Power to change: Analysis of household participation in a renewable energy and energy efficiency programme in Central Australia

The Australian government funded a national Solar City program (2008–2013) to support communities to increase adoption of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technology. One community was Alice Springs, a town with about 9000 households in the geographic centre of Australia. The programme offered a package of support: free energy audits, discounts for the purchase of renewable energy technology and energy efficiency measures, and ongoing information. Households that adopted solar hot water and photovoltaic systems reduced their electricity usage immediately after adoption by 10% and 34% respectively, and this was maintained in the long term. A small rebound effect of 15% was observed in the photovoltaic adopters. It was observed that, on average, households that adopted only energy efficiency measures did not have a significant reduction in their electricity usage over the long term. However, consistent with expectations, this study did show that there was a significant correlation between the number of energy efficiency measures adopted and the greatest household reduction in electricity usage. These contrary results indicate that there are additional factors involved. The connection between the effective use of measures, coincident behavioural change or increased energy awareness and greater energy reduction is discussed.     

Towards a sustainable energy balance: progressive efficiency and the return of energy conservation

We argue that a primary focus on energy efficiency may not be sufficient to slow (and ultimately reverse) the growth in total energy consumption and carbon emissions. Instead, policy makers need to return to an earlier emphasis on “conservation,” with energy efficiency seen as a means rather than an end in itself. We briefly review the concept of “intensive” versus “extensive” variables (i.e., energy efficiency versus energy consumption) and why attention to both consumption and efficiency is essential for effective policy in a carbon- and oil-constrained world with increasingly brittle energy markets. To start, energy indicators and policy evaluation metrics need to reflect energy consumption, as well as efficiency. We introduce the concept of “progressive efficiency,” with the expected or required level of efficiency varying as a function of house size, appliance capacity, or more generally, the scale of energy services. We propose introducing progressive efficiency criteria first in consumer information programs (including appliance labeling categories) and then in voluntary rating and recognition programs such as ENERGY STAR. As acceptance grows, the concept could be extended to utility rebates, tax incentives, and ultimately to mandatory codes and standards. For these and other programs, incorporating criteria for consumption, as well as efficiency, offers a path for energy experts, policymakers, and the public to begin building consensus on energy policies that recognize the limits of resources and global carrying capacity. Ultimately, it is both necessary and, we believe, possible to manage energy consumption, not just efficiency, in order to achieve a sustainable energy balance. Along the way, we may find it possible to shift expectations away from perpetual growth and toward satisfaction with sufficiency.

浙江省建筑与交通领域节能分析

对浙江省建筑领域和交通领域的能源利用及其效率的现状进行了深入的研究,并在此基础上,分析了浙江省建筑和交通这两大领域的节能潜力,并提出了关于节能措施的建议。     

Uncertainty in the learning rates of energy technologies: An experiment in a global multi-regional energy system model

The diffusion of promising energy technologies in the market depends on their future energy production–cost development. When analyzing these technologies in an integrated assessment model using endogenous technological learning, the uncertainty in the assumed learning rates (LRs) plays a crucial role in the production–cost development and model outcomes. This study examines the uncertainty in LRs of some energy technologies under endogenous global learning implementation and presents a floor-cost modeling procedure to systematically regulate the uncertainty in LRs of energy technologies. The article narrates the difficulties of data assimilation, as compatible with mixed integer programming segmentations, and comprehensively presents the causes of uncertainty in LRs. This work is executed using a multi-regional and long-horizon energy system model based on “TIMES” framework. All regions receive an economic advantage to learn in a common domain, and resource-ample regions obtain a marginal advantage for better exploitation of the learning technologies, due to a lower supply-side fuel-cost development. The lowest learning investment associated with the maximum LR mobilizes more deployment of the learning technologies. The uncertainty in LRs has an impact on the diffusion of energy technologies tested, and therefore this study scrutinizes the role of policy support for some of the technologies investigated.     

Promotion of geothermal energy in Switzerland: a recent programme for a long-term task

In 2001, a 10-year programme called “SwissEnergy” was initiated by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, mainly devoted to a more efficient use of energy, with specific tasks such as energy saving, reduction of CO₂ emissions and a definitive increase in the contribution of renewable energies. The Swiss Geothermal Society (SGS) was therefore given a mandate to promote the application of geothermal energy at a national level. The main objectives of their programme are to develop a sound image for geothermal energy in general, to disseminate information on the various technologies already in use all over the country and to illustrate the future potential of this sector. All entities involved in the energy sector are to be called on to collaborate in the programme, including the Federal Office of Energy, local utility companies and energy agencies, as well as the various networks present in the field of renewable energy (geothermal, sun, wind and biomass). The programme covers all the geothermal resources and technologies available in Switzerland, such as borehole heat exchangers, groundwater wells, foundation piles, thermal springs, deep aquifers and warm tunnel drainage waters. The programme is organised into five activity modules, i.e. Information, Basic and continuous education, Marketing, Quality insurance, and Consulting services. Three Regional Promotion Centres (RPC) have also been set up in the three linguistic regions of Switzerland, one in the German-speaking region, one in the French-speaking region and one in the Italian-speaking region. The staff consists of 13 part-time experts. The strong interest and favourable reception given to all aspects of the Swiss geothermal promotion programme during its first 2 years of activity have confirmed how important it is to disseminate information on energy matters.     

Monthly and seasonal assessment of wind energy characteristics at four monitored locations in Liguria region (Italy)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the monthly and seasonal variation of the wind characteristics in term of wind energy potential using the wind speed data collected between 2002 and 2008 for four meteorological stations in Liguria region, in Northwest of Italy, namely Capo Vado, Casoni, Fontana Fresca and Monte Settepani. The results show that Capo Vado is the best site with a monthly mean wind speed between 2.80 and 9.98 m/s at a height of 10 m and a monthly wind power density between 90.71 and 1177.97 W/m², while the highest energy produced may be reached in December with a value of 3800 MWh. This study may provide information for developing wind energy sites and planning economical wind turbines capacity for the electricity production in Liguria region, as well as an example of how, deepening the analysis at monthly and seasonal scale, the characteristics of the sites might fall in quite different classes of power density.     

Electric energy storage systems in a market-based economy: Comparison of emerging and traditional technologies

Unlike markets for storable commodities, electricity markets depend on the real-time balance of supply and demand. Although much of the present-day grid operate effectively without storage technologies, cost-effective ways of storing electrical energy can make the grid more efficient and reliable. This work addresses an economic comparison between emerging and traditional Electric Energy Storage (EES) technologies in a competitive electricity market. In order to achieve this goal, an appropriate Self-Scheduling (SS) approach must first be developed for each of them to determine their maximum potential of expected profit among multi-markets such as energy and ancillary service markets. Then, these technologies are economically analyzed using Internal Rate of Return (IRR) index. Finally, the amounts of needed financial supports are determined for choosing the emerging technologies when an investor would like to invest on EES technologies. Among available EES technologies, we consider NaS battery (Natrium Sulfur battery) and pumped-storage plants as emerging and traditional technologies, respectively.     

Optimisation of the regional energy supply network: a multi-objective analysis in the province of Florence (Italy)

This work presents an integrated method for the optimisation of a regional wood-energy supply network. The model is based on a scalar system that comprises a demand point (district heating plants (DHP)) and bio-energy sources (supply basin (SB)), each of which is related to a biomass terminal. The objective of optimisation is based on both technical-logistics and environmental parameters. An SB is defined by the anisotropic weighted Voronoi tessellation methodology. The parameters are then aggregated to a multi-objective analysis that includes the optimisation of variables and compromise programming approach. Results permit the identification of the best supply chain organisation and the determination of the agro-forest energy districts where rural policy and intervention could be applied. The model was tested in the province of Florence (central Italy) to depict efficient scenarios for the fuelling of DHPs.     

An international comparison of energy use in industry: United Kingdom,West Germany,and Italy

The paper presents an investigation on the relation between energy use and economic activity in eight industrial sectors in the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Italy. The approach relies on the analysis of time-series data. In the first section, we point to the role of energy in its interrelationship with the structural characteristics of the national economies. Subsequently, having observed that unit energy requirements vary in the same sector across the three countries, the analysis focuses on possible explanations. The different unit energy consumption pattern, as exhibited by most of the Italian sectors when compared with both the British and the West German ones, is not related to different unit labour and unit capital utilisation patterns. The lack, in the Italian sectors, of a large coal consumption share in the first post-war decade provides an intuitively plausible explanation for the observed unit energy consumption. We test the hypothesis that interfuel substitution alone can account for increased energy productivity. From the results obtained, we deduce that, for a small subset of our sectors, the tested hypothesis turns out to be a meaningful one. In a subsequent section, we analyse and compare the substitution characteristics and the price elasticities of consumption for four fuels. We also take account of the price of labour. Our results support the conclusion that electricity tends to be used as a complement to the other fuels, while the fossil fuels substitute for each other.     

意大利热电联产现状:能源政策、法规及市场自由化的影响

热电联产在意大利的应用比较普遍,但中小型热电机组的发展则比较缓慢。介绍了意大利的能源政策、法规及市场自由化对热电联产的影响,还介绍了意大利环境方面法规,意大利在热电(冷)联产方面的激励措施等。     

Effect of lattice strain on nanomaterials in energy applications: A perspective on experiment and theory

Nanostructured semiconducting materials such as nanoparticles, quantum dots, nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes, nanobelts, nanoribbons, nanosheets, nanolayers, nanofilms, etc have gained tremendous attention within the past decade due to their fascinating physical properties and potential technological applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Semiconducting materials are able to be altered with strain-inducing from tunable sizes and shapes due to quantum confinement effects. Lattice strain is found to be very useful as well as very economical methods for improving the performance of energy devices by modifying band structure of nanostructured materials. The use of strain in design of nanostructured semiconducting materials is now a standard technique for modulating their electronic structures to enhance both electron and hole mobilities. There are mainly three effects of strain on nanostructures: (i) electronic band modulation, (ii) buckling, and (iii) phase transformations. In this review, we mainly focus on both experimental and theoretical achievements for effect of strain in nanostructured materials. Finally, the review is concluded with perspectives regarding the effect of strain in low dimensional nanostructured semiconducting materials, particularly zero-, one-, and two-dimensional nanostructures in future.     

重庆市某大型酒店建筑能耗及节能措施分析

介绍重庆市某大型酒店空调系统的使用概况和负荷特征,分析该酒店建筑的能耗情况,提出降低该酒店建筑能耗的一些可行的技术和管理措施及建议。     

The importance of regret minimization in the choice for renewable energy programmes: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment

This study provides a methodologically rigorous attempt to disentangle the impact of various factors – unobserved heterogeneity, information and environmental attitudes – on the inclination of individuals to exhibit either a utility maximization or a regret minimization behaviour in a discrete choice experiment for renewable energy programmes described by four attributes: greenhouse gas emissions, power outages, employment in the energy sector, and electricity bill. We explore the ability of different models – multinomial logit, random parameters logit, and hybrid latent class – and of different choice paradigms – utility maximization and regret minimization – in explaining people's choices for renewable energy programmes. The “pure” random regret random parameters logit model explains the choices of our respondents better than other models, indicating that regret is an important choice paradigm, and that choices for renewable energy programmes are mostly driven by regret, rather than by rejoice. In particular, we find that our respondents' choices are driven more by changes in greenhouse gas emissions than by reductions in power outages. Finally, we find that changing the level of information to one attribute has no effect on choices, and that being a member of an environmental organization makes a respondent more likely to be associated with the utility maximization choice framework.     

Tajikistan: Priority directions and status of research in the field of renewable energy sources

The paper gives an analysis of the status of research in the field of renewable energy and determines their priority directions.     

Above-ground biomass characteristics of young hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. x P. tremuloides Michx.) plantations on former agricultural land in Estonia

Fifty biomass production model trees were analysed in 7-yr-old commercial hybrid aspen plantations established on abandoned agricultural land in Estonia. Above-ground leafless biomass (ALB) of the model trees varied from 0.1 to 9.8 kg DM. The ALB of plantations with a density of 880–1340 trees ha⁻¹ growing on former field soils was between 2.18 and 8.54 t DM ha⁻¹. The amount of nitrogen accumulated in the ALB varied between 14.4 and 48.5 kg ha⁻¹, the amount of phosphorus, between 1.7 and 5.9 kg ha⁻¹, and the amount of potassium, between 6.5 and 21.9 kg ha⁻¹. The removal of major mineral nutrients from the site with the removal of woody biomass in 7-yr-old plantations would be relatively small, constituting 0.5–3.4% of the nutrient pool in the humus layer of the previously fertilized field soils. The stembark content decreases rapidly until the DBH reaches 4 cm, which can be considered a target diameter for the hybrid aspen coppicing system.     

电弧炉中电流场的分析与节能研究

本文选择电炉实用结构作为物理模型,对电弧炉中的电流场作了一些必要的假设,用分布电荷法来求三相电炉中电流场中的边值问题的近似解,推导有关场的分布及工作电导的公式,在此基础上按照电炉的等效电路图,在一定条件下求得提高电炉效率的最佳极距,以达到节能的目的。     

Worldwide wind energy status and the characteristics of wind energy in Iran,case study: the province of Sistan and Baluchestan

In this paper, the recent trend of the worldwide wind energy utilisation is reviewed and the recent activities in using renewable energy sources in Iran are explained. As a case study, the wind characteristics of the province of Sistan and Baluchestan are statistically analysed. The wind characteristics such as the monthly mean wind speed and the wind power density of each station are presented. The monthly variation of the wind direction is presented and also the dominant wind direction is shown in a wind rose diagram. The values of turbulence intensity at different heights are calculated. The results show that the stations of Khash and Nosratabad are more suitable for limited off-grid utility applications. Lootak with the average annual wind power density of 388?W?m^?2 at the height of 40?m and constant wind direction is recommended for large-scale grid-connected wind turbines.     

‘You don’t do a chemistry experiment in your best china’: Symbolic interpretations of place and technology in a wave energy case

In-depth interviews were combined with analysis of a wide range of secondary data to assess the formation of opposition and support in the case of the Wave Hub in Cornwall, UK. It is argued that stakeholder responses to renewable energy developments are, in part, related to interpretations of what both the technology and the location or ‘place’ are seen to represent or symbolise. There is a need to move beyond knowledge deficit and NIMBY models if these issues are to be explored. Place was interpreted at different scales and was seen as: economically vulnerable, as having a sense of local ownership, as a resource and as nature. Symbolic interpretations of the technology related to the contested environmental status and significance of electricity produced, as well as it being seen as a project for local people, commercial, experimental, pioneering, industrial and at one with Mother Nature. These interpretations gave rise to various symbolic logics of opposition and support, some of which are outlined. Although a case study of a wave energy development, many of the issues discussed relate to renewable energy developments more widely. Therefore the findings are discussed in relation to their implications for renewable energy developers and UK energy strategy.     

How much energy can be extracted from moving water with a free surface: A question of importance in the field of tidal current energy?

This short technical note addresses the extraction of energy from a simplified channel in which flow is driven by a head difference between inlet and outlet. This model is used to indicate that there is a maximum rate at which energy can be artificially extracted from the flowing water and that this rate is related to the kinetic energy flux in the unexploited channel but with a multiplying factor which is related to the channel physical properties. Counter intuitively, this multiplier can exceed unity in some circumstances. The simple channel has some similarities to tidal channels but is here presented as an abstraction to allow appreciation of the relationships between energy extraction, flow speed and channel properties.     

Quasi‐static and chaotic characteristics of the natural convection field in a vertical slot

In this paper, the time‐dependent characteristics of natural convection in a vertical slot with hot and cold side walls were experimentally examined. In the experiment, the test liquid was a glycerine–water mixture (80 wt%) and the Prandtl number in the center of the slot was held constant at 295. On the other hand, the Grashof number was varied in the range between 370 and 3.06 × 10³. As a result, it was revealed that low‐pass filtering for the time evolution data of temperature made it possible to compute the largest Lyapunov exponents precisely. Secondary flow cells are observed in both chaotic and nonchaotic regions. Moreover, the secondary flow cells appeared in regions where the power spectrum of temperature fluctuation was regarded as significant and where the autocorrelation function decreased rapidly with time. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 30(1): 40–53, 2001