Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes of underachievement on the annual performance plan targets in the Limpopo Department of Basic Education Head Office, and to identify possible strategies to improve the current situation. The study was guided by three objectives and secondary data were analysed to answer the research question. This study utilised a qualitative research design as it allowed the researcher to identify and develop procedures necessary to undertake this study. The study used secondary data, a desktop study to investigate the causes of underachievement in the Limpopo Department of Basic Education. Literature points out that strategic planning affects all organisations and it is considered to be the most complicated stage in the strategic management processes as it requires discipline, commitment and sacrifice. If desired goals are not achieved as planned, the organisation might be doomed to failure. The researcher managed to achieve the objectives of the study. Based on the findings of the study, underachievement on annual performance plan targets is influenced by the following major factors. The study points out that, Firstly, that lack of monitoring and support followed by insufficient budget allocated to programmes’ implementation contribute to underachievement of planned targets. Secondly, lack of commitment from top management have an impact on achievement planned targets. Finally, budget is not allocated according to the needs, inadequate leadership to oversee implementation of plans and high vacancy rate contribute to underachievement on the planned targets. In conclusion, the Departmental performance plan and individual performance plan should be directly linked to ensure improved performance and quality service to the public. Based on the findings of this study it is therefore recommended that firstly, the department should strengthen alignment of budget and plans of the department to ensure successful implementation of programmes, secondly, capacity building and skills development programmes should be enhanced to ensure a skilled workforce and improved performance.

The use of biomass-based combined heat and power (CHP) plants is considered by the EU administration to be an effective way to increase the use of renewables in the energy system, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to alleviate the dependency on imported fossil fuels. At present in Sweden, most of the CHP plants are operated in part-load mode because of variations in heat demand. Further use of the potential heat capacity from CHP plants is an opportunity for integration with other heat-demanding processes. Retrofitting the conventional CHP plants by integration with bioethanol and pellet production processes is considered a feasible and efficient way to improve the plants’ performances.   Modeling and simulation of the CHP plant integrated with feedstock upgrading, bioethanol production and pellet production is performed to analyze the technical and economic feasibility. When integrating with bioethanol production, the exhaust flue gas from the CHP plant is used to dry the hydrolysis solid residues (HSR) instead of direct condensation in the flue gas condenser (FGC). This drying process not only increases the overall energy efficiency (OEE) of the CHP plant but also increases the power output relative to the system using only a FGC. Furthermore, if steam is extracted from the turbine of the CHP plant and if it is used to dry the HSR together with the exhaust flue gas, pellets can be produced and the bioethanol production costs can be reduced by 30% compared with ethanol cogeneration plants.   Three optional pellet production processes integrated with an existing biomass-based CHP plant using different raw materials are studied to determine their annual performance. The option of pellet production integrated with the existing CHP plant using exhaust flue gas and superheated steam for drying allows for a low specific pellet production cost, short payback time and significant CO2 reduction. A common advantage of the three options is a dramatic increase in the total annual power production and a significant CO2 reduction, in spite of a decrease in power efficiency.   The retrofitted biomass-based CHP plants play a crucial role in the present and future regional energy system. The total costs are minimized for the studied energy system by using wastes as energy sources. Analyses of scenarios for the coming decades are performed to describe how to achieve a regional fossil fuel-free energy system. It is possible to achieve the target by upgrading and retrofitting the present energy plants and constructing new ones. The conditions and obstacles have also been presented and discussed through optimizing the locations for proposed new energy plants and planting energy crops. / REMOWE, CSC

Avec le développement récent de régulateurs innovants pour le bâtiment, il devient nécessaire de mettre au point une méthode de test qui soit à la fois rapide, reproductible et réaliste. La méthode développée dans cette thèse permet d'obtenir des performances annuelles de régulateurs de pompes à chaleurs (PAC) géothermiques en seulement quelques jours de test. Basé sur une technique d'émulation déjà utilisée pour des tests de PAC géothermiques et de systèmes solaires combinés, le test permet d'incorporer le régulateur et la PAC réels dans un environnement de simulation calibré par des mesures in-situ. Chaque jour de test correspond à un jour type de chaque mois. Le développement de la méthode consiste à déterminer la séquence de jours types optimale permettant une bonne estimation des performances. La méthode est ensuite testée expérimentalement sur le banc semi-virtuel pour comparer un régulateur prédictif à un régulateur conventionnel sur une saison de chauffage. Pour les besoins de la méthode, un régulateur prédictif de PAC géothermiques est développé. Ce régulateur utilise des réseaux de neurones pour la prévision des données météo et de la température ambiante. Un nouveau module pour la prévision des températures dans le plancher chauffant et les sondes géothermiques est proposé. Le régulateur prédictif est testé par simulation sur une saison de chauffage pour différents climats et types de maisons individuelles. En fonction de la référence, les économies d'énergie réalisées varient entre 6% et 15%. / With the recent development of innovative controllers for the building, there is a need to develop a testing method that is fast, reproducible and realistic. The method developed in this study aims to estimate the annual performance of ground source heat pump (GSHP) controllers in only a few days of test. Based on emulation techniques already used for GSHP and solar combined systems, the test immerses the controller and a real GSHP in a simulated environement that is calibrated with in-situ data. Each day of test represents a typical day of the month. The development of the method consists in determining the optimal typical days that ensure an accurate estimation of annual performance. The method is then experimentally tested on the semi-virtual test bench for the comparison of a predictive controller and a conventionnal controller over an entire heating season.To develop the method, a predictive controller for GSHP is elaborated. The controller is based on artificial neural networks used for the prediction of weather data and indoor temperature. A new module for the prediction of floor heating and boreholes fluid temperatures is also proposed. The predictive controller is tested by simulation over a heating season for various climates and types of single family house. According to the reference case, the energy savings vary between 6% and 15%.

This Master Thesis consisted in realizing a tool able to design, estimate the cost and calculate annual yields of a molten salt solar power tower. Such tool was made for a company providing CSP equipment and plant solutions for engineering, engineering and procurement or also EPC of a solar power tower. The Company wishes to propose competitive plant configurations presenting a good trade-off between cost and revenues. The Company can oversee the EPC of a whole power plant or/and supply some components of the molten salt cycle and of the water/steam cycle. The tool models a large scale solar power tower with a thermal energy storage system on EBSILON®Professional 12.04, a thermodynamic software.   When launching a simulation, the tool sizes the components of the molten salt cycle (design phase) according to user’s inputs, the other components have their characteristics based on a reference project. Depending on the size of the components, the total cost is determined and the revenues over a year of operation are calculated (annual performance). When performing several simulations with different configurations, the Company can judge about the economic viability of plant configurations by comparing their LCOEs and NPVs.   The present document describes the result of the Master Thesis, that is to say the tool itself, what it contains and how it works. The methodology adopted to design the components is presented in depth, the way costs were calculated is exposed. The document explains the annual performance calculations and the simple operation strategy implemented. Finally, a technical and cost validation was carried out but it would require some further work to be complete. The design and cost calculations are performed in few seconds, the annual calculations take around 2-3h.   One main contribution of the Master Thesis is to show that designing, estimating costs and calculating annual performances is feasible in a single tool operating at a high level of detail. Using the tool during a solar power tower project could considerably facilitate the current process in place at the Company. It can also allow to compare an important number of configurations to determine a good techno-economic solution. / Denna uppsats bestod i att genomföra ett verktyg som kan utforma, beräkna kostnaden och beräkna årliga avkastningar på ett smält salt soltorn. Ett sådant verktyg gjordes för ett företag inom soltornsteknik, upphandling och konstruktion (SUK) som vill föreslå konkurrenskraftiga anläggningskonfigurationer som presenterar en bra avvägning mellan kostnad och intäkter. Företaget, samtidigt som det övervakar SUK för en hel kraftverk, levererar det också vissa komponenter i den smälta saltcykeln. Verktyget modellerar ett storskaligt soltorn med ett värmeenergilagringssystem på EBSILON®Professional 12.04, en termodynamisk programvara.   När en simulering startas, ritar verktyget komponenterna i den smälta saltcykeln (designfas) enligt användarens inmatningar, de andra komponenterna är baserade på ett referensprojekt. Beroende på komponenternas storlek bestäms den totala kostnaden och intäkterna över ett verksamhetsår beräknas (årlig prestation). När flera simuleringar görs med olika konfigurationer kan företaget bedöma sin ekonomiska lönsamhet genom att jämföra sina LCOE och NPV.   Det här dokumentet beskriver resultatet av masterprojektet, det vill säga själva verktyget, vad det innehåller och hur det fungerar. Den metod som antagits för att designa komponenterna presenteras grundligt samt hur kostnaderna beräknades. Dokumentet förklarar de årliga prestationsberäkningarna och den enkla operationsstrategin som implementerats. Slutligen genomfördes en teknisk och kostnadsvalidering, men det skulle kräva ytterligare insats för att göra arbetet fullständigt. Konstruktionen och kostnadsberäkningarna utförs på få sekunder, de årliga beräkningarna tar cirka 2-3 timmar.   Ett huvudbidrag av examensarbetet är att visa att utformning, uppskattning av kostnader och beräkning av årliga prestanda är möjlig i ett enda verktyg som arbetar på en detaljrik nivå. Att använda verktyget under ett soltornsprojekt kan betydligt underlätta den nuvarande processen på plats hos företaget. Det kan också göra det möjligt att jämföra ett viktigt antal konfigurationer för att bestämma en bra tekno-ekonomisk lösning.

This item contains the agenda, minutes, and attachments for the Faculty Senate meeting on this date. There may be additional materials from the meeting available at the Faculty Center.

This item contains the agenda, minutes, and attachments for the Faculty Senate meeting on this date. There may be additional materials from the meeting available at the Faculty Center.