In 2003, the town of Craik initiated a unique renewable energy project with the dual goals of addressing both the environmental and the rural economic crisis. This Masters thesis provides an exploration of the factors that both facilitate and constrain the advancement of this project. The research focuses on the question: What are the cultural and social factors that inhibit the Craik project from meeting its environmental and economic goals? New social movement theory provides a theoretical framework for explaining contradictions within social movements, while a critical ethnographic methodology is used to uncover specific underlying contradictions that exist at Craik. This thesis analyzes the dynamics of facilitating and non-facilitating factors to make visible the deeper sources of conflict, to contribute to theoretical models of social change and understandings of community development. Furthermore, the thesis provides direction for the Craik eco-project that can further the implementation of practices that will facilitate both its economic and environmental goals. Finally, the study provides valuable insights to other communities working to facilitate similar eco-projects and influence public policy in response to global warming

Climate change and sustainable development are interlinked in several ways. A global sustainable development with decreased emissions of green-house gases is seen as a prerequisite for mitigation of climate change. Simultaneously a changing climate will put constraints to development endeavours in developing countries. Yet, a sustainable pathway should include both mitigation and adaptation to climate change facilitating social development, economic growth and a stable environment in developing countries. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol is combining reduced green-house gas emissions with sustainable development in the CDM project’s host country. This so called dual goal has turned out hard to fulfil, especially the local development objective.   This thesis studies how CDM projects contribute to local development and how this development is viewed differently by various stakeholders. This was made through qualitative interviews with actors connected to two CDM projects in Southern India. In addition, a literature review and a document study was made. The projects chosen are in the renewable energy sector, using biomass fuel. Renewable energy is regarded as an important factor to come to terms with increasing green-house gas emissions.   The results from the literature review and document study show that the expected contribution by CDM projects to local sustainable development is usually expressed in terms of employment, distribution of benefits, social infrastructure, access to energy and technology transfer. The environmental benefit is included in the reduction of green-house gas emissions. In the context of local development, stakeholder participation is brought up as an important factor. The results of the interviews present similar categories of development linked to CDM projects. However, differing views of actual local development assisted by the CDM project was discerned in the answers.   This study points to scale-related problems linked to the global benefit of mitigation of climate change in combination with local development. In conclusion, there is a need for monitoring and evaluation of actual contribution by CDM projects to local sustainable development. To facilitate local sustainable benefits of CDM projects, enhanced stakeholder participation is necessary during the whole project activity period.

Small-scale anaerobic digesters, known as biogas plants, were applied as an optimal livestock waste treatment as well as biogas supply for cooking and lighting demand for small-scale farmers in Vietnam. Although the biogas technology was introduced for nearly 30 years, the number of the constructed biogas plants is still limited. The current development of biogas plants is far below the real demand on livestock waste treatment that has increased significantly. This paper gives a comprehensive overview on the biogas plant development in Vietnam and attempts to address the challenges and discuss appropriate solutions for the further biogas development. / Mô hình lên men yếm khí quy mô nhỏ (được biết với tên hầm ủ khí sinh học) đã được ứng dụng hiệu quả trong xử lý chất thải chăn nuôi cũng như cung cấp nguồn nhiên liệu phục vụ nhu cầu nấu ăn và thắp sáng cho các hộ chăn nuôi nhỏ ở Việt Nam. Mặc dù đã hiện diện gần 30 năm, nhưng số lượng hầm ủ khí sinh học vẫn còn hạn chế. Sự gia tăng số lượng hầm ủ khí sinh học chưa theo kịp với nhu cầu về xử lý chất thải chăn nuôi đang ngày càng gia tăng. Bài báo trình bày các chặng đường phát triển của hầm ủ khí sinh học tại Việt Nam, ghi nhận các thách thức trong việc nhân rộng hầm ủ khí sinh học trong thực tế và thảo luận một số giải pháp để phát triển công nghệ khí sinh học.

The increase of petroleum cost as well as global warming and climate change result in investigation to discover new renewable energy resources. Bioenergy is one of the most important sources that is concerning the scientists and industrial sector. Although bioethanol had to be known as one of the most important renewable energy sources in order to reduce greenhouse gases and global warming, there is a limited number of publications reporting on them. In this review, a brief overview is offered about bioethanol production from algae. It can be given a deeper insight in dificulties and promising potential of bioethanol from algae. / Sự gia tăng giá nhiên liệu hóa thạch cùng với cảnh báo toàn cầu về biến đổi khí hậu hướng đến việc nghiên cứu tìm ra những nguồn năng lượng có thể tái tạo. Năng lượng sinh học là một trong những nguồn quan trọng được các nhà khoa học và doanh nghiệp quan tâm. Mặc dù ethanol sinh học đã được biết đến như là một trong những dạng năng lượng tái tạo quan trọng nhất để giảm thiểu các khí nhà kính và cảnh báo toàn cầu, nhưng chỉ có một số ít bài báo về nó. Trong bài tổng quan này, chúng tôi giới thiệu vắn tắt việc sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ tảo. Nó đưa ra cái nhìn sâu hơn về những khó khăn và tiềm năng hứa hẹn của sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ tảo.

This work focuses on high-temperature kraft black liquor gasification in the presence of H2O and CO2 in a laboratory-scale Laminar Entrained-Flow Reactor (LEFR). The effects of gasification conditions on hydroxide formation, carbon gasification rate, carbonate carbon and fixed carbon levels, alkali metal and sulfur species retention, and char yield were studied at atmospheric pressure and at 900-1000oC, and at residence times of 0.5-1.5 s. The results suggest that carbon gasification rates may be enhanced in the presence of H2O and CO2, with fixed carbon conversions of up to 95% at the earliest residence times at 1000oC. CO2 and H2O gasifying agents cause a significant increase in carbonate formation, with 22% of the initial carbon input forming carbonate as compared to 16% with one gasifying agent. Carbonate levels increase to a maximum level and then decrease at 900oC, but at 1000oC, carbonate decomposition processes are more dominant and cause lower levels of carbonate even at early residence times. The results show that alkali metal retention is high until vaporization occurs after 1.4 s at 900oC and at early residence times at 1000oC. Moreover, the results indicate that sulfur retention is an exothermic process, as sulfur capture increases with temperature. At 900oC, no hydroxide is produced until after 1.4 s, but at 1000oC, hydroxide appears to form readily even at the earliest residence times studied. The char product yields a maximum mole percent of 18-19% hydroxide, starting at intermediate residence times at 1000oC. Generally, hydroxide is not produced until fixed carbon conversions approach 95%. The results can be explained in terms of the interactions of phenolate and carboxylate catalytic moieties in the char product. The hydroxide formation results suggest that it may be possible to develop a gasification-causticization process that does not require external chemicals and would make the energy-efficient and environmentally friendly black liquor gasification technology an economic reality.

Humanity is more civilized more cannot live without energy, but along with its heavier depending on the tradition fossil energy, also facing the resources exhausting and the environmental protection subject, the enhancement development of¡§renewable energy resources¡¨and¡§green energy resources¡¨has become the trend of global pursued. From the global climate vicissitude conference, proposed especially reduces the greenhouse gas emissions, every countries racks one's brains all, pondered how to reduce degree of dependency of the fossil energy and diversify the energy resources. Since developing new energy for future is an inevitably tendency, then how to position and how to plan the new energy strategy turns into the most important topic for each international energy company. This study namely takes A-Company as an example, discusses new energy strategy of the main global international energy company. This study aims at each advanced countries and the main international energy company first the new energy strategy, carries on the preliminary comparison and the analysis, then from competitive advantage theories and SWOT analysis, five strength analyses, product life cycle, diamond model, discusses the new energy strategy for A-Company .In this study case, To improve energy efficency, To manage emissions and To diversify the energy resources are the best new energy strategy, so that it can be well competitive advantaged . This study also suggests A-Company with some feasible planning actions to cope with the future energy developing scenario .

Distributed generation (DG) and microgrid will play an essential role in the modern power system. They could improve energy efficiency, reduce losses, minimize environmental impacts and enhance power system reliability and stability. Most of the renewable energy applications would require two or three power conversions before power reaches the loads. If the power from DG could be utilized in DC form, the loss could be minimized and system efficiency is improved. Fuel cell, energy storage battery, photovoltaic and power electronic building block (PEBB) are used in this research to set up a DC microgrid. Simulation and hardware implementation are conducted. Techniques studied in this thesis include different power sources interconnection and DC bus voltage and microgrid power controls. Based on the studied results, DC mircogrid integration and system operation schemes are recommended.

Molecular photoabsorption enhancement under ambient solar radiations can improve efficiency substantially in renewable energy production. Here, we explore the theoretical basis and experimental evidences that nanostructured molecular assemblies exhibit an unprecedented property of synergistic photon absorption enhancement. The molecular mechanism of this enhancement phenomenon originates from the combined effect of the photon-molecule interaction and the electronic energy transfer between two adjacent molecular assemblies. For a natural system, the synergistic photon absorption enhancement factor of green algae (Chlorella vulgaris) in vivo at 632.8 nm was determined to be 103. This enhanced photon absorption process in nanostructured molecular assemblies opens a doorway to create entangled double excitons by incoherent solar radiations.

This dissertation addresses the issues of climate change and depletion of non-renewable resources of energy and water, and aims at eliminating the use of non-renewable resources of energy and water for the building operation in single-family detached residences in the U.S. With this aim, this study investigated the feasibility of the off-grid, off-pipe design approach in six climate locations across the U.S. to achieve self-sufficiency in a house for building energy, indoor water use, and household wastewater and sewage disposal using only on-site available renewable resources. For the analysis, a 2,500 ft2, 2000/2001 International Energy Conservation Code standard reference house with typical building and usage characteristics was selected as the base case. The six U.S. climate locations included: Minneapolis, MN, Boulder, CO, Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, and Los Angeles, CA. The renewable resources considered for this study included: solar radiation, wind, biomass for building energy needs; rainwater for indoor water use. In addition, the building site was considered for the disposal of household wastewater and sewage. The selected climate locations provided different scenarios in terms of base-case building energy needs and availability of renewable resources. Depending on these, energy and water efficiency measures were selected for reducing the building needs. For the reduced building needs, the sizing of systems for self-sufficiency was performed, including: solar thermal system for building’s space heating and water heating needs, photovoltaic and wind power systems for building’s electricity needs; rainwater harvesting system for indoor water needs; and septic system for the on-site disposal of household wastewater and sewage. In this manner, an integrated analysis procedure was developed for the analysis and design of off-grid, off-pipe homes, and was demonstrated for six U.S. climate locations. The results of the analysis indicated that achieving self-sufficiency for energy, water and sewage disposal was possible is all climates provided the systems for the collection and storage of renewable resources were large. On the other hand, the utilization of these systems was small for locations, where the year-to-year and seasonal variations in the weather conditions and availability of climate resources was large. For increased system utilization, minimization of the peak building needs, utilization of harvested energy for secondary purposes, and considering alternative systems for such applications are preferred.

Renewable energy sources including photovoltaic cells, fuel cells, and wind turbines require converters with high voltage gain in order to interface with power transmission and distribution networks. These conversions are conventionally made using bulky, complex, and costly transformers. Multiple modules of single-switch, single-inductor DC-DC converters can serve these high-gain applications while eliminating the transformer. This work generally classifies multiple modules of single-switch, single-inductor converters as high gain DC-DC converters transformers. The gain and efficiency of both series and cascade configurations are investigated analytically, and a method is introduced to determine the maximum achievable gain at a given efficiency. Simulations are used to verify the modeling approach and predict the performance at different power levels. Experimental prototypes for both low power and high power applications demonstrate the value of multiple module converters in high gain DC-DC converters for renewable energy applications.