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In this article we develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for resource efficiency indicators with a consistent link of resource use to the socio-economic system and activities therein as well as to the natural system and its ecosystem functioning. Three broad groups of indicators are defined: (1) resource use indicators representing pressures on the environment; (2) resource efficiency indicators relating resource use indicators to the socio-economic side; and (3) environmental impact indicators linking resource use impacts on the state of the natural system. Based on this conceptual framework we develop a structure for possible resource efficiency indicators and conduct a RACER evaluation on the Relevance, Acceptance, Credibility, Easiness and Robustness of indicators. With the RACER evaluation, we identify areas where indicators are well established and available as well as areas where indicators still need further development or even need to be designed first.

Federated Learning (FL) is a sub-domain of machine learning (ML) that enforces privacy by allowing the user's local data to reside on their device. Instead of having users send their personal data to a server where the model resides, FL flips the paradigm and brings the model to the user's device for training. Existing works share model parameters or use distillation principles to address the challenges of data heterogeneity. However, these methods ignore some of the other fundamental challenges in FL: device heterogeneity and communication efficiency. In practice, client devices in FL differ greatly in their computational power and communication resources. This is exacerbated by unbalanced data distribution, resulting in an overall increase in training times and the consumption of more bandwidth. In this work, we present a novel approach for resource-efficient FL called emph{REFT} with variable pruning and knowledge distillation techniques to address the computational and communication challenges faced by resource-constrained devices. Our variable pruning technique is designed to reduce computational overhead and increase resource utilization for clients by adapting the pruning process to their individual computational capabilities. Furthermore, to minimize bandwidth consumption and reduce the number of back-and-forth communications between the clients and the server, we leverage knowledge distillation to create an ensemble of client models and distill their collective knowledge to the server. Our experimental results on image classification tasks demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in conducting FL in a resource-constrained environment. We achieve this by training Deep Neural Network (DNN) models while optimizing resource utilization at each client. Additionally, our method allows for minimal bandwidth consumption and a diverse range of client architectures while maintaining performance and data privacy. / Master of Science / In a world driven by data, preserving privacy while leveraging the power of machine learning (ML) is a critical challenge. Traditional approaches often require sharing personal data with central servers, raising concerns about data privacy. Federated Learning (FL), is a cutting-edge solution that turns this paradigm on its head. FL brings the machine learning model to your device, allowing it to learn from your data without ever leaving your device. While FL holds great promise, it faces its own set of challenges. Existing research has largely focused on making FL work with different types of data, but there are still other issues to be resolved. Our work introduces a novel approach called REFT that addresses two critical challenges in FL: making it work smoothly on devices with varying levels of computing power and reducing the amount of data that needs to be transferred during the learning process. Imagine your smartphone and your laptop. They all have different levels of computing power. REFT adapts the learning process to each device's capabilities using a proposed technique called Variable Pruning. Think of it as a personalized fitness trainer, tailoring the workout to your specific fitness level. Additionally, we've adopted a technique called knowledge distillation. It's like a student learning from a teacher, where the teacher shares only the most critical information. In our case, this reduces the amount of data that needs to be sent across the internet, saving bandwidth and making FL more efficient. Our experiments, which involved training machines to recognize images, demonstrate that REFT works well, even on devices with limited resources. It's a step forward in ensuring your data stays private while still making machine learning smarter and more accessible.

Major energy-consuming countries implemented new laws on energy-efficiency during the course of 2013. The new energy-efficiency law make provision for a 16% reduction in energy intensity by 2015 in China. New law in the United States of America requires new fuel-economy standards. European Union law aims for a cut of 20% in energy demand for the countries forming part of the European Union. Japan, with the country's new energy strategy aims to decrease electricity demand with 10% by 2030 as stipulated in the new energy strategy. South Arica is currently experiencing a shortage in electricity generating capacity and operates within its reserve margin. The construction of new power stations is in process to address the shortage but Eskom must finance these assets by increasing the electricity tariff. Electricity prices are predicted to double from 2013 to 2017. In addition to the tariff increases, the Energy Conservation Scheme (ECS) is also planned by Eskom whereby all electricity consumers have to reduce their electricity consumption by 10% or face penalties. Energy efficiency initiatives in South Africa will help meet some of the country's social, economic, and environmental goals. These initiatives are important as they immediately tackle the problem of electricity shortages and are a cost-effective way of increasing available electricity supply. The aim of this study was to determine the need for businesses in the Vaal Triangle to be resource efficient and practice clean production in order to be able to capitalise on that need. With the current knowledge and technology available, Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) will prove to be a future necessity for industry. To determine the perceived readiness towards a green economy contribution is thus of importance. The study did a review on RECP, energy efficiency, supply of energy in South Africa, focus areas for energy efficiency and the benefits thereof. The study discussed energy efficiency incentive schemes and subsidisation funds available in South Africa. The study assessed the primary fields for RECP, the drivers and barriers to RECP and the willingness to participate in RECP initiatives in the Vaal Triangle. The study concluded that there exists a need in the Vaal Triangle for RECP initiatives and that there exists potential for the start of a green economy in the region. The research indicated the reaction towards RECP initiatives to be very positive in the studied region. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Major energy-consuming countries implemented new laws on energy-efficiency during the course of 2013. The new energy-efficiency law make provision for a 16% reduction in energy intensity by 2015 in China. New law in the United States of America requires new fuel-economy standards. European Union law aims for a cut of 20% in energy demand for the countries forming part of the European Union. Japan, with the country's new energy strategy aims to decrease electricity demand with 10% by 2030 as stipulated in the new energy strategy. South Arica is currently experiencing a shortage in electricity generating capacity and operates within its reserve margin. The construction of new power stations is in process to address the shortage but Eskom must finance these assets by increasing the electricity tariff. Electricity prices are predicted to double from 2013 to 2017. In addition to the tariff increases, the Energy Conservation Scheme (ECS) is also planned by Eskom whereby all electricity consumers have to reduce their electricity consumption by 10% or face penalties. Energy efficiency initiatives in South Africa will help meet some of the country's social, economic, and environmental goals. These initiatives are important as they immediately tackle the problem of electricity shortages and are a cost-effective way of increasing available electricity supply. The aim of this study was to determine the need for businesses in the Vaal Triangle to be resource efficient and practice clean production in order to be able to capitalise on that need. With the current knowledge and technology available, Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) will prove to be a future necessity for industry. To determine the perceived readiness towards a green economy contribution is thus of importance. The study did a review on RECP, energy efficiency, supply of energy in South Africa, focus areas for energy efficiency and the benefits thereof. The study discussed energy efficiency incentive schemes and subsidisation funds available in South Africa. The study assessed the primary fields for RECP, the drivers and barriers to RECP and the willingness to participate in RECP initiatives in the Vaal Triangle. The study concluded that there exists a need in the Vaal Triangle for RECP initiatives and that there exists potential for the start of a green economy in the region. The research indicated the reaction towards RECP initiatives to be very positive in the studied region. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

A desirable future critically depends on our ability to ensure the supply of key resources while simultaneously respecting planetary boundaries. This paper looks at the potential implications of living within the "safe operating space" for people, business and the economy. It develops a positive vision of the future based on three pillars: a safe and fair use of global resources, a sustainable society, and a transformed economy.We review and build on recent sustainability visions to develop a holistic reflection on what life in 2050 could look like, and explore the key changes in the economy needed to get there. In particular we show that resource efficiency requires a systemic shift in values, innovation, governance and management regimes. We present a bold vision for Europe underlined by indicators and targets, explore transition challenges to getting there and conclude with a list of key policies needed for overcoming challenges and reaching the vision. (authors' abstract)

A transformation of our current transport system and individual mobility behaviour is an essential pre-requisite for attaining a desirable future that enables a life within environmental boundaries ("safe operating space") and higher well-being at the same time. Accordingly, this paper focuses on the potentials of a resource-saving, sustainable transport system with reduced, but still satisfactory, mobility. To achieve the vision of resource-efficiency in Europe, a new understanding of mobility is needed: "the mode of travel is the reward of the journey", meaning that it is not about travelling fastest and frequently, but unhurried (easy-going), infrequently and sustainably. We describe a socially inclusive and innovative transport system that could achieve this vision and discuss the kinds of policy measures that would be required to implement it. Changes are required in many areas including values, preferences, infrastructure, technology, governance and the economy. (authors' abstract)

Device-to-Device (D2D) communication is one of the technologies for next generation communication system. Unlike traditional cellular network, D2D allows proximity users to communicate directly with each other without routing the data through a base station. The main aim of this study is to improve the overall energy efficiency (EE) of D2D communications overlaying cellular system. To reduce the complexity of joint EE optimization, we decompose the main EE problem into two subproblems; resource efficiency (RE) optimization in the first stage and EE optimization for D2D pairs in the second stage. Firstly, we propose an alternative two-stage RE-EE scheme for a single cellular user equipment (CUE) and a D2D pair utilizing uplink spectrum. Later, we extend this work for multiple CUEs and D2D pairs by considering the downlink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). By exploiting a range of optimization tools including the Bisection method, interior point algorithm, fractional programming, Dinkelbach approach, Lagrange dual decomposition, difference of convex functions, and concave-convex procedure, the original non-convex problems are solved and we present iterative two-stage RE-EE solutions. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed two-stage scheme for uplink scenario outperforms the cellular mode and dedicated mode of communications and the performance is close to the global optimal solution. The results also show that the proposed schemes for downlink resource sharing provide improved system EE performance with significant gain on EE for D2D users compared to a two-stage EE-EE solution, which is obtained numerically. Furthermore, the RE and EE optimization for non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) are considered to study the effect of users' access to the whole spectrum. The results indicate that the proposed RE scheme for NOMA with D2D communications achieves higher system EE compared to the OFDMA based schemes.

Denna rapport grundar sig i Svenska Mässans planer på expansion och de krav på effektiv hantering och korta ledtider som det medför. Svenska Mässans unika förutsättningar vad gäller yta, bransch och placering medför ett komplext flöde av material. Flödet försvåras ytterligare av att lager och de hallar där eventen genomförs på ligger på olika plan. Den andra delen grundar sig i den litterära brist som finns kring den här typen av logistik. I rapporten introduceras därför ett nytt begrepp - Mässlogistik. Begreppet syftar till att beskriva de verksamhetsspecifika flöden och interna transporter som sker i en sådan speciell bransch som mässbranschen. Genom att definiering av begreppet samt identifiering och fördjupning i de ingående komponenterna, har förslag på hur just Svenska Mässan kan öka sin resurseffektivitet tagits fram. Förslagen är koncentrerade kring deras största problemområden och det som har mest negativ påverkan på flödena. Rapporten är således uppbyggd kring två frågeställningar: 1.     Hur kan lagerstrukturen i möbellagret ändras på Svenska Mässan för att uppnå en högre resurseffektivitet? 2.     Hur ska Svenska Mässan organisera sina interna transporter för att generera en högre resurseffektivitet? För att kunna ge svar på ovanstående frågeställningar har fallstudiemetoden använts där nuläget först har kartlagts för att användas som utgångspunkt och därefter analyserats. Det har gjort att en tydlig bild över problemområdena i form av ostrukturerat lager, bristande planering, hisskonkurrens och ineffektiva transporter har visat sig. Lösningarna på dessa problem har dels hämtats ur litteraturen och dels genom ett logiskt resonemang med inspiration från andra företag. Vidare har en ABC-analys genomförts, på de standardmöbler som används på Svenska Mässans event, vilket har varit en utgångspunkt för att skapa ett effektivare flöde vid in- och utleverans i lagret. Ett ytterligare led i att nå en högre resurseffektivitet, både vid lagring och transport, har varit ett förslag med specialkonstruerade vagnar som lastbärare. Genom en benchmarking på Volvo personvagnar har även kittning undersökts som alternativ för att på så vis kunna förpacka och säkerställa fyllnadsgraden i hissarna och därmed också minska konkurrensen om dessa. I dagsläget hämtar montörerna sitt material själva, vilket leder till att mycket tid används för förflyttningar mellan planen. För att motverka detta har ett förslag tagits fram med att använda sig av materialare. Tanken är att dessa ska förse montörer med allt material de behöver samt att kitta och sekvenslägga montermaterialet. Dessutom ska de ansvara för att hissarna används på ett mer effektivt sätt och därmed öka fyllnadsgraden.   Slutsatser som dragits under detta arbete är att kommunikation och planering är en av de viktigaste grundkomponenterna för att uppnå en högre resurseffektivitet i Svenska Mässans produktionsavdelning. Vidare har det konstaterats att det finns tid att spara genom effektiva transporter samt att utnyttja hissarnas kapacitet på ett mer fullständigt sätt. / This report takes it stance in the Swedish fair’s plans for an expansion and the requirements of effective handling and short lead-times that it implies. The Swedish exhibition and congress centre (SECC) and their unique set of prerequisites concerning space, industry and location results in a very complex flow of material. The complexity of the flow increases further as storage and exhibition halls are located on different floors. The report is of further interest as there is a lack of academic knowledge concerning logistics of this kind. Therefore, this report aims to introduce a new set of terms – exhibition logistics, with ambitions to describe the specific flows and internal transports existing in the exhibition hall industry. By identifying and defining the terms a proposal is given of how the SECC can increase their resource- efficiency.   The proposed advices are focused on the greatest problem areas and furthermore those areas affecting the flows to the highest extend. The report is composed around the following questions: 1.     How can the Swedish exhibition and congress centre’s storage structure and resource storage be changed in order to reach a higher resource-efficiency? 2.     How should the Swedish exhibition and congress centre organize its internal transports to generate greater resource efficiency? To be able to answer the questions above, a case study has been applied. Firstly, research have been undertaken to understand the present situation followed by an analysis of the same. This has given the authors a clear picture of the problem areas; unstructured storage, lack of planning, ineffective use of the elevators as well as inefficient transportations occurring at all times. The presented solutions have partly been collected from relevant academic literature and from an up to date discussion with inspiration from other actors in the current market place. Furthermore, an ABC – analysis have been carried out of the standard furniture’s being used during events at SECC. Proposals for using unique constructed wagons for transporting the equipment have been reported. Yet, this analysis is a further action in order to adapt a greater resource efficiency regarding storage and transportations. At the present time, the assemblers are collecting their material on their own, which results in time consuming movements between storage and working floors. In order to prevent this, the authors have presented a suggestion of using a person for preparing the material. The implication is that they should serve the assembler all material needed for completion and fit for display. Additionally, they should also be given the responsibility of making sure that the elevators are used in a more efficient manner, thereby increasing the occupancy level. The conclusions reflect the importance of two key components that must be improved in order to increase the efficiency in SECC production department - planning and communication. Moreover, it has been concluded that time can be saved by effective transportations and by using the elevators’ capacity to its maximum.

Darbe analizuojami atsinaujinančios elektros energijos ištekliai, pasirinkti remiantis atsinaujinančių išteklių energetikos įstatyme plačiausiai analizuojamais ir didžiausias perspektyvas turinčiais energijos ištekliais Lietuvoje. Išskirti trys pagrindiniai atsinaujinančios energetikos šaltiniai: vėjo energetika, biomasės deginimo metu gaunama elektros energija, bei hidroenergetika, pastarąją skirstome į didžiąsias hidroelektrines ir mažąsias hidroelektrines. Naujuoju atsinaujinančių išteklių energetikos įstatymu tikimasi elektros energijos dalį bendrajame šalies elektros energijos sunaudojime (pagamintos iš atsinaujinančių energijos išteklių), padidinti iki 20 procentų, kas reikštų sparčias AEI elektrinių statybas. Investicijų į atsinaujinančią energiją, taupų jos naudojimą ir naujas technologijas stiprinimas prisideda prie darnaus vystymosi ir padeda kurti naujas darbo vietas, skatinti ekonomikos augimą, stiprinti konkurencingumą ir plėtrą, kad Lietuva galėtų žengti į saugesnę, švaresnę ir konkurencingesnę ateitį. Todėl aplinkosauginiu požiūriu svarbu palyginti AEI elektrinių efektyvumo rodiklius bei atlikti poveikio aplinkai vertinimą, palyginant jų poveikį aplinkos komponentams. / This work analyzes the use of renewable energy resources (wind, hydro and biomass burning) and the effectiveness of their environmental impact. From the pending renewable energy sources in Lithuania we have the highest prospects for wind energy, especially offshore, and biomass burning. Hydropower development opportunities in Lithuania, the typical plains region, where the energy potential of rivers is small and flooding areas causes’ significant ecological damage, prospects are limited. Renewable energy resources impact to the environment is very different. The biggest environmental impacts of hydropower, the smallest - biomass burning derived electricity.