Electric and hybrid electric vehicles’ batteries not only have great potential for alleviating the world’s gasoline consumption problem, but may also stand poised to secure the world’s renewable energy generation. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles’ batteries that have reached the end of their cycle life in vehicles may still have the capacity to be repurposed into stationary utility energy storage. However, the phenomenon known as battery aging must be given careful consideration in the construction of a repurposed battery energy storage system. The battery aging phenomenon reduces the battery’s nominal voltage, capacity and current rating, while increasing its internal resistance. These factors were taken into consideration for the development of the Repurposed Battery Energy Storage System (RBESS). The system utilizes a method called Multi-Level Interlaced Pulse Charging (MLIPC) which was developed for the RBESS to manage the battery’s voltage, current, and energy to extend the useful cycle life of the batteries. The repurposed battery energy storage system has been modeled in PSCAD/EMTDC and tested in a constructed hardware implementation of the system.

This thesis examines energy planning to reduce GHG emissions from cities. Examining federal government policy to reduce GHG emissions suggests that municipalities and provinces may be the better government levels for action. A review of types of municipal energy planning, and energy-GHG reduction plans from three cities shows different strategies and policies in implementation, and differing levels of success. Interviewing planners from these case-study cities provides critical insight into the challenges of implementing energy-GHG planning. The lessons learned show the best course of action for other jurisdictions, including the importance of an appropriate policy framework to support municipalities. Such a framework is suggested by this thesis. This research is meant to inform planners of best practices, challenges, opportunities, and courses of action for municipalities in formulating GHG reduction strategies.

All jurisdictions have an energy system consisting of processes responsible for the conversion and transportation of supplies of energy from various sources to meet the end-use energy demands. Energy systems are dynamic as they respond to uncertainties such as higher energy costs, new energy technologies, public concern over the environmental impacts of energy production, evolving consumption patterns, and the aging of existing infrastructure; these changes can affect the energy suppliers, the end users, and those responsible for operating the energy system. To reduce possible adverse effects and improve the energy security of the system, energy policies are often designed by those responsible for the processes. However, changes to the energy policies can also impact the system’s energy security. Therefore, it is critical to study the possible effects of changing energy policies before they are deployed. To address this problem, a visualization tool has been developed to represent a jurisdiction’s energy system. The tool allows the effects of changing energy policies on energy security to be analysed. A case study using real-time wind data from the City of Summerside has been implemented to demonstrate the capabilities of the tool. This presentation will elaborate on the methods and implementation of the visualization tool and explain the results obtained from the analysis of the Summerside project.

This thesis investigates the patterns of each type of energy consumption for fourteen countries, to study the link between energy consumption, economics and population. It was found that for all the countries studied, there is a decrease in energy consumption relative to economic growth. This shows that the world has become less energy based, and is more efficient in using energy to produce economic wealth. The carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for each fossil fuel type used for electricity generation in New Zealand: coal, gas and oil was also calculated. Gas is the main contributor of CO₂ by electricity generation for New Zealand. New Zealand's CO₂ emissions from electricity generation have nearly tripled in the last 12 years. Despite the environmental concerns of global warming and the Kyoto protocol, there has been a large increase in total CO₂ emitted. This increase has seen a replacement of gas by coal in order to continue to meet the electricity demand of the nation. New Zealand has a small energy market relative to the global market. World energy market patterns show a recent history of oil declining, coal declining, gas increasing and the significant presence of nuclear. Renewable energies are insignificant on the world scene. These are marked contrasts to the New Zealand scene. Of the renewable energy supply fuels, both hydro and geothermal have been in decline, from before deregulation. This trend will continue in the future if left to market forces. Although renewable energy may be a solution to New Zealand's energy supply, the increase in market share of other renewable energies to date is limited. They are unlikely to be sufficient to cover New Zealand's energy demand in the near future. With New Zealand being dependent on the world supply of oil, the expected depletion of the Maui gas field, the low market share for renewable energy and rising concerns about pollution, the green house effects and global warming, nuclear power is considered an option in New Zealand.

The opportunity for reducing energy expenditures in homes has never been greater nor has the need been more pressing. Based on the current analysis of weatherization programs, millions of houses do not receive energy efficiency measures and houses that are being weatherized are not receiving the kinds of measures that generate the greatest energy savings. Many of these problems are attributed to program policies, regulations and funding limitations. Given these critical issues. The creative project is a model residential energy efficiency program. Its purpose is to serve as a guide for planning, designing, developing and implementing the kinds of residential energy efficiency programs that will maximize services and benefits. More specifically, the model will assist in the design and implementation of programs that are effective, efficient and can deliver the “right” energy measures to “any” house that needs them. A community in a small Midwestern city was selected to help demonstrate the various components of the model program. / Department of Urban Planning

Thesis (M.A. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles’ batteries not only have great potential for alleviating the world’s gasoline consumption problem, but may also stand poised to secure the world’s renewable energy generation. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles’ batteries that have reached the end of their cycle life in vehicles may still have the capacity to be repurposed into stationary utility energy storage. However, the phenomenon known as battery aging must be given careful consideration in the construction of a repurposed battery energy storage system. The battery aging phenomenon reduces the battery’s nominal voltage, capacity and current rating, while increasing its internal resistance. These factors were taken into consideration for the development of the Repurposed Battery Energy Storage System (RBESS). The system utilizes a method called Multi-Level Interlaced Pulse Charging (MLIPC) which was developed for the RBESS to manage the battery’s voltage, current, and energy to extend the useful cycle life of the batteries. The repurposed battery energy storage system has been modeled in PSCAD/EMTDC and tested in a constructed hardware implementation of the system.

This thesis examines energy planning to reduce GHG emissions from cities. Examining federal government policy to reduce GHG emissions suggests that municipalities and provinces may be the better government levels for action. A review of types of municipal energy planning, and energy-GHG reduction plans from three cities shows different strategies and policies in implementation, and differing levels of success. Interviewing planners from these case-study cities provides critical insight into the challenges of implementing energy-GHG planning. The lessons learned show the best course of action for other jurisdictions, including the importance of an appropriate policy framework to support municipalities. Such a framework is suggested by this thesis. This research is meant to inform planners of best practices, challenges, opportunities, and courses of action for municipalities in formulating GHG reduction strategies.

Thesis (M.A. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

One of the greatest problems encountered in greenhouses and buildings with large glazing is control of the internal atmosphere. The inherent characteristic of these buildings to act as solar collectors is to be used effectively for collecting and storing the excess solar energy. A new type of glazed roof, a Solar Climate Control roof system, was designed as a means to cool the interior environment of the greenhouses during the daytime and to heat during the nighttime or on overcast days. / A heat exchanger-storage system, using water as a thermal mass is included in the design of the Solar Climate Control system. A film of water flows on the inner surface of the roof and absorbs the direct solar heat radiation, acting then as a cooling agent. The energy absorbed may be reused for nighttime heating. / An efficient water dispersion pipe for the Solar Climate Control system was developed. The use of a soap solution rather than water alone for the Solar Climate Control water film system permitted a significant reduction in pumping rate and improved uniformity of the film. / A computer simulation model was run to determine the energy loads for both a conventional (double glazed roof) greenhouse and one equipped with the Solar Climate Control system. The Solar Climate Control system shows low operating cost and very good efficiency in heat removal.