Energy and Sustainability 2019

8th International conference on Energy and Sustainability

3 – 5 July 2019
Coimbra, Portugal

Overview

The 8th International Conference on Energy and Sustainability took place in Coimbra, Portugal. The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK and Itecons-University of Coimbra and it was Chaired by Professor Antonio Tadeu, Director of Itecons and member of the WIT Board of Directors.

The conference, which started in the New Forest, UK in 2007, is well-established and always attracts a wide international spread of delegates. The diverse topics covered at the conference involved the collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions, including studies of materials, energy networks, new energy resources, storage solutions, waste to energy systems smart grids and many others.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Prof A. Tadeu who welcomed the delegates to the conference and introduced the Wessex Institute and Itecons.

Invited Presentations

There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:

• Environmental and energetic evaluation of different solutions for coffee valorization, by Dr D Panepinto, Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy.
• The energy and sustainable performance of a multifunctional façade by Ms I Simoes, Itecons, Coimbra.
• Evaluation of surface condensations in external thermal insulation composite systems by Mr N Simoes, Itecons-University of Coimbra, Portugal.
• Regional goods delivery: How to reduce its CO2-, NOX- and PM10- emissions? by Dr J Vleugel, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
• Local actions for reducing global greenhouse gas footprint: 10 years of covenant of mayors initiative by Prof M Ragazzi, University of Trento, Italy.
• Unconventional small-scale biogas production with reduced local impact by Dr E Rada, University of Varese, Italy.
• Biorefinery done right by Professor J M Lavoie, Sherbrook University, Canada.
• Sustainable energy for smart city, by Dr M Kozhevnikov, Ural Federal University, Russia.

Conference Sessions

The papers presented during the conference covered the following topics:

• Energy efficiency
• Energy storage and distribution
• Energy management
• Sustainable Buildings
• Biomass and biofuels
• Environmental risk management
• Climate change and energy policies
• Renewable energy resources

Special Session

Dr Elena Rada, from the University of Varese, Italy, organised a Special Session on “Reduction of the local and global environmental impact of waste and biomass to energy options” which included the following presentations:

• Environmental balance of an innovative waste-to-energy plant: The role of secondary emissions, presented by Dr M. Schiavon, University of Trento, Italy.
• Potentials of the waste-to-energy sector for an unconventional district heating system, presented by Dr M. Schiavon, University of Trento, Italy.
• Local actions for reducing global greenhouse gas footprint: 10 years of covenant of mayors initiative, presented by Dr M Ragazzi, University of Trento, Italy.
• Unconventional small-scale biogas production with reduced local impact, presented by Dr E. Rada.

There were numerous occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches provided.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner took place on Wednesday evening at the Restaurant Solar do Bacalhau, which is within walking distance of the conference venue. Delegates enjoyed a four-course menu accompanied by Portuguese wines and with a wonderful atmosphere.

Conference Publication

Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 237 of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment (ISSN 1743-3541). Papers presented at the meeting will be available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.

Several papers from this conference were selected for publication in the International Journal of Energy Production and Management. This journal covers the different aspects of energy research, development and recovery from both primary and renewable sources; power generation, storage and distribution; planning and management.

Closing of the Conference

The conference was closed by Professor A Tadeu, who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending the next conference in the series which is due to be reconvened in 2021.

Related Conferences

Sustainable City 2019, 1 - 3 October 2019

Energy Production and Management 2019, 2 - 4 December 2019

Eco-Architecture 2020, 5 - 7 May 2020

Sustainable Development and Planning 2020, 6 - 8 May 2020

Environmental Impact 2020, 10 – 12 June 2020