Yee Van Fan

57221469696

Publications - 6

Mechanism of environmental regulation on energy productivity, energy structure, and carbon emissions: The role of directed technological progress

Yee Van Fan Xiaojun Sun Yalin Lei Chunyan Si Zimin Cao Petar Sabev Varbanov

Publication Name: Energy

Publication Date: 2025-08-01

Volume: 328

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The mechanism of environmental regulation on energy conservation and carbon reduction in the petrochemical industry through directed technological progress remains uncertain due to the directional characteristics of technology. This paper develops a mechanism framework and employs a panel two-way fixed-effects model to clarify the impact of environmental regulation on directed technological progress and energy conservation, while uncovering its underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, a dynamic Kaya model is constructed, using the Monte Carlo method to determine the required intensity of environmental regulation for China's petrochemical industry to actualize the SSP1-CHN, SSP1, and SSP2 scenarios. The model also simulates the future bias of technological progress, energy utilization, and potential carbon emissions under each scenario. The findings indicate that increasing the intensity of environmental regulation drives technological progress toward energy conservation, thereby enhancing energy-saving biased technological progress, improving energy productivity, and optimizing the energy structure. Furthermore, to actualize the carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 under the SSP1-CHN scenario, the annual growth rate of environmental regulation intensity in China's petrochemical industry should be no less than 8 % before 2030 and should be strengthened to 20 % after 2030.This study not only extends the application of directed technological progress theory in the energy field but also provides innovative and practical environmental policy recommendations for the low-carbon development of the global petrochemical industry.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.136651

Mechanism of directed technological investment on energy productivity and energy structure: A unified theoretical framework

Yee Van Fan Xiaojun Sun Yalin Lei Ting Pan Petar Sabev Varbanov

Publication Name: Energy Economics

Publication Date: 2024-12-01

Volume: 140

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The mechanisms and effects of technological investment on energy productivity and energy structure in the petrochemical industry remain unclear due to the directional nature of technological progress. This study proposes a unified theoretical framework for the impact of directed technological investment on energy productivity and energy structure by incorporating energy factors into the theory of technological progress bias. The aim is to elucidate the impact of technological progress on energy productivity and energy structure, and to unravel the underlying effect mechanisms. A fixed effects model that includes moderating effects is also developed to support the assessment. The study found that the petrochemical industry's technological investment in China was initially biased towards enhancing labour-augmenting technological progress. The mechanism analysis revealed that technological investment, under the moderating effects of price and environmental governance, preferred a capital-energy bias, leading to insignificant improvements in energy productivity but a substantial increase in labour productivity. In addition, the technological investment, influenced by the moderating effect of environmental governance, led to some improvement in the energy structure during the sample period. This study integrates the mechanisms of directed technological investment on energy productivity and energy structure into a unified analytical framework, systematically investigating the reasons, effect mechanisms, and consequences of bias, while providing empirical evidence that supports low-carbon development in the petrochemical industry.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107943

Strategic integration of residential electricity: An optimisation model for solar energy utilisation and carbon reduction

Paweł Ocłoń Linhuan He Bohong Wang Árpád Tóth Shuhao Zhang Yee Van Fan Ting Pan Marzena Nowak-Ocłoń Petar Sabev Varbanov

Publication Name: Energy

Publication Date: 2024-11-30

Volume: 310

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The Solar Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (S-CCHP) system, distinct from traditional centralised generation, provides clean energy solutions by installing user-side renewable energy capture facilities like solar panels to address the energy crisis and mitigate global warming. Previous research on the design of S-CCHP for buildings has often emphasised self-sufficiency, with less focus on the role of these systems as energy suppliers on the market. However, it is feasible to install scaled-up solar facilities that generate enough power to export to the grid, reducing grid pressure and enhancing the renewable energy mix. This study analyses the optimal design deployment for electricity within the S-CCHP system, based on the Renewable Energy System for Residential Building Heating and Electricity Production (RESHeat) system installed in Limanowa. It aims to optimise owner energy deployment by strategically integrating electricity generation, hybrid storage, and the electricity market to maximise owner benefits. A Life Cycle Assessment is also conducted to explore greenhouse gas emissions across scenarios with different storage facilities and reuse rates. Results show that the optimal deployment of 264 PV panels, each with a rated power of 440 W, generates 105 MWh annually, resulting in the surplus of 90.18 MWh with a selling price of 115 EUR/MWh. Vanadium redox flow batteries offer the highest revenue (4922.01 EUR) with the lowest storage costs, while lithium-ion batteries have the lowest carbon emissions (1.22 t CO2 eq/y). Sensitivity analysis and revenue break-even analysis are further conducted to assess the robustness and financial viability.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133227

Operational optimisation of integrated solar combined cooling, heating, and power systems in buildings considering demand response and carbon trading

Paweł Ocłoń Piotr Cisek Linhuan He Bohong Wang Árpád Tóth Yee Van Fan Péter Molnár Ting Pan Marzena Nowak-Ocłoń Petar Sabev Varbanov

Publication Name: Energy Conversion and Management

Publication Date: 2024-09-01

Volume: 315

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The Solar Combined Cooling, Heat, and Power (S-CCHP) system offers a promising solution to the energy crisis and environmental concerns. Its operation optimisation is essential due to intermittent solar irradiation. However, previous studies have concentrated on the “electricity-heating” subsystem and economic costs, with less emphasis on the integrated system's broader benefits and environmental impact. This study introduces an operational optimisation approach across “electricity-heating-cooling-gas” subsystems based on the design extension of the Residential Building Heating and Electricity Production (RESHeat) system. Specifically, the approach optimises operation from both the demand and supply sides, incorporating the demand response (DR) and Ladder Carbon Trading (LCT) on the demonstration in Limanowa, Poland, to balance economic and environmental impacts. The results show that the optimised electricity is reduced by 0.71 % per day while heating and cooling demands rise by 0.57% and 0.91%. PV/T panels provide 87.11% of electricity, with excess sold back to the grid in summer. DR combined with LCT in the extension design contributed to cutting costs by 16.15 % and CO2 by 57.79% compared with the initial design, underscoring the efficacy of collaborative operational in enhancing both economic and environmental performance.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2024.118737

The Integration of Building Information Modelling and Life Cycle Assessment: Progress, Challenges, Future Directions

Zekun Yang Bohong Wang Yee Van Fan Ting Pan Péter Németh Ling Shao Petar Sabev Varbanov

Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions

Publication Date: 2024-01-01

Volume: 114

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 409-414

Description:

Building Information Modelling (BIM) plays a key role in the digitisation of the building sector, facilitating the design and construction of buildings. Environmental impacts have become an important factor to consider in building design and construction, often analysed through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The integration of BIM and LCA is crucial for supporting sustainable building design and construction. However, there is a lack of up-to-date reviews that consider the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the integration of BIM and LCA. This paper addresses this gap by examining the recent progress, challenges, and future directions in building carbon emission accounting for buildings. The integration of the BIM-LCA for environmental impact accounting is explored, including goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, impact assessment, interpretation, interoperability, and integration AI. The results identify gaps in BIM-LCA integration, including transparency issues and reliance on non-local databases. Future directions emphasise enhancing data quality, refining models, and developing AI methods for carbon emission predictions to explore decarbonisation strategy in the building sector. The review contributes to early-stage analysis, facilitating informed decision-making in sustainable building design and construction.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3303/CET24114069

Reducing resource use and emissions by integrating technology and policy solutions

Raymond R. Tan Yee Van Fan Petar Sabev Varbanov Ferenc Friedler

Publication Name: Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

Publication Date: 2022-01-01

Volume: 24

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1007/s10098-021-02237-2