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- Teaching sustainable development in higher education - Changing attitudes in a digital eraPublication . Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, CarlosSustainable Development (SD) is an increasingly important topic. Humanity has an absolutely vital dependence on a set of natural and artificial resources. The advancement of knowledge needed to adequately manage these resources has traditionally been achieved through specialization. In this strategy of dividing and ruling, what was gained in depth was lost in coverage. Yet, the most recent problems are intensely interdisciplinary, revealing that the previous specialization strategy is currently not wrong, but clearly insufficient. Strangely (or not), various courses in higher education continued to follow the traditional specialization strategy. As a result of this state-of-affairs, several conferences currently exist, both in the field of Education or in the field of Sustainability, but it has been particularly difficult to attract participants to deepen the theme of Teaching Sustainability. As an attempt to contribute to clarifying the needs of the present and future, this TEEM’21 track presents itself as a space for presenting results and debating works and strategies that involve both domains: Teaching and Sustainability.
- Macro modeling of electricity price towards SDG7Publication . Martins, Florinda; Felgueiras, Carlos; Caetano, NídiaEnergy challenges are crucial issues to achieve Sustainable Development and its goals. Energy availability and affordability are pillars for ending poverty, giving access to commodities as well as water, etc. Modern lives rely on appliances and gadgets based on electric energy being its price a key issue making it worth to analyze and promote simple models able to predict electric energy prices to support in decision-making processes and in management. This work studied the correlation of electricity price with variables such as the electricity mix, GDP (gross domestic product), energy productivity, electricity consumption per capita, fossil fuel reserves, and diesel price, using Spearman correlation. To the significant correlations found it was then applied the Kruskal–Wallis test and the variables that presented statistically significant differences were then considered to model electricity price based on these macro variables. Our findings revealed that the best models were a logarithmic and a linear model of energy productivity to predict electricity price, which is fundamental to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG7. In the validation process, these models presented an average deviation of 10.3% and 11.7%, respectively, which is reasonable considering the simplicity of the models developed.
- ICEER 2021: Developing the World in 2021 with clean and safe energyPublication . Caetano, Nídia; Salvini, Coriolano; Giovannelli, Ambra; Felgueiras, CarlosThe World pandemic situation that started in 2020 brought important limitations to live events. In spite of the fast response provided by the scientific community, with researchers from all over the World committed to the development of vaccines to prevent the dissemination and effects of the corona virus, in 2021 it was not yet possible to organize the 8th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research (ICEER) under live mode. Therefore, the ICEER 2021 occurred online for the second consecutive year, from 13–16 September 2021. The Authors, Participants and the Conference organization understood how important it is to discuss matters related to Energy and the Environment Research, as it was demonstrated by the huge changes introduced by travel and work limitations. Not only the energy consumption was affected during the pandemic, but also the environment was positively impacted by the reduction of human individual travel, both for working and for amusement purposes. These facts highlighted even more the importance of the development and use of energy sources and systems that are reliable, affordable and, above all, environment friendly, towards Sustainable Development, which motivated the theme adopted for the current edition of ICEER 2021: “Developing the World in 2021 with clean and safe energy”. The ICEER 2021 recovered some participants who preferred the live version but were committed not to give up on their research in these important topics, and the full three working days demonstrated the resilience of this community. This editorial paper summarizes the ICEER 2021, briefly reporting the main conclusions and the most impacting sessions, presentations and interventions that allowed to strengthen the interaction among experts and young researchers in the energy and environment field.
- Recyclable waste collection: Increasing ecopoint filling capacity to reduce energy for transportationPublication . Santos, Adriano A; Silva, António Ferreira da; Gouveia, António; Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, CarlosUrban waste production is increasing around the world. In the present Covid-19 context, an emergent flow of waste growth, as well as of pollution in general, stems from confinement and the use of protective masks. Although part of the waste is considered commingled, much is recyclable, if properly disposed off. Hence, recycling plays today, more than ever, an extremely important role, not only in terms of pollution prevention, but also from the point of view of the circular economy and of resources use efficiency. Thus, this work is focused on developing an approach to assist in recycling wastes. As a management option, recycling depends on a collective behavior, that relies on individual acts. Therefore, the individual use of plastic/metal compaction systems can help reaching the recycling targets, even as a complement to conventional commingled waste bins. Thus, we present a proposal for a plastic/metal collection station with a built-in compaction element that allows one to compact separated waste, individually, in an easily accessible drawer. Sorting and compaction of waste before collection will then result in a reduction of the number of collection/transportations stops, which will also translate into higher efficiency, reduction of costs, optimization of transported tons/km ratio, and profitability.
- Increasing energy efficiency with a smart farm - An economic evaluationPublication . Pereira, Filipe; Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, CarlosRural farms are typically energy-intensive facilities with relatively low energy efficiency. In this sector, the introduction of renewable energies and integrated resource management technologies has been slower than in the domestic and industrial sector. The introduction of renewable energy sources was an mportant step in the past, but they are currently insufficient, as they do not allow for adequate energy management. The development of new solutions with integrated energy control is especially attractive for these installations as they present the least limitations in terms of space and adaptation to new technologies. This work describes a solution that was developed and implemented in a farm located in central Portugal. The results show that 83.2% reduction in energy from the grid can be achieved, with 5527 kg CO2 savings, and the return on investment (of C 32,434) is about 8 years. However, this period can be shortened if evolutionary options are taken, such as upgrading to electric driven agricultural equipment
- Development of vocations in engineering in secondary schools in PortugalPublication . Silva, Paulo; García-Holgado, Alicia; Felgueiras, CarlosEducation is essential to future professionals, preparing them for the labor market, by providing knowledge and practical experiences. Through educational models, adapted to each level of education, students are equipped with knowledge, experiences and notions that help them to understand which path they should follow in their professional career. For several reasons, this foundation can fail and lead students to embark on careers that do not satisfy them and leading to a dropout in university education. Another phenomenon is the lack of attractiveness that Engineering career seems to have for secondary school students and the underdeveloped vocations in this scientific area, leading students to avoid some kind of subjects such as mathematics, physics, or science. To study the present case, actions will be carried out on secondary school students, measuring the impact that it may have on choosing a career in Engineering. At the end of the study, it is expected to discover the origins of the problem and identify possible solutions to resolve and stabilize the situation, as it would be desirable for more secondary students to pursue a career in Engineering.
- An Alternative Way of Teaching Operational Amplifiers Using a Reconfigurable and Expandable KitPublication . Costa, Ricardo; Portela, Paulo; Alves, Gustavo R.; Felgueiras, Carlos; Viegas, ClaraEarly on, students must develop competences by implementing simple or complex electronic circuits with Operational Amplifiers (OpAmps). Traditionally, these skills were mainly developed in laboratory classes, but technology allows us to explore other and complementary ways of aiding students in this achievement. This paper presents a contribution to improve the way OpAmps are included in electronic engineering courses’ curricula. A reconfigurable and expandable kit to teach electronic circuits based on the OpAmp uA741 was designed and implemented. This kit comprises a software application locally interfaced with a hardware platform capable of running in a PC. This platform includes a circuit with the OpAmp uA741 able to reconfigure according to a set of parameters defined by a software application. Its reconfiguration capability also enables the establishment of automatic connections for measuring and for applying signals to a reconfigured circuit, plus the ability to simulate the same or other OpAmp-based circuits. This paper provides an overview about the OpAmp uA741 and its relevance in engineering education. After presenting the kit and make some considerations for its improvement, at the end a brief discussion about its implementation in education according to specific educational strategies and methodologies are provided.
- Increasing Energy Efficiency with a Smart Farm - an Economic EvaluationPublication . Pereira, Filipe; Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, CarlosRural farms are typically energy-intensive facilities with relatively low energy efficiency. In this sector, the introduction of renewable energies and integrated resource management technologies has been slower than in the domestic and industrial sector. The introduction of renewable energy sources was an important step in the past, but they are currently insufficient, as they do not allow for adequate energy management. The development of new solutions with integrated energy control is especially attractive for these installations as they present the least limitations in terms of space and adaptation to new technologies. This work describes a solution that was developed and implemented in a farm located in central Portugal. The results show that 83.2% reduction in energy from the grid can be achieved, with 5527 kg CO2 savings, and the return on investment (of €32,434) is about 8 years. However, this period can be shortened if evolutionary options are taken, such as upgrading to electric driven agricultural equipment.
- Energy transition in a business company – solar PV for a car fleetPublication . Silva, Paulo; Caetano, Nídia S.; Felgueiras, CarlosFossil fuels are increasingly limited in today's world, causing an energy crisis due to external factors, increasing prices in international markets. To solve this global problem, the energy transition related to mobility in companies that oversee their car fleets is highlighted. This transition to electric mobility influences several economic, technical, and social aspects, thus it becomes crucial for companies to adapt their infrastructure and dynamics to have more sustainable practices. According to the 2021-2022 EIB Climate Survey, 55% of Portuguese young people consider climate change when looking for a job. Furthermore, when asked about future car purchases, 84% of Portuguese car buyers say they will purchase either a hybrid or electric car, making Portugal the EU No. 1 country in terms of intentions to purchase electric cars. These statistics show the urgency for companies to adapt to future needs, as well as align with the European goals of reducing greenhouse gases emissions to 45% by 2030 and to zero by 2050.
- Developing the world in 2021 with clean and safe energyPublication . Caetano, Nídia; Vale, Zita; Felgueiras, Carlos; Salvini, Coriolano; Felgueiras, Carlos(Special Issue Information). Dear colleagues, The world’s huge population growth and fast development are putting sustainability issues on the agenda. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated how energy is being used, as well as how dependent on energy we are to work, travel, educate ourselves, or in our daily activities. The ever-growing energy consumption is still mostly relying on fossil fuels, with dramatic impacts on the environment, causing soil, air, and water contamination, that in turn negatively impact on population health and development. To mitigate this situation and try to alleviate the stress on development posed by the uneven distribution of fuel resources, it is mandatory that nations shift away from relying on fossil fuels toward more environmentally sustainable energy sources. The world can only continue to develop sustainably if the effects of fossil fuel extraction, transportation, and combustion are stopped, which can only occur if energy is used more efficiently and produced from renewable sources, produced locally, and made available where needed, using adequate energy distribution networks and storage energy systems. Moreover, empowering energy end users, namely in the scope of citizen energy communities and using effective demand response schemes, is also relevant to ensure sustainable development.