Electrification of ships offers zero-emission travel and is spreading rapidly, but the relation between electric ship propulsion and noise pollution is not generally understood. Here, three different types of diesel-electric hybrid ferries have been measured in two operating modes: running in hybrid mode with the diesel engine powering an electric generator; and running in fully electric battery powered mode. Measurements were performed to simultaneously quantify airborne and underwater radiated noise. Findings are that on-board diesel engines for electricity generation do not contribute a large extent of the underwater radiated noise, whilst a major source of airborne low-frequency radiation.
The idea of leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) to support strategies in line with the circular economy (CE) has been gaining traction in literature. However, previous work has predominantly focused on the opportunities that these technologies can bring, and few studies have critically assessed the environmental viability of the proposed strategies. In this study, we assess the net environmental impact of IoT-enabled circular strategies in the specific case of truck tires in the Swedish context, in order to gain insight into when and how it makes environmental sense to embed IoT hardware into products to support circular strategies. We quantify (1) the potential environmental savings in the different life cycle phases made possible through access to sensor data, and (2) the environmental impact from the added technology needed to provide and process the data. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate the difference in impact between the current state and an ‘IoT scenario’. We find that the IoT scenario gives a 4% lower weighted life cycle impact than the current state. Through sensitivity analysis, we show that the conclusions are sensitive to assumptions made about the expected benefits of adding IoT, which depend on the technological context as well as the current and IoT-induced behavior of stakeholders along the product life cycle. The results are also sensitive to assumptions about the environmental impact of the IoT hardware components, implying that design decisions at this level can be important for ensuring a net environmental impact reduction from IoT-enabled circular strategies.
The literature on sustainable business models suggests a large potential for radical environmental benefits in many industries based upon current technological opportunities. However, there is a lack of empirical knowledge on how to design, implement and spread such business models in complex value chains. Based on a qualitative exploratory study, a concept for sustainable business models to reduce carbon emission when using construction machinery has been developed and measures needed to implement and design such a model within the construction industry is identified.
The study is based upon interviews, study visits and a workshop, with participants representing all important actors in the value-chain. In conclusion, business and environmental objectives can be aligned through a result-oriented business model, supported by life-cycle data, contractual incentives, standardised emission measures and driver visualization. The concept is generalisable to the greening of value chains beyond carbon reduction and also to other complex business to business value-chains.