This thesis deals with credit unions in the Czech Republic. The work describes historical development and current situation of the credit unions. Trend of recent years is compared with the situation in the bank sector. Two representatives of credit unions -- AKCENTA and Moravský peněžní ústav -- are analyzed closer. There is also a comparison of competitiveness in current and saving account between two mentioned credit unions and two banks -- Česká spořitelna and mBank.

The thesis describes individual forms of funds valorization and compares current savings products offered on the Czech market with respect to different parameters. The last part of the thesis shows the preferences of Czech households in funds valorization and the factors affecting their decision-making, based on survey results.

With the increased energy usage and its affect on the environment the European Union (EU) has issued climate and environment goals which will oversee countries energy saving potential. These goals focus on several areas including the energy usage within buildings. The purpose of this thesis is to categorize and analyze the energy saving potential for buildings constructed 1945 or earlier. The building stock in focus consists of 73 apartment buildings in Vasastaden, Linköping. The buildings were all chosen with Boverket’s database within building characteristics GRIPEN. The method consisted of stocktaking via location visits, categorizing and performing simulations on the buildings. The fictive buildings were based on the categorized building stock. They were modelled and simulated with the help of IDA Indoor Climate and Energy (IDA ICE). With the results of the energy usage a greater understanding of energy saving potential was obtained. The result of the categorization displayed that typical buildings in Vasastaden are buildings out of brick, fully detached (no adjoining walls), specifically with 3 floors. The fictive buildings have an calculated energy usage of 102-144 kWh/m2,year and have an energy saving potential within ranges of 17-41% compared to the building regulations set by Boverket (BBR). The building stock obtained an calculated energy usage of 804-3 515 MWh/m2,year. GRIPEN displayed several inaccuracies compared with the collected data from the location visits which proves that more frequent updates in databases such as GRIPEN are of high significance.

DPhil, School of Social Sciences, Dept of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / This thesis investigates a number of economic and financial practices, processes, relationships, actors and institutions prevalent in the residential areas that form part of Johannesburg that is known as Soweto, all of which have in common the exchange, hoarding, spending and risking of cash money. It describes actual flows of monies between actors and through popular economic institutions which are embedded in social relations of friendship and kinship, neighbourhood life and socially constructed identities. Building on the anthropological literature that seeks to show how money flows carry meaning as well as having function, it inquires into the meanings such flows of money - between popular institutions and social groups and across social classes - have for a range of differently situated participants in the popular economies. It explores the ways in which institutions and practices within the popular economies are deployed by actors and groups so as to direct flows of monies into certain social networks and relationships while redirecting it away from others, highlighting the agency of actors and groups in relation to their position in the local and larger political economy. Employing elements of practice theory, as well as perspectives from both political economy and cultural economy approaches to everyday life, the thesis offers arguments about power, identity, agency and state sovereignty in the context of the history of Black Johannesburg under apartheid and makes a contribution to our understanding of the material and symbolic structures of everyday life in contemporary Soweto and Johannesburg.

Atualmente a visão sistêmica na compreensão dos problemas tem sido uma poderosa ferramenta e esta Dissertação aplicou estes conhecimentos aliados à economia de água, fonte de várias pesquisas atuais devido à preocupação deste bem cada vez mais escasso. O objetivo deste trabalho foi a compreensão dos fenômenos hidráulicos em bacias sanitárias, utilizando-se o modelo proposto por Mendes, envolvendo várias áreas da engenharia: perdas de cargas em tubulações, verificações de Normas Brasileiras de produtos e sistemas prediais, aplicações de Quantidade de Movimento, estudos de jatos utilizando-se a teoria de Abramovich e o efeito Splash e as respectivas utilizações destas ferramentas nas análises do desempenho do sistema hidrossanitário. A sugestão da obtenção de informações através do hidrograma de saída da bacia sanitária estudada permitiu, utilizando-se um reservatório de descarga graduado, a variação do nível e, consequentemente, informações hidráulicas relevantes: duração da descarga, volume consumido, a força de arraste induzida pelo escoamento ( ação motriz da remoção dos sólidos) e as máxima e mínima tensões de cisalhamento. A performance do equipamento estudado foi obtida devido a vários fatores, entre eles: o formato tronco-cônico com escoamento helicoidal interno às paredes do equipamento e o sifão trompa que difere dos sistemas atuais por permitir uma menor perda de energia quando do transporte de sólidos. O modelo estudado apresentou resultados que, apesar de permitir melhoramentos, são otimistas quanto ao volume consumido (4 litros), além do fato de evitar o desconforto (dentro dos parâmetros estabelecidos) do efeito Splash aos usuários quando do ato de defecar e a remoção (simulada em softwares) dos resíduos no ramal de saída. A principal conclusão deste trabalho é que as melhorias de desempenho em bacias sanitárias necessariamente passam pelo bom uso da Mecânica dos Fluidos e da Hidráulica. / Currently, the systematic approach of problems comprehension has been a powerful tool. This knowledge was used on the present work, as well as information about water saving, subject of a lot of nowadays researches, considering the concern about this natural resource (water), scarcer with each passing day. The purpose of this work was to understand the hydraulic phenomena at sanitary basins, using the model considered by Mendes, relating several engineering areas: load loss on tubings, verifications of Brazilian Norms about building products and systems, applications of motion quantity measuring, jets studies under the Abramovich theory, the \"Splash\" effect and the respective uses of these tools on the performance analysis of the hydro-sanitary system. The suggestion of the information attainment through the exit hydrogram of the studied sanitary basin allowed, by using a graduated water flush reservoir, the level variation and, consequently, relevant hydraulic information: flush duration, volume of water consumed, drag force induced by drainage and the maximum and minimum shear tensions. The performance of the studied equipment was obtained because of several factors, such as: truncated cone format with helical drainage internal to the equipment walls and the siphon tube that differs from the current ones, because it allows a smaller energy loss when transporting the solids. The studied model has presented results that, despiste possible improvements, are optimistic about the volume of water consumed (4 liters), beyond the fact that prevents the discomfort of the \"Splash\" effect on the users (according to the established parameters) and facilitates the residues removal (simulated by softwares) from the exit branch. The main conclusion of this work is that the performance improvements on sanitary basins are essentially related to good use of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics.

Orientador: Pedro Magalhães Sobrinho / Resumo: A pesquisa desenvolvida visa a otimização do consumo de energia elétrica de torres de resfriamento a parir do controle de acionamento dos respectivos ventiladores e bombas de circulação, além da melhoria na instrução de trabalho dos operadores, os quais frequentemente são responsáveis pela gestão da temperatura e geralmente utilizam meios manuais para manter o processo estável. O método empregado consiste em avaliar três cenários com uma equipe multidisciplinar e, respeitando a limitação técnica e o ponto de vista de cada uma das áreas, desenvolver, validar e implementar soluções de eficiência energética e térmica de rápida configuração e com retornos mensuráveis. As alterações nas construções mecânicas dos equipamentos não são consideradas e as soluções propostas têm a automação e alteração nas instruções de operação como fontes de melhoria. O requisito básico para a implementação do método é a existência de um sistema de automação, nos casos avaliados, um Sistema Digital de Controle Distribuído (SDCD), os quais contemplam os sinais de instrumentos de medição instalados em campo e realizam o acionamento dos ventiladores e bombas nos modos manual e automático. Os resultados obtidos são controles eficientes para utilização dos ventiladores e bombas de circulação, levando em conta a possibilidade de economia de energia elétrica, diminuição das chances de um eventual desgaste mecânico natural e estabelecimento mais preciso das temperaturas de processo. Os resultados alcançados e... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The developed research aims electrical energy’s consumption optimization on cooling towers through fans and circulation pumps actuating controls, besides improvements on operators instructions forms that are the responsibles for temperature management and frequently use manual mode to keep the process estability. The used method consists in a multidisciplinar team assessment in three scenarios and, based on each area technical’s limitation, develop, validate and implement themal and energy eficient solutions with fast implementation and measurable results. It was not evaluated equipment’s mechanical improvement and the expected proposal were based on automation and operators instructions. The basic requirements for the method was the existance of a DCS (Distributed Control System) that was already in place in the evaluated scenarios. The DCS already manages the measurements from the installed instruments and acts fans and circulating pumps in manual and automatic mode. As results, it was developed eficient controls on fans and circulating pumps, electrical energy savings, reducing chances of natural mechanical detrition and optimize the process’ temperatures. The results evaluated on energy efficiency were promising without operation losses, saving up to 50% on fans usage and in extreme cases, avoiding the usage of circulating pumps. The implemented proposals had a low cost investment and relevant results where payback was less than one month. / Mestre

Dans les économies modernes, le vieillissement démographique, l’arrivée à la retraite des générationsdu Baby-Boom et les difficultés financières actuelles et à venir des régimes de retraite par répartition qui enrésultent laissent envisager que les ménages seront davantage amenés à épargner pour la retraite dans lecadre professionnel et non professionnel.Cette thèse propose une réflexion théorique et empirique sur la contractualisation de l’épargne retraite àtravers les plans d’épargne retraite en dehors des systèmes publics de protection sociale. Cette réflexion estmenée sur deux fronts. Dans un premier temps, nous faisons la lumière sur l’importance des plans d’épargneretraite tels qu’ils existent dans les systèmes de retraites en France et aux Etats-Unis, démontrons leur rôledans la gestion des ressources humaines des entreprises et leur intérêt dans les stratégies d’accumulationd’épargne en vue de la retraite des ménages. L’existence de l’épargne retraite par capitalisation est biensouvent admise comme une situation de fait, cette première partie de la thèse permet de fournir lesarguments micro-économiques qui justifient le recours aux plans d’épargne retraite dans la planification de laretraite. Toutefois, le développement de la contractualisation de l’épargne retraite fait apparaître de nombreuxrisques pour les épargnants, et nous proposons dans un second temps de les identifier. Parmi ces risques,le sous provisionnement en présence d’un objectif de rentes pour les épargnants et la faillite des entreprisesou des institutions financières qui offrent des plans d’épargne retraite sont parmi les plus importants. Malgréla création des agences de garantie des pensions de retraite, l’occurrence de ces risques se traduit pardes pertes substantielles de ressources pour les épargnants. Dans une seconde partie de la thèse, notreréflexion nous conduit à proposer des solutions permettant de sécuriser l’épargne retraite. / Modern economies are increasingly facing a population ageing, the massive retirement of post WorldWar II generations and resulting financial distress of their Pay-As-You-Go pension schemes. These challengesraise the need to rely more on pension saving either on an occupational or an individual basis.In this study, we conduct several theoretical and empirical investigations on pension plans as a contractualsaving vehicle for retirement, and follow two main directions. On the one hand, we shed light on theimportance of pension plans in the French and American retirement systems, demonstrate the role ofpension plans in the firms’ management of human resources and the use of pension plans in households’wealth accumulation strategies. This first part of our studies offers microeconomic insights in theusefulness of pension plans in retirement planning. However, the expansion of pension plans raises newchallenges in terms of retirement income security. Among risks that may result in income shortfalls forretirees, underfunding (whenever a certain level of income is guaranteed to retirees) and sponsoring ormanagement firms’ bankruptcy are the most important one. In spite of the creation of public entities thatprovide income insurance, plan participants incur a substantial amount of losses in the event of underfundingand bankruptcy. The second part of our contributions offers ways to secure pension benefits with priority rules.

Este estudo analisa a Resposta da Demanda (DR da sigla em inglês para Demand Response) e a Geração Distribuída Fotovoltaica (GDFV), visando o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem para modelá-las como recursos para o planejamento energético. A metodologia inclui o uso de uma prática típica de preço de energia no varejo como a Tarifa pelo Horário de Uso (THU) para DR de consumidores residenciais e o sistema de compensação de energia elétrica (net metering) para a microgeração distribuída provida por sistemas Fotovoltaicos (FV) do tipo rooftop. A metodologia proposta foi aplicada a um estudo de caso com diferentes níveis de DR e/ou GDFV, baseado no IEEE 8500-Node Test Feeder, com uma subestação de distribuição e 1177 consumidores em baixa tensão, utilizando-se o Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS) para a solução do fluxo de potência e a obtenção de dados de demanda, consumo de energia, perdas e tensões. Os níveis mais elevados de DR e GDFV, em dia útil, em um grupo de Consumidores Residenciais Responsivos (CRR) cuja carga representa 26,6% da carga total do circuito de teste, resultaram em 6,3% de redução na demanda de ponta da subestação, 9,6% de redução no consumo diário de energia da subestação e 13,3% de redução nas perdas diárias de energia nas linhas e transformadores, comparando-se com o caso base com a tarifa convencional, sem DR e GDFV, e mantendo-se o consumo diário de energia dos CRR. Uma análise de sensibilidade foi realizada por meio de variações aleatórias nas curvas de carga dos consumidores e, nos cenários aplicáveis, na irradiância no plano inclinado e na temperatura dos conjuntos FV, respeitando uma distribuição normal. O estudo de caso foi complementado com a avaliação das variações na conta de energia de amostras de CRR, cujas maiores reduções, comparando-se com o caso base, foram 36,3% com os níveis mais elevados de DR e GDFV e 37,6% com os níveis mais elevados de GDFV e sem DR, indicando uma situação na qual mudanças regulatórias seriam necessárias para estimular DR e GD simultaneamente, como no caso da THU opcional chamada de tarifa branca no Brasil. A quantificação do potencial de DR e GDFV pode indicar tendências para o planejamento energético, contribuir para planos de eficiência energética e possibilitar a implementação de sistemas modernos e sustentáveis nos quais os consumidores possam participar de forma mais ativa. / This study analyses the Demand Response (DR) and Photovoltaic Distributed Generation (PVDG) for developing an approach to model them as resources for energy planning. The methodology includes the use of a typical retail pricing practice such as the Time-of-Use Tariff (TOU) for residential consumers\' DR and net metering for distributed micro-generation provided by rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) systems. The proposed methodology was applied to a case study with different levels of DR and/or PVDG, based on the IEEE 8500-Node Test Feeder, with a distribution substation and 1177 low-voltage consumers, using the Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS) to obtain the power flow solution and demand, energy consumption, losses and voltages data. The highest levels of DR and PVDG on weekday in a group of Responsive Residential Consumers (RRC) whose load represents 26.6% of the total load in the test circuit resulted in 6.3% reduction in the substation peak demand, 9.6% reduction in the substation daily energy consumption and 13.3% reduction in the daily energy losses in lines and transformers, compared to the base case with flat tariff, without DR and PVDG, and maintaining the daily energy consumption of RRC. A sensitivity analysis was performed using random variations in load curves and, in the applicable scenarios, in plane-of-array irradiance and PV array temperature curves, using a normal distribution. The case study was complemented with the analysis of energy bill variations of samples of RRC, whose greatest reductions compared to the base case were 36.3% with the highest levels of DR and PVDG and 37.6% with the highest level of PVDG and without DR, indicating a situation in which regulatory changes would be necessary to stimulate DR simultaneously with PVDG, such as in the case of the optional TOU called white tariff in Brazil. The quantification of DR and PVDG potential can show trends to energy planning, contributes to energy efficiency plans and enables the implementation of modern and sustainable systems in which end users can participate more actively.

Submitted by Kamila Costa (kamilavasconceloscosta@gmail.com) on 2015-06-11T20:40:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação-Wesllen S Lima.pdf: 2617450 bytes, checksum: 12694bdd075a47f1778193c5500476be (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2015-06-15T18:09:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação-Wesllen S Lima.pdf: 2617450 bytes, checksum: 12694bdd075a47f1778193c5500476be (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2015-06-15T18:10:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação-Wesllen S Lima.pdf: 2617450 bytes, checksum: 12694bdd075a47f1778193c5500476be (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-15T18:10:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação-Wesllen S Lima.pdf: 2617450 bytes, checksum: 12694bdd075a47f1778193c5500476be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-05 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In recent years, power consumption has gradually increased in all sectors, especially in residential areas. This increase is mainly due to the emergence of new electrical appliances, for this reason, several solutions have been proposed by government and industry in order to minimize the energy consumption in homes. Among the proposed approaches, people's awareness, use of renewable energy sources and the creation of intelligent devices are highlighted . In addition, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in smart environments has been seen as an interesting alternative to deal with this problem. The idea is that the residences are instrumented with sensors and actuators in order to monitor people activities and, thereby, manage the power consumption based on their habits. In this context, this work proposes and validates a method to save energy through user activities in an intelligent environment using artificial intelligence techniques. The goal is to identify the devices related to user activities and make recommendations during their execution, avoiding waste. The proposed method, called AAEC (Activity-Appliance-Energy Consumption), is able to analyze a set of data collected from sensors available in the environment, after it recognizes user activities and recommends actions aimed at cost containment. Tests on a real database shown that the proposed method is able to save up to 35% of electricity. In general, the inclusion of AAEC method was a good solution to help people save energy without effort on individual behavior changes, contributing to the conscious use of energy and to the development of a sustainable society. / Nos últimos anos, o consumo de energia elétrica tem aumentado gradativamente em todos os setores, especialmente em ambientes residenciais. Esse aumento ocorre, principalmente, devido ao surgimento de novos aparelhos elétricos. Por este motivo, várias soluções têm sido propostas pelo governo e pela indústria na tentativa de minimizar o consumo de energia elétrica em residências. Dentre as abordagens propostas, destacam-se a conscientização das pessoas, uso de fontes de energia renováveis e a criação de aparelhos inteligentes. Além disso, o uso de Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TICs) em ambientes inteligentes tem sido visto como uma alternativa interessante para lidar com este problema. A ideia é que as residências sejam instrumentadas com sensores e atuadores com objetivo de monitorar as atividades das pessoas e, por meio disso, gerenciar o consumo de energia elétrica com base nos seus hábitos. Nesse contexto, este trabalho propõe e valida um método capaz de economizar energia com base nas atividades dos usuários em um ambiente inteligente utilizando técnicas de inteligência artificial. O objetivo é identificar os aparelhos relacionados às atividades dos usuários e fazer recomendações ao longo da execução dessas atividades, evitando tais desperdícios. O método proposto, denominado de AAEC (Activity-Appliance-Energy Consumption), é capaz de analisar um conjunto de dados coletados pelos sensores disponíveis no ambiente, reconhecer automaticamente as atividades dos usuários e recomendar ações que visam a contenção de gastos. Testes feitos com uma base de dados real mostram que o método proposto é capaz de economizar até 35% de energia elétrica. De maneira geral, a inclusão do método AAEC se mostrou uma boa solução para auxiliar as pessoas a poupar energia sem que haja esforço na mudança de comportamento do indivíduo, contribuindo para o uso consciente de energia e no desenvolvimento de uma sociedade sustentável.

Este estudo analisa a Resposta da Demanda (DR da sigla em inglês para Demand Response) e a Geração Distribuída Fotovoltaica (GDFV), visando o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem para modelá-las como recursos para o planejamento energético. A metodologia inclui o uso de uma prática típica de preço de energia no varejo como a Tarifa pelo Horário de Uso (THU) para DR de consumidores residenciais e o sistema de compensação de energia elétrica (net metering) para a microgeração distribuída provida por sistemas Fotovoltaicos (FV) do tipo rooftop. A metodologia proposta foi aplicada a um estudo de caso com diferentes níveis de DR e/ou GDFV, baseado no IEEE 8500-Node Test Feeder, com uma subestação de distribuição e 1177 consumidores em baixa tensão, utilizando-se o Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS) para a solução do fluxo de potência e a obtenção de dados de demanda, consumo de energia, perdas e tensões. Os níveis mais elevados de DR e GDFV, em dia útil, em um grupo de Consumidores Residenciais Responsivos (CRR) cuja carga representa 26,6% da carga total do circuito de teste, resultaram em 6,3% de redução na demanda de ponta da subestação, 9,6% de redução no consumo diário de energia da subestação e 13,3% de redução nas perdas diárias de energia nas linhas e transformadores, comparando-se com o caso base com a tarifa convencional, sem DR e GDFV, e mantendo-se o consumo diário de energia dos CRR. Uma análise de sensibilidade foi realizada por meio de variações aleatórias nas curvas de carga dos consumidores e, nos cenários aplicáveis, na irradiância no plano inclinado e na temperatura dos conjuntos FV, respeitando uma distribuição normal. O estudo de caso foi complementado com a avaliação das variações na conta de energia de amostras de CRR, cujas maiores reduções, comparando-se com o caso base, foram 36,3% com os níveis mais elevados de DR e GDFV e 37,6% com os níveis mais elevados de GDFV e sem DR, indicando uma situação na qual mudanças regulatórias seriam necessárias para estimular DR e GD simultaneamente, como no caso da THU opcional chamada de tarifa branca no Brasil. A quantificação do potencial de DR e GDFV pode indicar tendências para o planejamento energético, contribuir para planos de eficiência energética e possibilitar a implementação de sistemas modernos e sustentáveis nos quais os consumidores possam participar de forma mais ativa. / This study analyses the Demand Response (DR) and Photovoltaic Distributed Generation (PVDG) for developing an approach to model them as resources for energy planning. The methodology includes the use of a typical retail pricing practice such as the Time-of-Use Tariff (TOU) for residential consumers\' DR and net metering for distributed micro-generation provided by rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) systems. The proposed methodology was applied to a case study with different levels of DR and/or PVDG, based on the IEEE 8500-Node Test Feeder, with a distribution substation and 1177 low-voltage consumers, using the Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS) to obtain the power flow solution and demand, energy consumption, losses and voltages data. The highest levels of DR and PVDG on weekday in a group of Responsive Residential Consumers (RRC) whose load represents 26.6% of the total load in the test circuit resulted in 6.3% reduction in the substation peak demand, 9.6% reduction in the substation daily energy consumption and 13.3% reduction in the daily energy losses in lines and transformers, compared to the base case with flat tariff, without DR and PVDG, and maintaining the daily energy consumption of RRC. A sensitivity analysis was performed using random variations in load curves and, in the applicable scenarios, in plane-of-array irradiance and PV array temperature curves, using a normal distribution. The case study was complemented with the analysis of energy bill variations of samples of RRC, whose greatest reductions compared to the base case were 36.3% with the highest levels of DR and PVDG and 37.6% with the highest level of PVDG and without DR, indicating a situation in which regulatory changes would be necessary to stimulate DR simultaneously with PVDG, such as in the case of the optional TOU called white tariff in Brazil. The quantification of DR and PVDG potential can show trends to energy planning, contributes to energy efficiency plans and enables the implementation of modern and sustainable systems in which end users can participate more actively.