skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: A Review of Multi-Energy Systems from Resiliency and Equity Perspectives
Multi-energy systems (MES), or energy hubs, offer a technologically viable solution for maintaining resilient energy infrastructure in the face of increasingly frequent disasters, which disproportionately affect low-income and disadvantaged communities; however, their adoption for these purposes remains poorly understood. Following PRISMA 2020, this paper systematically reviews the MES literature from both resiliency and equity perspectives to identify synergies, disparities, and gaps in the context of climate change and long-term decarbonization goals. From 2420 records identified from Scopus (1997–2023), we included 211 original MES research publications for detailed review, with studies excluded based on their scale, scope, or technology. Risk of bias was minimized through dual-stage screening and statistical analysis across 18 physical system and research approach categories. The results found that papers including equity are statically more likely to involve fully renewable energy systems, while middle income countries tend to adopt renewable systems with biofuels more than high income countries. Sector coupling with two energy types improved the resiliency index the most (73% difference between baseline and proposed MES), suggesting two-type systems are optimal. Statistically significant differences in modeling formulations also emerged, such as equity-focused MES studies adopting deterministic design models, while resilience-focused studies favored stochastic control formulations and load-shedding objectives. While preliminary studies indicate low operational costs and high resilience can synergistically be achieved, further MES case studies are needed with low-income communities and extreme climates. Broadly, this review novelly applies structured statistical analysis for the MES domain, revealing key trends in technology adoption, modeling approaches, and equity-resilience integration.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2501735
PAR ID:
10677491
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
MDPI
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Energies
Volume:
18
Issue:
17
ISSN:
1996-1073
Page Range / eLocation ID:
4536
Format(s):
Medium: X
Associated Dataset(s):
View Associated Dataset(s) >>
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; (, Sustainability)
    null (Ed.)
    Dams enable the production of food and renewable energy, making them a crucial tool for both economic development and climate change adaptation in low- and middle-income countries. However, dams may also disrupt traditional livelihood systems and increase the transmission of vector- and water-borne pathogens. These livelihood and health impacts diminish the benefits of dams to rural populations dependent on rivers, as hydrological and ecological alterations change flood regimes, reduce nutrient transport and lead to the loss of biodiversity. We propose four agricultural innovations for promoting equity, health, sustainable development, and climate resilience in dammed watersheds: (1) restoring migratory aquatic species, (2) removing submerged vegetation and transforming it into an agricultural resource, (3) restoring environmental flows and (4) integrating agriculture and aquaculture. As investment in dams accelerates in low- and middle-income countries, appropriately addressing their livelihood and health impacts can improve the sustainability of modern agriculture and economic development in a changing climate. 
    more » « less
  2. ; (, Designsafe-CI)
    Description: This NSF-funded project (Award #2135713) investigates resilience in low-income households by examining energy efficiency, appliance use, and adaptive mechanisms among marginalized communities, with a focus on Pennsylvania's urban centers. The research aims to establish pathways to disaster-resilient, healthy, and sustainable cities, where the voices and agency of vulnerable populations are prioritized. Central objectives include identifying resilience capacities, well-being outcomes, and existing adaptive management mechanisms, especially concerning access to efficient appliances and alternative energy sources for low-income households during extreme weather events. Data Reuse: This dataset, which spans three rounds of data collection (May 2023, May 2024, and September 2024) targeting the low-income communities in Pennsylvania, is valuable for comparison with U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data and includes questions similar to those from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) for comparability. This dataset can be used to investigate household appliance usage, resilience during extreme temperatures, and adoption rates of energy-efficient appliances. The dataset can further inform policies on energy access and efficiency in low-income settings, especially as they pertain to marginalized urban communities. Uniqueness: Unlike national datasets, this research integrates community voices and focuses on marginalized, low-income urban populations, revealing their unique energy resilience challenges. Additionally, the study’s structure—collecting data across multiple seasons—enables a nuanced analysis of seasonal influences on energy resilience and appliance use. Audience: This dataset will benefit academic researchers in sustainability, policymakers, and public health advocates interested in disaster resilience and low-income energy access. It is also intended for use by local community organizations that support sustainable urban development and resilience-building for vulnerable populations. 
    more » « less
  3. (, International journal of disaster risk reduction)
    Community resilience in the face of natural hazards involves both a community's sensitivity to disaster and its potential to bounce back. A failure to integrate equity into resilience considerations results in unequal recovery and disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, which has long been a concern in the United States. This research investigated aspects of equity related to community resilience in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri in Texas which led to extended power outages for more than 4 million households. County-level outage/recovery data was analyzed to explore potential significant links between various county attributes and their share of the outages during the recovery/restoration phase. Next, satellite imagery was used to examine data at a much higher geographical resolution focusing on census tracts in the city of Houston. The goal was to use computer vision to extract the extent of outages within census tracts and investigate their linkages to census tracts attributes. Results from various statistical procedures revealed statistically significant negative associations between counties' percentage of non-Hispanic whites and median household income with the ratio of outages. Additionally, at census tract level, variables including percentages of linguistically isolated population and public transport users exhibited positive associations with the group of census tracts that were affected by the outage as detected by computer vision analysis. Informed by these results, engineering solutions such as the applicability of grid modernization technologies, together with distributed and renewable energy resources, when controlled for the region's topographical characteristics, are proposed to enhance equitable power grid resiliency in the face of natural hazards. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; (, CI & CRC 2026 proceedings)
    As climate-induced extreme weather events intensify, aging homes in low-income and rural communities face mounting energy burdens and vulnerabilities. While emerging technologies, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Infrared Thermography (IRT), Computer Vision (CV), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), offer promise for efficient building energy auditing, their adoption in underserved communities remains limited due to systemic barriers. This research conducts a literature review to identify key factors that enable or hinder the implementation of these advanced technologies, with particular focus on technological, financial, and social constraints. Complementing this, surveys and semi-structured interviews with civic agencies, technical experts, and residents in the southeastern United States capture local needs, perspectives, and contextual challenges. The findings will inform the participatory design of an AI-assisted Digital Twin (DT) platform aimed at democratizing access to energy auditing tools and enabling data-driven retrofit decisions. By synthesizing stakeholder input and analyzing socio-technical barriers and opportunities, the study seeks to develop actionable strategies that support equitable, scalable improvements in energy efficiency and building resilience for marginalized communities. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; (, Sustainability)
    The aim of our review is to critically analyze the urban agriculture and urban food systems literature in order to understand the impact of urban-produced foods on community food security. We examine the role of city planning, food policy, and civic engagement in creating spaces for urban agriculture in cities across the United States, and whether (and how) these spaces promote food justice and food security. Bringing together multidisciplinary literature on access to urban agriculture and the distribution of urban-produced foods in a thematic, systematic review, we point out gaps in the academic research that would benefit from further study. The review integrates academic literature generated from Web of Science searches with gray literature identified through Google Alerts. We find that while there is a strong focus on elucidating the multiple benefits of urban agriculture, there are few studies that robustly measure the impact of urban farms on improving food security in low-income communities. Much of the literature is theoretical, focused on the production potential of urban agriculture, while more work is needed to understand and overcome barriers to access and distribution among communities in need. We conclude with a set of recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who seek to create spaces in cities for food justice, equity, access, and sovereignty. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Text Encoded Conversion
  • XML
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email