the effects of energy parameters on economic growth and the environment, and technological innovation (TI) to estimate the innovation capability of each country by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology. The second step includes a panel regression model to explore how technological innovation affects energy efficiency, considering the degree of government intervention, industrial structure, infrastructure, and economic openness.The results indicate that the bottom-15 countries, whose TFEE scores were the lowest, are mainly countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Regarding the countries' technological capability, the results were similar, but the score was lower than the TFEE. Moreover, the regression analysis shows that a one percent increase in innovation activity contributes to an increase in energy efficiency by 0.27 percent. Hence, it confirms the notion of a positive impact of new technology on energy efficiency.
AcknowledgmentsThe study is supported by the grant from the Research Based Innovation "SFI Marine Operation in Virtual Environment (SFI-MOVE)" (Project No. 237929) in Norway.

Science, Technology, and Cultural Heritage: An inexorable relationship M.A. Rogerio-CandeleraClimate change, sea level rise and impact on monuments in VeniceD. Camuffo, C. Bertolin & P. SchenalAir pollution and preventive conservation in some European museums R. Van GriekenLow cost strategies for the environmental monitoring of Cultural Heritage: Preliminary data from the crypt of St. Francesco d'Assisi, Irsina (Basilicata, Southern Italy) M. Sileo, M. Biscione, F.T. Gizzi, N. Masini & M.I. Martinez-GarridoMonitoring moisture distribution on stone and masonry walls M.I. Martinez-Garrido, M. Go

This paper investigates the energy service companies (ESCOs) in China from the perspective of technological capability (TC) development. The conventional capability development model of manufacturing in emerging economies has been adapted to examine the four dimensions of TC (investment, production, linkage and innovation) through a qualitative analysis of multiple case studies. Small and medium-sized private ESCOs can perform well based on investment and production capabilities to develop energy management software competence. Large state-owned ESCOs can develop more advanced linkage and innovation capabilities and serve large-scale businesses with more specialist services. For small and medium-sized ESCOs, competitiveness, customers and related business strategy are the primary drivers of TC development. These drivers are essential for large ESCOs, but government support and pressure are also important. The framework developed can be used to research ESCOs and other service providers in other developing countries.

"Serial no. 97-54." ; CIS Microfiche Accession Numbers: CIS 82 H361-15 ; Includes bibliographical references. ; Microfiche. ; Mode of access: Internet.

AbstractInvestment by energy firms in innovation can have substantial economic and environmental impacts and benefits. Firms engage in innovation for different reasons. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the role that the different innovation objectives have on firms' decisions to invest in each of three types of innovation activity: namely, internal R&D, external R&D, and the acquisition of advanced machinery, equipment, or software. We consider four objectives: process innovation, product innovation, reducing environmental impact, and meeting regulatory requirements. With this approach, we examine how energy firms innovate to reduce their environmental impact in comparison with other innovation objectives. In carrying out the empirical analysis, we draw on data for private energy firms included in the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel for the period 2004–2016. In the empirical analysis, we take the potential persistence of innovation activities into account and we use multivariate probit models to control for possible complementarities between the different R&D and innovation investments. Our results show that internal and external R&D are undertaken to address environmental objectives and to meet regulatory requirements whereas the acquisition of advanced machinery has the purpose of developing process innovations.

AbstractCoal consumption leads to over 15 billion tons of global CO2 emissions annually, which will continue at a considerable intensity in the foreseeable future. To remove the huge amount of CO2, a practically feasible way of direct carbon mitigation, instead of capturing that from dilute tail gases, should be developed; as intended, we developed two innovative supporting technologies, of which the status, strengths, applications, and perspective are discussed in this paper. One is supercritical water gasification-based coal/biomass utilization technology, which orderly converts chemical energy of coal and low-grade heat into hydrogen energy, and can achieve poly-generation of steam, heat, hydrogen, power, pure CO2, and minerals. The other one is the renewables-powered CO2 reduction techniques, which uses CO2 as the resource for carbon-based fuel production. When combining the above two technical loops, one can achieve a full resource utilization and zero CO2 emission, making it a practically feasible way for China and global countries to achieve carbon neutrality while creating substantial domestic benefits of economic growth, competitiveness, well-beings, and new industries.

As energy innovation becomes imperative for the environment and energy security, the law must be fleet-footed to evolve in an unwieldy area of policy. This much-needed text assembles experts to analyse the most recent developments, and to postulate how human rights, sustainable development, and the eradication of energy poverty could be achieved.

The study presents an overview of the Brazilian energy policy in the period 2005‒2015, with emphasis on the analysis of the socio-technical network of the energy system. Brazil is among the countries with the highest energy potential, non-renewable or renewable (with one of the greatest potential for wind and solar resources). The study is based on empirical research involving the use of statistical data, analysis of interviews with scientists, businessmen and politicians, analysis of Laws and official documents of the energy sector. Among the results of the research, we highlight the existence of a system with reduced capacity for innovation and a centralized and bureaucratic regulation, which has been unable to increase the supply of demand, presenting a risk of collapse in the medium and long term. Among the factors that explain this trajectory (considering the last decade), the study highlights the presence of a peculiar socio-technical network (Latour and Knorr-Cetina), in which the political-business arena gains predominance, being determinant for the reduction of the transformative potential arising from the emergence of a new model of energy development and its societal consequences. In this context, paradoxically, new technologies and values (sustainability) coexist with technologies and practices of the nineteenth century, with the conservation of an extreme unequal society, with great risks (Beck and Giddens), both for social development and the preservation of natural resources and the ecosystem.

The study presents an overview of the Brazilian energy policy in the period 2005‒2015, with emphasis on the analysis of the socio-technical network of the energy system. Brazil is among the countries with the highest energy potential, non-renewable or renewable (with one of the greatest potential for wind and solar resources). The study is based on empirical research involving the use of statistical data, analysis of interviews with scientists, businessmen and politicians, analysis of Laws and official documents of the energy sector. Among the results of the research, we highlight the existence of a system with reduced capacity for innovation and a centralized and bureaucratic regulation, which has been unable to increase the supply of demand, presenting a risk of collapse in the medium and long term. Among the factors that explain this trajectory (considering the last decade), the study highlights the presence of a peculiar socio-technical network (Latour and Knorr-Cetina), in which the political-business arena gains predominance, being determinant for the reduction of the transformative potential arising from the emergence of a new model of energy development and its societal consequences. In this context, paradoxically, new technologies and values (sustainability) coexist with technologies and practices of the nineteenth century, with the conservation of an extreme unequal society, with great risks (Beck and Giddens), both for social development and the preservation of natural resources and the ecosystem.