Get rid of the eco-button! Design interventions to steer sustainable use of washing machines

To reduce energy consumption of households, many appliances contain eco-settings, which when used, reduce energy consumption. However, the effectivity of the eco-settings in reducing energy consumption is hardly tested. Other design for sustainable behaviour strategies like coercion and feedback might be more effective. To test the...

Experimental evaluation of a solid oxide fuel cell system exposed to inclinations and accelerations by ship motions

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems have the potential to reduce emissions from seagoing vessels. However, it is unknown whether ship motions influence the system's operation. In this research, a 1.5 kW SOFC module is operated on an inclination platform that emulates ship motions, to evaluate the influence of static and dynamic inclinations...

Corridor Scale Planning of Bunker Infrastructure for Zero-Emission Energy Sources in Inland Waterway Transport

The availability of supporting bunker infrastructure for zero-emission energy sources will be key to accommodate zero-emission inland waterway transport (IWT). However, it remains unclear which (mix of) zero-emission energy sources to prepare for, and how to plan the bunker infrastructure in relative positions and required capacity at corridor...

The effects of fuel type and cathode off-gas recirculation on combined heat and power generation of marine SOFC systems

An increasing demand in the marine industry to reduce emissions led to investigations into more efficient power conversion using fuels with sustainable production pathways. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are under consideration for long-range shipping, because of its high efficiency, low pollutant emissions, and fuel flexibility. SOFC systems...

The Plug-in Hybrid Electric Superyacht: An operational data-driven design

This study aims to provide a proof of concept of a plug-in hybrid electric superyacht. In this way, the yachting industry can help reduce carbon emissions worldwide and potentially increase comfort levels. The concept takes advantage of the typical operating profile of a yacht. A statistical analysis is performed to discretise this and obtain...

A future-proof food box: Making sustainable consumption choices easier with design

Our food system has a huge impact on the environment and is one of the largest contributors to a global threat: climate change. The meat industry alone accounts for 15% of the greenhouse gas emissions. So, the solution would be eating less meat and dairy. But although the Dutch eat most meat replacers in Europe, the annual meat consumption hasn...

Comparing the Recommendations of Buyers of Energy-Efficient and Inefficient Vacuum Cleaners

Although environmental awareness is increasing every year, and most people say they prefer to buy more sustainable products, many still do not act on their promise at the cash counter. Sustainable products are often still perceived to have lower quality or reduced performance. Recom- mendations of sustainable buyers might reduce this perceived...

Consumer buying behaviour of sustainable vacuum cleaners: Consequences for design and marketing

Although most people claim to prefer a more sustainable product, only a limited number of ‘green buyers’ act on their words at the moment of purchase. To find out how to get mainstream buyers to buy more sustainable products, we used data on 950 Western European buyers of 32 different vacuum cleaner models. The issue was why three out of four...

Water factory - How a festival could inspire to become sustainable

Project Festivals are a growing tremendously in the Netherlands and a popular way to explore new music bands and enjoy nature, together with friends and family. This is also an ideal environment to have an impact on the environment. And all festival visitors together could decrease the festival carbon footprint. All simply by refilling bottles...

Communicating Sustainable Shoes to Mainstream Consumers: The Impact of Advertisement Design on Buying Intention

Traditionally, marketing of sustainable products addresses green buyers, thus missing out on the mainstream consumers and volume necessary to cover the potentially higher cost of more sustainable materials. However, how to effectively communicate more sustainable products to mainstream consumers and to increase their buying intention is still...

“A strategy towards corporate sustainability” Incorporating sustainable business practices into Peeters Produkten BV’s conduct of business.

This graduation assignment was assigned by Peeters Produkten BV, a firm that is known for its expertise in producing chocolate spreads of which ‘Duo Penotti’ is the most renowned. Though first steps have been taken, the firm’s approach to tackle sustainability issues is not yet on strategic level. Hence, the task was given to come up with a...