Decision Making in Interdisciplinary Renewable Energy Projects

Energy management and efficiency are important in terms of both sustainable environment and sustainable economy. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy have become an issue that the maritime industry focuses on, both in terms of effective and efficient use of resources and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, studies on the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind on ships and alternative energy sources such as onshore energy are examined in order to reduce fuel consumption and minimize exhaust gas emissions. Current information on the use of alternative energy systems in ship technology is given. In addition, it is aimed to contribute to the future predictions of the maritime industry by addressing new-generation ship designs and projects within the strategic management framework.

There are many reasons for the increased attention to problems related to the energy efficiency of production. First of all, it is the constant growth of industrial production, price instability, and the actual limited reserves of energy resources. We should add that technical deterioration of equipment and technological lag sometimes leads to additional consumption of fuel and energy resources and an increase in the energy intensity of products. All this reduces the energy efficiency of production and, consequently, the competitiveness of enterprises and PCs in general, encouraging managers to develop measures to correct this situation. In the mid-80s of the last century, an important milestone in the development of the views of domestic economists on the problems of energy efficiency and energy saving was the concept of energy-saving policy. The concept states that the energy intensity of products and services at different stages of economic development increases or decreases depending on a whole range of circumstances, among which the author highlights the ratio of intensive and extensive factors, the availability of energy resources, and the ratio of energy and material costs. The energy-saving policy includes a number of measures to save energy resources in the field of energy production and transformation, including replacing expensive and dwindling types of energy resources with more efficient ones, introducing advanced technological processes, and improving the structure of the national economy and organization of production. The authors of the concept propose to regulate the technical and economic conditions of production with the help of an active state technological policy in order to encourage energy savings in industry and the introduction of technical innovations.

Renewable energy (REN) is a critical factor in addressing environmental issues. Identifying the key drivers of REN is, therefore, crucial for the formulation of appropriate policies to enhance environmental sustainability. This study examines how institutional quality and trade openness influence REN consumption in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries over the period 1996–2020. Using the pooled mean group (PMG) technique, the findings show that institutional quality and trade openness have a negative significant influence on REN demand in the long run. Also, while foreign direct investment (FDI) and urbanization significantly decrease the share of REN, population growth in the GCC countries boosts REN demand. We recommend that institutional frameworks in the GCC countries be strengthened to reverse the declining influence of institutional quality on REN development. Likewise, policies should be enacted to ensure that trade in the region includes the transfer of renewable-related technologies and that investment inflows are channeled toward green initiatives.

At the current stage of economic development, environmental factors have become crucial in improving the energy efficiency of production. This includes environmental protection, controlling harmful emissions from fuel combustion, energy produced per unit of CO₂ released, and managing industrial waste. These indicators, although may seem like restrictions, actually stimulate the implementation of measures to improve energy conservation. Developing an energy strategy for an enterprise is a complex process that requires considering several factors and reviewing them periodically in connection with new technological advancements and competitor initiatives. Without such a strategy, a company cannot create a clear and precise program to improve energy efficiency, which is essential to be a competitive production today. However, it is worth noting that developing an energy efficiency program for a production complex is particularly challenging. It is because optimizing the energy efficiency of individual components alone cannot ensure the overall energy efficiency of the complex as it is a complex socioeconomic system. To maintain competitiveness, the enterprise should reduce its costs, which can be achieved through energy efficiency and energy-saving programs based on a cost leadership strategy. This strategy involves reducing product prices by reducing costs (including energy costs) to attract more consumers, resulting in increased profit volumes. Alternatively, the enterprise can reduce costs (including energy) without reducing product prices while maintaining market share, resulting in increased profit from the sale of each unit of production. A cost reduction strategy to improve energy efficiency and save energy should consider the existence of such costs in almost all parts of the company’s value chain, with the scale of production being the most important.

This chapter is based on the claim that the energy crisis, frequently on the agenda for the last 20 years, has become one of the main issues of print and visual media. This study discusses two films, especially in 2015 and after, in which popular narratives are based on energy and energy crisis. Energy and energy crisis are depicted in many TV series, fictional films, and documentaries in the 2000s and beyond. This study investigates how the energy issue and the pursuit of science, technology, and remedies that come up with this issue are depicted in popular narratives. In this context, the films April and the Extraordinary World (2015, directed by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci) and The Cloverfield Paradox (2018, directed by Julius Onah) were included in the study. The study analyzes how energy-themed films deal with the energy issue and how science, scientists, and technology act in the absence of energy. By emphasizing the importance of science, scientists, and technology, these films show that advancing in the footsteps of science and technology can offer a way out/emancipation when the world is experiencing energy supply problems.

Psychosocial risk factors faced by those working in the energy sector is an important issue that can cause negative effects. These risk factors can adversely affect both the physical and mental health of employees and thus have negative effects on work efficiency and employee satisfaction. In this study, the renewable energy sector was evaluated in terms of psychosocial risk factors it presents to its employees. These risks include factors such as heavy workload, constant work demands, and time pressure. In addition, long working hours, irregular work schedules, and job instability are other factors that negatively affect the psychosocial health of employees. Psychosocial risks such as stress, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and job instability can negatively affect employee motivation and performance. Therefore, it is necessary to consider proactive measures aimed at prevention and management of psychosocial risks in the workplace. Reducing psychosocial hazards can be achieved by taking proactive measures around accommodating employees’ needs for frequent breaks and relaxation periods, helping them manage their workload and time, and setting up work schedules. Further assessment with regards prevailing psychosocial risk factors associated with working in the energy sector should be considered and appropriate measures taken for the health and work efficiency of employees. This will bring about a healthier and more productive work atmosphere in the workplace as well as improve the well-being of the employees. In the study, psychosocial risk factors in energy sector were introduced, and these risk factors for different energy sectors were evaluated using the MAIRCA method.

The production process is always characterized by energy consumption, so production efficiency is characterized, among other things, by rationality and efficiency of energy use. The high degree of automation and mechanization of modern production determines the need to match the cost of final products and energy costs for their production. The authors considered such indicators as the ratio of energy consumption to GDP and per capita, specific energy consumption to GDP growth, kg/ USD, energy consumption per unit of output. At that time, the concept of “energy intensity” was interpreted not as the ratio of energy consumption for manufacturing products to revenue from sales of these products but as the caloric content of a certain type of fuel or as the energy equivalent in units of conventional fuel. The term “energy intensity” was formed as a result of the analysis of energy consumption in the energy sector and various industries. Two types of energy intensity were introduced: total energy intensity of products – the amount of energy and (or) fuel consumption for the manufacture of products, including the cost of mining, transportation, processing of minerals, and production of raw materials, materials, parts, taking into account the utilization rate of raw materials and materials – and energy intensity of product production, which is the amount of energy and/or fuel consumption for the production of products, including the cost of mining, transportation, processing of minerals and production of raw materials, materials, and parts, taking into account the utilization rate of raw materials and materials.

The integration of alternative energy sources in maritime transportation is in line with operational and green strategies that aim to promote sustainability and reduce the negative impacts of transportation on the environment. In this perspective, the purpose of the study is to illustrate the severity of the carbon emission as a result of maritime activities and analyze the current applications to reduce the negative effects on the environment adapting operational and green strategies benefiting from the recent studies in literature. Studies on the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind on ships and alternative energy sources such as onshore energy are examined in order to reduce fuel consumption and minimize exhaust gas emissions. Current information on the use of alternative energy systems in ship technology is given. In addition, it is aimed to contribute to the future predictions of the maritime industry by addressing new generation ship designs and projects within the strategic management framework.

The cost of output in the energy industry in Russia can be influenced by changes in supply and demand through the price mechanism. If the market prices decrease, an increase in the cost of output could be seen, which might wrongly suggest a decrease in energy requirements for unit production. Although some theoretical models acknowledge that price changes can affect energy efficiency improvements, it is challenging to combine this effect with the calculation of cost indicators of energy efficiency. When price-market effects are removed, the cost of production can be calculated under “real” conditions, and comparisons can be made both internationally and over time. Physical indicators calculate the specific energy consumption in relation to the physical measurement of the product. This means that per ton of product, for instance, it can be assessed. Physical indicators have an advantage because there is a direct correlation between the indicator and the energy efficiency technology. This implies that an improvement in technology will lead to savings in specific energy consumption and an improvement in the indicator that assesses certain energy requirements per ton of product. Since physical energy efficiency indicators are used in energy efficiency analysis at less aggregated levels, the issues associated with structural effects are reduced.

Another issue as important as the realization of economic growth is the stabilization of growth. Therefore, determining the factors affecting economic growth well and developing policies in this direction will ensure stable growth. In this section, a research on Germany’s economic growth has been conducted. In this direction, the effects of human capital index, physical capital, primary energy consumption, renewable energy consumption and technological innovation on economic growth were investigated. The analysis period of the study covers the annual data of 1990–2021. According to the empirical findings, primary energy consumption, physical capital, renewable energy consumption, and human capital index increase economic growth by 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.3%, and 1.8%, respectively. On the other hand, an increase in technological innovation decreases economic growth by 0.2%. The effect of variables other than technological innovation on growth is as expected. It is predicted that the contribution of innovation to growth can be improved by focusing on the reasons for this unexpected effect.

Speaking about the three-level energy efficiency assessment, it is necessary to say that the level 1 is the most aggregated and operates with summary data on PCs without detailing them. This level does not allow for a detailed energy analysis, although information at the level 1 is the most accessible. In fact, level 1 is a level of summary analysis and identification of the main problems in the field of PC energy efficiency. Therefore, from the point of view of evaluating the results of the energy efficiency policy implemented in the PC, level 1 is the most important. Level 2 is the level of assessment of the energy efficiency of the PC activity by the profile types of its products. Grades obtained at level 2 allow you to assess your competitive position and develop competitive development strategies. Level 3 is a level of even deeper energy analysis of the production complex’s activities. Note that it is very difficult to obtain data for conducting assessments at level 1. In addition, a very limited number of indicators can be analyzed at this level. We should add that at levels 2 and 3, the characteristics of some indicators (blocks of indicators) have different significance for the impact on the integrated energy efficiency assessment. Therefore, the significance of individual blocks (energy efficiency indicators) is assessed at these levels. To implement this step, we suggest using the hierarchy analysis method.

The methodology of multi-criteria selection of priority energy-efficient projects, as in the case of assessing the energy efficiency of industrial complexes, is supposed to be based on the use of the indicative analysis methodology, which is widely used in the works of domestic and foreign scientists. The objects targeted by the methodology will be energy-efficient PC development projects that have specific technical, economic, and financial characteristics and industrial complexes as the main testing grounds for implementing energy-efficient projects in terms of increasing efficiency in the production and consumption of fuel and energy resources. Therefore, the final result of using the methodology will be the choice of the set of projects (project) that will provide the maximum effect in the abovementioned area of PC. It involves the implementation of the following stages: formation of a methodology for assessing the energy efficiency of PCs. A methodology that describes in detail the rules for determining integral energy efficiency estimates and provides algorithms for calculating the corresponding indicators. This is, of course, a key stage of the proposed methodological tools, since it prescribes algorithms for determining partial and integral (complex) indicators of PC energy efficiency, which serve as criteria for selecting proposed projects to improve production energy efficiency.

This study explores the impact of R&D investment and governance quality on renewable energy (REN) adoption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries over the period 1995–2021. The analysis also considers the influence of financial development, foreign direct investment (FDI), and trade openness as control factors. Utilizing the fixed-effects technique, the regression estimates reveal a significant negative relationship between R&D investment and REN consumption. Conversely, governance quality shows a significant positive influence on REN consumption, suggesting that countries with better governance structures exhibit higher levels of renewable energy adoption. Furthermore, financial development has a positive impact on REN utilization, while the effect of trade openness is negative. The study underscores the significance of implementing transparent and efficient regulatory frameworks, supportive policies, and robust enforcement mechanisms to establish a favorable institutional environment for the transition toward cleaner energy sources in the MENA region.

According to the results of 2020, the total energy consumption for the production of 1 ton of cathode copper at UMMC was 2.37 tons. This is more than 2–2.5 times more than for the main competing companies. This situation once again confirms the strong lag of domestic companies behind foreign ones in energy efficiency issues. Increasing the energy efficiency of production processes without reducing the output of copper products reflected positive dynamics in terms of advancing electricity consumption and primary fuel and energy resources in relation to the growth of production volumes included in the block of economic efficiency of energy consumption and the efficiency of using fixed assets, for almost most of the competing companies. Such trends in changes in the considered indicators as a whole for the period 2012–2020 years, first of all, indicate that the overwhelming majority of leading companies today are striving for rational energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. For example, at the end of 2020, the energy intensity of the company’s fixed production assets was 508 g/t/USD, and the electric capacity was 1215 kWh/thousand USD. On the other hand, many experts note that the cost of fixed assets of Russian companies is somewhat underestimated in comparison with foreign competitors. However, this fact still does not change the situation with low energy efficiency of most of them, which is indicated by the indicators under consideration.

Charismatic leadership is a widespread application in organizational research and practice. Organizations favor charismatic leaders who are capable of motivating employees to achieve outstanding results. Scholars proposed various, often conflicting definitions of charismatic leadership. These include charisma as (a) an attribution by the followers to their leaders, (b) as an indicator of leader-follower relations, or (c) as a communication strategy composed of verbal and nonverbal tactics. Charismatic communication, the most recent approach, operationalizes charisma as a distinct measurable construct, which enhances research and construct validity. Charismatic communication is a trainable leadership skill that empowers leaders to motivate and inspire followers to achieve organizational objectives. However, defining charisma as a communication strategy includes theoretical and practical limitations. It deviates from the social/cultural anthropology approach, proposing that individuals earn charisma via overcoming hardships, in which communication skills are secondary. Further, the anthropological view indicates that charismatics primarily seek to respond to the needs of the members of their communities. Finally, overreliance on individual communication strategy as the primary source of influence runs risks of superficial leadership practices and development. To aid cross-disciplinary consistency and to enhance meritocracy in leadership, this chapter introduces the role of earned charisma. Earned charisma refers to the psychological legitimacy to influence others following the demonstration of outstanding achievement. Drawing from social identity theory, we further propose that charismatic leaders possess a unique capacity/ability to discern the needs of their followers by addressing the struggling follower prototype in need of a guider. The present chapter proposes a charismatic leadership model within work organizations focusing on earned charisma as a focal predictor, the leaders’ capacity to address the struggling follower prototype as a moderator of earned charismatic effects. Charismatic communication is an auxiliary predictor and moderator. Charismatic attributions and relations are used as outcome variables.

This chapter examines the insurance industry’s role in mitigating the impacts of climate change by promoting clean energy transformation. First, based on theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, it explores the implications of increased economic risks due to climate change on the industry. Then, using practices and case studies, it presents the tools and policies that insurance companies can use to facilitate the transition to clean energy. In conclusion, the chapter provides recommendations to industry stakeholders and policymakers on utilizing insurance to its fullest potential in the clean energy transition. Overall, this chapter argues that insurance can play an important role in adopting sustainable energy policies.

In the process of economic reforms, it became clear that energy is an important industry capable of ensuring Tajikistan’s economic independence. In Tajikistan, the energy complex is a profitable area of investment of national investment projects, with stable sources of hydropower resources. The production of electric energy is carried out by processing long-term investment projects mainly in the regions of the republic. Since this industry has the necessary resources in all regions of the country, it is also considered a priority area for investment. On the other hand, the lack of financial resources does not allow for capital and current repairs of existing units of energy enterprises. In this situation, it is necessary to pay special attention to the process of step-by-step privatization of enterprises, their impact on energy shortages and investment activation, increasing the level of managerial skills, technological knowledge, advanced technological equipment. The investment attractiveness of the region depends on the investment environment, and the investment attractiveness is the result of the existing investment environment. Attracting investments in energy complexes depends to a greater extent on improving the regulatory framework of the state in the field of investment activity. It should be noted that many countries encourage the inflow of foreign investment by liberalizing national laws on foreign investment, changing existing laws, or adopting new laws that create favorable conditions for potential investors.

On the same basis, it should be said that when making a decision on the analysis of production reports, losses, untimely repaid loans, and overdue obligations of debtors and creditors should also be taken into account. Another stage of evaluation of investment projects is carried out by analyzing a system of financial coefficients, which, if they differ, include such indicators as bankruptcy, financial stability, and business activity and profitability. Justification of project evaluation criteria requires comparison of financial indicators of industries, which is an important problem of any economy. In this regard, it is necessary to use the best indicators in this area or financial coefficients of expressive significance. The use of the above methods shows the real state of activation of investment attraction, other criteria can be added here, but these methods can only be implemented together. It contains specific mathematical formulas, results, and profitability, which are very important when developing industry investment projects. They are defined as an integral indicator reflecting the influence of many factors. The most important of them are the general state of the country’s economy as a whole, the state of the currency system, the financial system, the credit system, the customs regime, the possibility of using labor, the cost of labor, etc. One of the most important tasks in assessing the profitability of investment projects is to analyze the compliance of the project with the goals and strategies of the development of industries or the economy as a whole. In the urgent conditions of stabilization of the socioeconomic situation of the country, the state today pays more attention to attracting investment in the energy complex.

The results of the study yield conclusions indicating a negative correlation between technological progress and income inequality dynamics. Innovations have an entirely positive impact on the dynamics of income development, improving key macroeconomic indicators of a country. Thus, the collective of authors has experimentally demonstrated that the hypothesis of the role of technological progress in increasing inequality is controversial and possibly false. This conclusion deserves special attention as it starkly contrasts with findings from earlier works on modeling. In the study, authors made progress toward conducting an experiment to test various tax regimes and the introduction of a progressive tax system on income and wealth to regulate inequality among households. In the new version of the model, the government plays a much more active role and adjusts the tax burden on income and wealth for households in each period. The experimental results on changes in tax regimes lead to the conclusion that a progressive tax system is an effective tool for reducing economic inequality in income and wealth and contributes to more sustainable economic growth. The authors highlight the particular practical significance of this finding. The sustained growth of economic inequality in several countries over the past few decades may be associated with the decreasing progressiveness of tax rates in the global economy since the 1980s. The construction of an effective financial-investment model for social security provision is crucial in addressing the pressing issues of poverty and income inequality within the population. The complexity and interconnectedness of socioeconomic factors make it challenging to develop comprehensive models that accurately capture the dynamics of social security systems. Poverty and income inequality continue to be significant challenges faced by societies worldwide.

The construction of an efficient financial-investment model for social security system is of paramount importance for ensuring the well-being and social stability of the population. In this regard, the AB-SFC modeling method presents promising opportunities for analyzing and assessing the dynamics of social security systems. This research investigates the possibilities of utilizing the AB-SFC modeling method to develop an efficient financial-investment model for addressing poverty and income inequality in social security provision. By employing the AB-SFC approach, which combines agent-based modeling (ABM) with stock-flow-consistent (SFC) modeling, this study aims to enhance the accuracy and realism of financial simulations in social security systems. Through an analysis of poverty and income inequality within the population, this research examines how the AB-SFC modeling method can contribute to understanding and mitigating these socioeconomic challenges. This study investigates the capabilities of the AB-SFC modeling method in capturing the key features of social security, including contributions, benefits, investments, and demographic factors, while accounting for the dynamic interactions among households, government entities, and financial institutions. This study provides valuable insights into the strengths and limitations of AB-SFC modeling and offers recommendations for policymakers to design effective strategies for reducing poverty and income inequality within the context of social security. The findings highlight the value of the AB-SFC modeling method in constructing an efficient financial-investment model for social security and provide insights into its potential applications in enhancing the ESG sustainability and effectiveness of social security systems.

Energy consumption in hospitals can reach significant levels. However, it is essential to provide health services without compromising service quality. Accordingly, the need for energy cannot be ignored. Because hospitals need energy to provide services, therefore, energy consumption in hospitals is unlikely to be reduced to zero. Accordingly, efficiency is a more reasonable option. For this purpose, the Web of Science database is searched with the keywords “hospital” and “energy consumption.” These studies are analyzed using the text mining method with the KNIME program. As a result, the most recurring words are ranked as single, double, triple, and quadruple. The recurring words show that the studies are mostly on energy consumption and energy efficiency dimensions. For future studies, unit-specific energy consumption calculations and efficiency actions to be implemented accordingly can be presented as suggestions.

The issue of “accessible and clean energy,” which emerges as the 7th Goal as part of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, has become an urgent priority for humanity. In recent years, the necessity to reduce environmental issues and environmental damages necessitates the development and proliferation of alternative and eco-friendly practices. The transportation sector, especially road transportation, is seen as one of the major sources of environmental pollution. Road transportation also makes significant contributions to carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the necessity to reduce carbon emissions and use renewable energy sources is emphasized as an eco-friendly approach. The aim of this study is to examine TOGG, known as Turkey’s first domestic electric car, through content analysis of video content and user comments shared on social media platforms, from a sustainability perspective. Data have been collected from six different YouTube accounts within the scope of this study. It becomes apparent in the context of the study that the concept of sustainability is still not sufficiently understood among the public and that official and private organizations need to increase their awareness efforts within the framework of this concept. Furthermore, it is concluded that the TOGG brand, especially being Turkey’s first domestic electric car, needs to engage more with users and contribute more to sustainable development goals with awareness activities in the field of clean energy.

Energy efficiency measures can have numerous benefits, both for businesses and individuals. For individuals, improving energy efficiency can lead to increased comfort and quality of life. For businesses, it can result in cost savings and improved environmental sustainability. However, many businesses face barriers to implementing energy efficiency measures, such as lack of knowledge, capital constraints, and competing priorities. To unlock the full potential of energy efficiency, it is important to identify and address these barriers [1]. Through energy audits and recommendations, businesses can identify areas for improvement and implement solutions such as upgrading equipment and improving insulation. The benefits of energy efficiency for both customers and society at large include reduced energy burdens, lower bills, and improved environmental sustainability. Energy efficiency is a crucial aspect of sustainable living, and it has numerous benefits for both individuals and businesses. By adopting energy efficiency measures, individuals can enjoy an increased level of comfort and quality of life. On the other hand, businesses can achieve significant cost savings and improved environmental sustainability by implementing such measures. However, many businesses face obstacles when it comes to implementing energy efficiency measures, including a lack of knowledge, capital constraints, and competing priorities. It is therefore important for businesses to identify and address these barriers in order to unlock the full potential of energy efficiency. Through energy audits and professional recommendations, businesses can make significant strides toward achieving energy efficiency and sustainable living.