published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Due to the growing concern on global warming, carbon emissions and environmental conservation and sustainability, energy consumption becomes the critical issue over the world. Energy performance contracting (EPC) is one of the options of implementing energy efficiency measures by property management in the residential estates. EPC is a financing technique based on the amount of energy saving through the project undertaken the risk by energy service companies (ESCOs). EPC has been adopted in the western countries, such as Europe and US, for a long time. Nevertheless, the take up rate in Hong Kong remains low. In 2001, Davies and Chan have conducted a study regarding the experience of EPC in Hong Kong. After a decade, are there any changes of the perception for the building managers to implement EPC? With the study of the most important factors, benefits, barriers and keys to the success of implementing EPC, it evaluates and explores the implementation of EPC by property management at the residential sector in Hong Kong. Through the study, it develops practical information for promoting this financial option to housing managers for energy conservation. It can help to promote and facilitate the future uptake in Hong Kong in order to enhance cost and energy efficiency, as well as greenhouse gas emission reductions in the future. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

This report asks how Austin Energy can optimally operate residential energy efficiency and demand side management programs including demand response measures. Efficient energy use is the act of using less energy to provide the same level of service. Demand side management encompasses utility initiatives that modify the level and pattern of electrical use by customers, without adjusting consumer behavior. Demand side management is required when a utility must respond to increasing energy needs, or demand, by its customers. In order to achieve the 20% carbon emissions and 800 MW peak demand reductions mandate of the Generation, Resource and Climate Plan, AE must aggressively pursue an increase in customer participation by expanding education and technical services, enlist the full functionality of a smart grid and subsequently reduce energy consumption, peak demand, and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency is in fact the cheapest source of energy that Austin Energy has at its disposal between 2010 and 2020. But this service threatens Austin Energy’s revenues. With the ascent of onsite renewable energy generation and advanced demand side management, utilities must address the ways they generate revenues. As greenhouse gas emissions regulations lurk on the horizon, the century-old business model of “spinning meters” will be fundamentally challenged nationally in the coming years. Austin Energy can develop robust analytical methods to determine its most cost-effective energy efficiency options, while creating a clear policy direction of promoting energy efficiency while addressing the three-fold challenges of peak demand, greenhouse gas emissions and total energy savings. This report concludes by providing market-transforming recommendations for Austin Energy. / text

The thesis examines the consumption of electricity and gasoline in the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Senegal. Its main objectives are (1) to investigate the determinants of the demand for gasoline and the demand for electricity by households and firms, (2) to forecast the level of electricity and gasoline consumption for the years 1980 to 1985, and (3) to recommend measures to curb the rate of increase in the demand for energy and to reduce the dependence upon imported oil. The choice of the models used in the estimation of the demand for gasoline and the demand for electricity by households and industries were greatly influenced by the fact that energy consumption is associated with that of other complementary durable goods. The models of gasoline demand fitted to annual data for the Ivory Coast were the stock-adjustment model and the Koyck model. The empirical results of the residential demand for electricity are based on the Koyck model, the flow-adjustment model and the new demand model. As to the estimates of the industrial demand for electricity they were obtained with the following models: The Koyck model, the new demand model, a model based on an overtime profit maximization by a firm. The results based on the gasoline demand equations indicate that income is a major determinant of gasoline consumption in Senegal, while in the Ivory Coast, habit formation and or stock adjustment are the determinant factors. As far as price is concerned, it has consistently negative elasticities both across countries and specifications, but is not significant. For the residential demand for electricity, the results are much more encouraging. All of the countries show that price and the social and demographic factors and per-capita income are major predictors of residential electricity consumption. Their relative importance differ, however, both across countries and specification. The lagged dependent variable is significant with the new demand for electricity for Senegal and Ghana, and with the Koyck model for the Ivory Coast. Finally, the results for the industrial demand for electricity indicate that price, capital stock, and wage have an influence on the level of electricity consumed in the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Ghana. In addition to the variables mentioned above, output is also an important predictor of industrial electricity consumption in the Ivory Coast. On the basis of these findings, we recommended the following measures: (1) to increase the price of electricity and gasoline over a reasonably long period so that the relative price of different fuels reflect the change in relative cost of alternative fuel production; (2) to adopt a development strategy based on the implementation of export-oriented industries and the progressive removal of the trade barrier behind which the import-substitution industries have been hiding; and, (3) to reconsider the non-commercial fuel (wood, charcoal) as an alternative source of energy.

No description available.

Energy efficiency is an issue currently generating huge interest as a potentially costeffective solution to the twin challenges of environmental pollution from energy production, and the increasing scarcity of energy resources. This research aims to interrogate the practicalities of regulation of energy efficiency to ask what scope there is for public-led encouragement of greater energy savings in industry. Shortcomings of current theory addressed include a discounting of the impact of heterogeneity of industrial activity on prospects to effectively regulate for energy efficiency, and a conflation of the different aspects of societal functioning to which energy efficiency regulations and incentives can be applied. The research argues that the scope for energy savings has been exaggerated and the factors which drive pursuit of energy efficiency within firms of different sizes poorly understood and articulated. The Voluntary Agreement form of environmental regulation is assessed for its applicability to regulating for energy efficiency in the context of these characteristics of energy efficiency in industrial settings. An in-depth interview approach with core participants in an example of a Voluntary Agreement for energy efficiency in South Africa, the Energy Efficiency Accord (Accord), reveals the difficulties of regulating for specific technologies, the generally targeted nature of energy efficiency incentive schemes which provide household and commercial-type programmes to heavy industry, and the fact that environmental objectives and capacities are highly developed within firms interviewed and in most cases precede participation in Accord activities. The inference is that participation at this stage of the Accord's existence is driven by the need to develop and maintain relations between key stakeholders, and to exploit opportunities to influence the form of energy efficiency regulation enacted as opposed to the need to obtain forms of technical guidance. The particular pattern of participation in the Accord is argued to result in part from the historical dominance of large, energy-intensive firms in South Africa, and to be consistent with the theory that the more energy-intensive firms in a society will be motivated to participate in voluntary initiatives such as the Accord. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The solar concentration performance of a tracking, flat-base, line-focusing Fresnel mirror was investigated in this study. The Fresnel mirror consists of flat mirror strips situated on a base and oriented at appropriate angles to focus incident light to a desired line. Simple optical ray tracing and energy conservation were used to develop a mathematical model of the concentrator assuming small or zero diurnal tracking errors. The model analyzed the concentrator design and provided detailed expressions for the geometric evaluation of the concentrated sunlight rays in the focal plane above the mirror. The local concentration ratio and the geometric concentration ratio were introduced to describe the intensity profile in the focal plane and the average concentration of sunlight on a target absorber. Included in the model were losses of incident sunlight due to imperfect reflection, nonreflecting portions of the base, and blockage by adjacent mirror strips when imperfect tracking occurs.Based on the analytical model and using the Ada high level language, a computer program was written to simulate the concentrator. To facilitate performance comparisons, a baseline concentrator design was adopted. To study the effects of imperfect tracking, performance data were generated for small tracking errors up to approximately two and one-half degrees. The effects of design variations were studied by varying the concentrator focal length, strip width, and base width.Simulation results demonstrated that the concentration characteristics were highly sensitive to tracking error. Intensity profile shifts relative to the target caused the highest losses in intercepted sunlight.Design decisions were found to dramatically affect the concentration character- istics. For the baseline concentrator under perfect tracking conditions, an optimum focal length was identified. Except for the disadvantage of added costs, decreased strip widths was found to be a way to increase both the maximum and average concentration ratio for the absorber. Using smaller strip widths might, however, critically affect the energy intercepted by the target under imperfect tracking. Increasing the concentrator base width increased the total amount of power in the focal plane, with a higher maximum concentration ratio and additional tailing of the intensity profile. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

The thesis presents a comprehensive overview of the context and significance of ventilation cooling techniques and their feasibility in the United States. Passive cooling is one of the more architecturally interesting ways by which architects could make buildings energy efficient. There is great interest in passive systems since they can lead to a huge reduction of energy costs and support more sustainable building solutions. A number of ventilation system options are available to fill the need for a lower cost alternative to active [conventional] systems. It is the non-residential sector where energy consumption is of most concern and integrating passive natural ventilation in new non-residential buildings is receiving a lot of attention internationally and the U.S. building industry. Interest in improving air quality by passive ventilation is also increasing. / Department of Architecture