Globally, transport accounts for about one quarter of the total carbon dioxide emissions. Energy consumption in the transport sector, which is dominated by fossil fuels, is continuously increasing causing various environmental problems. To cope with these problems alternative automotive technologies and alternative fuels are widely supported by different policy measures. It is of high priority to increase use of renewable energy sources in the transport sector. Currently, biofuels are mostly used alternative to conventional fossil fuels. However, with the increasing use of electric vehicles also electricity and hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources are becoming an important means in the decarbonization of the transport sector. Over the last years, biofuels have been supported worldwide. Yet, with the increasing use of biofuels we are facing new challenges, such as to ensure their sustainability and to avoid their competitions with food production. These challenges as well as changeable policy framework resulted in reduction of investment in biofuel technologies over the last decade. Currently, focus is put on electrification of mobility, although, in spite of the different supporting policies implemented worldwide, the amount of electricity used in the transport sector is still negligible, especially use of electricity from renewable energy sources. The purpose of this paper is to analyze existing policies, prospects and barriers for the increasing use of renewable energy sources in the road transport. Our method is based on the economic and environmental assessment of alternative fuels and alternative vehicles. Although, they could provide better environmental performance than conventional vehicles and fuels, alternative solutions are still more expensive. However, with technological learning and economics of scale costs could be reduced in the future. The major conclusion is that future use of renewable energy in the transport sector is very dependent on the development of the corresponding total mobility costs and environmental performances. For environmental performance of e-mobility, the priority is to increase use of renewable energy in electricity generation. Appropriate policy measures should ensure increasing use of renewable energy sources and faster decarbonization of the road transport.

Yield has been often reported to be unstable, depending on the growing conditions. Therefore, a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crop was grown in three greenhouses during winter in Tunisia. Sidewalls and northern roof of two greenhouses were covered with sandwich panels (Insulated greenhouses (IG)) from which one is equipped with a heating system with latent storage (IGHLS). The other greenhouse was transparent (TG). These greenhouses were mechanically ventilated when air temperature exceeded 28°C. The overall mean air temperature was significantly increased by 1.42 and 4.34 °C (day) and 2 and 3.2 °C (night) in IGHLS as compared to IG and TG, respectively. Temperature maxima in IGHLS averaged about 2 and 4.35°C higher than in IG and TG, respectively. The relative humidity was similar at day but higher at night in TG than in IG and IGHLS with 1% and 2%, respectively. The relative water content was significantly lower in TG (76.86) than in IG (94.02) and IGHLS (117.92). The relative growth rate was increased by optimal conditions, whereas the electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation of leaves was suppressed in the IGHLS. Total fruit yield was higher in IGHLS (4,98 kg plant-1) than in IG (3,2 kg plant-1) and TG (2.3kg plant-1). The quantity of undersized (mostly parthenocarpic) and blossom-end rot (BER)-affected fruits was reduced in IGHLS. However, the proportion of marketable yield was significantly higher in IGHLS (4.86 kg plant-1) than in IG (3.05 kg plant-1) and TG (2.22), owing largely to an increased incidence of undersized fruits in TG and IG. Higher undersized fruit incidence coincided with lower fresh weight and Ca concentration in the fruits in TG and IG. It is concluded that in greenhouse with technical modification allowing an increase of night temperature and dehumidification will improve protected tomato production.

The quality and assessment of a reservoir can be documented in details by the application of fluid natural energy. This research aims to calculate fractal dimension from the relationship among fluid natural energy, maximum fluid natural energy and wetting phase saturation and to approve it by the fractal dimension derived from the relationship among inverse pressure head * pressure head and wetting phase saturation. Two equations for calculating the fractal dimensions have been employed. The first one describes the functional relationship between wetting phase saturation, fluid natural energy, maximum fluid natural energy and fractal dimension. The second equation implies to the wetting phase saturation as a function of pressure head and the fractal dimension. Two procedures for obtaining the fractal dimension have been utilized. The first procedure was done by plotting the logarithm of the ratio between fluid natural energy and maximum fluid natural energy versus logarithm wetting phase saturation. The slope of the first procedure = 3- Df (fractal dimension). The second procedure for obtaining the fractal dimension was determined by plotting the logarithm (inverse of pressure head and pressure head ) versus the logarithm of wetting phase saturation. The slope of the second procedure = Df -3. On the basis of the obtained results of the fabricated stratigraphic column and the attained values of the fractal dimension, the sandstones of the Shajara reservoirs of the Shajara Formation were divided here into three units

The thermal comfort and air quality inside buildings spaces is much recommended in Nowadays for human’s health and environment protection, especially if the inside comfort conditions are assured by passive systems means. In hot dry climate such Laghouat city in the south of Algeria, the first consideration in architecture design is given to the building envelope referring to the vernacular architecture in the region. The buildings with high thermal inertia envelope ensure the inside thermal comfort while it is properly closed during day time when the outside air temperature is very high, in hot dry region the night outside air temperature varies between 15 to 20°C, the night natural ventilation through windows properly oriented and dimensioned can lower the inside air temperature during night and evacuate the polluted inside air. The low inside temperature during night leads to a low inside temperature during day time, which has a good effect on energy saving during summer period where air conditioning is needed for more than seven months per year in this region.

The present paper aim was to examine the impact of night natural ventilations in high thermal inertia buildings on energy saving, firstly a field work was carried out by measurements of inside air temperatures in two identical rooms of an old hotel called Marhaba with high thermal inertia envelope built with local materials. In the first room the night natural ventilation allowed when the outside temperature was lower than the inside one by opening windows and the other room was closed around the clock. Secondly a numerical simulation was carried out to evaluate the field measurements results to choose the accurate software for further simulations in order to find the appropriate windows orientation, dimensions and positions can give the high energy saving performances in buildings with high thermal inertia envelope in hot dry climate. 

The porphyrinic compounds, such as chlorophyll and chlorophyllin, have been characterized to exhibit strong absorptions near UV and NIR regions that are ideal for solar harvesting. Their high average visible transmittances also make it possible for solar energy applications via energy efficient building skins with the glass facade. We report the synthesis and characterization of chlorophyll and chlorophyllin thin films that are deposited on glass substrates for solar harvesting and energy generation with the PT- and PV dual modality. Various transparent PT films have been coated on single-pane windows for the so-called Optical Thermal Insulation (OTI) without any intervening medium. Upon solar irradiation, the window surface can be heated up by the PT coating, therefore raising the temperature relative to that of the room interior. This will lead to a significant reduction in heat transfer through the window, especially in winter. For warmer seasons, the transparent PT film can be switched to the photovoltaic (PV) mode for production of electricity. We report the experimental results on the spectral-selective chlorophyll and chlorophyllin thin films with the PT- and PV dual modality. Both photothermal heating behaviors and I-V curves are characterized for these transparent thin films. Also discussed are the fundamental photothermal mechanisms associated with the electronic structures of the porphyrin structures