The selected papers demonstrate different aspects of energy integration;
saving;
and pollution reduction issues. This selection of the presented contributions tackles different features of minimising effluents and emissions and dealing with their abatement. Various ways are explored and evaluated. The articles have presented a number of valuable case studies that can provide both the inspiration and guidance for future work. It also demonstrates the support continuously received from the European Community. The internationality of PRES is reflected in the multinationality of the contributions. Research from ten countries: Belgium;
Canada;
the Czech Republic;
Finland;
Hungary;
Italy;
Romania;
Spain;
Switzerland and the United Kingdom are represented. We believe that this selection in its variety demonstrates contributions and problems tackled at PRES 2002. All contributions were selected from the presented papers on the recommendation of Reviewers from the ISC. The Organisers of PRES 2002 were Chairmen Jiri Klemeš (UK) and Petr Stehlı́k (Czech Republic);
Vice-Chairmen F. Friedler (Hungary) and S. Pierucci (Italy);
actively supported by the International Scientific Committee (ISC) comprising M. Bagajewicz (USA);
S;
Clave;
(Spain);
U;
Diwekar;
(USA);
V;
Dovı̀;
(Italy);
A;
Espuña;
L.T;
Fan;
Górak;
(Germany);
J.-P;
Gourlia;
(France);
G;
Gruhn;
C.W;
Hui;
(Hong-Kong––China);
J. Jelı́nek (Czech Republic);
B;
Kalitventzeff;
(Belgium);
P;
Kapustenko;
(Ukraine);
J;
Mann;
M;
Narodoslawsky;
(Austria);
Plesu;
(Romania);
E;
Ranzi;
(IT);
D;
Reay;
(UK);
R. Sabadi Diaz (Cuba);
H;
Singh;
(CA);
R;
Smith;
Sorin;
(Canada);
Thonon;
K;
Urbaniec;
(Poland);
Vaccari;
V.V;
Wadekar;
G. Wozny (Germany) and X.X. Zhu (USA). The help of all collaborators and the ISC members is gratefully acknowledged;
both for the actively contributing to the conference and taking part in the editorial process. A special appreciation is being expressed to all authors for their contribution. We trust that the papers in this Special Issue of Applied Thermal Engineering are of archival quality and thus will be of interest and relevance to a broad range of readers and will bring to their attention the PRES Conferences. We would like to continue and further develop the mutual collaboration between this Journal and PRES conference. The 6th Conference PRES’03 will take place in Hamilton;
Ontario;
26–29 October 2003. We do believe that the readers of this Journal will exploit the chance to learn the most advanced achievements in the field of energy saving and pollution reduction and the participation will be again significant;