The thesis deals with analysis of calcium carbide production process. The aim of the thesis is to identify and design savings resulting from the use of energy contained in flue gas, which is produced during the process. In the first part, history and applications of calcium carbide are presented. The thesis then contains mass and energy balance of calcium carbide production. Balance is related to 1 ton of the product. In conclusion, possibilities of flue gas use for coke drying are proposed. The thesis is based on the information from the calcium carbide factory located in Sundsvall, Sweden.

Investing finances into housing is for most people in their life one of the volume largest investment and therefore it is important to rethink these individual financial steps properly, to ensure the continued ability to repay obligations and without unwanted load additional charges. With the rising market values of real estate is also rising popularity of invest in housing. Some problemes are reducing real wages, although the average wage increase in annual comparison, and so it is for most people the biggest problem ever to get a mortgage loan. More of young people haven't confident their job, they are temporary employment or their wages are to low a this people represent a high risk for banks to become insolvent and it is really hard to get a mortgage loan for young people. This master´s thesis is modelling some finances very usefully, effective and reaching the proceeds from the purchase of real estate.

This thesis is focused on analysis of the use of electronic reverse auctions in the construction industry in Slovakia. The theoretical part provides the basic concepts, types and participants of electronic auctions. There are also analysed in detail the electronic reverse auctions as an important tool for procurement processes in the construction industry. The practical part deals with the analysis and subsequent recommendation for the construction sector - through a questionnaire survey.

The aim is to adapt the old heating system so that the new system will meet the needs of users and facilitate control of system. The new heating system can independently control heating automatically. Its important part is remote access to system control. The user always has up-to-date information and can adjust the heating to suit his needs.

In the first part of this doctoral thesis we analyse changes in old-age income risk in Germany using micro-simulation model due to changes in employment patterns and institutional reforms. We focus on the statutory pension scheme and we analyse the old-age income risk of individuals as well as of households with respect to the skill level. Our findings help to clarify the risk of post-retirement poverty for specific household constellations We find that the risk of old-age poverty will increase for almost all new pensioners in 2020-2022 compared to new pensioners in 2004-2006. Due to the characteristics of a PAYG pension system, political decision-makers have to improve labour market participation, e.g. by support the improvement of skill level. Moreover we take a closer look at the impact of the Hartz-Reforms on wages. We use panel data to estimate the effect of the structural break on wages and find strong evidence that the decrease in unemployment benefit lowered wages. Our findings show that the Hartz-Reform induced wage restraint and may also be partly responsible for the favourable labour market situation in Germany. After analysing the effect of institutional reforms on old-age income and wage, we examine whether households adjust their savings behaviour to a change in their individual unemployment, income and health expectations. We use survey panel data on German household savings and expectations. The findings suggest, in contrast to the theory of textbook models, that a higher unemployment expectation significantly decreases the (short-term) saving rate. This result may be due to labour market legislation after the Hartz-Reforms.:1 Introduction 1 1.1 Summary 3 1.2 Contribution to the literature 7 1.3 References 9 2 A Fragile Pillar: Statutory Pensions and the Risk of Old-age Poverty in Germany 11 2.1 Introduction 11 2.2 The German Statutory Pension Insurance 13 2.3 Methodology 16 2.4 Results 22 2.4.1 Male pensioners 22 2.4.2 Female pensioners 25 2.4.3 Relevance of skill 27 2.5 Sensitivity Analysis 31 2.6 Conclusion 34 2.7 References 37 2.8 Appendix 40 3 Is There a Growing Risk of Old-age Poverty in Eastern Germany? 44 3.1 Introduction 44 3.2 The German Pension System 46 3.3 Demographic Setting in Eastern Germany 48 3.4 Data and Methodology 49 3.5 Single-person Households 52 3.5.1 Males 52 3.5.2 Females 55 II 3.6 Two-Person-Households 57 3.7 Widows 62 3.8 Conclusion 64 3.9 References 65 3.10 Appendix 66 4 Unemployment Compensation and Wages: Evidence from the German Hartz-Reform 68 4.1 Introduction 68 4.2 The German Hartz-Reform 69 4.3 Data 71 4.4 Methodology 73 4.5 Results 76 4.6 Conclusions 82 4.7 References 84 4.8 Data 87 4.9 Appendix 88 5 Expectations and Saving Behavior: An Empirical Analysis 93 5.1 Introduction 93 5.2 Theoretical Discussion 95 5.3 Data 97 5.4 Empirical Strategy 100 5.5 Empirical Results 104 5.6 Conclusions 114 5.7 References 117 5.8 Data 119 5.9 Appendix 120

This study seeks to show that a higher usage of debt instruments by consumers with limited available funds leads to the usage of savings tools to finance debt costs, which subsequently results in lower levels of savings. This was espoused by the literature on PFM and also proven by the test results from the research hypotheses that were computed by means of a logistic regression. The test results showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between the usage of debt instruments and the usage of savings tools. An emphasis is placed on the importance of savings as an integral component of the PFM concept: it is namely seen to be indispensable to good financial planning to ensure current and future consumer financial security. Therefore, this study concludes by highlighting the importance of consumers’ financial- management skills in minimising debt costs to increase levels of savings by controlling higher consumption expenditure through debt. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business management)

The need for heating and cooling in buildings constitutes a considerable part of the total energy use in a country and reducing this need is of outmost importance in order to reach national and international goals for reducing energy use and emissions. One important way of reaching these goals is to increase the proportion of renewable energy used for heating and cooling of buildings. Perhaps the largest obstacle with this is the often occurring mismatch between the availability of renewable energy and the need for heating or cooling, hindering this energy to be used directly. This is one of the problems that can be solved by using thermal energy storage (TES) in order to save the heat or cold from when it is available to when it is needed. This thesis is focusing on the combination of TES techniques and buildings to achieve increased energy efficiency for heating and cooling. Various techniques used for TES as well as the combination of TES in buildings have been investigated and summarized through an extensive literature review. A survey of the Swedish building stock was also performed in order to define building types common in Sweden. Within the scope of this thesis, the survey resulted in the selection of three building types, two single family houses and one office building, out of which the two residential buildings were used in a simulation case study of passive TES with increased thermal mass (both sensible and latent). The second case study presented in the thesis is an evaluation of an existing seasonal borehole storage of solar heat for a residential community. In this case, real measurement data was used in the evaluation and in comparisons with earlier evaluations. The literature reviews showed that using TES opens up potential for reduced energy demand and reduced peak heating and cooling loads as well as possibilities for an increased share of renewable energy to cover the energy demand. By using passive storage through increased thermal mass of a building it is also possible to reduce variations in the indoor temperature and especially reduce excess temperatures during warm periods, which could result in avoiding active cooling in a building that would otherwise need it. The analysis of the combination of TES and building types confirmed that TES has a significant potential for increased energy efficiency in buildings but also highlighted the fact that there is still much research required before some of the technologies can become commercially available. In the simulation case study it was concluded that only a small reduction in heating demand is possible with increased thermal mass, but that the time with indoor temperatures above 24 °C can be reduced by up to 20%. The case study of the borehole storage system showed that although the storage system worked as planned, heat losses in the rest of the system as well as some problems with the system operation resulted in a lower solar fraction than projected. The work presented within this thesis has shown that TES is already used successfully for many building applications (e.g. domestic hot water stores and water tanks for storing solar heat) but that there still is much potential in further use of TES. There are, however, barriers such as a need for more research for some storage technologies as well as storage materials, especially phase change material storage and thermochemical storage. / Behovet av värme och kyla i byggnader utgör en betydande del av ett lands totala energianvändning och att reducera detta behov är av yttersta vikt för att nå nationella samt internationella mål för minskad energianvändning och minskade utsläpp. En viktig väg för att nå dessa mål är att öka andelen förnyelsebar energi för kylning och uppvärmning av byggnader. Det kanske största hindret med detta är det faktum att det ofta råder obalans mellan tillgången på förnyelsebar energi och behovet av värme och kyla, vilket gör att denna energi inte kan utnyttjas direkt. Detta är ett av problemen som kan lösas genom att använda termisk energilagring (TES) för att lagra värme eller kyla från när det finns tillgängligt till dess att det behövs. Denna avhandling fokuserar på kombinationen av TES och byggnader för att nå högre energieffektivitet för uppvärmning och kylning. Olika tekniker för energilagring, samt även kombinationen av TES och byggnader, har undersökts och sammanfattats genom en omfattande litteraturstudie. För att kunna identifiera byggnadstyper vanliga i Sverige gjordes även en kartläggning av det svenska byggnadsbeståndet. Inom ramen för denna avhandling resulterade kartläggningen i valet av tre typbyggnader, två småhus samt en kontorsbyggnad, utav vilka de två småhusen användes i en simuleringsfallstudie av passiv TES genom ökad termisk massa (både sensibel och latent). Den andra fallstudien som presenteras i denna avhandling är en utvärdering av ett existerande borrhålslager för säsongslagring av solvärme i ett bostadsområde. I detta fall användes verkliga mätdata i utvärderingen samt i jämförelser med tidigare utvärderingar. Litteraturstudien visade att användningen av TES öppnar upp möjligheter för minskat energibehov och minskade topplaster för värme och kyla samt även möjligheter till en ökad andel förnyelsebar energi för att täcka energibehovet. Genom att använda passiv lagring genom ökad termisk massa i byggnaden är det även möjligt att minska variationer i inomhustemperaturen och speciellt minska övertemperaturer under varma perioder; något som kan leda till att byggnader som normalt behöver aktiv kylning kan klara sig utan sådan. Analysen av kombinationen av TES och byggnadstyper bekräftade att TES har en betydande potential för ökad energieffektivitet i byggnader, men belyste även det faktum att det fortfarande krävs mycket forskning innan vissa av lagringsteknikerna kan bli kommersiellt tillgängliga. I simuleringsfallstudien drogs slutsatsen att en ökad termisk massa endast kan bidra till en liten minskning i värmebehovet, men att tiden med inomhustemperaturer över 24 °C kan minskas med upp till 20 %. Fallstudien av borrhålslagret visade att även om själva lagringssystemet fungerade som planerat så ledde värmeförluster i resten av systemet, samt vissa problem med driften av systemet, till en lägre solfraktion än beräknat. Arbetet inom denna avhandling har visat att TES redan används med framgång i många byggnadsapplikationer (t.ex. varmvattenberedare eller ackumulatortankar för lagring av solvärme) men att det fortfarande finns en stor potential i en utökad användning av TES. Det finns dock hinder såsom behovet av mer forskning för både vissa lagringstekniker samt lagringsmaterial, i synnerhet för lagring med fasändringsmaterial och termokemisk lagring. / <p>QC 20130225</p>

Despite the fact that cogeneration (CHP) and tri-generation (CHCP) are among the most efficient ways to produce electricity and thermal energy, there is still some unexploited potential for these techniques. One could say that the circumstances for using these techniques are better now than ever. Some of the reasons for applying CHP and CHCP are: the techniques are well understood, their application could generate some profit, and the required technology is available. Moreover, there is increasing concern in regards to energy security, the need to increase the energy efficiency in power generation and distribution as well as to lower the emissions from fossil fuel combustion. CHP/CHCP promoters and developers face difficulties when analyzing the conditions and proposing a plan of application. On one hand, there are some external barriers which have to be torn down by means of energy regulation schemes. These may include economic incentives, easy and safe interconnection to the grid to export electricity and have backup if necessary, and access to the market to sell the surplus of electricity at a fair price. On the other hand, there are some internal barriers such as the difficulty evaluating potential energy savings, emission reduction, and economic performance of a project based on the circumstances of a specific site; lack of awareness; unwillingness to invest in CHP/CHCP projects; and difficulty in selecting and sizing the equipment which would give the maximum benefits in terms of life cycle cost, energy savings and emission reduction. Nowadays, it is possible to develop software tools which use simulations and optimization algorithms to evaluate several options, compare them and chose the ones that give the optimum performance with respect to an objective function defined by the user. In this project, the general context for the application of cogeneration and tri-generation projects was studied including factors which have an impact on its feasibility and performance. Moreover, a survey of the exiting feasibility analysis tools was done, and a case study was chosen and analyzed. Next, a model was developed using the software Trnsys for the simulation and Matlab for the optimization. The model was tested by evaluating the study case. The result of the simulation and optimization gives several possible equipment size combinations. The tradeoff between two different objective functions such as net present value and primary energy savings or emission reduction is presented in Pareto front diagrams. The main conclusion of this project is that by using Trnsys and Matlab, it is possible to develop more complex models which, when applying optimization algorisms, could become a very useful and helpful tool that CHP/CHCP developers could use to speed up the analysis of projects while contributing to the goal of deploying these techniques.

Windows has been always considered as heat sinks and they can account more than 25% of a building envelope. For this reason, its design and performance in dwellings play a major role in regulating the indoor environment. The construction sector has been investing in better insulation envelope systems for the last decades to reduce the heat transmissions losses and energy consumption in households. LOWTE is a Swedish firm specialized in low energy building components and due to all these facts, it has recently developed a double slot energy active envelope window (EAW) for improving energy-saving in buildings. EAW is a window prototype that integrates low-temperature heating and energy active systems, and it is planned to be installed at Testbed KTH in Stockholm (Sweden). Waste heat from the current heating systems will be used during its whole operation. Then, a life cycle assessment (LCA) will be accomplished for evaluating EAW feasibility and costeffectiveness before its implementation. Furthermore, an LCA comparison with other two passive window systems will be made. A double-glazed and a triple-glazed window will represent the reference system and a competent alternative solution, respectively. A sensitivity analysis for each model will be developed in order to consider multiples scenarios and obtain which variables affect the most EAW profitability. Thus, the feasibility of the EAW would be studied from an economic and environmental perspective. The simulations of both models show the potential that EAW can represent for the current heating system in KTH Live-In-Lab apartments. Since EAW is quite subjected to the thermal conditions of the room, the ambience, and the internal flowing air; costs savings and avoided environmental impacts will depend mainly on the thermal performance of the whole system. / Fönster har alltid betraktats som kylflänsar och de kan stå för mer än 25% av byggnadens kuvert. Av denna anledning spelar deras design och prestanda i bostäder en viktig roll för att reglera inomhusmiljön. Byggsektorn har investerat i bättre isoleringshölje system under de senaste decennierna för att minska värmeöverförings förlusterna och energiförbrukningen i hushållen. LOWTE är ett svenskt företag som är specialiserat på byggnadskomponenter med låg energi och på grund av alla dessa fakta har det nyligen utvecklat ett fönster med dubbelspalt och energi aktivt kuvert (EAW) för att förbättra energibesparing i byggnader. EAW är en fönster prototyp som integrerar låg temperatur värme och energi aktiva system som kommer att installeras på Testbed KTH i Stockholm (Sverige). Avfallsvärme från de nuvarande värmesystemen kommer att användas under hela driften. Sedan kommer en livscykelanalys (LCA) att genomföras för att utvärdera EAW med avseende pågenomförbarhet och kostnadseffektivitet innan denna implementering. Dessutom kommer en LCAjämförelse med andra två passiva fönstersystem att göras. Ett dubbelglasat och ett tredubbelt fönster representerar referenssystemet respektive en kompetent alternativ lösning. En känslighetsanalys för varje modell kommer att utvecklas för att ta hänsyn till flera scenarier och utvärdera vilka variabler som mest påverkar EAW-lönsamhet. Således skulle genomförbarheten för EAW studeras ur ett ekonomiskt och miljömässigt perspektiv. Simuleringarna av båda modellerna visar potentialen som EAW kan representera för det nuvarande värmesystemet i KTHs Live-In-Lab-lägenheter. Eftersom EAW är helt utsatt för de termiska förhållandena i rummet, atmosfären och den inre flödande luften; beror kostnadsbesparingar och minskad miljöpåverkan främst på värmeprestandan för hela systemet.

The Thesis shows the perspectives of involving renewable energy resources into the energy balance of Russia, namely the use of wind energy for the purpose of energy supply for the objects of the Russian Gas transportation system. The methodology of the wind energy technical potential calculation is designed and the wind energy technical potential assessment for onshore and offshore zones of Russia is presented. The analysis of Russian Gas transportation system in terms of energy consumption is carried out when comparing the map of wind resources in Russia with the map of Russian Gas transportation system and the perspective of wind turbines installation is shown in order to offset energy consumption of the selected object of the Gas transportation system. The decision-making algorithm for wind turbines selection is developed for installation on the wind farm. Also indicators of investment attractiveness of the project of using wind turbines for compression stations energy supply were calculated.