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Sample records for condominium homeowner associations

  1. TRIP RATES FOR CONDOMINIUM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wirach Hirun

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The number of large scale condominium construction projects had dramatically increased in Bangkok. Many projects had occurred in either densely populated areas or in central business districts, where traffic conditions were usually highly congested. To prevent traffic problems, a traffic impact study must be prepared and submitted for review by concerned public authorities. Unit trip generation rates were important data in traffic impact analysis. Without accurate unit trip generation rates, public agencies could not obtain accurate information on the traffic that will be generated. This study aimed to study trip rates and the factors affecting them for condominium construction project in Bangkok. The data were collected from 30 condominium construction sites located in 15 districts of Bangkok. The analysis used the linear regression method and was divided into three cases: 1 trip rates for all vehicles, 2 trip rates for classified vehicles, and 3 trip rates for all types of condominium. All case analyses considered weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday. The results found that trip rates related to the number of dwellings in the condominium. The trip rates for all vehicle types on weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday were 10.636, 4.647, and 9.294 vehicles per 100 dwelling units per day respectively. The trip rates for six-wheeled and ten-wheeled trucks on weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday were 2.046, 0.975, and 0.575 vehicles per 100 dwelling units per day respectively. The trip rate for four-wheeled trucks and passenger cars on weekdays was 1.960. Regarding condominium types, the trip rate for low rise condominiums for all vehicle types on weekdays was 5.315 while the trip rates for high rise condominiums for weekdays, Saturday, and Sunday were 3.965, 2.667, and 1.261 respectively.

  2. Social Aspects Of Managing Homeowner Associations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Szczepańska Magdalena

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The article calls attention to homeowners associations (HOAs, which are becoming the dominant organizational form of housing development. It focuses on managing HOAs, especially on the social aspects and determinants of the process. The author claims that in order to understand how HOAs function, it is absolutely crucial to take social aspects under consideration. The members’ involvement, relations between the tenants and cultural norms influence the effectiveness of collective action. Those issues are especially important for professional property managers. The aim of the article is to present social aspects of managing HOAs in Poland.

  3. 24 CFR 206.51 - Eligibility of mortgages involving a dwelling unit in a condominium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... a dwelling unit in a condominium. 206.51 Section 206.51 Housing and Urban Development Regulations...; Endorsement Eligible Properties § 206.51 Eligibility of mortgages involving a dwelling unit in a condominium. If the mortgage involves a dwelling unit in a condominium, the project in which the unit is located...

  4. VIABILITY OF PRECIPITATION FREQUENCY USE FOR RESERVOIR SIZING IN CONDOMINIUMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Yruska de Lucena Gomes Braga

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The increase of house condominiums in the Brazilian cities is gradually increasing due to problems concerning traffic tie-up, air pollution level, amongst others. In these condominiums, large green areas for leisure, comfort and better life quality for the joint owners are reserved. The large house gardens need hard maintenance, which raises the water demand in the condominiums. The use of the rainwater is an alternative that could be used in Brazil and other countries to minimize the use of potable water in nonpotable water needs, such as car wash, garden irrigation, etc. This paper evaluates the precipitation in João Pessoa city (capital of Paraíba state, Brazil, according to the frequency analysis and significance test. Thus, it was applied a robust tool to analyze signal frequency, named wavelet transform, which is appropriated to analyze irregular events and non-stationary series. It was analyzed two precipitation series of João Pessoa city, 1937–1970 and 1980–1996, when it was observed a significant annual signal at level 10%, which revealed the existence of an annual rainy season, which is very convenient for the water storage for further using during the dry season. Finally, the reservoir is an important item in the rainwater system and it has to be correctly design in order to make the system economically practicable. The Rippl method was used for the reservoir sizing analysis.

  5. VIABILITY OF PRECIPITATION FREQUENCY USE FOR RESERVOIR SIZING IN CONDOMINIUMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Yruska L.G. Braga

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The increase of house condominiums in the Brazilian cities is gradually increasing due to problems concerning traffic tie-up, air pollution level, amongst others. In these condominiums, large green areas for leisure, comfort and better life quality for the joint owners are reserved. The large house gardens need hard maintenance, which raises the water demand in the condominiums. The use of the rainwater is an alternative that could be used in Brazil and other countries to minimize the use of potable water in nonpotable water needs, such as car wash, garden irrigation, etc. This paper evaluates the precipitation in João Pessoa city (capital of Paraíba state, Brazil, according to the frequency analysis and significance test. Thus, it was applied a robust tool to analyze signal frequency, named wavelet transform, which is appropriated to analyze irregular events and non-stationary series. It was analyzed two precipitation series of João Pessoa city, 1937-1970 and 1980-1996, when it was observed a significant annual signal at level 10%, which revealed the existence of an annual rainy season, which is very convenient for the water storage for further using during the dry season. Finally, the reservoir is an important item in the rainwater system and it has to be correctly design in order to make the system economically practicable. The Rippl method was used for the reservoir sizing analysis.

  6. Homeowner Associations as a Vehicle for Promoting Native Urban Biodiversity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susannah B. Lerman

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The loss of habitat due to suburban and urban development represents one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Conservation developments have emerged as a key player for reconciling new ex-urban residential development with ecosystem services. However, as more than half of the world population lives in urban and suburban developments, identifying conservation partners to facilitate retrofitting existing residential neighborhoods becomes paramount. Homeowner associations (HOA manage a significant proportion of residential developments in the United States, which includes the landscape design for yards and gardens. These areas have the potential to mitigate the loss of urban biodiversity when they provide habitat for native wildlife. Therefore, the conditions and restrictions imposed upon the homeowner by the HOA could have profound effects on the local wildlife habitat. We explored the potential of HOAs to promote conservation by synthesizing research from three monitoring programs from Phoenix, Arizona. We compared native bird diversity, arthropod diversity, and plant diversity between neighborhoods with and without a HOA. Neighborhoods belonging to HOAs had significantly greater bird and plant diversity, although insect diversity did not differ. The institutional framework structuring HOAs, including sanctions for enforcement coupled with a predictable maintenance regime that introduces regular disturbance, might explain why neighborhoods with a HOA had greater bird diversity. For neighborhoods with a HOA, we analyzed landscape form and management practices. We linked these features with ecological function and suggested how to modify management practices by adopting strategies from the Sustainable Sites Initiative, an international sustainable landscaping program, to help support biodiversity in current and future residential landscapes.

  7. Mitigation of wildfire risk by homeowners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannah Brenkert; Patricia Champ; Nicholas Flores

    2005-01-01

    In-depth interviews conducted with homeowners in Larimer County's Wildland-Urban Interface revealed that homeowners face difficult decisions regarding the implementation of wildfire mitigation measures. Perceptions of wildfire mitigation options may be as important as perceptions of wildfire risk in determining likelihood of implementation. These mitigation...

  8. Does Accessibility to the Central Business District (CBD Have an Impact on High-Rise Condominium Price Gradient in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dziauddin Mohd Faris

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper uses a spatial econometric method known as Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR to investigate the impact of accessibility to the CBD on the high-rise condominium price gradient in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Using a GWR method, after having controlled other factors, this study clearly reveal the impact of accessibility to the CBD on high-rise condominium varying prices across the study area, having a much larger positive impact in some areas but less and counterintuitive impact in others. In general, the results from this study show accessibility to the CBD measured by the travel times does affect high-rise condominium prices (high-rise condominium prices decrease as travel times to the CBD increase in most part of the areas, hence proved Alonso, Muth and Mills were still right.

  9. Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Akademigatan 1, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-02-15

    Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Oestersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey. (author)

  10. Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif

    2009-01-01

    Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Ostersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey

  11. Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Akademigatan 1, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-02-15

    Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Oestersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey. (author)

  12. DAYLIGHTING AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF POST MILLENIUM CONDOMINIUMS IN SINGAPORE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uma Maheswaran

    2007-03-01

    habitable spaces in their residence. This paper is an attempt to discuss a few examples of condominiums around the western part of Singapore as a means of discussing the emerging design trends as well as to discuss the performance aspects of the design solutions in terms of day lighting and energy consumption.

  13. Solar Energy Systems for Ohioan Residential Homeowners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luckett, Rickey D.

    Dwindling nonrenewable energy resources and rising energy costs have forced the United States to develop alternative renewable energy sources. The United States' solar energy industry has seen an upsurge in recent years, and photovoltaic holds considerable promise as a renewable energy technology. The purpose of this case study was to explore homeowner's awareness of the benefits of solar energy. Disruptive-innovation theory was used to explore marketing strategies for conveying information to homeowners about access to new solar energy products and services. Twenty residential homeowners were interviewed face-to-face to explore (a) perceived benefits of solar energy in their county in Ohio, and (b) perceptions on the rationale behind the marketing strategy of solar energy systems sold for residential use. The study findings used inductive analyses and coding interpretation to explore the participants' responses that revealed 3 themes: the existence of environmental benefits for using solar energy systems, the expensive cost of equipment associated with government incentives, and the lack of marketing information that is available for consumer use. The implications for positive social change include the potential to enable corporate leaders, small business owners, and entrepreneurs to develop marketing strategies for renewable energy systems. These strategies may promote use of solar energy systems as a clean, renewable, and affordable alternative electricity energy source for the 21st century.

  14. Success for energy efficient renovation of dwellings—Learning from private homeowners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Risholt, Birgit; Berker, Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Large scale energy efficient renovation of buildings is one of the most important tools to realize the society's need of a more sustainable building stock. Most Norwegians own their own homes. Therefore private homeowners are a focus group for the government urging to accelerate the dwelling energy efficiency rates. Success factors were identified in the in-depth study of the decision process of eleven homeowners. Large differences in energy use due to the building's condition and the occupants' behavior was encountered in the sample. Only homeowners who were conscious consumers and did not trust expert advice or that had special knowledge due to their professions succeeded in realizing energy efficiency by renovation. Lack of knowledge, bad advice from craftsmen or priority to work that they can do themselves stopped other homeowners from implementing energy efficiency. Increased knowledge on all the gains from energy efficiency, the availability of attractive products and services as well as easy access to reliable advice on the better renovation solutions have a large potential to get more homeowners to make energy efficient choices in the process of renovation. Coordination of more of policy strategies including specific information and incentives are needed to facilitate this. - Highlights: • Private homeowners are a key group to increase the dwelling energy efficiency rates. • The annual energy use varies from 103 kW h/m 2 to 240 kW h/m 2 in similar dwellings. • Homeowners that are conscious consumers or have knowledge succeed in saving energy. • Access to relevant and reliable advice can get homeowners to realize energy savings. • Craftsmen could be mediators between available products and the specific building

  15. Swedish energy advisers' perceptions regarding and suggestions for fulfilling homeowner expectations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Nair, Gireesh [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Linnaeus University, SE-35195 Vaexjoe (Sweden)

    2011-07-15

    Municipality energy advice services were re-introduced in Sweden in 1998 as a way of advising end-users, mainly owners of detached houses, on energy issues. In this paper, we investigate Swedish energy advisers' perceptions of homeowners' awareness of the energy advice service and their perceived ability to fulfil homeowners' expectations. Our study is based on a mail-in questionnaire survey conducted in 2009 and distributed to municipality energy advisers in all municipalities in Sweden. About 66% of the energy advisers responded. The results show that 43% of the energy advisers thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service and that mass media advertisements and presentations at different organisations could improve homeowner awareness. Energy adviser attitudes, job satisfaction, and the perception that the advisers possessed up-to-date and good knowledge and sufficient financial resources to execute their duties had a significant influence on their perceived ability to fulfil homeowner expectations. Increased training in technical aspects of energy measures and increased financial support were the two measures most widely suggested as a means to improve energy advisers' performance. - Highlights: > Survey of Swedish energy advisers about their perceptions of energy advice service. > 43% of the respondents thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service. > About half of the respondents reported that they were able to fulfil homeowners' expectations. > More training and financial support were two widely suggested means to improve advisers' performance.

  16. Swedish energy advisers' perceptions regarding and suggestions for fulfilling homeowner expectations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif

    2011-01-01

    Municipality energy advice services were re-introduced in Sweden in 1998 as a way of advising end-users, mainly owners of detached houses, on energy issues. In this paper, we investigate Swedish energy advisers' perceptions of homeowners' awareness of the energy advice service and their perceived ability to fulfil homeowners' expectations. Our study is based on a mail-in questionnaire survey conducted in 2009 and distributed to municipality energy advisers in all municipalities in Sweden. About 66% of the energy advisers responded. The results show that 43% of the energy advisers thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service and that mass media advertisements and presentations at different organisations could improve homeowner awareness. Energy adviser attitudes, job satisfaction, and the perception that the advisers possessed up-to-date and good knowledge and sufficient financial resources to execute their duties had a significant influence on their perceived ability to fulfil homeowner expectations. Increased training in technical aspects of energy measures and increased financial support were the two measures most widely suggested as a means to improve energy advisers' performance. - Highlights: → Survey of Swedish energy advisers about their perceptions of energy advice service. → 43% of the respondents thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service. → About half of the respondents reported that they were able to fulfil homeowners' expectations. → More training and financial support were two widely suggested means to improve advisers' performance.

  17. Swedish energy advisers' perceptions regarding and suggestions for fulfilling homeowner expectations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna, E-mail: krushna.mahapatra@miun.se [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Nair, Gireesh, E-mail: gireesh.nair@miun.se [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Gustavsson, Leif, E-mail: leif.gustavsson@miun.se [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Linnaeus University, SE-35195 Vaexjoe (Sweden)

    2011-07-15

    Municipality energy advice services were re-introduced in Sweden in 1998 as a way of advising end-users, mainly owners of detached houses, on energy issues. In this paper, we investigate Swedish energy advisers' perceptions of homeowners' awareness of the energy advice service and their perceived ability to fulfil homeowners' expectations. Our study is based on a mail-in questionnaire survey conducted in 2009 and distributed to municipality energy advisers in all municipalities in Sweden. About 66% of the energy advisers responded. The results show that 43% of the energy advisers thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service and that mass media advertisements and presentations at different organisations could improve homeowner awareness. Energy adviser attitudes, job satisfaction, and the perception that the advisers possessed up-to-date and good knowledge and sufficient financial resources to execute their duties had a significant influence on their perceived ability to fulfil homeowner expectations. Increased training in technical aspects of energy measures and increased financial support were the two measures most widely suggested as a means to improve energy advisers' performance. - Highlights: > Survey of Swedish energy advisers about their perceptions of energy advice service. > 43% of the respondents thought that fewer than 50% of the homeowners were aware of the service. > About half of the respondents reported that they were able to fulfil homeowners' expectations. > More training and financial support were two widely suggested means to improve advisers' performance.

  18. 24 CFR 206.131 - Contract rights and obligations for mortgages on individual dwelling units in a condominium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Contract rights and obligations for... MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations Condominiums § 206.131 Contract rights and obligations...] Termination of Insurance Contract ...

  19. Repairing Walls & Floors: How To's for the Handy Homeowner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2006-01-09

    This brochure provides handy homeowners with tips on how to properly repair walls and floors in their homes that sustained damage during a hurricane. This publications is a part of the How To's for the Handy Homeowner Series.

  20. Identification of key parameters determining Danish homeowners' willingness and motivation for energy renovations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Andrea; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2016-01-01

    that the average Danish single-family house owner can be motivated by improvements in comfort, indoor environment and architecture combined with a reasonable economy. The objective of this paper is, based on the motivation survey results, to determine if all homeowners can be assumed as one homogeneous group...... or if there are significant differences among the homeowners, what causes these differences and how does this affect the future motivation strategy. The key parameters for if and how the homeowner can be motivated are related to the homeowner’s position in life: age, children’s’ age, time of ownership, occupation and income....... Furthermore, the results conclude that the homeowners cannot be assumed as one group, but must be seen as individuals. Those who are most likely to be motivated to perform an energy renovation are the younger generation of homeowners. The older generation will be harder to motivate, but results nonetheless...

  1. Adoption of energy efficiency measures in Swedish detached houses - perception of homeowners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif; Mahapatra, Krushna [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden Univ., Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-07-01

    The paper focuses on Swedish homeowners' need for and perceptions about adopting building envelop energy efficiency measures. The results of a questionnaire surveying of 3000 randomly selected homeowners during the summer of 2008 showed that 70-90% of the respondents had no intention of adopting such a measure over the next 10 years. The main reasons for non-adoption were that homeowners were satisfied with the physical condition, thermal performance, and aesthetics of their existing building envelope components. A greater proportion of respondents perceived that improved attic insulation has more advantages than energy efficient windows and improved wall insulation, but windows were more likely to be installed than improved attic insulation. Respondents gave high priority to economic factors in deciding on an energy efficiency measure. Hence, economic incentives could be used to increase the adoption of such measures. Interpersonal sources, construction companies, installers, and energy advisers were important sources of information for homeowners as they planned to adopt energy efficiency measures

  2. Homeowner attitudes and practices towards residential landscape management in Ohio, USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaine, Thomas W; Clayton, Susan; Robbins, Paul; Grewal, Parwinder S

    2012-08-01

    This study describes the results of a survey of 432 homeowners in Ohio, USA concerning their perceptions and practices regarding management of residential landscapes. The results reveal that outdoor residential environments are extremely important to homeowners, who tend to view their yards as serving multiple functions: a place to observe nature and to socialize as well as a place of beauty and recreation. Use of a lawn care company to apply chemicals is reported by 22 % of respondents, while 40 % either apply chemicals themselves or have someone other than a lawn care company do it. Logistic regressions reveal that factors influencing a homeowner's decision to employ a lawn care company or to apply chemicals themselves include: household income (+), perceived impacts on the environment (-), whether the next door neighbor does it (+), and type of residential environment (rural -, suburban and urban +). A theme that emerges throughout the study is the perceived importance of the role of the lawn in residents' sense of social status or acceptance in the neighborhood. This perception can be viewed as a positive in ensuring that residential environments are well maintained, but also as a negative resulting in environmental degradation or presenting a barrier to creativity in the development of alternative residential environments. Specific policy implications of these findings are that efforts aimed at educating homeowners about the environmental impacts of their lawn care choices are likely to have more success if they are directed at neighborhood groups rather than individuals, show that alternatives are easy to adopt, affordable, and can produce the characteristics of lawns that homeowners seek.

  3. The UK homeowner-retrofitter as an innovator in a socio-technical system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galvin, Ray; Sunikka-Blank, Minna

    2014-01-01

    Policy on domestic thermal retrofits is usually designed as a top-down enterprise, setting standards and inducing homeowners to retrofit accordingly. Its underlying assumption is that correct retrofit technology is developed by experts and comes down through supply chains to households, who apply it as designed to their properties. However, this model is challenged by the insight from socio-technical systems studies (STST) that technology and society mutually form and influence each other at every level of society. Using this conceptual framework, this study investigated whether innovations are happening among retrofitting households, and what support these have for diffusion upwards into supply chains and outwards to other households. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews among homeowner-retrofitters plus building professionals and citizens' initiatives which support these, in Cambridge, UK. Local innovation was found in the development of new retrofit technology and novel reconfiguring of existing solutions. Much of this was triggered by clashes between standard retrofit solutions and heritage or aesthetic values, economic necessity, or building professionals' lack of knowledge or experience. The findings suggest that instead of treating homeowners as passive recipients, UK thermal retrofit policy should broaden to identify useful innovations developed by homeowners and support them where appropriate. - Highlights: • Technology and innovations for thermal retrofitting are usually seen as top-down. • A socio-technical systems approach reveals a more active role of homeowners. • Interviews show them as innovators, inventors and teachers of retrofit technique. • Policy needs to identify, assess and disseminate appropriate innovations

  4. Sense of community and homeowner participation in housing management: A study of Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yung Yau

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Lack of homeowner participation in housing management (free riding has rendered the management of many apartment buildings in Hong Kong ineffective. Proper apartment-building management depends on the voluntary contributions of individual homeowners. Individual homeowners are likely to free-ride on the management efforts of others because they consider the benefits of good housing management to be common goods. Apart from incentives such as subsidies offered by public entities and stricter law enforcement against homeowners that neglect building care, researchers have claimed that communitarian solutions may also work to tackle housing-management problems. In particular, there has been growing interest in the use of social capital, which is regarded as an asset of trust, reciprocity and cooperation, to foster a participatory culture among individual property owners. Empirical study of whether social capital plays a necessary role in housing management has been lacking. This study examines the linkage between social capital and homeowner participation in housing management in Hong Kong. The findings of this study have significant policy and practical implications. In addition to financial incentives or disincentives, public administrators can work to build a sense of community to achieve sustainable management of the existing housing stock in Hong Kong.

  5. The social costs of homeowner decisions in fire-prone communities: information, insurance, and amenities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwenlyn Busby; Gregory S. Amacher; Robert G. Haight

    2013-01-01

    In this article, we consider wildfire risk management decisions using a dynamic stochastic model of homeowner interaction in a setting where spatial externalities arise. Our central objective is to apply observations from the social science literature about homeowner preferences to this economic externality problem and determine how assumptions about insurance,...

  6. 76 FR 11946 - Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-04

    ... applications. 2700.305 Conditions of insurance. 2700.310 Fees. 2700.315 Insurance premium. 2700.320 Servicing... 12 CFR 226.4, a section in Regulation Z of the Federal Reserve System's regulations on Truth in... cumulative annual adjusted gross income of the homeowner, co-makers, and co-signers on the note secured by...

  7. Would-Be Solar Electric Homeowners Sought For Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation are seeking homeowners interested in becoming part of a market assessment project to evaluate the potential market for rooftop utilities, will assess the market potential and practicality of home photovoltaic systems. The utilities

  8. Outreach Programs, Peer Pressure, and Common Sense: What Motivates Homeowners to Mitigate Wildfire Risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaffrey, Sarah M.; Stidham, Melanie; Toman, Eric; Shindler, Bruce

    2011-09-01

    In recent years, altered forest conditions, climate change, and the increasing numbers of homes built in fire prone areas has meant that wildfires are affecting more people. An important part of minimizing the potential negative impacts of wildfire is engaging homeowners in mitigating the fire hazard on their land. It is therefore important to understand what makes homeowners more or less willing to take action. The research presented here comes from a study that interviewed a total of 198 homeowners in six communities in the western United States about the activities they had undertaken to mitigate their fire risk, the factors that contributed to their decisions, and their future intentions. The current paper reports on findings from the first half of the longitudinal study, after 3 years we will return to interview the current homeowner on the same properties to assess maintenance actions and facilitating and limiting factors. Overall we found a body of individuals who understand the fire risk, are taking numerous mitigation actions, and think that these actions have reduced their risk. These homeowners typically did not expect the government to do it for them: they wanted information about what to do and, in some cases, assistance with the work, but saw taking care of their property primarily as their responsibility. Responses also show that key information sources and motivating factors vary by location and that it is not inherently necessary to have relationships between community members to create defensible space.

  9. Swedish Homeowners' Attitude towards Water-Based Heating Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gustavsson, L; Mahapatra, K [Mid Sweden Univ., Ecotechnology, SE-831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2008-10-15

    In 2004 and 2007, we conducted questionnaire surveys of 1,500 randomly selected Swedish homeowners of detached houses to understand their attitude towards adopting an innovative heating system (IHS). The results showed that there was no substantial change in homeowners' attitude towards IHSs. More than 80% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Economic aspects and functional reliability were the most important factors in the respondents' choice of heating system while environmental factors were of less importance. Installers were the most frequently consulted source of information on heating systems. Respondents perceived the relative advantage of pellet boilers over oil or electricity-based heating systems, but bedrock heat pump system was ranked higher than pellet heating system in every aspect except for investment cost. Pellet heating system has advantages with respect to investment cost. District heating system was considered as most functionally reliable and automatic. Keywords: Heat sector, socio-economic aspects, market implementation

  10. Application of proactive behavioral techniques for the promotion of solar retrofit in condominiums: the Friars Village case study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mick, C.; Callahan, D.; Garcia, R.; Spielberg, F.; Mick, U.

    1980-05-06

    The purpose of this project was to develop a program for marketing solar technology to the condominium market. As such, it was intended as a pilot study of retrofit solar water heating for multi-family residences. This objective was later expanded into developing a cooperative model with applicability to: residential housing (multi-family and single family high density); commercial buildings; retrofit and new construction; and water and space heating. An experimental program conducted in the Friars Village development in San Diego is described. The program provided residents with a structured approach to a solar analysis. It included: assessment of existing energy use; assessment of local attitudes concerning solar; review of local building codes affecting solar; analysis of the legal documents governing the condominium, selection of solar designers and contractors; solar system design alternatives; financing of systems; and other relevant information. Section II, provides background information on the development of the project and on the study site, Friars Village. Section III describes the original strategy for the project and the steps outlined to accomplish the goals set for the project. Section IV provides documentation for and results of the activities conducted during the course of the project. Section V provides some discussion of the lessons learned from the experience. (MCW)

  11. Homeowner interactions with residential trees in urban areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jana Dilley; Kathleen L. Wolf

    2013-01-01

    Urban forests are a critical element in sustainable urban areas because of the many environmental, economic, and social benefits that city trees provide. In order to increase canopy cover in urban areas, residential homeowners, who collectively own the majority of the land in most cities, need to engage in planting and retaining trees on their properties. This...

  12. Energy Renovations: Volume 14: HVAC - A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilbride, Theresa L.; Baechler, Michael C.; Hefty, Marye G.; Hand, James R.; Love, Pat M.

    2011-08-29

    This report was prepared by PNNL for DOE's Building America program and is intended as a guide that energy performance contractors can share with homeowners to describe various energy-efficient options for heating, cooling, and ventilating existing homes. The report provides descriptions of many common and not-so-common HVAC systems, including their advantages and disadvantages, efficiency ranges and characteristics of high-performance models, typical costs, and climate considerations. The report also provides decision trees and tables of useful information for homeowners who are making decisions about adding, replacing, or upgrading existing HVAC equipment in their homes. Information regarding home energy performance assessments (audits) and combustion safety issues when replacing HVAC equipment are also provided.

  13. Economic Analysis of the Gypsy Moth Problem in the Northeast: III. Impacts on Homeowners and Managers of Recreation Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    George H. Moeller; Raymond Marler; Roger E. McCay; William B. White

    1977-01-01

    The economic impacts of a gypsy moth infestation on homeowners and on managers of recreation areas (commercial, public, and quasi-public) were determined from data collected via interviews with 540 homeowners and 170 managers of recreation areas in New York and Pennsylvania. The approach to measuring the impact of gypsy moth was to determine the interaction of a...

  14. Using simulations to forecast homeowner response to sea level rise in South Florida: Will they stay or will they go?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treuer, G.

    2017-12-01

    Sea level rise threatens coastal communities around the world, including South Florida which may be the most financially vulnerable region in the world. Proactive investments in sea level rise adaptive flood protections could reduce South Florida's financial vulnerability. However, it is unclear if local governments and homeowners will be willing to make those investments before it is too late. Our research explores this issue by reporting the results of a novel online simulation that accelerates 348 South Florida homeowners thirty-five years into the future so that they can `live' the effects of sea level rise. The results contain a mix of optimism and caution for the prospects of future adaptation. On the positive side over 75% of participants indicated a willingness to support bond issues to pay for adaptation, even as the costs of the measures and effects of sea level rise increased over the years. Likewise, we find little evidence that politically conservative residents who normally have more skeptical views about climate change would be any less inclined to support adaptation, or only look to information sources that downplay the threat. On the negative side, homeowner interest in moving out of the region increases steadily over time as the sea level rises. This is driven by an increase in worry associated with viewing more information within the simulation.

  15. Behavioral Perspectives on Home Energy Audits: The Role of Auditors, Labels, Reports, and Audit Tools on Homeowner Decision Making

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ingle, Aaron [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Moezzi, Mithra [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Lutzhenhiser, Loren [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Hathaway, Zac [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Lutzenhiser, Susan [Research Into Action, Portland, OR (United States); Clock, Joe Van [Research Into Action, Portland, OR (United States); Peters, Jane [Research Into Action, Portland, OR (United States); Smith, Rebecca [Earth Advantage Inst., Portland, OR (United States); Heslam, David [Earth Advantage Inst., Portland, OR (United States); Diamond, Richard C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2012-07-31

    Our study focused on the perspective of homeowner decision-­making in response to home energy audits, combined with attention to the quality of the recommendations that homeowners receive, as well as the perspectives of some key industry actors on auditing and home energy labels. Unlike a program evaluation, the research was not designed to answer detailed questions about program effectiveness in terms of costs, savings, or process, nor was it designed to provide direct answers to questions of how to get people to do more audits or more retrofits. Rather it “steps back” toward a better understanding of more basic questions about what audits provide and what homeowners seem to want, for the case of one particular program that we expect has parallels to many others.

  16. INNOVATION, IMITATION, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE INTRODUCTION AND DIFFUSION OF THE HOMEOWNERS POLICY, 1944-1960

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Paul Rossi

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper uses the introduction of the homeowners policy in the United States insurance market in the I950s to explore the process of innovation and the role that innovators (entrepreneurs and imitators play within it through an examination of Schumpeter’s theory of innovation and its discussion in the recent economic literature on innovation and imitation. Schumpeter’s model of entrepreneurial innovation is tested through a case study of the homeowners policy’s introduction in 1950 and its subsequent diffusion throughout the decade. The policy was an innovative product which helped transform the property-casualty sector of the insurance industry. Thus, this case study supports Schumpeter’s model of entrepreneurial innovation and illustrates the significant role that imitation plays within it.

  17. Adoption of innovative heating systems. Needs and attitudes of Swedish homeowners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, K; Gustavsson, L [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-11-15

    Questionnaire surveys of Swedish homeowners of detached houses were carried out in 2004 and 2007 to understand their needs and attitudes towards attributes of innovative heating systems (IHSs) comprised of a bedrock heat pump, district heating, or a wood pellet boiler. In each occasion 1,500 homeowners were randomly selected. The response rate was 42% in 2004 and 48% in 2007. Results showed that the majority of the respondents were satisfied with their existing heating system and did not intend to install new systems. Economic factors and functional reliability were the most important factors in the respondents' choices of heating system, while environmental factors were of lower importance. Among the IHSs, respondents had the most favorable attitude towards bedrock heat pumps followed by district heating and pellet boilers. But the attitude was more favorable towards electric boilers than for pellet boilers. The least favorable attitude was towards oil boilers. Between 2004 and 2007, there was a positive change in respondents' attitude towards IHSs and electric boilers, and a negative change in attitude towards resistance heaters and oil boilers.

  18. Quantity Surveying Undergraduates’ Awareness on Cost Significant of High-Rise Condominium Projects in Malaysia: The Case of a Private University in Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Peng Lee Wah; Seng Ng See; Choon Toh Tien; Sim Lim Cheng; Khian Yong Ching; Chen Goh Kai

    2016-01-01

    Recent developments in quantity surveying (QS) emphasised the importance of identifying cost significant elements (CSE). The knowledge on CSE of high-rise condominium projects (HRCP) is essential as high-rise residential multi-unit projects are the next option in building construction due to limited land areas in urban areas. This study aims to determine the levels of awareness among QS undergraduates of a private university in Malaysia on CSE of HRCP in Malaysia. The respondents’ knowledge o...

  19. Debt amnesia : Homeowners' discourses on the financial costs and gains of homebuying

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soaita, A.M.; Searle, Beverley A.

    2016-01-01

    In Anglo-Saxon societies, homeowners expect to create synergies between the owned house seen as a space of shelter, a place of home, a store of wealth and increasingly, an investment vehicle (and an object of debt). Drawing on interviews with owner-occupiers and on historic house value and mortgage

  20. A Mixed Logit Model of Homeowner Preferences for Wildfire Hazard Reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas P. Holmes; John Loomis; Armando Gonzalez-Caban

    2010-01-01

    People living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are at greater risk of suffering major losses of property and life from wildfires. Over the past several decades the prevailing view has been that wildfire risk in rural areas was exogenous to the activities of homeowners. In response to catastrophic fires in the WUI over the past few years, recent approaches to fire...

  1. The tenure gap in electoral participation: Instrumental motivation or selection bias? Comparing homeowners and tenants across four housing regimes

    OpenAIRE

    André, S.C.H.; Dewilde, C.L.; Luijkx, R.

    2017-01-01

    Integrating housing tenure in Instrumental Motivation Theory predicts a tenure gap in electoral participation, as homeowners would be more motivated to vote compared with tenants. The empirical question is whether this effect is causal or rather due to selection into different housing tenures. This question is tackled using coarsened exact matching (CEM) on data for 19 countries, allowing us to better control for endogeneity. Even then, homeowners are found to vote more often than tenants. Th...

  2. STRUCTURAL MONITORING WITH GEODETIC SURVEY OF QUADRIFOGLIO CONDOMINIUM (LECCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Costantino

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring buildings for moving elements has been always a problem of great importance for their conservation and preservation, as well as for risk mitigation. In particular, topographic surveying allows, through the use of the principles and instruments of the geodetic survey, to control moving points which have been identified and measured. In this study case, twelve survey campaigns were done for monitoring a building located in the city of Lecce. The condominium was built five years ago on an old quarry filled with debris to allow construction. Later in time, obviously, cracks started to appear on walls within the property, and for this legal actions were taken. The survey schema adopted has been that of triangulation/trilateration, from two vertices with known coordinates. With this methodologies four cornerstones have been identified, established with forced centering on pillars with anchor plates, connected to same number of framework points, considered stable. From these, 23 control points located on the structure with rotating prisms anchored at the same manner have been surveyed. The elaboration has been carried out by generating redundancy of the measures and compensating the values with least mean squares. The results obtained by the activity of survey and elaboration have confirmed the existence of ongoing phenomena. The causes that have generated the phenomenon have been, subsequently, investigated and have been considered attributable to the existence of a sewer pipeline and a water pipeline not properly put in place and consequently broke down due to the geological characteristics of the site.

  3. Adapting to wildfire: Moving beyond homeowner risk perceptions to taking action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patricia Champ

    2017-01-01

    Champ’s presentation focused on how to get homeowners to take action to protect their properties from fire. She framed this challenge as a last-mile problem, which is a concept from the literature on supply chain. The last mile is the end of the supply chain where a product is transferred to the customer. The last mile is often the most difficult part of the entire...

  4. Climate change or variable weather: Rethinking Danish homeowners' perceptions of floods and climate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baron, Nina; Petersen, Lars Kjerulf

    2015-01-01

    Climate scenarios predict that an effect of climate change will be more areas at risk of extensive flooding. This article builds on a qualitative case study of homeowners in the flood-prone area of Lolland in Denmark and uses the theories of Tim Ingold and Bruno Latour to rethink the way we under...

  5. Communicating Earthquake Preparedness: The Influence of Induced Mood, Perceived Risk, and Gain or Loss Frames on Homeowners' Attitudes Toward General Precautionary Measures for Earthquakes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marti, Michèle; Stauffacher, Michael; Matthes, Jörg; Wiemer, Stefan

    2018-04-01

    Despite global efforts to reduce seismic risk, actual preparedness levels remain universally low. Although earthquake-resistant building design is the most efficient way to decrease potential losses, its application is not a legal requirement across all earthquake-prone countries and even if, often not strictly enforced. Risk communication encouraging homeowners to take precautionary measures is therefore an important means to enhance a country's earthquake resilience. Our study illustrates that specific interactions of mood, perceived risk, and frame type significantly affect homeowners' attitudes toward general precautionary measures for earthquakes. The interdependencies of the variables mood, risk information, and frame type were tested in an experimental 2 × 2 × 2 design (N = 156). Only in combination and not on their own, these variables effectively influence attitudes toward general precautionary measures for earthquakes. The control variables gender, "trait anxiety" index, and alteration of perceived risk adjust the effect. Overall, the group with the strongest attitudes toward general precautionary actions for earthquakes are homeowners with induced negative mood who process high-risk information and gain-framed messages. However, the conditions comprising induced negative mood, low-risk information and loss-frame and induced positive mood, low-risk information and gain-framed messages both also significantly influence homeowners' attitudes toward general precautionary measures for earthquakes. These results mostly confirm previous findings in the field of health communication. For practitioners, our study emphasizes that carefully compiled communication measures are a powerful means to encourage precautionary attitudes among homeowners, especially for those with an elevated perceived risk. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  6. Balancing the Ecological Function of Residential Stormwater Ponds with Homeowner Landscaping Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monaghan, Paul; Hu, Shangchun; Hansen, Gail; Ott, Emily; Nealis, Charles; Morera, Maria

    2016-11-01

    Stormwater ponds are installed in urban developments to provide the ecosystem services of flood control and water treatment. In coastal areas, these ponds are connected to watersheds that can drain directly into protected estuaries, making their design, function, and maintenance critical to environmental protection. However, stormwater ponds in residential areas are increasingly managed as aesthetic amenities that add value to real estate rather than as engineered devices with special maintenance requirements. To help extend the life of neighborhood stormwater systems and improve ecosystem services, homeowners should follow best management practices for nutrient management and add shoreline plantings and non-invasive, beneficial aquatic plants to their ponds. This study used focus group and survey research to document the knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of homeowners living near stormwater ponds in a master-planned community in Florida. The study was designed to use a social marketing research approach to promote Extension best practices. Findings indicate that many residents were aware of the functional components of stormwater systems and respondents' receptivity to best management practices was mediated by age, their attitudes about water quality and whether their home was adjacent to a pond. These findings can be used to target Extension audiences and improve adoption of stormwater pond best management practices for increased protection of water quality.

  7. 75 FR 69454 - Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program: Notice of Allocation of Funding for Substantially Similar...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-12

    ... assistance and provide security for such repayment by recordation of a HUD mortgage as a junior lien on the... current first lien mortgage loan payments for which the homeowner remains responsible. IV. Submission of.... Nondiscrimination and Civil Rights Requirements States operating existing programs that provide substantially...

  8. Fighting fire with education: what is the best way to reach out to homeowners?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarah M. McCaffrey

    2004-01-01

    Better understanding is needed of what makes educational efforts most effective in increasing public support for wildfire management and mitigation efforts. Results of a mail survey of homeowners in Incline Village, Nevada, indicate that personalized contact is key in the educational process and that which type of contact - government or personal - is more influential...

  9. Outreach programs, peer pressure, and common sense: What motivates homeowners to mitigate wildfire risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarah M. McCaffrey; Melanie Stidham; Eric Toman; Bruce. Shindler

    2011-01-01

    In recent years, altered forest conditions, climate change, and the increasing numbers of homes built in fire prone areas has meant that wildfires are affecting more people. An important part of minimizing the potential negative impacts of wildfire is engaging homeowners in mitigating the fire hazard on their land. It is therefore important to understand what makes...

  10. Quantity Surveying Undergraduates’ Awareness on Cost Significant of High-Rise Condominium Projects in Malaysia: The Case of a Private University in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Lee Wah

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent developments in quantity surveying (QS emphasised the importance of identifying cost significant elements (CSE. The knowledge on CSE of high-rise condominium projects (HRCP is essential as high-rise residential multi-unit projects are the next option in building construction due to limited land areas in urban areas. This study aims to determine the levels of awareness among QS undergraduates of a private university in Malaysia on CSE of HRCP in Malaysia. The respondents’ knowledge on CSE has not achieved a satisfactory level. Both male and female respondents have the same levels of awareness on CSE. Remedial strategies to improve this situation are recommended.

  11. Building America Best Practices Series Volume 14 - HVAC. A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, Michael C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gilbride, Theresa L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hefty, Marye G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hand, James R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Love, Pat M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2011-08-01

    This guide, which is part of a series of Best Practices guides produced by DOE’s Building America program, describes ways homeowners can reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort, health, and safety of their homes by upgrading their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

  12. Parcels and Land Ownership, Contains parcels, subdivisions, CSMs, Condominiums, Rights of Way and supporting annotation. Data within the City of West Bend are maintained by the City. Some areas are mapped at 1:1200, Published in 2013, 1:2400 (1in=200ft) scale, Washington County Government.

    Data.gov (United States)

    NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Parcels and Land Ownership dataset current as of 2013. Contains parcels, subdivisions, CSMs, Condominiums, Rights of Way and supporting annotation. Data within the...

  13. High-ambitious local climate policies to reduce CO2 emissions : Municipal strategies to approach homeowners in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tambach, M.

    2009-01-01

    Municipalities are the constructors of local climate policies and the upholders of building law. But regarding the existing housing stock, they are lacking effective legal instruments to improve the energy efficiency of this stock, which is occupied by different homeowner categories. Regarding

  14. Science You Can Use Bulletin: Fire on the mountain: What motivates homeowners to reduce their wildfire risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sue Miller; Patty Champ; Hannah Brenkert-Smith

    2013-01-01

    New home building in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) continues unabated, despite the high financial and human costs of fighting fires in these areas. The goal of this research is to understand, through surveys and expert assessments, the attitudes and perceptions of WUI homeowners as they relate to taking action to reduce wildfire risk on their property. It also...

  15. Energy Renovations: Volume 17: Insulation - A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, Michael C.; Adams, Karen; Hefty, Marye G.; Gilbride, Theresa L.; Love, Pat M.

    2012-05-15

    This report was prepared by PNNL for DOE's Building America program and is intended as a guide that energy performance contractors can share with homeowners to describe various insulation options for improving the energy performance and comfort of existing homes. The report provides descriptions of many common insulation types, including their advantages and disadvantages, R-values, characteristics, and typical uses. The report also describes potentially hazardous products such as asbestos and formaldehyde and safety issues when conducting energy-efficient upgrades including radon. The guide is available for download at the DOE Building America website, www.buildingamerica.gov.

  16. 75 FR 65261 - Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act; Public Accommodation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-22

    ... Condominium Ass'n, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41601 (November 22, 2005) (condominium buildings may be covered as... characteristics normally associated with a hotel, motel, or inn); Thompson v. Sand Cliffs Owners Ass'n, Inc., 1998...

  17. Explorando el hacinamiento en condominios sociales. / Exploring overcrowding in social housing condominiums.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Fuentes Maturana

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Los condominios sociales,conocidos genéricamente como “block” de departamentos, han ido evidenciando con el paso de los años una serie de deficiencias. Estas se han materializado en ampliaciones irregulares, apropiaciones de terrenos, fallas constructivas, entre varias otras. El presente artículo es parte de una investigación realizada el año 2011, que buscó indagar en los problemas que presenta cierta tipología de condominio social, para posteriormente aportar en la búsqueda de soluciones frente a tales inconvenientes. A continuación, se exponen las principales observaciones rescatadas de dicho proceso, el cual se realizó a través de entrevistas semi estructuradas a habitantes de dos conjuntos sociales de la región metropolitana. Finalmente, y de modo complementario a las conclusiones se reflexiona respecto a ciertas normativas que deberían ser revisadas con el fin de evitar que se repliquen los problemasdetectados en los dos casos de estudio./ Through time, social housing condominiums, commonly known as “apartment blocks”, have evidenced a series of deficiencies that have become tangible through the construction of irregular renovations, the illegal appropriation of sites, the poor quality of the built form, etc. This article is part of a research project, done in 2011, that looked into the problems that the afore mentioned social housing typology presents, in order to propose solutions to them. This article is a synthesis of the fundamental observations retrieved in the research process, done through a series of semi-structured interviews to the inhabitants of two social housing complexes in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, which concludes with a series of recommendations regarding the revision of the urban regulations that are currently in place.

  18. Combining Mineral Identification Techniques to Help Homeowners of Northeastern Connecticut Diagnose Pyrrhotite Laced Concrete Foundations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gourley, J. R.; Geiss, C. E.

    2017-12-01

    Crumbling concrete linked to the mineral pyrrhotite is an emerging home owner crisis in northeastern Connecticut as new home foundations are failing within only several years. Potentially thousands of homes that have been built between the mid 1980's and 2016 are affected. Homes have been rendered worthless as basement concrete is crumbling and the cost of repair often exceeds the value of the home. In all of the failing concrete cases the presence of pyrrhotite from a local quarry is the common denominator. Testing for pyrrhotite, until now, has been costly and often invasive, with large core samples required. In working with a local advocacy group, The Connecticut Coalition Against Crumbling Basements (CCACB), we have developed a rapid analysis method that uses a combination of magnetic susceptibility and high resolution X-ray diffraction to identify both the mineral pyrrhotite and/or its expansive product mineral, ettringite. The goal of this method to give homeowners a reliable diagnosis that could help in mitigation decisions and/or the determination of the resale value of their homes. The partnership of Trinity College's Environmental Science Program with the CCACB has built a rewarding bridge between education and the community. Faculty, students and local advocates are collaborating to solve a problem that will help homeowners diagnose a potentially devastating non-natural "geo" hazard that can adversely affect home values where concrete is of an unknown provenance.

  19. How Flood Experience and Risk Perception Influences Protective Actions and Behaviours among Canadian Homeowners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thistlethwaite, Jason; Henstra, Daniel; Brown, Craig; Scott, Daniel

    2018-02-01

    Canada is a country in the midst of a flood management policy transition that is shifting part of the flood damage burden from the state to homeowners. This transition—as well as the large financial losses resulting from flooding—have created a window of opportunity for Canada to implement strategies that increase property owners' capacity to avoid and absorb the financial and physical risks associated with flooding. This work presents foundational research into the extent to which Canadians' flood experience, perceptions of flood risks and socio-demographics shape their intentions and adoption of property level flood protection (PLFP). A bilingual, national survey was deployed in Spring 2016 and was completed by 2300 respondents across all 10 Canadian provinces. The survey was developed using assumptions in existing literature on flood risk behaviours and the determinants of flood risk management in similar jurisdictions. The paper argues that property owners are not willing to accept greater responsibility for flood risk as envisioned by recent policy changes. This finding is consistent with other OECD jurisdictions, where flood risk engagement strategies have been developed that could be replicated in Canada to encourage risk-sharing behaviour.

  20. Building America Best Practices Series. Volume 17 - Energy Renovations-Insulation: A Guide for Contractors to Share With Homeowners

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, Michael C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Adams, K. T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hefty, M. G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gilbride, T. L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Love, Pat M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2012-05-01

    This guide will help contractors and homeowners identify ways to make their homes more comfortable, more energy efficient, and healthier to live in. It also identifies the steps to take, with the help of a qualified home performance contractor, to increase their home’s insulation, ensure healthy levels of ventilation, and prevent moisture problems. Contractors can use this document to explain the value of these insulation measures to their customers. The references in this document provide further explanation of insulation techniques and technologies.

  1. Using 3d Bim Model for the Value-Based Land Share Calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çelik Şimşek, N.; Uzun, B.

    2017-11-01

    According to the Turkish condominium ownership system, 3D physical buildings and its condominium units are registered to the condominium ownership books via 2D survey plans. Currently, 2D representations of the 3D physical objects, causes inaccurate and deficient implementations for the determination of the land shares. Condominium ownership and easement right are established with a clear indication of land shares (condominium ownership law, article no. 3). So, the land share of each condominium unit have to be determined including the value differences among the condominium units. However the main problem is that, land share has often been determined with area based over the project before construction of the building. The objective of this study is proposing a new approach in terms of value-based land share calculations of the condominium units that subject to condominium ownership. So, the current approaches and its failure that have taken into account in determining the land shares are examined. And factors that affect the values of the condominium units are determined according to the legal decisions. This study shows that 3D BIM models can provide important approaches for the valuation problems in the determination of the land shares.

  2. Switching from fossil fuel to renewables in residential heating systems: An empirical study of homeowners' decisions in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michelsen, Carl Christian; Madlener, Reinhard

    2016-01-01

    The replacement of outdated and inefficient fossil fuel residential heating systems (RHS) by more efficient and less CO_2-intensive appliances primarily based on renewable energy sources is an important pillar for the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. This paper empirically investigates drivers and barriers behind homeowners' decisions to switch from a fossil fuel to a renewable RHS in Germany. For this purpose, we draw on data from a 2010 questionnaire survey among owners of existing single-family and duplex houses in Germany that had received a financial grant to install an RHS (i.e. condensing boiler with solar thermal support, heat pump or wood pellet boiler). We show that environmental protection, a lower dependency on fossil fuels, and a higher degree of RHS-related knowledge are key drivers. In contrast, the perceived difficulty of getting used to the system and a misunderstanding of its principal functioning are obstacles for the heat pump. For the wood pellet boiler, perceived barriers include the low usability, the labor-intensive operation, and the systems' fault liability. Hence, a higher replacement rate requires the willingness to relinquish old habits and perceptions of how an RHS works and operates. - Highlights: • Homeowners' decisions to switch from a fossil fuel to a renewable RHS. • Data from a questionnaire survey among owners of existing homes in Germany. • Environmental protection, lower dependency on fossil fuels, and knowledge as drivers. • Old habits and perceptions of how an RHS works and operates as principal barriers.

  3. How effective are energy-efficiency incentive programs? Evidence from Italian homeowners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alberini, Anna; Bigano, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    We evaluate incentives for residential energy upgrades in Italy using data from an original survey of Italian homeowners. In this paper, attention is restricted to heating system replacements, and to the effect of monetary and non-monetary incentives on the propensity to replace the heating equipment with a more efficient one. To get around adverse selection and free riding issues, we ask stated preference questions to those who weren't planning energy efficiency upgrades any time soon. We argue that these persons are not affected by these behaviors. We use their responses to fit an energy-efficiency renovations curve that predicts the share of the population that will undertake these improvements for any given incentive level. This curve is used to estimate the CO_2 emissions saved and their cost-effectiveness. Respondents are more likely to agree to a replacement when the savings on the energy bills are larger and experienced over a longer horizon, and when rebates are offered to them. Reminding the respondents about possible CO_2 emissions reductions (our non-monetary incentive) had little effect. Even under optimistic assumptions, monetary incentives similar to those in the Italian tax credit program are generally not cost-effective.

  4. Homeowner's Architectural Responses to Crime in Dar Es Salaan : Its impacts and implications to urban architecture, urban design and urban management

    OpenAIRE

    Bulamile, Ludigija Boniface

    2009-01-01

    HTML clipboardThis study is about Homeowner’s architectural responses to crime in Dar es Salaam Tanzania: its impacts and implications to urban architecture, urban design and urban management. The study explores and examines the processes through which homeowners respond to crimes of burglary, home robbery and fear of it using architectural or physical elements. The processes are explored and examined using case study methodology in three cases in Dar es Salaam. The cases are residentia...

  5. Motivating local home-owners to energy retrofitting as examples on Urban Climate Governance in Danish Municipalities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jesper Ole

    I the recent years, Danish municipalities have increasingly taken up initiatives to improve energy efficiency in private buildings. The paper will present a study on how Danish municipalities in practice have carried out such efforts on convincing private home-owners to improve the energy efficie......, 2009; Bulkeley, 2009) that includes different governmental approaches for the local authorities. The challenge of local sustainability is that it is complex and defined on different levels (local, municipal, regional, national, and international), that requires a ’multilevel governance...... in practice, including the types of governance and collaborations, as well as the challenges and shortcomings of the selected approaches. Also, it will discuss the motivations for the local actors to pursue this type of initiatives, in relation to the results achieved....

  6. The appeal of the green deal: Empirical evidence for the influence of energy efficiency policy on renovating homeowners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pettifor, H.; Wilson, C.; Chryssochoidis, G.

    2015-01-01

    The Green Deal is a major new energy policy designed to support the diffusion of energy efficiency measures in UK homes. This paper provides one of the first empirical examinations of the Green Deal′s success in influencing homeowners’ renovation decisions. Using a repeated measures design in which households were questioned before and after the Green Deal′s launch in January 2013, we assess the policy′s success in raising awareness of energy efficiency. In particular, we test the effectiveness of the Green Deal′s positioning to overcome barriers to renovation among homeowners already interested in or considering energy efficiency measures. Using the innovation decision process (Rogers, 2003) as a conceptual framing of the renovation decision process, we examine whether new information on energy efficiency provided by the Green Deal strengthened intentions and its antecedents. We find that (1) energy efficiency is of potential appeal to all renovators regardless of their attitudes about energy efficiency, (2) energy efficiency opportunities need to be identified in the early stages of renovation when homeowners are thinking about ways to improve their home, and (3) homeowners’ intentions towards energy efficiency are weakened by uncertainty about financial benefits, helping to explain the relatively slow uptake of the Green Deal to-date. - Highlights: • Examines the impact of a major new energy policy, the Green Deal, on intentions towards energy efficiency. • 502 households questioned four months prior to, and seven months after the launch. • Renovating itself is mechanism through which households engage with the Green Deal. • Strengthening beliefs in energy savings accelerates intentions to renovate energy efficiently

  7. R-2000 home health study : Homeowner health in R-2000 and new conventional homes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parekh, A.

    2002-01-01

    A field study was conducted by Health Canada and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to evaluate self-reported health symptoms by residents of R-2000 and conventional homes in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It involved 52 energy efficient R-2000 and 50 conventionally built houses. Health Canada collected and analyzed data concerning changes in occupant health after moving into R-2000 houses and similar conventional houses. Definite trends in improvements of respiratory symptoms of occupants in R-2000 houses were revealed, compared to the results obtained for occupants of conventional houses. New occupants of R-2000 houses reported significant improvement in indoor air quality in 94 per cent of cases, while only 77 per cent of conventional homeowners reported similar results. Fifty six per cent of the occupants of R-2000 homes reported a general improvement in their health, compared to 32 per cent in conventional houses. The testing of houses in other regions is being planned by Health Canada. tabs

  8. Exploring Homeowner Diffusion of Yard Care Knowledge as One Step Toward Improving Urban Ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martini, Nicholas F.; Nelson, Kristen C.; Dahmus, Maria E.

    2014-11-01

    Urban ecosystems are increasingly influenced by residential yard care decisions. This had led researchers to focus on homeowner education programs when it comes to yard care. Typically, the success of programs designed to influence yard care is based on whether the target subject changes his or her behavior in a more environmentally conscious manner. This threshold, however, fails to consider if individuals share this information with their friends and neighbors, thus having a possible spillover effect. In this paper, we focus on the transmission of new lawn management information among neighbors and consider (1) if individuals discuss information they learned in a short-term educational program, (2) what factors are associated with diffusion, (3) what information individuals share, and (4) what barriers to transmission exist. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, we used data from a mailed survey, group discussions, and mailed information exchanges. Results indicate that best management practices for yards can diffuse through the neighborhood (approximately 34 % shared information with their neighbors in a one-month period). In addition, factors such as (1) attending a group discussion, 2) individual social connectedness, (3) length of home ownership, and (4) the presence of children in the household were found to be positively related to increased sharing of information. Also, for lawns, the content of information shared tended to be about increasing grass height and reducing fertilizer applications. Finally, we find barriers to sharing ideas based on spatial, temporal, or perception factors but overcoming some of these barriers is possible.

  9. Características estruturais, relacionais e gerenciais na cadeia de suprimentos de um condomínio industrial na indústria automobilística Structural, relational and managerial characteristics in supply chain of a condominium in the automotive industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sílvio Roberto Ignácio Pires

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Nas últimas décadas, a contribuição da indústria automobilística tem sido muito representativa em termos de inovações na gestão da cadeia de suprimentos, tais como aquelas contempladas nos modelos de consórcio modular e de condomínio industrial. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa envolvendo diferentes configurações na estrutura de relacionamento entre uma montadora de automóveis e alguns de seus fornecedores, em uma cadeia de suprimentos da indústria automobilística que utiliza o modelo de condomínio industrial. O propósito principal foi verificar, empiricamente, algumas das implicações que a configuração da cadeia de suprimentos exerce sobre elementos importantes na sua gestão, tais como: tipos de relacionamentos, processos logísticos, planejamento de produtos, gestão da produção e medição de desempenho. Os resultados corroboram que a configuração da cadeia é fator determinante na forma como se conduz o relacionamento da montadora com seus fornecedores, influenciando, significativamente, os elementos considerados na análise.In the last decades the contribution of the automotive industry has been very representative in terms of innovations in supply chain management, such as those of the modular consortium and industrial condominium models. In this context, this article presents the findings of a research involving distinct configurations in the relationship structure of an automaker and some of its suppliers in an automotive industry supply chain which uses the industrial condominium model. The main objective was to empirically ascertain some of the implications of the supply chain configuration in important elements of its management, such as the types of relationships, logistic processes, product planning, production management, and performance assessment. The findings confirm that the supply chain configuration is a determining factor in how the automaker's relationship with its suppliers is

  10. Impact of Home Energy Monitoring and Management Systems (HEMS) : Triple-A: Stimulating the Adoption of low-carbon technologies by homeowners through increased Awareness and easy Access D2.1.1. Report on impact of HEMS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, F.M.; Straub, A.; Mlecnik, E.

    2018-01-01

    This report answers the question: How can HEMS be used to influence energy-saving behaviour of homeowners? Lessons regarding the feedback from HEMS to influence energy-saving behaviour have been explored and specifications of HEMS to influence energy saving by households are given.
    Generally,

  11. 75 FR 4839 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit, St. Lucie County, FL

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-29

    ... gas station, convenience store, several light industrial warehouse condominiums, and supporting... construction of a gas station, convenience store, several light industrial warehouse condominiums, and...

  12. Doing good but not that well? A dilemma for energy conserving homeowners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wahlström, Marie H.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper the issue of market capitalization of energy efficient buildings is addressed by considering single-family housing in Sweden and through analyzing as to what extent the market price for a house is influenced by its energy performance. Are Swedish homeowners doing well by doing good? We make use of information provided by the Swedish energy performance certificates for single-family homes matched with data on the corresponding transaction prices, household characteristics and attributes of the neighborhood. The resulting database, covering about 77,000 individual observations, is used to analyze the relationship between the price of a house and its energy performance by means of a hedonic model. Unlike most other studies the energy performance is decomposed into energy consumption and several other variables characterizing the energy system. The main question addressed is if there is a price premium for energy efficient housing in Sweden. Our results differ from earlier studies and indicate no price premium related to the energy consumption but substantial premiums for housing attributes that improve the energy efficiency. A likely explanation is that prospective buyers of new homes base their expectations about future energy consumption on those attributes rather than on the energy consumption of the previous owner. - Highlights: • Energy efficiency and market prices in single family housing in Sweden • The role played by energy-related attributes versus other building attributes • The influence on price of energy conservation potential

  13. 76 FR 53168 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Form 1120-H

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-25

    ... 1120-H AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice and request for comments... Form 1120-H, U.S. Income Tax Return for Homeowners Associations. DATES: Written comments should be... Associations. OMB Number: 1545-0127. Form Number: 1120-H. Abstract: Homeowners associations file Form 1120-H to...

  14. Reverse Mortgage Participation in the United States: Evidence from a National Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swarn Chatterjee

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper uses the most recent wave of a nationally representative dataset to examine the factors associated with elderly homeowners’ decision to obtain reverse mortgage loans. The findings of this study suggest that very few homeowners participated in the reverse mortgage market, and homeowners younger than 67 were less likely to have reverse mortgage loans. However, homeowners who were risk averse, and homeowners in the two highest quartiles of net worth were more likely to have reverse mortgage loans. Further analyses reveal that among the reverse mortgage participants, homeowners with long-term care insurance coverage were less likely to have reverse mortgage loans. Implications for financial economists, financial planners, policy-makers, and scholars of retirement economics are included.

  15. Transformation of the Housing Market in Tokyo since the Late 1990s: Housing Purchases by Single-person Households

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomoko Kubo

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to clarify the correlation between the transformation of the Japanese housing market and the increasing number of single-person households in Japan, with a special focus on the supply of compact condominiums. In order to achieve the abovementioned purpose, the changes in the Japanese housing market and diversification of the Japanese household structure are described. Finally, the features of the supply strategies of condominium suppliers, which reflect the diversification of the household structure and increasing need for condominiums by single-person households in central Tokyo, are examined.

  16. 38 CFR 36.4363 - Miscellaneous legal requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... only against the individual units, together with their undivided interests in the common elements, and... successful governance of the condominium by unit owners. Among other things, such documents should contain... maintained in accordance with § 36.4829. Because of the nature of condominiums, additional types of insurance...

  17. Statement of Facts for 1985 City-Wide Mock Trial Competitions. Gale Kaufman, Plaintiff v. Rolling Hills Homemakers Association, Defendant. No. MT-85.

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Inst. for Citizen Education in the Law, Washington, DC.

    Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its 14th annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides the material for a civil case over discrimination in housing. After the death of her husband, Cindi Kaufman, along with her infant son, moved in with her mother, Gale Kaufman, who owned a condominium at…

  18. The role of community policies in defensible space compliance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greg Winter; Sarah McCaffrey; Christine A. Vogt

    2009-01-01

    Recently enacted federal and state policies provide incentives, including financial assistance, for local jurisdictions to manage risks associated with wildland fire. This has led to an array of local-level policies designed to encourage homeowners to create fire-safe landscapes. This qualitative study collected data from focus group interviews with homeowners in three...

  19. 44 CFR 62.20 - Claims appeals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... estimate. In order to file an appeal, the insured must comply with all requirements set out in the Standard... limits that are not provided by the SFIP. Filing an appeal does not waive any of the requirements for... documents including closings; evidence of insurability as a Residential Condominium Association; Franchise...

  20. “There's a Difference—I Own This”: Negotiating Social and Financial Services under Threat of Mortgage Foreclosure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro Baker, Amy; Keene, Danya E

    2016-10-01

    Although national housing markets have recovered from the Great Recession, communities hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis remain immersed in mortgage trouble. Nineteen percent of homeowners are underwater on their mortgages and communities of color are overrepresented among zip codes still experiencing default in rising numbers. The social services needs of homeowners at risk of foreclosure show few signs of abating. High levels of market risk, asymmetrical power relationships, and the assumption that rational action can protect homeowners mark the climate in which households and social workers operate while attempting to halt foreclosure. The research described in this article draws on in-depth interviews conducted with homeowners at risk of default to examine the strategies they used to alleviate their mortgage strain. These strategies included seeking aid from financial and social services institutions while living under threat of default. As homeowners experienced mortgage strain they engaged in recommended rational market actions such as negotiating with lenders, increasing work hours, practicing strict household budgeting, and seeking aid from social work agencies to offset mortgage costs. The gathered data suggest that some social workers responded with poorly contextualized treatment plans and language characterized by disrespect, shame, and blame; others responded with mental health assistance, referrals to legal aid, and a helping relationship characterized by a sense of mattering that seemed to buffer against the psychosocial stressors associated with foreclosure.

  1. Analysis of Tax-deductible Interest Payments for Re-advanceable Canadian Mortgages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naseem, Almas; Reesor, Mark

    2011-11-01

    According to Canadian tax law the interest on loans used for investment purposes is tax deductible while interest on personal mortgage loans is not. One way of transforming from non-tax deductible to tax deductible interest expenses is to borrow against home equity to make investments. A re-advanceable mortgage is a product specifically designed to take advantage of this tax discrepancy. Using simulation we study the risk associated with the re-advanceable mortgage strategy to provide a better description of the mortgagor's position. We assume that the mortgagor invests the borrowings secured by home equity into a single risky asset (e.g., stock or mutual fund) whose evolution is described by geometric Brownian motion (GBM). With a re-advanceable mortgage we find that the average mortgage payoff time is less than the original mortgage term. However, there is considerable variation in the payoff times with a significant probability of a payoff time exceeding the original mortgage term. Higher income homeowners enjoy a payoff time distribution with both a lower average and a lower standard deviation than low-income homeowners. Thus this strategy is most beneficial to those with the highest income. We also find this strategy protects the homeowner in the event of job loss. This work is important to lenders, financial planners and homeowners to more fully understand the benefits and risk associated with this strategy.

  2. 12 CFR 9.101 - Providing investment advice for a fee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... activities for homeowners' associations; (viii) Advisory activities concerning tax planning and structuring... counseling activities, including strategic planning of a financial nature, merger and acquisition advisory...

  3. Predation of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) from web-building spiders associated with anthropogenic dwellings

    Science.gov (United States)

    The brown marmorated stink bug or Halyomorpha halys is an invasive pest from Asia that causes severe agricultural damage and nuisance problems for homeowners. While the natural enemy community of H. halys has been evaluated in several agroecosystems, it has not been quantified where H. halys overwi...

  4. Geothermal Energy Utilization for the Homeowner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lund, John W

    1978-12-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe how geothermal energy can be utilized for residential space heating. Background information on the resource introduce this natural source of energy, followed by an explanation of the development of the resource (mainly by drilling wells) and the extraction of the energy. Various types of heat convectors and heat exchangers are described, along with how to estimate energy requirements and the associated costs. Finally, regulations and tax advantages are covered together with additional sources of information and a list of agencies who can provide assistance.

  5. 26 CFR 1.528-6 - Expenditure test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Homeowners Associations § 1.528-6 Expenditure test. (a) In general. An...) Insurance premiums on association property; (11) Accountant's fees; (12) Improvement of private property to...

  6. An adopter-centric approach to analyze the diffusion patterns of innovative residential heating systems in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif

    2008-01-01

    Innovation and diffusion of renewable energy technologies play a major role in mitigation of climate change. In Sweden replacing electric and oil heating systems with innovative heating systems such as district heating, heat pumps and wood pellet boilers in detached homes is a significant mitigation option. Using an adopter-centric approach, we analyzed the influence of investment subsidy on conversion of resistance heaters and oil boilers, and the variation in diffusion pattern of district heating, heat pumps and pellet boilers in Swedish detached homes. Results from questionnaire surveys of 1500 randomly selected homeowners in September 2004 and January 2007 showed that more than 80% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Hence, about 37% of the homeowners still have electric and oil heating systems. The government investment subsidy was important for conversion from a resistance heater, but not from an oil boiler. This is because homeowners currently replacing their oil boilers are the laggards, while those replacing resistance heaters are the 'early adopters'. Economic aspects and functional reliability were the most important factors for the homeowners when considering a new heating system. There is a variation in the perceived advantages associated with each of the innovative heating systems and therefore, the diffusion patterns of such systems vary. Installers and interpersonal sources were the most important communication channels for information on heating systems

  7. An adopter-centric approach to analyze the diffusion patterns of innovative residential heating systems in Sweden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2008-02-15

    Innovation and diffusion of renewable energy technologies play a major role in mitigation of climate change. In Sweden replacing electric and oil heating systems with innovative heating systems such as district heating, heat pumps and wood pellet boilers in detached homes is a significant mitigation option. Using an adopter-centric approach, we analyzed the influence of investment subsidy on conversion of resistance heaters and oil boilers, and the variation in diffusion pattern of district heating, heat pumps and pellet boilers in Swedish detached homes. Results from questionnaire surveys of 1500 randomly selected homeowners in September 2004 and January 2007 showed that more than 80% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Hence, about 37% of the homeowners still have electric and oil heating systems. The government investment subsidy was important for conversion from a resistance heater, but not from an oil boiler. This is because homeowners currently replacing their oil boilers are the laggards, while those replacing resistance heaters are the 'early adopters'. Economic aspects and functional reliability were the most important factors for the homeowners when considering a new heating system. There is a variation in the perceived advantages associated with each of the innovative heating systems and therefore, the diffusion patterns of such systems vary. Installers and interpersonal sources were the most important communication channels for information on heating systems. (author)

  8. Does personal experience affect choice-based preferences for wildfire protection programs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armando González-Cabán; Thomas P. Holmes; John B. Loomis; José J. Sánchez

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate homeowner preferences and willingness to pay for wildfire protection programs using a choice experiment with three attributes: risk, loss, and cost. A phone-mail-phone survey was used to collect data from homeowners predominantly living in medium and high wildfire risk communities in Florida. We tested three hypotheses: (1) homeowner...

  9. 24 CFR 4001.07 - Definitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... in 24 CFR 203.251(e). Premium pricing means the price for the sale of a mortgage loan with an above... for real estate taxes, premiums for required hazard and mortgage insurance, homeowners' association...

  10. Environmental justice and factors that influence participation in tree planting programs in Portland, Oregon, U.S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geoffrey H. Donovan; John Mills

    2014-01-01

    Many cities have policies encouraging homeowners to plant trees. For these policies to be effective, it is important to understand what motivates a homeowner’s tree-planting decision. Researchers address this question by identifying variables that influence participation in a tree-planting program in Portland, Oregon, U.S. According to the study, homeowners with street...

  11. The trigger matters: The decision-making process for heating systems in the residential building sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hecher, Maria; Hatzl, Stefanie; Knoeri, Christof; Posch, Alfred

    2017-01-01

    As heat demand of buildings accounts for a significant amount of final energy use and related carbon emissions, it’s important to gain insights into the homeowners’ decision-making processes and to identify factors determining the choice of heating systems. In this study, data was collected in an online survey carried out in 2015, from private homeowners of existing and newly built single and double-family houses in Austria who had invested in a new heating system within the last ten years (N=484). In contrast to previous studies, this study specifically investigates the triggers behind homeowner decisions to invest in a new heating system (e.g. problem, opportunity, or new building situation). Results of binary logistic regression analysis show that subsidies for heating system tabinvestments and infrastructural adjustments reveal to be most effective for homeowners in problem situations to foster alternative heating systems. For homeowners in opportunity situations (e.g. building refurbishment), in addition operational convenience appears to be important. For new buildings, the main barriers for alternative heating system adoption were found in the positive perception of fuel supply security and feasibility of fossil systems. Thus, the use of trigger-specific policy measures is proposed to foster alternative heating systems in the residential building sector. - Highlights: • Homeowners’ triggers determine heating system adoption decisions. • It is crucial to reach homeowners early enough to avoid problem situations. • For problem-triggered homeowners, subsidies are most effective. • Opportunity-triggered homeowners prefer alternative heating systems. • Opportunity-triggered homeowners need solid decision basis for technology comparison.

  12. Living on the mall : patterning and place making in the case study of Nouvelle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gillies-Smith, S.; Ring, H. [Martha Schwartz, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)

    2007-07-01

    One of the largest habitable green roofs in the New England area was designed by Martha Schwartz Inc. The green roof spans 1.5 acres of mall rooftop that will be accessible by two connected condominium towers. A condominium complex associated with the expansion of the Natick Mall entitled Nouvelle, offers a new type of housing, in which a private, residential apartment complex adjoins a suburban, upscale indoor shopping mall. There are many new opportunities to use the expansive area of the mall complex roof to function as a productive, multi-use, shared private park. As an art-based landscape architectural practice, the office has adapted bold and graphic qualities as a model for its green roof design. The Nouvelle green roof offers dynamic circulation, enjoyable social space and recreation, intersecting a continuous coverage of patterned sedum and river stone that spans an entire roofscape. The green roof demonstrates an innovative combination of intensive and extensive plantings that create a system of legible and visually pleasing patterning from above. This case study addressed these innovations and implementation challenges within the context of mall architecture and green roof technologies. In addition, it also identified the social uses of roof spaces, and the aesthetics and sustainability of patterning in intensive and extensive planting design.

  13. Clothing Flammability and Burn Injuries: Public Opinion Concerning an Overlooked, Preventable Public Health Problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frattaroli, Shannon; Spivak, Steven M; Pollack, Keshia M; Gielen, Andrea C; Salomon, Michele; Damant, Gordon H

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to describe knowledge of clothing flammability risk, public support for clothing flammability warning labels, and stronger regulation to reduce the risk. As part of a national survey of homeowners about residential sprinkler systems, the authors included questions about clothing flammability. The authors used an online web panel to sample homeowners and descriptive methods to analyze the resulting data. The sample included 2333 homeowners. Knowledge of clothing flammability and government oversight of clothing flammability risk was low. Homeowners were evenly split about the effectiveness of current standards; however, when presented with clothing-related burn injury and death data, a majority (53%) supported stricter standards. Most homeowners (64%) supported warning labels and indicated that such labels would either have no effect on their purchasing decisions (64%) or be an incentive (24%) to purchase an item. Owners of sprinkler-equipped homes were more likely to support these interventions than owners of homes without sprinkler systems. Public knowledge about clothing flammability risks is low. Most homeowners supported clothing labels to inform consumers of this risk and increased government intervention to reduce the risk.

  14. Energy upgrading measures improve also indoor climate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foldbjerg, Peter; Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose

    2014-01-01

    A new survey shows that the economy is what motivates Danish owners of single-family houses the most to start energy upgrading, and that improved indoor climate is also an important factor. After the upgrading, homeowners experience both improved economy and indoor climate. In a strategy...... to increase the number of homeowners who venture into a major energy upgrading of their house, the demonstrated positive side effects, more than energy savings, should be included in the communication to motivate homeowners. The barriers should be reduced by “taking the homeowners by the hand” and helping...... them to choose relevant energy-saving solutions as well as clarifying the financial consequences and opportunities....

  15. Kaasomand : korterelamu korrashoiu probleemid / Roode Liias

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Liias, Roode, 1953-

    2003-01-01

    ÜRO Euroopa Majanduskomisjoni ekspertide poolt koostatud juhendmaterjalist ühistute töö korraldamiseks Kesk- ja Ida-Euroopa riikides ("Guidelines on condominium ownership of housing for countries in transition." UN; 2003)

  16. 38 CFR 36.4361 - Acceptable ownership arrangements and documentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... condominium, including building types, architectural style and the size of the units for those phases of the..., building types, architectural style and size of the units, etc. of these phases. However, the minimum...

  17. A SIMPLE APPROACH TO ASSESSING COPPER PITTING CORROSION TENDENCIES AND DEVELOPING CONTROL STRATEGIES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Localized corrosion of copper premise plumbing in drinking water distribution systems can lead to pinhole leaks, which are a growing problem for many homeowners. Despite the fact that water quality is an important factor associated with localized copper corrosion, definitive appr...

  18. No-Regrets Remodeling, 2nd Edition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2013-12-01

    No-Regrets Remodeling, sponsored by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is an informative publication that walks homeowners and/or remodelers through various home remodeling projects. In addition to remodeling information, the publication provides instruction on how to incorporate energy efficiency into the remodeling process. The goal of the publication is to improve homeowner satisfaction after completing a remodeling project and to provide the homeowner with a home that saves energy and is comfortable and healthy.

  19. Analysis of water use by gated communities in South Africa | du ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Further benefits include the improved management of infrastructure such as telecommunication services, roads, water, sewer, electrical and stormwater assets. GCs are often governed by trustees or homeowners' associations, responsible for the operation and the maintenance functions of the infrastructure, as well as ...

  20. Trip generation at special sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    Seven-day volume counts were made at fast-food restaurants with drive-thru service, convenience markets, condominiums, drive-in banks, high-rise apartments, planned unit developments, mobile home parks, day-care centers, churches, suburban motels, an...

  1. Minority Households' Willingness-to-Pay for Public and Private Wildfire Risk Reduction in Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Caban, A.; Sanchez, J. J.

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of this work is to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for minority (African-American and Hispanic) homeowners in Florida for private and public wildfire risk reduction programs and also to test for differences in response between the two groups. A random parameter logit and latent class models allowed us to determine if there is difference in wildfire mitigation program preferences, whether WTP is higher for public or private actions for wildfire risk reduction, and whether households with personal experience and who perceive that they live in higher-risk areas have significantly higher WTP. We also compare FL minority homeowners' WTP values with Florida original homeowners' estimates. Results suggest that FL minority homeowners are willing to invest in public programs, with African-Americans WTP values at a higher rate than Hispanics. In addition, the highest priority for cost sharing funds would go to low-income homeowners, especially to cost-share private actions on their own land. These results may help fire managers optimize allocation of scarce cost-sharing funds for public versus private actions.

  2. FY 1977 Annual report on Sunshine Project results. Research and development of solar energy systems for air conditioning and hot water supply (Research and development of solar systems for condominiums); 1977 nendo taiyo reidanbo oyobi kyuto system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Shugo jutakuyo system no kenkyu kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1978-06-01

    This project is aimed at technological development of economical solar energy systems for air conditioning and hot water supply for condominiums. The major items for the FY 1977 programs include (1) designs and fabrication of equipment for a test building, (2) development of the equipment materials, and (3) system analysis. The jobs for item (1) include management of the designs and construction, placing an order for the building, and fabrication of an air conditioner expander and heat pump; those for item (2) include simplification of a condensing type and plate type heat collector structures, weather-resistance of the plate type heat collector structure, and materials for selective absorbing membranes and reflectors; and those for item (3) include estimation of heat loads in a model building, first to third floors as the test building, and fourth to 14th floors as the conventional box-shaped building. The heat collector installation area is investigated for a multistory building, for which solar radiation intensity at the heat-receiving plane and the like are taken into account. It is found that the solar system can be installed, when an area of 50m{sup 2} can be allocated to the system in each story. There is a limit to story number for the solar system to economically work for air conditioning and hot water supply. Sufficient insulation of the system and reduction in pipe length by zoning are the necessary measures against heat losses. (NEDO)

  3. 76 FR 6555 - Loan Guaranty Revised Loan Modification Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-07

    ... loan; and advances required to preserve the lien position, such as homeowner association fees, special... delinquent interest, advances, or other amounts due; extending the repayment terms; changing the interest... encountered two sets of circumstances that have caused difficulty in easily modifying loans to assist veterans...

  4. Institutional analysis of condominium management system in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Amhara region: the case of Bahir Dar city. Zelalem ... a case to illustrate the issue under study. ... coordination policies regarding housing and urban development. ...... Ababa', Proceedings of European Network for Housing Research 2007:.

  5. Institutional analysis of condominium management system in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    African Review of Economics and Finance. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 3, No 2 (2012) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

  6. 75 FR 37455 - Mortgage Insurance Termination; Application for Premium Refund or Distributive Share Payment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-29

    ... EDI and is used to directly pay eligible homeowners. This condition occurs when the form passes the... information is submitted via the Internet or EDI and is used to directly pay eligible homeowners. This...

  7. Direct Utilization Technology, State-of-the-Art

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryan, Gene P

    1981-01-01

    This paper is intended to convey some ideas as to how a geothermal project develops, and to point out considerations that lead to the selection of the actual hardware. Today’s “state-of-the-art” provides a wide variety of materials and equipment that can be used in various combinations and configurations to perform a specific geothermal function. Most of the hardware is “off-the-shelf,” and there is seldom need for custom designed specialty items. To illustrate project development and equipment selection, an actual on-the-line geothermal application has been selected for discussion. This application involves space heating, potable hot water, and swimming pool heat for a small condominium. The four level condominium contains 11 units, a laundry, storage area, and a recreation room. The first thing discussed will be the geothermal well.

  8. Smart Growth and the Challenge of Nimby: Multifamily Dwellings and their Association with Single-Family House Selling Prices in Tallahasse, Florida, USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huston GIBSON

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Citizens protest development when they consider it undesirable. One type of development commonly perceived as undesirable by single-family home owners is proximate multifamily housing, often considered a cause of property devaluation. This study assesses multifamily housing, by typology, and its monetary association with proximate single-family housing prices. The research design is a cross-sectional study using multivariate regression. The unit of analysis is the detached single-family dwelling. The study population is a sample taken from all arms-length owner-occupied, primary residence, detached single-family property transactions recorded in Tallahassee-Leon County, Florida, USA, during 2008. The key findings show no statistically significant negative associations between multifamily housing and single-family property selling prices in the sample; in fact, the two were positively correlated. These findings address single-family homeowner concerns about proximate multifamily housing and should bolster the political feasibility of Smart Growth policy, which recommends denser urban infill.

  9. Local house prices and mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Nayan Krishna

    2016-03-01

    This paper examines the impact of local (county-level) house prices on individual self-reported mental health using individual level data from the United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System between 2005 and 2011. Exploiting a fixed-effects model that relies on within-county variations, relative to the corresponding changes in other counties, I find that while individuals are likely to experience worse self-reported mental health when local house prices decline, this association is most pronounced for individuals who are least likely to be homeowners. This finding is not consistent with a prediction from a pure wealth mechanism but rather with the hypothesis that house prices act as an economic barometer. I also demonstrate that the association between self-reported mental health and local house prices is not driven by unemployment or foreclosure. The primary result-that lower local house prices have adverse impact on self-reported mental health of homeowners and renters-is consistent with studies using data from the United Kingdom.

  10. 75 FR 4100 - Affirmative Fair Housing, Marketing (AFHM) Plan-Multifamily Housing, Affirmative Fair Housing...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5376-N-01] Affirmative Fair Housing, Marketing (AFHM) Plan-Multifamily Housing, Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing (AFHM) Plan-Single Family Housing and Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing (AFHM) Plan- Cooperatives/Condominiums AGENCY: Office of...

  11. Promoting seismic retrofit implementation through "nudge": using warranty as a driver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimi, Toshio; Tatano, Hirokazu

    2013-10-01

    This article proposes a new type of warranty policy that applies the "nudge" concept developed by Thaler and Sunstein to encourage homeowners in Japan to implement seismic retrofitting. Homeowner adaptation to natural disasters through loss reduction measures is known to be inadequate. To encourage proactive risk management, the "nudge" approach capitalizes on how choice architecture can influence human decision-making tendencies. For example, people tend to place more value on a warranty for consumer goods than on actuarial value. This article proposes a "warranty for seismic retrofitting" as a "nudge" policy that gives homeowners the incentive to adopt loss reduction measures. Under such a contract, the government guarantees all repair costs in the event of earthquake damage to the house if the homeowner implements seismic retrofitting. To estimate the degree to which a warranty will increase the perceived value of seismic retrofitting, we use field survey data from 1,200 homeowners. Our results show that a warranty increases the perceived value of seismic retrofitting by an average of 33%, and an approximate cost-benefit analysis indicates that such a warranty can be more economically efficient than an ex ante subsidy. Furthermore, we address the failure of the standard expected utility model to explain homeowners' decisions based on warranty evaluation, and explore the significant influence of ambiguity aversion on the efficacy of seismic retrofitting and nonanalytical factors such as feelings or trust. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

  12. Mortgage Debt and Wages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wood, James

    2017-01-01

    Different approaches to mortgage debt may impact wages, how homeowners engage with employers and welfare services, and economic growth.......Different approaches to mortgage debt may impact wages, how homeowners engage with employers and welfare services, and economic growth....

  13. 38 CFR 36.4365 - Appraisal requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... no assurances are given concerning construction, unit sizes, building types, architectural styles... local law. (f) Professional management. Many condominiums are small enough and their common areas so minimal that professional management is not necessary. VA does not have a requirement for professional...

  14. The role of energy advisors on adoption of energy efficiency measures in detached houses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden Univ., Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-07-01

    External actors can influence potential adopters to adopt energy efficiency measures. In Sweden energy advisers are one such actor group who provides energy advice and information to the end users. Currently, all municipalities offer energy advisers' service. The success of such service for improvement of energy efficiency of detached houses depends on homeowners' perception towards it. In this context we conducted a national survey of about 3000 owners of detached houses through stratified random sampling method in 2008 summer. We found that majority of owners' of detached houses consider energy advisers as an important source of information. Furthermore, many homeowners who contacted energy advisers for advice had implemented the suggestions. However, only a few homeowners had actually contacted energy advisers. Our findings suggest that it is beneficial to continue the energy adviser service, but more efforts are needed to increase homeowners' awareness of and satisfaction with such services.

  15. Participant evaluation results for two indoor air quality studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hawthorne, A.R.; Dudney, C.S.; Cohen, M.A.; Spengler, J.D.

    1987-01-01

    After two surveys for indoor air pollutants (radon and other chemicals) the homeowners were surveyed for their reactions. The results of these participant evaluation surveys, assuming that the participants that responded to the survey were representative, indicate that homeowners will accept a significant level of monitoring activity as part of an indoor air quality field study. Those participants completing surveys overwhelmingly enjoyed being in the studies and would do it again. We believe that the emphasis placed on positive homeowner interactions and efforts made to inform participants throughout our studies were positive factors in this result. There was no substantial differences noted in the responses between the 70-house study, which included a homeowner compensation payment of $100, and the 300-house study, which did not include a compensation payment. These results provide encouragement to conduct future complex, multipollutant indoor air quality studies when they are scientifically sound and cost effective

  16. 77 FR 54511 - Facilitating the Use of Microwave for Wireless Backhaul and Other Uses and Providing Additional...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-05

    ... for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Information Center, Room... microwave to minimize the cost and make it easier to comply with local zoning and homeowner association...? 19. By issuing this Second Notice of Inquiry, we intend to start a broad discussion of our microwave...

  17. 77 FR 57070 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-17

    ... and Climate Change: Risk Mitigation Behaviors of Homeowners. OMB Control Number: 0596-New. Summary of... regarding wildfires and wildfire risk reduction, (4) attitudes and knowledge of climate change and its... mitigate risk. To understand homeowner behavior and their response to various sources of risk requires...

  18. Measure Guideline. Heat Pump Water Heaters in New and Existing Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shapiro, Carl [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Puttagunta, Srikanth [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Owens, Douglas [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2012-02-01

    This Building America Measure Guideline is intended for builders, contractors, homeowners, and policy-makers. This document is intended to explore the issues surrounding heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) to ensure that homeowners and contractors have the tools needed to appropriately and efficiently install HPWHs

  19. 24 CFR 4001.203 - Calculation of upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums for Program mortgages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... mortgage insurance premiums for Program mortgages. 4001.203 Section 4001.203 Housing and Urban Development... HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM Rights and Obligations Under the Contract of Insurance § 4001.203 Calculation of upfront and annual mortgage insurance premiums for Program mortgages. (a...

  20. Development of a Context-Aware Smart Home Energy Manager (CASHEM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srivastava, Viraj [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Makhmalbaf, Atefe [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Parker, Graham B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2013-03-01

    The research reported is part of a collaborative with Honeywell, Inc. to bring novel home energy management concepts and technologies to reduce energy consumption, reduce peak electricity demand, integrate renewable energy and storage technology, and change homeowner behavior to manage and consume less energy. The objective of the collaborative is to create a Context-Aware Smart Home Energy Manager (CASHEM) that dynamically schedules major home appliances according to conditions and homeowner convenience of service (CoS) preferences, monitors and analyzes energy consumption of appliances, recommends further energy saving actions, and engages/motivates the homeowner to adopt those recommendations.

  1. Opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas, energy use, and electricity use in the Greater Toronto area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-02-16

    The Clean Air Partnership (CAP) was interested in scanning and prioritizing energy efficiency opportunities to reduce energy use and the associated greenhouse gas emissions in the greater Toronto area (GTA). A study was conducted to scope out the most promising program directions for the GTA should government funding become available to launch the initiative, based on the relative technical potential of energy efficiency (and some fuel substitution) measures in the targeted sectors. A report to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) focused on the residential and institutional sectors. These included new and existing residential buildings, condominiums and single-family homes, with special detail provided on appliances and central air conditioning; as well as municipal, university, school, and hospital buildings, with special attention towards measures to make street and traffic signal lighting more energy efficient. This letter provided a summary of findings. Next steps were also presented. It was recommended that three market transformation initiatives be designed and implemented to realize the technical potential for reductions in peak electricity and carbon dioxide emissions reductions. These three programs were discussed with reference to the energy efficient lighting collaborative; a green loan program for new homes and condominiums; and a community residential CDM program. A market transformation framework was also presented. It addressed the five key steps in the movement of a product from the manufacturer to the end user, namely availability; awareness; accessibility; affordability; and acceptance. 1 tab., 3 figs.

  2. 32 CFR 239.15 - List of HAP field offices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false List of HAP field offices. 239.15 Section 239.15...) MISCELLANEOUS HOMEOWNERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-APPLICATION PROCESSING § 239.15 List of HAP field offices. Homeowners Assistance Program field offices that process HAP applications for installations and applicants...

  3. 77 FR 19751 - Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-02

    ... and provide relief to struggling homeowners. Since its launch, the Department expanded the MHA Program... Affordable Program to recognize that homeowners may be eligible for other housing relief options in addition... research, modeling and data analysis to improve the quality of services provided under the MHA Program or...

  4. .

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leise Kelli de Oliveira

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available This article presents trip generation models for Belo Horizonte considering seven categories of enterprises (nightclubs, residential condominiums, elementary and high schools, hospitals, higher education institutions, shopping centers and supermarkets. Counting and classification of traffic volume, interviews and access control data were used to identify characteristics of each type of enterprise and to develop the models. These developed models show a strong correlation among the variables considered, besides their statistical significance. A good fit with field data was achieved, except to residential condominiums and supermarkets. Comparison with models from the Brazilian literature indicated that the investigation and the development of such models are important for a city when it is necessary to assess traffic impact and to determine mitigation strategies during the implementation of large enterprises. Local models are more precise and have the tendency to produce smaller errors in estimates, permitting a more reliable and accurate evaluation of the mitigation strategies that should be implemented.

  5. Takano bamboo industry: The style material for the residence where bamboo charcoal was used; Takano chikuko: chikutan wo tsukatta jutakuyo choshitsuzai

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-07-30

    Takano bamboo industry sold the style material 'Takebayashi, Saga' for the residence where bamboo charcoal was used. It is said that it can get equal effect in the amount of about 1 in three minutes even if it is compared with charcoal by the thing which it made use of the nature of the bamboo charcoal which it begins to vomit if water is inhaled and it is low for if humidity is pure. A back with the bamboo charcoal 1kg is laid 6 per 1m. It is laid under the floor of the house residence and the condominium, and it can be used easily in the errand, the existent residence as well. It was the space when the air humidity was 40-90%, and indoor humidity showed the numerical value, which faced though there was a change and which became stable in 60-70% as a result of actually doing an experiment in the house residence condominium. (translated by NEDO)

  6. Medium Voltage Microgrid Test Setup and Procedures Implemented on a Real Pilot Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Alberto Pacheco

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents various concepts related to the application of a microgrid pilot project in a residential condominium at Fortaleza / CE – Brazil, such as battery energy system, renewable and distributed generation, islanding recloser and all different units using interface based on power electronics. This papers main objective is to create information about microgrid operation and the interaction between its main equipment, such as power converters, utility energy distribution system and control units responsible for algorithms and changes in microgrids operation mode. This information is important for understanding the need for a test setup construction. To perform the test procedures, a temporary setup in a controlled environment within the microgrid is proposed. During the test periods, intentional power outages are required to evaluate the operating mode switching on each unit. The test setup described in this paper aims to mitigate the tests effects on other residential units inside the condominium.

  7. Well ARMed and FiRM

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Kourosh Marjani; Zenios, Stavros A.

    2007-01-01

    of mortgage loans of a homeowner and apply it to data from the Danish market. Even in the presence of mortgage origination costs it is shown that most risk averse homeowners will do well to consider a diversified portfolio of both fixed (FRM) and adjustable (ARM) rate mortgages. This is particularly so if one...... or the homeowner's situation warrants it. And while, traditionally, a single mortgage loan would serve borrower needs, today it appears that a portfolio of loans may satisfy much better the mortgage needs of the individual and his or her appetite for risk. In this paper we develop a model for the diversification...

  8. "When you're in a crisis like that, you don't want people to know": mortgage strain, stigma, and mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keene, Danya E; Cowan, Sarah K; Baker, Amy Castro

    2015-05-01

    We analyzed experiences of stigmatization, concealment, and isolation among African American homeowners who were experiencing mortgage strain. We conducted semistructured interviews between March 2012 and May 2013 with 28 African American homeowners in a northeastern US city who were experiencing mortgage strain. We coded all of the transcripts and reviewed data for codes relating to stigma, sharing information, social support, social isolation, and the meaning of homeownership. Our data showed that mortgage strain can be a concealable stigma. Participants internalized this stigma, expressing shame about their mortgage situation. Additionally, some participants anticipated that others would view them as less worthy given their mortgage trouble. In an effort to avoid stigmatization, many concealed their mortgage trouble, which often led to isolation. This stigmatization, concealment, and isolation seemed to contribute to participants' depression, anxiety, and emotional distress. Stigma may exacerbate stress associated with mortgage strain and contribute to poor mental health, particularly among upwardly mobile African Americans who have overcome significant structural barriers to home ownership. Reducing stigma associated with mortgage strain may help to reduce the health consequences of this stressful life event.

  9. Landscaping Habitat for Humanity Homes: A Community Outreach Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsay, Jodie L.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this project is to incorporate a community service component into a Biology course at Northern State University (NSU) in Aberdeen, SD. Students in an upper-level botany course (Plant Structure and Function) provide landscaping services to homeowners who have purchased homes through Habitat for Humanity. Homeowner satisfaction with…

  10. The role of parents in their adult children’s housing and residential locations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smits, A.W.M.

    2010-01-01

    Are adult children more likely to become homeowners for the first time if their parents are homeowners? And, if so, did the influence of parental homeownership on that of the adult child change over time? Do adult children of parents with high-value housing have better chances to have higher housing

  11. African Review of Economics and Finance - Vol 3, No 2 (2012)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Contribution of Agriculture to Deforestation in the Tropics: A Theoretical Investigation · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. G Adu, G Marbuah, JT Mensah, 1-12. Institutional analysis of condominium management system in Amhara region: the case of ...

  12. Your Travel Dollar. Money Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baran, Nancy H., Ed.

    This illustrated guide was designed to familiarize consumers with planning a vacation trip, whether domestic or abroad. The guide covers setting up a budget; package tours; cruises and charter flights; travel agencies and clubs; and arranging stays in hotels/motels, rental condominiums, bed-and-breakfasts, hostels, campsites, and private…

  13. 76 FR 40927 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Environmental...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-12

    ... for Construction and Operations at Kauai Lagoons Resort and Golf Course on Kauai, HI AGENCY: Fish and..., a golf and racquet club facility, a network of man-made navigable lagoons, a restaurant, commercial... construction of 707 condominium units, 65 single family residential lots, a central operations building, a new...

  14. 24 CFR 245.417 - Initial submission of materials to HUD: Conversion of residential units to a nonresidential use...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... HUD: Conversion of residential units to a nonresidential use, or to cooperative housing or... Covered Action § 245.417 Initial submission of materials to HUD: Conversion of residential units to a nonresidential use, or to cooperative housing or condominiums. In the case of a conversion of residential units...

  15. On the Making of Perfect and Beautiful Social Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baer, William C.

    1975-01-01

    A comparison of the workings of the homeowner deduction provisions in the federal income tax, an indirect housing subsidy program, with the more direct housing programs administered by HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) demonstrated that the latter generally bare badly by contrast. The homeowner indirect subsidies are an example of…

  16. Examining the sources of public support for wildland fire policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    J.D. Absher; J.J. Vaske

    2007-01-01

    Recent severe wildfires have reinforced the need for successful mitigation strategies to be coordinated across all levels of government that address the needs and concerns of homeowners who live in the wildland/urban interface (WUI). Despite the growing body of social science literature on agency-initiated wildland fire policies and homeowner mitigation strategies,...

  17. Living with wildfire in Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patricia A. Champ; Nicholas Flores; Hannah Brenkert-Smith

    2010-01-01

    In this presentation, we describe results of a survey to homeowners living in wildfire-prone areas of two counties along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The survey was designed to elicit information on homeowners' experience with wildfire, perceptions of wildfire risk on their property and neighboring properties, mitigation efforts undertaken...

  18. 16 CFR 460.2 - What is home insulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What is home insulation. 460.2 Section 460.2 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION TRADE REGULATION RULES LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF HOME..., semirigid, flexible, or loose-fill form. Home insulation is for use in old or new homes, condominiums...

  19. 24 CFR 234.285 - Waived title objections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... have not been violated to a material extent. (f) Federal tax liens and rights of redemption arising... Commissioner will not object to an outstanding right of redemption in IRS if: (1) The Federal tax lien was... CONDOMINIUM OWNERSHIP MORTGAGE INSURANCE Contract Rights and Obligations-Individually Owned Units § 234.285...

  20. Dating and characterization of archaeological ceramics of the Araruama area at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinagre Filho, Ubirajara M.; Bellido, Alfredo V.B.; Latini, Rose M.; Rossi, Alexandre M.

    2000-01-01

    Ceramic of three archaeological sites (Serrano, Morro Grande, and condominium Bela Vista) of the Araruama area (Rio de Janeiro/Brazil), are being dated by the thermoluminescence technique. These ceramics are being characterized, in your elementary chemical composition, by INAA. Preliminary results are presented and the samples treatment method is described. (author)

  1. Owners perception on the adoption of building envelope energy efficiency measures in Swedish detached houses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nair, Gireesh [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden); Mahapatra, Krushna [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Ostersund (Sweden)

    2010-07-15

    The paper focuses on Swedish homeowners' need for and perceptions about adopting building envelop energy efficiency measures. The paper is based on a questionnaire survey of 3059 homeowners (response rate of 36%) selected by stratified random sampling during the summer of 2008. The results showed that 70-90% of the respondents had no intention of adopting such a measure over the next 10 years. The main reasons for non-adoption were that homeowners were satisfied with the physical condition, thermal performance, and aesthetics of their existing building envelope components. A greater proportion of respondents perceived that improved attic insulation has more advantages than energy efficient windows and improved wall insulation, but windows were more likely to be installed than improved attic insulation. Respondents gave high priority to economic factors in deciding on an energy efficiency measure. Interpersonal sources, construction companies, installers, and energy advisers were important sources of information for homeowners as they planned to adopt building envelope energy efficiency measures. Policy measures to facilitate the rate of adoption of energy efficient building envelope measures are discussed.

  2. Owners perception on the adoption of building envelope energy efficiency measures in Swedish detached houses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif; Mahapatra, Krushna

    2010-01-01

    The paper focuses on Swedish homeowners' need for and perceptions about adopting building envelop energy efficiency measures. The paper is based on a questionnaire survey of 3059 homeowners (response rate of 36%) selected by stratified random sampling during the summer of 2008. The results showed that 70-90% of the respondents had no intention of adopting such a measure over the next 10 years. The main reasons for non-adoption were that homeowners were satisfied with the physical condition, thermal performance, and aesthetics of their existing building envelope components. A greater proportion of respondents perceived that improved attic insulation has more advantages than energy efficient windows and improved wall insulation, but windows were more likely to be installed than improved attic insulation. Respondents gave high priority to economic factors in deciding on an energy efficiency measure. Interpersonal sources, construction companies, installers, and energy advisers were important sources of information for homeowners as they planned to adopt building envelope energy efficiency measures. Policy measures to facilitate the rate of adoption of energy efficient building envelope measures are discussed.

  3. Owners perception on the adoption of building envelope energy efficiency measures in Swedish detached houses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif; Mahapatra, Krushna [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2010-07-15

    The paper focuses on Swedish homeowners' need for and perceptions about adopting building envelop energy efficiency measures. The paper is based on a questionnaire survey of 3059 homeowners (response rate of 36%) selected by stratified random sampling during the summer of 2008. The results showed that 70-90% of the respondents had no intention of adopting such a measure over the next 10 years. The main reasons for non-adoption were that homeowners were satisfied with the physical condition, thermal performance, and aesthetics of their existing building envelope components. A greater proportion of respondents perceived that improved attic insulation has more advantages than energy efficient windows and improved wall insulation, but windows were more likely to be installed than improved attic insulation. Respondents gave high priority to economic factors in deciding on an energy efficiency measure. Interpersonal sources, construction companies, installers, and energy advisers were important sources of information for homeowners as they planned to adopt building envelope energy efficiency measures. Policy measures to facilitate the rate of adoption of energy efficient building envelope measures are discussed. (author)

  4. Cost shared wildfire risk mitigation in Log Hill Mesa, Colorado: Survey evidence on participation and willingness to pay

    Science.gov (United States)

    James R. Meldrum; Patricia A. Champ; Travis Warziniack; Hannah Brenkert-Smith; Christopher M. Barth; Lilia C. Falk

    2014-01-01

    Wildland-urban interface (WUI) homeowners who do not mitigate the wildfire risk on their properties impose a negative externality on society. To reduce the social costs of wildfire and incentivise homeowners to take action, cost sharing programs seek to reduce the barriers that impede wildfire risk mitigation. Using survey data from a WUI community in western Colorado...

  5. Residents' values and fuels management approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gwo-Bao Liou; Christine Vogt; Greg Winter; Sarah McCaffrey

    2008-01-01

    The research utilizes the Forest Value and Salient Value Similarity Scales to examine homeowners' value orientations and relate them to attitudes toward and support for fuels management approaches. Data were collected from homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface of the Huron- Manistee National Forest at two time periods, in 2002 and 2006. The panel data...

  6. Evicted | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2017-10-20

    Oct 20, 2017 ... While they struggled with rising alcoholism, drug use, and crime, they also felt a stronger sense of “home” and “belonging” than those in Colombo who had been displaced by development. Material circumstances improved for most of those resettled in new multistorey condominiums in Colombo, but their ...

  7. A catedral, o bazar e o condomínio: um ensaio sobre o modelo de negócio do software livre The cathedral, the bazaar and the condominium: an essay on a business model of free open source software

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Finkelfarb Lichand

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Este ensaio tem como objetivo apresentar o software livre como objeto viável de estratégia de comercialização no mercado de software. A partir da análise de seus efeitos sobre as receitas e o market share das firmas dominantes, o F/LOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software emerge como alternativa de modelo de negócio nos segmentos em que o software livre apresenta vantagens competitivas sobre o software proprietário. Descrevemos as potencialidades e limitações, os aspectos tecnológicos, econômicos e sociológicos da organização da produção de empresas que comercializam produtos ou serviços relacionados ao F/LOSS. Utilizando-se a perspectiva da Economia dos Custos de Transação e da Economia da Informação, apresenta-se o modelo híbrido de desenvolvimento do F/LOSS nos mesmos moldes de um condomínio - em que a administração central coordena a ação coletiva, enquanto a comunidade, ao mesmo tempo em que integra o processo, monitora as ações da direção centralizada -, como estratégia competitiva alternativa aos modelos de desenvolvimento aberto (Bazar e proprietário (Catedral.Free Open Source Software is described as viable software for commercialization. Considering the revenues and market shares of the dominant suppliers, this software emerges as an alternative business model for segments in which open source software presents competitive advantages over the traditional model. Potentials, limitations and technological, economic and sociological aspects of organizational structures of companies that produce products and services related to Free Open Source Software are described. From the transaction cost and information economy perspectives, a hybrid model to develop Free Open Source Software is presented which is structured according to the concept of a condominium. That is, a central administration coordinates collective action, while the community works and monitors the action of the central direction. This model may

  8. The mummified corpse in a domestic setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campobasso, Carlo P; Falamingo, Rosa; Grattagliano, Ignazio; Vinci, Francesco

    2009-09-01

    A mummified body of an 86-year-old white man with a history of coronary atherosclerosis was found in the reception-room of his apartment located in a condominium of the city-center of Bari (Southern Italy) approximately 7 years after disappearance. Unpaid electricity bills caused the power stations to turn off electricity while unpaid condominium bills forced the manager of the condominium to open the apartment where the body was found. The corpse was well preserved through the mummification process and no external injuries were observed. Signs of a very low insect activity were also present, reasonably consistent with a rapid skin dehydration. The body was sitting on the carpet in front of an easy-chair, fully clothed by a woollen vest with dark paints and shoes. The head was lying face down on the easy-chair. The corpse was very light in weight, fixed in the sitting position by the brittle dehydrated tissues. The carpet on which the body was sitting and the covering tissue of the easy-chair on which the head was lying absorbed most of the early putrefactive fluids coming from the corpse. The internal organs were grossly identifiable but essentially unremarkable. On histologic examination most of the tissues were found to be autolyzed. Toxicology studies revealed only decompositional products. The cause of death was undetermined but presumed natural. Based on the ante-mortem data available the corpse was soon identified by dental comparison to be that one of the apartment owner missing 7 years before. The delayed recovery of elderly people who lived alone, incapacitated or unable to get help, or even of lonely deaths of nobody seems to miss are often explained by the isolation os such people even in urban areas in addition to a deficient family support, missing social and neighborly relationships, worsening of the health and financial conditions.

  9. What Great Powers Make It: International Order and the Logic of Cooperation in Cyberspace

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    seems to be a bit of schizophrenia here. On the one hand, cyber—in the form of information and networks—is already changing the nature of war and...of a condominium or a concert of power, relying instead on alliance politics. Alliance politics were both a cause and a cure for the hegemonic wars

  10. Retrofit of a MultiFamily Mass Masonry Building in New England

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, K. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Kerrigan, P. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Wytrykowska, H. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Van Straaten, R. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States)

    2013-08-01

    Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHfH) has partnered with Building Science Corporation to provide high performance affordable housing for 10 families in the retrofit of an existing brick building (a former convent) into condominiums. The research performed for this project provides information regarding advanced retrofit packages for multi-family masonry buildings in Cold climates. In particular, this project demonstrates safe, durable, and cost-effective solutions that will potentially benefit millions of multi-family brick buildings throughout the East Coast and Midwest (Cold climates). The retrofit packages provide insight on the opportunities for and constraints on retrofitting multifamily buildings with ambitious energy performance goals but a limited budget. The condominium conversion project will contribute to several areas of research on enclosures, space conditioning, and water heating. Enclosure items include insulation of mass masonry building on the interior, airtightness of these types of retrofits, multi-unit building compartmentalization, window selection, and roof insulation strategies. Mechanical system items include combined hydronic and space heating systems with hydronic distribution in small (low load) units, and ventilation system retrofits for multifamily buildings.

  11. Retrofit of a Multifamily Mass Masonry Building in New England

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, K.; Kerrigan, P.; Wytrykowska, H.; Van Straaten, R.

    2013-08-01

    Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHfH) has partnered with Building Science Corporation to provide high performance affordable housing for 10 families in the retrofit of an existing brick building (a former convent) into condominiums. The research performed for this project provides information regarding advanced retrofit packages for multi-family masonry buildings in Cold climates. In particular, this project demonstrates safe, durable, and cost-effective solutions that will potentially benefit millions of multi-family brick buildings throughout the East Coast and Midwest (Cold climates). The retrofit packages provide insight on the opportunities for and constraints on retrofitting multifamily buildings with ambitious energy performance goals but a limited budget. The condominium conversion project will contribute to several areas of research on enclosures, space conditioning, and water heating. Enclosure items include insulation of mass masonry building on the interior, airtightness of these types of retrofits, multi-unit building compartmentalization, window selection, and roof insulation strategies. Mechanical system items include combined hydronic and space heating systems with hydronic distribution in small (low load) units, and ventilation system retrofits for multifamily buildings.

  12. Building America Case Study: Accelerating the Delivery of Home-Performance Upgrades Using a Synergistic Business Model, Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-04-01

    Achieving Building America energy savings goals (40 percent by 2030) will require many existing homes to install energy upgrades. Engaging large numbers of homeowners in building science-guided upgrades during a single remodeling event has been difficult for a number of reasons. Performance upgrades in existing homes tend to occur over multiple years and usually result from component failures (furnace failure) and weather damage (ice dams, roofing, siding). This research attempted to: A) Understand the homeowner's motivations regarding investing in building science based performance upgrades. B) Determining a rapidly scalable approach to engage large numbers of homeowners directly through existing customer networks. C) Access a business model that will manage all aspects of the contractor-homeowner-performance professional interface to ensure good upgrade decisions over time. The solution results from a synergistic approach utilizing networks of suppliers merging with networks of homeowner customers. Companies in the $400 to $800 billion home services industry have proven direct marketing and sales proficiencies that have led to the development of vast customer networks. Companies such as pest control, lawn care, and security have nurtured these networks by successfully addressing the ongoing needs of homes. This long-term access to customers and trust established with consistent delivery has also provided opportunities for home service providers to grow by successfully introducing new products and services like attic insulation and air sealing. The most important component for success is a business model that will facilitate and manage the process. The team analyzes a group that developed a working model.

  13. Accelerating the Delivery of Home Performance Upgrades through a Synergistic Business Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schirber, Tom; Ojczyk, Cindy

    2016-04-11

    Achieving Building America energy savings goals (40% by 2030) will require many existing homes to install energy upgrades. Engaging large numbers of homeowners in building science-guided upgrades during a single remodeling event has been difficult for a number of reasons. Performance upgrades in existing homes tend to occur over multiple years and usually result from component failures (furnace failure) and weather damage (ice dams, roofing, siding). This research attempted to: A) understand the homeowner's motivations regarding investing in building science based performance upgrades; B) determining a rapidly scalable approach to engage large numbers of homeowners directly through existing customer networks; and C) access a business model that will manage all aspects of the contractor-homeowner-performance professional interface to ensure good upgrade decisions over time. The solution results from a synergistic approach utilizing networks of suppliers merging with networks of homeowner customers. Companies in the $400 to $800 billion home services industry have proven direct marketing and sales proficiencies that have led to the development of vast customer networks. Companies such as pest control, lawn care, and security have nurtured these networks by successfully addressing the ongoing needs of homes. This long-term access to customers and trust established with consistent delivery has also provided opportunities for home service providers to grow by successfully introducing new products and services like attic insulation and air sealing. The most important component for success is a business model that will facilitate and manage the process. The team analyzes a group that developed a working model.

  14. How "Animal Spirits" Wrecked the Housing Market

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akerlof, George A.; Shiller, Robert J.

    2009-01-01

    Real-estate markets are almost as volatile as stock markets. Prices of agricultural land, of commercial real estate, and of homes and condominiums have gone through a series of huge bubbles, as if people never learned from the previous ones. Such events--in particular the recent housing bubble--are driven by what John Maynard Keynes called animal…

  15. 26 CFR 1.44-5 - Definitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... case of factory-made homes the adjusted basis includes furniture only where it is included in the base... the amount of the excess of the fair market value of such other property received over the amount, if... new car with a fair market value of $2,500 upon the purchase of a condominium apartment for a total...

  16. Can property values capture changes in environmental health risks? Evidence from a stated preference study in Italy and the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guignet, Dennis; Alberini, Anna

    2015-03-01

    Hedonic models are a common nonmarket valuation technique, but, in practice, results can be affected by omitted variables and whether homebuyers respond to the assumed environmental measure. We undertake an alternative stated preference approach that circumvents these issues. We examine how homeowners in the United Kingdom and Italy value mortality risk reductions by asking them to choose among hypothetical variants of their home that differ in terms of mortality risks from air pollution and price. We find that Italian homeowners hold a value of a statistical life (VSL) of €6.4 million, but U.K. homeowners hold a much lower VSL (€2.1 million). This may be because respondents in the United Kingdom do not perceive air pollution where they live to be as threatening, and actually live in cities with relatively low air pollution. Italian homeowners value a reduction in the risk of dying from cancer more than from other causes, but U.K. respondents do not hold such a premium. Lastly, respondents who face higher baseline risks, due to greater air pollution where they live, hold a higher VSL, particularly in the United Kingdom. In both countries, the VSL is twice as large among individuals who perceive air pollution where they live as high. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

  17. Storm Impact Assessment for Beaches at Panama City, Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-09-01

    Panama City Beaches, and they contain a wide variety of beach homes, condominiums, hotels, small commercial tourism - based enterprises, and resorts. The...exam Mexico Beach T O2.5 miles MaVO Ma KLLT GUL F OF MEXI CO Erosion Area No. 5I C EWoM Crooked Island 4.2 miles ECT Erosion Area No. 4 BAY Lwcmca.n

  18. Economy Controls Energy Retrofits of Danish Single-family Houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Andrea; Heiselberg, Per; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2014-01-01

    A great energy saving potential is found in the 440,000 Danish single-family houses erected between 1960 and 1979, but the potential is not exploited. To utilize this potential homeowners must be motivated to conduct energy saving retrofits. This paper presents results from a survey from 2012 where...... 883 Danish single-family house owners completed a questionnaire about energy retrofit. The objective of this paper is, based on the survey results, to determine how Danish homeowners can be motivated to conduct energy retrofits. The conclusion is that the financial aspect of an energy retrofit...... about the potential improvements within these parameters is found among the homeowners and therefore there is a vital need for more information about this. A combination of this knowledge of the non-economic improvements, a sensible investment size and information and education about the current...

  19. Are homeowners really more unemployed?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munch, Jakob Roland; Rosholm, Michael; Svarer, Michael

    2006-01-01

    This article investigates the effects of homeownership on labour mobility and unemployment duration. We distinguish between finding employment locally or being geographically mobile. We find that homeownership hampers the propensity to move for job reasons, but improves the chances of finding local...

  20. Technology Solutions for Existing Homes Case Study: Accelerating the Delivery of Home-Performance Upgrades Using a Synergistic Business Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2016-04-14

    The Building America team NorthernSTAR investigated opportunities to use the massive customer networks of the home service industry as a means to connect homeowners to home-performance solutions. Home service companies could provide a pathway to advance building-science-guided upgrades by being in close proximity to homeowners when a decision-making moment is at hand. Established trust provides an opportunity for the company to deliver sound information and influence during a remodeling decision.

  1. Surface structural damage associated with longwall mining near Tuscaloosa, Alabama: a case history

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isphording, W.C.

    1992-01-01

    Initially the paper examines the frequency of coal mine subsidence and the influence on surface subsidence of subsurface mining methods, i.e. room and pillar and longwall mining. A case study of the subsidence damage caused to a log house near Tuscaloosa, Alabama (USA), when a longwall panel passed beneath it is presented. The damage resulted in the homeowners suing the mining company for negligence. The article discusses information provided to the plaintiffs attorneys by the author. Aspects covered are: the subsidence and damage to the property; prediction of subsidence; the monitoring of subsidence; and the prevention of subsidence. An out-of-court settlement was agreed by the two parties. 15 refs., 5 figs

  2. Energy renovation practices in Danish homes. The influence of energy labels on home renovation practices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christensen, Toke Haunstrup; Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten [Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, Dr. Neergaards Vej 15, DK-2970 Hoersholm (Denmark); Adjei, Afi [Building Research Establishment Ltd. BRE, Bucknalls Lane, Garston, WD25 9XX Watford (United Kingdom); De Best-Waldhober, Marjolein [Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Policy Studies, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2012-02-15

    Heating of dwellings represents a major policy challenge for the transition to a low carbon society. In Denmark, heating of dwellings represents about 25% of the total Danish final energy consumption and about 13% of the total CO2 emission. The majority of this is related to heating of older dwellings, and as the rate of replacement is low, the main potential for energy saving is to improve the energy efficiency of the existing dwelling stock through energy renovation. This paper provides an analysis of Danish experiences with energy labels (also known as the Energy Performance Certificate, EPC), which indicate the energy efficiency of buildings and include recommendations for improvements. The aim of the EPC is to motivate homeowners to do energy improvements. In Denmark, energy audit schemes date back to the early 1980s and energy rating of houses (energy labelling) was introduced in 1997. The long history of energy audit schemes and energy labelling makes Denmark an interesting case for the study of the experiences with and impact of this kind of policy measure. With the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) from 2002, an energy labelling scheme similar to the Danish scheme introduced in 1997 is now in use in all EU member states. The focus of this paper is on the homeowners' experience and use of the EPC and the key research questions are: How do the homeowners understand and use the EPC? Does the EPC have an influence on home energy renovation practices? The analysis is based on results from a survey of Danish homeowners who have purchased a home with an EPC within recent years. The Danish survey is part of the European project IDEAL EPBD, which was funded by the European Commission under the Intelligent Energy Europe programme and run from 2008 to 2011. The results indicate a rather limited influence of the EPC on Danish homeowners' home energy renovation practices. Also, the results show that even though most homeowners find the label

  3. Disproportionality as a Framework to Target Pollution Reduction from Urban Landscapes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Horgan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available New federal water quality regulations regarding impaired waters and urban stormwater, alongside a growing need to reverse eutrophication of urban lakes, are creating demand to decrease nutrient export from urban landscapes, particularly lawns. We propose that Nowak et al.’s (2006 disproportionality framework could be used to target specific households likely to generate disproportionate levels of nutrient export. The biophysical dimension would be based on landscape vulnerability (slope, soil type, proximity to lakes; the social dimension would target “inappropriate” lawn management behaviors leading to high nutrient export on these vulnerable landscapes. Understanding of lawn nutrient cycling (biophysical dimension and homeowner beliefs and attitudes (social dimension would be used to develop targeted, specific messages for homeowners practicing inappropriate management. A lawn management program developed with this disproportionality framework would probably be very effective, highly economical and fair, targeting only homeowners who are creating a disproportionate impact.

  4. ANALISIS KEPUASAN PENGHUNI DAN PERANAN ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS DAN MARKETER STIMULI PADA KONDOMINIUM MEWAH DI SURABAYA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timoticin Kwanda

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The occupancy rate of luxurious condominiums in Surabaya keep on decreasing. There are many reasons for these problems, among others economic crisis that weakened market-buying capability (external and decreased preferences to reside (internal. The internal factor comprises of occupant’s satisfaction, environmental influences, individual consumers and marketer stimuli. The purpose of the research is to know according to the assessment of the occupants which of these four factors, is higher and more dominant. The occupants surveyed are the occupants of the luxurious condominiums in Surabaya, such as Paragon, Beverly, Puri Matahari, Regency, Graha Famili, and Puri Darmo. Samples were taken with Purposive Sampling method and collected through questioners. Anova is used to analyse the data with SPS 2000 program. The result showed that there are no significant differences of occupant’s satisfaction, environmental influences, individual consumers and marketer stimuli on the six observed condominiums. Meanwhile according to the mean, occupant’s satisfaction, individual consumers and marketer stimuli are dominant at Puri Matahari, and environmental influences are dominant at Puri Darmo. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Tingkat hunian kondominium mewah di Surabaya terus menurun tajam. Hal yang menjadi penyebabnya antara lain krisis ekonomi yang memperlemah daya beli pasar (eksternal dan menurunnya minat menempati (internal. Faktor internal adalah kepuasan penghuni, environmental influences, individual consumers dan marketer stimuli. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penilaian penghuni kondominium mewah di Surabaya, yaitu Paragon, Beverly, Puri Matahari, Regency, Graha Famili, dan Puri Darmo terhadap keempat faktor ini. Ingin diketahui faktor mana yang lebih tinggi dan lebih dominan peranannya. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan metode Purposive Sampling dengan pengumpulan data melalui kuesioner. Analisis data menggunakan Anova dengan program SPS

  5. Maximizing Home Equity or Preventing Home Loss: Reverse Mortgage Decision Making and Racial Inequality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keene, Danya E; Sarnak, Ann; Coyle, Caitlin

    2018-03-07

    Reverse mortgages are loans that allow older homeowners to borrow from their home equity with no repayment due until the borrower dies or moves out of the home. We currently know very little about how homeowners evaluate and experience reverse mortgages as solutions to their financial and housing needs in later life. Furthermore, despite an increasingly diverse population of reverse mortgage borrowers, we know little about how social inequalities may contribute to reverse mortgage decisions and their outcomes. In this paper, we examine reverse mortgage decision-making and experiences in a racially and economically diverse sample of older US homeowners. We conducted 44 in-depth interviews with older homeowners who were considering or who had obtained a reverse mortgage loan. We inductively and iteratively developed a thematic coding scheme that was applied to all interview transcripts. Our analysis produced a dichotomous schema of reverse mortgage decision making that was shaped by social and economic opportunities and constraints. For some participants, reverse mortgages represented strategic tools used to maximize home equity and its benefits. For others, it was an option of last resort to which participants turned when faced with the imminent loss of their home. Focusing on reverse mortgages, our analysis suggests way that social inequalities may be reproduced through financial decisions and the unequal landscapes of opportunity in which they are made.

  6. Sustainable renovation concepts for single-family houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vanhoutteghem, Lies; Tommerup, Henrik M.; Svendsen, Svend

    , the financial possibilities of the homeowner etc. Calculation of packages of energy efficient renovation solutions targeted the three segments of houses show that primary energy use and heating bill can be reduced with up to about 75% or a factor 4 corresponding to the level of a new house or better. It seems...... that the passive house level can not quite be reached with standard solutions. They require that more ambitious measures are applied. The total investment needed to reduce the heating bill by a factor 4 including replacement of e.g. roof and windows is up to EUR 100,000. It is generally difficult to obtain...... be seen as a possibility to make it easy for the homeowner to comply with possible future requirements to realize far-reaching energy savings in connection with extensive renovations, provided that the building sector offers the solutions. Homeowners need someone to take care of all relevant steps...

  7. Households' position in the financial crisis in Iceland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ólafsson, Tjörvi; Vignisdottir, Karen Aslaug

    it was affected by debt restructuring measures and court decisions. We also analyse the share of indebted homeowners in negative housing equity and those in the highly vulnerable situation of being in distress and negative housing equity simultaneously. The analysis suggests that the share of indebted households...... breathing space, but the share in distress is estimated to have peaked at 27½ per cent in autumn 2009, before declining to 20 per cent at year-end 2010 due to policy and legal interventions. Financial distress is found to be inversely related to income and age, as well as being higher among families...... homeowners, over the four-year period. Negative housing equity is more widespread among high-income than low-income households. The share of homeowners simultaneously in distress and negative equity rose from roughly 1 to 14 per cent but declined to 10 per cent by the end of the period. Middle...

  8. Deep Residential Retrofits in East Tennessee

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boudreaux, Philip R [ORNL; Hendrick, Timothy P [ORNL; Christian, Jeffrey E [ORNL; Jackson, Roderick K [ORNL

    2012-04-01

    Executive Summary Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is furthering residential energy retrofit research in the mixed-humid climate of East Tennessee by selecting 10 homes and guiding the homeowners in the energy retrofit process. The homeowners pay for the retrofits, and ORNL advises which retrofits to complete and collects post-retrofit data. This effort is in accordance with the Department of Energy s Building America program research goal of demonstrating market-ready energy retrofit packages that reduce home energy use by 30 50%. Through this research, ORNL researchers hope to understand why homeowners decide to partake in energy retrofits, the payback of home energy retrofits, and which retrofit packages most economically reduce energy use. Homeowner interviews help the researchers understand the homeowners experience. Information gathered during the interviews will aid in extending market penetration of home energy retrofits by helping researchers and the retrofit industry understand what drives homeowners in making positive decisions regarding these retrofits. This report summarizes the selection process, the pre-retrofit condition, the recommended retrofits, the actual cost of the retrofits (when available), and an estimated energy savings of the retrofit package using EnergyGauge . Of the 10 households selected to participate in the study, only five completed the recommended retrofits, three completed at least one but no more than three of the recommended retrofits, and two households did not complete any of the recommended retrofits. In the case of the two homes that did none of the recommended work, the pre-retrofit condition of the homes and the recommended retrofits are reported. The five homes that completed the recommended retrofits are monitored for energy consumption of the whole house, appliances, space conditioning equipment, water heater, and most of the other circuits with miscellaneous electric loads (MELs) and lighting. Thermal comfort is

  9. Competitive advantages in nets of micro, small and medium companies: the case of Brazil School Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vaine Fermoseli Vilga

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available In this article, it is presented a study about a stationery stores’ associativism called Brazil School Network. The objective was to verify the companies’ competitive advantages once taken part in this type of association. Primary data were collected in 45 stationery stores, starting from the 85 stores of São Paulo State. The productive, technological or services cooperation among micro, small and medium companies represent an alternative for the collective proits attainment among the actors. The strategical alliances, networks of companies, clusters, virtual organizations, incubators, local productive arrangements, condominiums and trusts represent forms of complementary resources coordination and management, distinct from the hierarchy and market. In the article, the typology and mechanisms for coordination of small and medium companies’ networks are also explored. The results show high beneits to the stationery stores associated to Brazil Scholar Network, which would not be possible if they were managed in isolated and independent way.

  10. DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Mandalay Homes, Phoenix, Arizona

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    2013-09-01

    This builder built fourteen homes in the Gordon Estates subdivision that achieved Challenge Home certification with HERS 38–58 on an affordable budget for homeowners. Every Mandalay home in the development also met the National Green Building Standard gold level. The Gordon Estates subdivision is also serving as a showcase of energy efficiency, and Mandalay is hosting education workshops for realtors, state and local officials, other builders, students, potential homeowners, and the public. The builder won a 2013 Housing Innovation Award in the affordable builder category.

  11. Second Mortgages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miltersen, Kristian R.; Torous, Walter N.

    correlates homeowners' default decisions so that a large drop in house prices can result in almost all of these homeowners defaulting together. In this case, even the most senior tranches of structured financial products collateralized by first-lien mortgages may no longer be protected from default losses...... after the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble. By contrast, our results are not consistent with the argument that the observed downgrades occurred because the severity of the U.S. housing market downturn was underestimated by credit rating agencies....

  12. The physician as a source of hospital capital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fried, J M

    1984-06-01

    As hospitals search for means of financing renovation during the next decade, physicians will represent a source of capital through tax-shelter financing. Limited partnerships, condominiums , and joint ventures in acquiring medical equipment or syndicating existing facilities are among the most promising investment vehicles for taking advantage of tax benefits that normally do not apply to nonprofit institutions. In a hospital-physician limited partnership, tax deductions are passed through to the partners, of which there are two kinds: general partners and limited partners. Income (or loss) and tax credits from the entire venture can be divided among the partners and reflected on an individual limited partner's tax return. Rather than shouldering the whole cost of renovating a medical office building, thereby losing the potential tax credit, a hospital could carry out the renovation through a limited partnership with physicians. This would reduce the hospital's capital costs and debt requirements, maintain its credit, and enable it to take advantage of the depreciation deduction. In a condominium venture, the individual physician actually owns the office within which he or she works. As with the limited partnership, the hospital will want to restrict physicians' ability to dispose of their ownership interests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  13. Possible financing schemes for one-stop-shop service for sustainable renovation of single-family houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif; Haavik, Trond

    energy use behaviour of the occupants and the difficulty to predict future energy prices. The options to finance energy efficiency renovations include homeowners’ own resources, mortgage refinancing, flex loan, personal loan, financing by service providers, preferential loan, subsidies/grants, credit...... for the homeowners, and banks will have a less risky asset in their portfolio. In situations where homeowners cannot avail additional mortgage financing, e.g. those who recently purchased a house and used the limit to such loans, banks may consider an energy efficient renovation plan prepared by an entrepreneur...

  14. Energize New York -- Residential Energy Efficiency Market Transformation in New York

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bregman, Thomas M.

    2013-12-31

    Energize New York (ENY) is focused on addressing known barriers to widespread energy efficiency (EE) adoption by property owners. In simple terms ENY works to; 1) increase homeowner trust by using known and trusted community leaders to communicate their own positive experiences with EE and ENY, 2) reduce friction points by integrating support staff and creative use of technology that ease a homeowner’s way forward through the EE upgrade process, 3) increase homeowner knowledge and trust of specific EE benefits through access to the ENY energy coach, 4) provide information on available financing options that show benefits (e.g. positive cash flow), and 5) provide tools and mechanisms that give homeowners greater comfort in evaluating and selecting the right contractor. These five fundamental program aspects are supported by a hyper-local communications and outreach model and a “lead by example” philosophy that requires community leaders to step forward and model energy efficiency behavior by example. In the communities where the program has successfully engaged local leadership and “trusted community sources” there has been a significant increase in the uptake of energy efficiency work. Quantitatively this growth translated into an increase of 240% in completed Home Performance projects from the two year pre-pilot period (2009-10) to the two year post-pilot period (2012-13). Additionally, the program has seen measureable increases in the output and performance of contractors who are members of the Energize Comfort Corps, a program innovation which included a subset of the NYSERDA approved and Building Performance Institute accredited home performance contractors. This innovation, launched in the later stages of the pilot, is paired with the Energize Contractor Ratings Index (CRI) and helps frame the provider market by giving homeowners a mechanism to provide and receive feedback on their contractor experience. The data incorporated into the CRI along with

  15. The impact of diminished housing wealth on health in the United States: evidence from the Great Recession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilmazer, Tansel; Babiarz, Patryk; Liu, Fen

    2015-04-01

    The sharp decline in home values in many industrialized and developing countries was one of the most evident facets of the global economic recession of 2008. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) for 2007-2011, this study examines how the decline in housing wealth affected the psychological and physical health and health-related behaviors of 4007 U.S. households who were homeowners in 2007. We focus on two mechanisms that could account for how the drop in housing wealth affects health: increase in stress and negative changes in health-related behaviors. Controlling for the changes in non-housing wealth and employment status during the recession, the decline in housing wealth is associated with a small but statistically significant increase in psychological distress. Psychological health deteriorates more as the housing wealth relative to total wealth decreases. Finally, homeowners who have difficulties with mortgage payments report substantial increases in psychological distress and have higher rates of depression. These findings, combined with limited evidence of the change in health-related behaviors, suggest that the increase in stress is the main cause of the adverse health outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Solar Mosaic Inc. Mosaic Home Solar Loan SunShot 9 Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walsh, Colin James [Solar Mosaic Inc., Oakland, CA (United States)

    2017-02-09

    The 6686 Mosaic SunShot award has helped Solar Mosaic Inc to progress from an early stage startup focused on commercial crowdfunding to a leading multi-state residential solar lender. The software platform is now used by the majority of the nation's top solar installers and offers a variety of simple home solar loans. Mosaic is has originated approximately $1Bil in solar loans to date to put solar on over 35k rooftops. The company now lends to homeowners with a wide range of credit scores across multiple states and mitigates boundaries preventing them from profiting from ownership of a home solar system. The project included milestones in 5 main categories: 1. Lending to homeowners outside of CA 2. Lending to homeowners with FICO scores under 700 3. Packaging O&M with the home solar loan 4. Allowing residential installers to process home solar loans via API 5. Lowering customer acquisition costs below $1500 This report includes a detailed review of the final results achieved and key findings.

  17. Factors influencing energy efficiency investments in existing Swedish residential buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif; Mahapatra, Krushna

    2010-01-01

    We used the data from a survey conducted in 2008 of 3,000 owners of detached houses to analyse the factors that influence the adoption of investment measures to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. For the majority of Swedish homeowners, it was important to reduce their household energy use, and most of them undertook no-cost measures as compared to investment measures. Personal attributes such as income, education, age and contextual factors, including age of the house, thermal discomfort, past investment, and perceived energy cost, influence homeowners' preference for a particular type of energy efficiency measure. The implications for promoting the implementation of energy efficiency investment measures are discussed.

  18. Diffusion of innovative domestic heating systems and multi-storey wood-framed buildings in Sweden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna

    2007-10-15

    The diffusion of innovations that promote sustainable use of forest resources and energy efficiency is important for reducing greenhouse gas emission and dependency on oil. In this thesis the 'systems of innovation' (SI) approach is used to analyse the diffusion of multi-storey wood-framed buildings and wood pellet heating systems in Sweden. The diffusion of an innovative heating system (IHS) is influenced by the diffusion of other types of IHSs, making it complex to analyse the diffusion of all these systems simultaneously using the SI approach. Hence, an 'adopter-centric' approach was used, as homeowners make the decision to adopt an IHS, which affects the rate of adoption of that system. The SI analyses showed that several sources of path dependency, resulting from the establishment and growth of the concrete-based construction system over the past 100 years, hinder the expansion of a wood-based multi-storey construction system. However, development of the wood construction system was possible due to government policies and funding, the wood industry's interest in expanding the market for value-added wood products, and the involvement of the wood research community. The growth of the pellet market was supported by national energy policy, the abundance of raw material and broad dissemination of district heating systems. However, a lack of co-ordination between the pellet and equipment suppliers in the early phase of market development, high annual operating cost, lack of information, dissatisfaction among early adopters and technology lock-in contributed to its relatively slow growth. The adopter-centric approach included household questionnaire surveys: one covering the whole of Sweden in 2004 involving 1500 randomly selected homeowners with any type of heating system, and another in the city of Oestersund in 2005 of 700 homeowners who had resistance heaters. The same homeowners in Oestersund were re-surveyed in 2006 to analyse the

  19. Measure Guideline: Heat Pump Water Heaters in New and Existing Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shapiro, C.; Puttagunta, S.; Owens, D.

    2012-02-01

    This Building America Measure Guideline is intended for builders, contractors, homeowners, and policy-makers. This document is intended to explore the issues surrounding heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) to ensure that homeowners and contractors have the tools needed to appropriately and efficiently install HPWHs. Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) promise to significantly reduce energy consumption for domestic hot water (DHW) over standard electric resistance water heaters (ERWHs). While ERWHs perform with energy factors (EFs) around 0.9, new HPWHs boast EFs upwards of 2.0. High energy factors in HPWHs are achieved by combining a vapor compression system, which extracts heat from the surrounding air at high efficiencies, with electric resistance element(s), which are better suited to meet large hot water demands. Swapping ERWHs with HPWHs could result in roughly 50% reduction in water heating energy consumption for 35.6% of all U.S. households. This Building America Measure Guideline is intended for builders, contractors, homeowners, and policy-makers. While HPWHs promise to significantly reduce energy use for DHW, proper installation, selection, and maintenance of HPWHs is required to ensure high operating efficiency and reliability. This document is intended to explore the issues surrounding HPWHs to ensure that homeowners and contractors have the tools needed to appropriately and efficiently install HPWHs. Section 1 of this guideline provides a brief description of HPWHs and their operation. Section 2 highlights the cost and energy savings of HPWHs as well as the variables that affect HPWH performance, reliability, and efficiency. Section 3 gives guidelines for proper installation and maintenance of HPWHs, selection criteria for locating HPWHs, and highlights of important differences between ERWH and HPWH installations. Throughout this document, CARB has included results from the evaluation of 14 heat pump water heaters (including three recently released HPWH

  20. 24 CFR 982.632 - Homeownership option: Financing purchase of home; affordability of purchase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM Special Housing Types Homeownership Option § 982.632 Homeownership option... payment mortgages, establishment of a minimum homeowner equity requirement from personal resources, or...

  1. Solar diffusion in California: a pilot study. Consultant report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rogers, E.M.; Leonard-Barton, D.; Avi-Itzhak, T.; Rosa, E.; Adhikarya, R.

    1979-10-01

    Solar system owners and their neighbors in the San Francisco Bay Area were studied. The study determined the level of homeowner awareness about residential solar energy systems, described characteristics of consumers purchasing solar equipment (e.g. whether they represent identifiable market segments), identified major channels of communication through which solar information is effectively used, determined remaining barriers to solar use, identified needed incentives to accelerate commercialization, and assessed public attitudes toward various state and Federal government actions to increase the rate of solar energy use statewide. Issues and questions explored are being used in the development of a statewide survey of 700 homeowners in California to determine if these findings apply to residents throughout the state.

  2. Factors influencing energy efficiency investments in existing Swedish residential buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif; Mahapatra, Krushna [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2010-06-15

    We used the data from a survey conducted in 2008 of 3,000 owners of detached houses to analyse the factors that influence the adoption of investment measures to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. For the majority of Swedish homeowners, it was important to reduce their household energy use, and most of them undertook no-cost measures as compared to investment measures. Personal attributes such as income, education, age and contextual factors, including age of the house, thermal discomfort, past investment, and perceived energy cost, influence homeowners' preference for a particular type of energy efficiency measure. The implications for promoting the implementation of energy efficiency investment measures are discussed. (author)

  3. Solar Photovoltaic Financing: Residential Sector Deployment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coughlin, J.; Cory, K.

    2009-03-01

    This report presents the information that homeowners and policy makers need to facilitate PV financing at the residential level. The full range of cash payments, bill savings, and tax incentives is covered, as well as potentially available solar attribute payments. Traditional financing is also compared to innovative solutions, many of which are borrowed from the commercial sector. Together, these mechanisms are critical for making the economic case for a residential PV installation, given its high upfront costs. Unfortunately, these programs are presently limited to select locations around the country. By calling attention to these innovative initiatives, this report aims to help policy makers consider greater adoption of these models to benefit homeowners interested installing a residential PV system.

  4. Field Assessment of Energy Audit Tools for Retrofit Programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Edwards, J.; Bohac, D.; Nelson, C.; Smith, I.

    2013-07-01

    This project focused on the use of home energy ratings as a tool to promote energy retrofits in existing homes. A home energy rating provides a quantitative appraisal of a home's asset performance, usually compared to a benchmark such as the average energy use of similar homes in the same region. Home rating systems can help motivate homeowners in several ways. Ratings can clearly communicate a home's achievable energy efficiency potential, provide a quantitative assessment of energy savings after retrofits are completed, and show homeowners how they rate compared to their neighbors, thus creating an incentive to conform to a social standard. An important consideration is how rating tools for the retrofit market will integrate with existing home energy service programs. For residential programs that target energy savings only, home visits should be focused on key efficiency measures for that home. In order to gain wide adoption, a rating tool must be easily integrated into the field process, demonstrate consistency and reasonable accuracy to earn the trust of home energy technicians, and have a low monetary cost and time hurdle for homeowners. Along with the Home Energy Score, this project also evaluated the energy modeling performance of SIMPLE and REM/Rate.

  5. A Market Assessment of Residential Grid-Tied PV Systems in Colorado: Executive Summary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farhar, B.; Coburn, T.

    2000-09-13

    This is the Executive Summary of a report that presents research done in response to a decision by the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Conservation and Management (OEC) and Colorado utility companies to consider making residential grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems available in Colorado. The idea was to locate homeowners willing to pay the costs of grid-tied PV (GPV) systems without batteries--$8,000 or $12,000 for a 2- or 3-kilowatt (kW) system, respectively, in 1996. These costs represented two-thirds of the actual installed cost of $6 per watt at that time and assumed the remainder would be subsidized. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and OEC partnered to conduct a market assessment for GPV technology in Colorado. The study encompassed both qualitative and quantitative phases. The market assessment concluded that a market for residential GPV systems exists in Colorado today. That market is substantial enough for companies to successfully market PV systems to Colorado homeowners. These homeowners appear ready to learn more, inform themselves, and actively purchase GPV systems. The present situation is highly advantageous to Colorado's institutions--primarily its state government and its utility companies, and also its homebuilders--if they are ready to move forward on GPV technology.

  6. FEMA Individual Assistance Open Disaster Statistics

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — Individual Assistance (IA) is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to individuals and families who have sustained losses due to disasters. Homeowners,...

  7. Conditions and opportunities for green infrastructure – Aiming for green, water-resilient cities in Addis Ababa and Dar es Salaam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herslund, Lise Byskov; Backhaus, Antje; Fryd, Ole

    2018-01-01

    capacity based on interviews and workshops with key urban stakeholders. A top-down master planning paradigm combined with a green institutional framework preoccupied with beautification seem to block possibilities of supporting and integrating GI experiments coming from outside the regime. The master plans...... agriculture authorities but also large land owners, informal settlers, urban farmers and local organisations are needed. Solutions must be attractive also for the actual green space managers − the individual plot- and condominium owners and local groups. Local niche experiments linking up to on-going coping...

  8. Why is housing tenure associated with a lower risk of admission to a nursing or residential home? Wealth, health and the incentive to keep 'my home'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCann, Mark; Grundy, Emily; O'Reilly, Dermot

    2012-02-01

    Previous research has shown that home ownership is associated with a reduced risk of admission to institutional care. The extent to which this reflects associations between wealth and health, between wealth and ability to buy in care or increased motivation to avoid admission related to policies on charging is unclear. Taking account of the value of the home, as well as housing tenure, may provide some clarification as to the relative importance of these factors. To analyse the probability of admission to residential and nursing home care according to housing tenure and house value. Cox regression was used to examine the association between home ownership, house value and risk of care home admissions over 6 years of follow-up among a cohort of 51 619 people aged 65 years or older drawn from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study, a representative sample of ≈28% of the population of Northern Ireland. Results 4% of the cohort (2138) was admitted during follow-up. Homeowners were less likely than those who rented to be admitted to care homes (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.85, after adjusting for age, sex, health, living arrangement and urban/rural differences). There was a strong association between house value/tenure and health with those in the highest valued houses having the lowest odds of less than good health or limiting long-term illness. However, there was no difference in probability of admission according to house value; HRs of 0.78 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.90) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.95), respectively, for the lowest and highest value houses compared with renters. The requirement for people in the UK with capital resources to contribute to their care is a significant disincentive to institutional admission. This may place an additional burden on carers.

  9. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Residential Historical Claims

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) aims to reduce the impact of flooding—a burden not covered by homeowner’s insurance—by providing insurance to homeowners,...

  10. 78 FR 41497 - Submission for OMB Review, Comment Request

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-10

    ... about the reasons for loss of good standing and the homeowner's experience during the HAMP modification... start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information...

  11. Measure Guideline: Basement Insulation Basics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aldrich, R.; Mantha, P.; Puttagunta, S.

    2012-10-01

    This guideline is intended to describe good practices for insulating basements in new and existing homes, and is intended to be a practical resources for building contractors, designers, and also to homeowners.

  12. Energy Savers: Cool Summer Tips

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, M.

    2001-01-01

    A tri-fold brochure addressing energy-saving tips for homeowners ranging from low- or no-cost suggestions to higher cost suggestions for longer-term savings. Cooling, windows, weatherizing, and landscaping are addressed

  13. River and Stream Pollution

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the water. If plants can't get enough sunlight because the water is murky, they die. Most ... sewage treatment plants, and septic systems. Farmers, homeowners, cities, and towns are all working to reduce the ...

  14. Septic Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    The web site provides guidance and technical assistance for homeowners, government officials, industry professionals, and EPA partners about how to properly develop and manage individual onsite and community cluster systems that treat domestic wastewater.

  15. Private Well Owners | Drinking Water in New England | US ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-06

    Recent studies in New England identified contamination of some private wells from methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MtBE), radon and arsenic. But, many homeowners are not aware of this risk to their drinking water.

  16. Impact of energy efficiency measures on the economic value of buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popescu, Daniela; Bienert, Sven; Schuetzenhofer, Christian; Boazu, Rodica

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: → Market driven reasons can strengthen implementation of energy policies in buildings. → Methods that quantify the added value due to energy performance are developed. → Recommendations on how they can be incorporated in the financial analysis are presented. → Case studies on some existing condominiums from Romania are analyzed. → The market sensitivity to energy efficiency measures is also in the focus. -- Abstract: A main objective of energy policies is to make all levels of the society, from governments to citizen, interested in increasing the energy efficiency of buildings. One of the most important barriers in implementation of energy policies is that the cost of potential energy savings, typically considered being the only financial benefit, does not sufficiently motivate investments. The target is therefore to identify further possible drivers pushing positive reaction according to energy saving action. The paper discusses whether a market-based instrument, capturing the increase of the economic value of energy efficient buildings, can be also used. Methods that quantify the added value due to energy performance, including recommendations on how they can be incorporated in the financial analysis of investments in weatherization, are developed. By applying the proposed methods, the payback period of investments in energy efficiency measures depends on two factors: potential energy savings and the added value to the property. Case studies on some existing condominiums from Romania are analyzed and provide evidence to the research question. The market sensitivity to energy efficiency measures, the possibility of an intangible added value as well as the impact to financial investment decisions is subsequently in the focus.

  17. Osteopilus septentrionalis (Cuban treefrog)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glorioso, Brad M.; Steece, Aaron; Lemann, Zachary K.; Lazare, Remy; Beck, James W.

    2016-01-01

    USA: LOUISIANA: St. Tammany Parish: on private property on Allen Road in Slidell (ca. 30.262°N, 89.741°W; WGS 84). 2 April 2013. Aaron Steece. Verified by Hardin Waddle. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 177727, photo voucher). New parish record. This adult was found ca. 2 m high on a branch at the edge of a wooded area behind a house. It was photographed and released, as the species identity and significance was unknown. The origin of this individual is unknown. The homeowner stated that he bought nursery plants often, but checked them thoroughly as he put them indoors. Since this initial finding, the homeowner learned more about Cuban Treefrogs and searched for them on many occasions at this location for two years, but detected no additional Cuban Treefrogs.

  18. Altering the Rules: Chinese Homeowners’ Participation in Policymaking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yihong Jiang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This study looks at Chinese homeowners’ participation in policymaking. Drawing on evidence from Guangzhou and Beijing, it shows that various organised homeowner activists have moved upstream in the policy process and have begun to push beyond policy implementation into the domain of agenda setting and “rule-making”. These advocates display rights-conscious patterns of behaviour that are closer to that of interest or lobby groups than to the typical repertoire of Chinese contentious citizens. The study suggests that this kind of political participation is on the rise amongst Chinese homeowner activists. This result complements and extends other recent findings that suggest the Chinese policy process is gradually opening up. Such a trend could have significant implications and calls for more research in different domains of state-society relations.

  19. Systems Evaluation at the Cool Energy House

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williamson, J. [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States); Puttagunta, S. [Steven Winter Associates, Inc., Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2013-09-01

    Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) monitored several advanced mechanical systems within a 2012 deep energy retrofitted home in the small Orlando suburb of Windermere, FL. This report provides performance results of one of the home's heat pump water heaters (HPWH) and the whole-house dehumidifier (WHD) over a six month period. In addition to assessing the energy performance of these systems,this study sought to quantify potential comfort improvements over traditional systems. This information is applicable to researchers, designers, plumbers, and HVAC contractors. Though builders and homeowners can find useful information within this report, the corresponding case studies are a likely better reference for this audience.

  20. Systems Evaluation at the Cool Energy House

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. Williamson and S. Puttagunta

    2013-09-01

    Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) monitored several advanced mechanical systems within a 2012 deep energy retrofitted home in the small Orlando suburb of Windermere, FL. This report provides performance results of one of the home's heat pump water heaters (HPWH) and the whole-house dehumidifier (WHD) over a six month period. In addition to assessing the energy performance of these systems, this study sought to quantify potential comfort improvements over traditional systems. This information is applicable to researchers, designers, plumbers, and HVAC contractors. Though builders and homeowners can find useful information within this report, the corresponding case studies are a likely better reference for this audience.

  1. Brownfields Samoa Peninsula, CA: Sustainable Solutions for Historic Houses in Northern California, A Voluntary Green Code & Green Rehabilitation Manual

    Science.gov (United States)

    This manual was created to help homeowners choose sustainable strategies for restoring and rehabilitating many of the smaller, Victorian-style, wood-framed houses built in Northern California during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

  2. NILM Applications for the Energy-Efficient Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christensen, D.; Earle, L.; Sparn, B.

    2012-11-01

    We present a forecast for systems-focused applications of non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), which meet the needs of homeowners, the technology sector, the service sector, and/or utilities. We discuss both near- and long-term applications.

  3. Whole-Building Design Increases Energy Efficiency in a Mixed-Humid Climate: Ideal Homes, Norman, Oklahoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poole, L.; Anderson, R.

    2001-01-01

    New houses designed by Ideal Homes, with technical support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Program, save their homeowners money by applying the principles of ''whole-building'' design. The homes are in Norman, Oklahoma

  4. 77 FR 39627 - Homeowners Assistance Program-Application Processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-05

    ... the private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year. Public Law 96-354, ``Regulatory...) percent of the funds appropriated to execute the Expanded HAP. Workload will be accomplished with..., a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety...

  5. 75 FR 69871 - Homeowners Assistance Program-Application Processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-16

    ... Engineers district office. 2. Eligibility comments: There were 50 comments relating to eligibility criteria....5 Benefit elections. 239.6 Eligibility. 239.7 Responsibilities. 239.8 Funding. 239.9 Application... there are any; attorney's fees where applicable; and other fees set by local custom. HAP pays sellers...

  6. Estimated probability of the number of buildings damaged by the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The analysis shows that the probability estimator of the building damage ... and homeowners) should reserve the cost of repair at least worth the risk of loss, to face ... Keywords: Citarum River; logistic regression; genetic algorithm; losses risk; ...

  7. Evaluation of a marketing program designed to increase consumer consideration of energy-efficient products in Denver, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-08-01

    A demonstration marketing program to sensitize Denver homeowners to incorporate the energy cost of ownership orientation in their decision process regarding purchase of energy-efficient products is described. Personal interviews with Denver homeowners were conducted. A first survey established a baseline for consumer awareness and acceptance of energy conservation and conservation-related products and provided information which could be utilized in developing marketing strategies related to energy conservation and the concept of energy cost of ownership. A second survey measured shifts in awareness and attitudes which might have occurred as a result of the marketing demonstration program. The methodology and results of the evaluation are discussed in detail. The Denver Test Market Media Campaign conducted through multi-media advertising and public relations campaigns to sensitize the residents to the positive consideraton of energy-efficient products is described. (MCW)

  8. Byggmeister Test Home: Analysis and Initial Results of Cold Climate Wood-Framed Home Retrofit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gates, C.

    2013-01-01

    BSC seeks to further the energy efficiency market for New England area retrofit projects by supporting projects that are based on solid building science fundamentals and verified implementation. With the high exposure of energy efficiency and retrofit terminology being used in the general media at this time, it is important to have evidence that measures being proposed will in fact benefit the homeowner through a combination of energy savings, improved durability, and occupant comfort. There are several basic areas of research to which the technical report for these test homes can be expected to contribute. These include the combination of measures that is feasible, affordable and acceptable to homeowners as well as expectations versus results. Two Byggmeister multi-family test homes in Massachusetts are examined with the goal of providing case studies that could be applied to other similar New England homes.

  9. How PV system ownership can impact the market value of residential homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klise, Geoffrey Taylor [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Johnson, Jamie L. [Energy Sense Finance, LLC, Punta Gorda, FL (United States)

    2014-01-01

    There are multiple ways for a homeowner to obtain the electricity generating and savings benefits offered by a photovoltaic (PV) system. These include purchasing a PV system through various financing mechanisms, or by leasing the PV system from a third party with multiple options that may include purchase, lease renewal or PV system removal. The different ownership options available to homeowners presents a challenge to appraisal and real estate professionals during a home sale or refinance in terms of how to develop a value that is reflective of the PV systems operational characteristics, local market conditions, and lender and underwriter requirements. This paper presents these many PV system ownership options with a discussion of what considerations an appraiser must make when developing the contributory value of a PV system to a residential property.

  10. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) - Better Buildings Neighborhood Program at Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance: Home Performance with Energy Star® and Better Buildings Performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holzhauser, Andy; Jones, Chris; Faust, Jeremy; Meyer, Chris; Van Divender, Lisa

    2013-12-30

    The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (Energy Alliance) is a nonprofit economic development agency dedicated to helping Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky communities reduce energy consumption. The Energy Alliance has launched programs to educate homeowners, commercial property owners, and nonprofit organizations about energy efficiency opportunities they can use to drive energy use reductions and financial savings, while extending significant focus to creating/retaining jobs through these programs. The mission of the Energy Alliance is based on the premise that investment in energy efficiency can lead to transformative economic development in a region. With support from seven municipalities, the Energy Alliance began operation in early 2010 and has been among the fastest growing nonprofit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. The Energy Alliance offers two programs endorsed by the Department of Energy: the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program for homeowners and the Better Buildings Performance Program for commercial entities. Both programs couple expert guidance, project management, and education in energy efficiency best practices with incentives and innovative energy efficiency financing to help building owners effectively invest in the energy efficiency, comfort, health, longevity, and environmental impact of their residential or commercial buildings. The Energy Alliance has raised over $23 million of public and private capital to build a robust market for energy efficiency investment. Of the $23 million, $17 million was a direct grant from the Department of Energy Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (BBNP). The organization’s investments in energy efficiency projects in the residential and commercial sector have led to well over $50 million in direct economic activity and created over 375,000 hours of labor created or retained. In addition, over 250 workers have been trained through the Building Performance Training

  11. 76 FR 7508 - National Flood Insurance Program, Policy Wording Correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-10

    ... the insurance industry's homeowners policy. FEMA also proposed changes in the coverage. On October 12...: FEMA-2010-0021] RIN 1660-AA70 National Flood Insurance Program, Policy Wording Correction AGENCY... Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Standard Flood Insurance Policy regulations. In order to increase...

  12. Income inequality and access to housing in Europe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dewilde, C.L.; Lancee, B.

    2013-01-01

    This article analyzes the relationship between income inequality and access to housing for low-income homeowners and renters ‘at market rent’ across Europe. We develop three arguments that explain how inequality affects housing affordability, quality, and quantity—together these dimensions indicate

  13. Between marketing and financial support : Dutch municipal policy instruments to improve the quality of private housing stock

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tambach, M.; Meijer, F.; Visscher, H.

    2011-01-01

    Dutch municipalities are faced with an ageing private housing stock, of which parts show a diversity of quality backlogs, including their energy quality. Dutch municipalities are in the process of developing a combination of communicative and economic policy instruments to seduce private homeowners

  14. The financialization of home and the mortgage market crisis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aalbers, M.B.

    2008-01-01

    Financialization can be characterized as capital switching from the primary, secondary or tertiary circuit to the quaternary circuit of capital. Housing is a central aspect of financialization. The financialization of mortgage markets demands that not just homes but also homeowners become viewed as

  15. Designing trust: how strategic intermediaries choreograph homeowners’ low-carbon retrofit experience

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wilde, de M.; Spaargaren, G.

    2018-01-01

    In the Netherlands, as in other European countries, the uncertain, fragmented character of the low-carbon retrofit market hampers a transition towards sustainable housing. Connecting homeowners to supply-side actors of low-carbon retrofit procedures, products and technologies in ways satisfactory to

  16. Ambivalence in Place Attachment : The Lived Experiences of Residents in Declining Neighbourhoods Facing Demolition in Shenyang, China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, X.; Kleinhans, R.J.; van Ham, M.

    This paper investigates the place attachment of residents in declining neighbourhoods that are facing demolition in Shenyang, China. Through in-depth interviews with homeowners living in danwei communities, or urban villages, at the pre-demolition phase, this paper reveals the strong connection

  17. Mortgage risks, debt literacy and financial advice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Ooijen, Raun; van Rooij, Maarten C.J.

    2016-01-01

    A limited understanding of mortgage contracts and the risks involved may have contributed to the outbreak of the 2007–2008 financial crisis. We developed a special questionnaire relating mortgage loan decisions to financial knowledge and financial advice. Our results demonstrate that homeowners

  18. The Dog that didn’t Bark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Makszin, Kristin; Bohle, Dorothee; Seabrooke, Leonard

    The global financial crisis has ushered in a major housing crisis in many European countries: severe shortage of affordable housing, high rates of housing deprivation especially in Europe’s East, overindebted homeowners, massive evictions in some Southern European countries, and increase in homel...

  19. Drinking Water - National Drinking Water Clearinghouse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savings Septic Unsafe Disposable Wipe Woes FacebookLogo FOCUS AREAS Drinking Water Wastewater Training Security Conservation & Water Efficiency Water We Drink Source Water Protection SORA/COI EPA MOU CartIcon Links Listserv Educators Homeowners Operators Small Systems Drinking Water Read On Tap Latest

  20. ACHP | Federal Emergency Management Agency Historic Preservation Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    /ehp/hp/fema386-6.shtm FEMA's Historic Preservation Policies and Guidance: http://www.fema.gov /environmental-planning-and-historic-preservation-program/femas-historic-preservation-policies Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act: http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/93074 Updated February 8

  1. Productive Agglomerations of Suppliers in the Automotive Industry: A Way to Maximize Competitiveness in Supply Chain Management.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Guarnieri

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to identify how the automotive industries maximize the competitiveness in supply chain management through the constitution of entrepreneurial productive agglomerations of suppliers. For this purpose, an applied research was carried out, and the technical procedure utilized was bibliographic review based in some researches about Brazilian industrial condominiums. Thus, through the constitution of entrepreneurial agglomerations of suppliers in automotive industry it is possible to obtain logistic advantages in the transporting, stocking and warehousing activities. Besides, it is possible to maximize the supply chain management competitiveness through the establishment of trust and lasting relationships between the components of the whole chain.

  2. Energy renovation of Danish single-family houses Economy - barrier, motivation and limit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Andrea; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Plenge, Mary-Ann Knudstrup

    a large percentage who have not heard about the offers compared to the other income groups. There have been many reflections about energy saving initiatives and many of the initiatives have already been performed. There is however still a high number missing and particularly the depth of the renovation...... needs to be increased for Denmark to approach the defined objectives. The positive is that the listed tasks are predominantly carried out or considered to save energy, indicating that the homeowners are aware of this benefit. On the wish list presented to the homeowners, five wishes were selected.......000 DKK and 310.000DKK) are fair compared to the outcome, but when the needed investment is at 550.000 DKK and above, the majority think it is too expensive despite the benefits. The investment limit for the private renovations is defined on the basis on the homeowners’ interest in performing similar...

  3. Cost-benefit considerations in the development of policies and procedures for controlling indoor exposure to radon and its decay products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puskin, J.S.; Guimond, R.J.; Napolitano, S.; Nelson, C.B.

    1989-01-01

    The applicability of ALARA to the problem of controlling residential radon levels is limited. Cost-benefit considerations can nevertheless be useful in guiding policy in this area. From a societal perspective, the cost-benefit balance for mitigating radon in homes to the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, or lower, is generally better than for most programs aimed at reducing environmental risks. Reduction of radon levels in new homes tends to be less costly; moreover, reduced radon levels in new construction may be achievable with a net cost savings to the homeowner due to concomitant decreases in energy expenses. Since programs to reduced radon exposure rely on voluntary actions by homeowners, the societal cost-benefit balance cannot dictate the extent of radon mitigation efforts. However, both economic incentives and governmental guidance can influence these efforts. Cost-benefit analysis can be an important tool in formulating such guidance

  4. Energy Renovation of Danish Single-Family Houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    . The results show that despite the barriers the owners can in fact be motivated to perform private energy renovations. A sound project economy is all-important for this to happen and it should if possible be supported by improvements in both comfort, indoor environment and architecture to increase......The PhD project is based on requirements from the European Union to reduce the energy consumption and on current renovation needs of and a huge energy saving potential in the Danish single-family houses from the 1960’s and 1970’s. The project focuses on the barriers for energy renovations...... of these houses and on defining motivation factors for the homeowners. The barriers are many and variating in influence and studies show that both professionals and homeowners are affected. The barriers range from lack of interest and knowledge to uncertainties about among others economy and technical solutions...

  5. Definition of specific comfort parameters, indoor environmental and architectural quality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Andrea; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2018-01-01

    In the coming years, the European building sector faces a large challenge to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emission. Private homeowners need to participate in this process, but various barriers prevent them from conducting extensive energy renovations. Studies have, nonetheless, shown tha...

  6. PROSPECTIVE 180S04 INDICATOR FOR IDENTIFYING ELEVATED ARSENIC RELEASE AREAS IN GROUNDWATER: GOOSE RIVER AND NORTHPORT WATERSHEDS, MAINE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naturally-occurring arsenic is the most abundant source of As to groundwater in this nation. In Maine the perfect arsenic storm exists for drinking water supplies since over 70% of homeowners depend on groundwater wells. Most of these wells are developed in granites with ubiquito...

  7. 75 FR 54076 - National Flood Insurance Program, Policy Wording Correction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-03

    ... line with the format of the insurance industry's homeowners policy. FEMA also proposed changes in the...: FEMA-2010-0021] RIN 1660-AA70 National Flood Insurance Program, Policy Wording Correction AGENCY... correction to the FEMA, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Standard Flood Insurance Policy...

  8. 24 CFR 572.120 - Affordability standards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... by homeowners in the eligible property. Financing that would impair the continued affordability of... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Affordability standards. 572.120 Section 572.120 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development...

  9. 7 CFR Exhibit E to Subpart N of... - Guide For Quarterly Performance Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    .... ___ $___ Totals No. ___ $___ V. Project summary: No. homeowners HPG funds Other Assistance objectives of project... Information on Use of HPG Funds During Period: A. Use of Administrative Funds: Budgeted Amount $___ Expended...: (___% Rate) ___ This Quarter Total ___ B. Use of Program Funds: Budgeted Amount ___ Expended Thru Last...

  10. Risks in homeownership : a perspective on The Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Teye, A.L.; de Haan, J.; Elsinga, M.G.; Bondinuba, F.K.; Gbadegesin, J.T.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose
    Risk in home ownership from mortgage providers’ perspectives has received tremendous attention than individual home owner’s perspectives in existing literature following the financial crisis in 2007/2008 within the euro zone. This paper explored the risks factors in homeowners from the

  11. THE IMPACT OF PHOSPHATE ON COPPER PITTING CORROSION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinhole leaks caused by extensive localized or pitting corrosion of copper pipes is a problem for many homeowners. Pinhole water leaks may result in water damage, mold growth, and costly repairs. A large water system in Florida has been addressing a widespread pinhole leak proble...

  12. COPPER PITTING CORROSION AND PINHOLE LEAKS: A CASE STUDY

    Science.gov (United States)

    Localized corrosion, or "pitting", of copper drinking water pipe continues is a problem for many water utilities and their customers. Extreme attack leads to pinhole leaks that can potentially lead to water damage, mold growth, and costly repairs for the homeowners, as well as th...

  13. Window-mounted auxiliary solar heater

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, K. G.; Herndon, E. P.

    1977-01-01

    System uses hot-air collectors, no thermal storage, and fan with thermostat switches. At cost of heating efficiency, unit could be manufactured and sold at price allowing immediate entry to market as auxiliary heating system. Its simplicity allows homeowner installation, and maintenance is minimal.

  14. 75 FR 14331 - Disaster Assistance Loan Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-25

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 123 RIN 3245-AF98 Disaster Assistance Loan Program...-term disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses, and non-profit organizations that have been... to disaster victims by raising the statutory loan limit for loans to businesses, increasing the...

  15. 32 CFR 239.10 - Management Controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Management Controls. 239.10 Section 239.10...) MISCELLANEOUS HOMEOWNERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM-APPLICATION PROCESSING § 239.10 Management Controls. (a). Management Systems. Headquarters, USACE has an existing information management system that manages all information...

  16. A novel association between Rhodnius neglectus and the Livistona australis palm tree in an urban center foreshadowing the risk of Chagas disease transmission by vectorial invasions in Monte Alto City, São Paulo, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Danila B; Almeida, Carlos E; Rocha, Cláudia S; Gardim, Sueli; Mendonça, Vagner J; Ribeiro, Aline R; Alves, Zulimar C P V T; Ruellas, Kellem T; Vedoveli, Alan; da Rosa, João A

    2014-02-01

    After several public notifications of domiciliary invasions, palm trees were investigated in downtown Monte Alto City, São Paulo State, Brazil, in proximity to the city hall building, the main church, condominiums and marketing establishments. One hundred seventy four palm trees of 10 species were investigated, in which 72 specimens of Rhodnius neglectus, a potential Chagas disease vector, were captured via manual methods. All insects were collected from dead leaves, organic debris and bird nests in the only three Livistona australis palm trees in the central park square. This was the first record of R. neglectus colonizing this palm species. Although no Trypanosoma cruzi was found by abdominal compression followed by light microscopy, the poor nutritional status of the bugs hampered the examination of gut contents for parasite detection. Furthermore, the central crowns of the trees, which shelter bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia), could not be carefully searched for insects due to difficult access. This new finding highlights the sudden alteration in insect behavior, probably as a result of man's interference. This report aims to warn those involved in the health system about this new threat, justifying detailed research of the area to evaluate the magnitude of this emerging public health issue. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. 77 FR 7558 - Withdrawal of Proposed Rule on Approval of Farm Credit System Lending Institutions in Federal...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-13

    ... recent difficulties in mortgage finance markets indicated reduced availability of housing credit in rural... System has been a source of consistent and reliable credit for rural homeowners and that the ability to... afoul of the Administration's proposal to reduce government involvement in the housing finance market...

  18. Multi-agent system architecture for smart home energy optimization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Asare-Bediako, B.; Kling, W.L.; Ribeiro, P.F.

    2013-01-01

    The smart grid concept is not limited to the public network but it is also envisioned in the residential setting. The integration of automation technologies into home is being driven by comfort and economic benefits to homeowners. The shift towards dynamic electricity pricing and demand response

  19. Living Smart Homes: A Pilot Australian Sustainability Education Programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Evonne; Buys, Laurie; Bell, Lorraine

    2009-01-01

    This article documents the rationale and experience of a pilot Australian sustainability education programme, "Living Smart Homes" (LSH) based on a community-based social marketing model. Inspired by the Australian "Land for Wildlife" scheme, LSH is designed to engage homeowners with sustainable practices through face-to-face…

  20. Dutch mortgage arrears and the role of the global financial crisis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Teye, A.L.; De Haan, J.; Elsinga, M.

    2015-01-01

    As in many countries, the Dutch housing market was severely hit by the recent financial crisis. Following the recession, the average house price in the Netherlands fell by almost 25% and the proportion of homeowners with mortgage payment arrears nearly doubled. In this paper, we study mortgage

  1. The Affordability of Housing in the Netherlands : An Increasing Income Gap Between Renting and Owning?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haffner, M.E.A.; Boumeester, H.J.F.M.

    2010-01-01

    Housing became more expensive in the Netherlands between 2002 and 2006, a trend which has been demonstrated using various measures of affordability. The expenditure-to-income ratios calculated for households confirm that the average cost of housing rose for tenants and homeowners, as well as for

  2. Tradable Earthquake Certificates

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Woerdman, Edwin; Dulleman, Minne

    2018-01-01

    This article presents a market-based idea to compensate for earthquake damage caused by the extraction of natural gas and applies it to the case of Groningen in the Netherlands. Earthquake certificates give homeowners a right to yearly compensation for both property damage and degradation of living

  3. 24 CFR 401.421 - Rental Assistance Assessment Plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... PROGRAM (MARK-TO-MARKET) Restructuring Plan § 401.421 Rental Assistance Assessment Plan. (a) Plan required..., comparable, and affordable housing in the local market; (2) The types of tenants residing in the project (such as elderly families, disabled families, large families, and cooperative homeowners); (3) The local...

  4. The Psychology and Economics of Reverse Mortgage Attitudes : Evidence from the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dillingh, W.F.; Prast, Henriette; Rossi, M.; Urzi Brancati, C.

    2015-01-01

    We find that among Dutch homeowners there is substantial potential interest in reverse mortgages, especially for the purpose of being able to live more comfortably and not worry about money until death, or to make a significant expenditure— on e.g. home improvements or traveling. Our regression

  5. Home Sewage Disposal. Special Circular 212.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wooding, N. Henry

    This circular provides current information for homeowners who must repair or replace existing on-lot sewage disposal systems. Site requirements, characteristics and preparation are outlined for a variety of alternatives such as elevated sand mounds, sand-lined beds and trenches, and oversized absorption area. Diagrams indicating construction…

  6. Understanding Controversies in Urban Climate Change Adaptation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baron, Nina; Petersen, Lars Kjerulf

    2015-01-01

    This article explores the controversies that exist in urban climate change adaptation and how these controversies influence the role of homeowners in urban adaptation planning. A concrete SUDS project in a housing cooperative in Copenhagen has been used as a case study thereby investigating the m...

  7. 24 CFR 257.203 - Calculation of up-front and annual mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages. 257.203 Section 257.203 Housing and Urban... mortgage insurance premiums for H4H program mortgages. (a) Applicable premiums. Any mortgage presented for... LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM...

  8. Factors affecting flood insurance penetration in residential properties in Johor Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godwin Aliagha, U.; Ewe Jin, T.; Weng Choong, W.; Nadzri Jaafar, M.

    2014-04-01

    High impact flood has virtually become an annual experience in Malaysia, yet flood insurance has remained a grossly neglected part of comprehensive integrated flood risk management. Using discriminant analysis, this study seeks to indentify the demand-side variables that best predict flood insurance penetration and risk aversion between two groups of residential homeowners in three districts of Johor State, Malaysia: those who purchased flood insurance and the group that did not. Our result revealed 34% penetration rate with Kota Tinggi district having the highest penetration (44%) and thus, the highest degree of flood risk aversion. The Wilks' Lambda F test for equality of group means, SCDFC, structure correlation and canonical correlation have clearly shown that there are strong significant attribute differences between the two groups of homeowners based on measures of objective flood risk exposure, subjective risk perception, and socio-economic cum demographic variables. However, measures of subjective risk perception were found more predictive of flood insurance penetration and flood risk aversion.

  9. Consumer demand analysis: solar heating and cooling of buildings. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scott, J.E.

    1976-09-01

    This study concerns the acceptability of solar heating and cooling to homebuyers for residential applications. The study assesses the extent of homeowner awareness of solar technologies, estimates the acceptability of elevated first costs including willingness to trade higher initial costs for life cycle savings, and investigates the impact of solar aesthetics. Also explored are other areas of potential concern to homeowners in evaluating a solar alternative as well as positive motivations that would encourage purchase. Finally, the socioeconomic and attitudinal characteristics of individuals more likely to purchase a solar home rather than a conventional home were studied. The results are based on group depth interviews and personal interviews with active homeseekers, top executives of large residential development firms, and architects. The sample was split evenly between Denver, Colorado and the Philadelphia, Pa./Wilmington, Del. areas. Implications of the results for the commercialization of solar energy and possible public policy decisions are also discussed.

  10. Energy Tracking Software Platform

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryan Davis; Nathan Bird; Rebecca Birx; Hal Knowles

    2011-04-04

    Acceleration has created an interactive energy tracking and visualization platform that supports decreasing electric, water, and gas usage. Homeowners have access to tools that allow them to gauge their use and track progress toward a smaller energy footprint. Real estate agents have access to consumption data, allowing for sharing a comparison with potential home buyers. Home builders have the opportunity to compare their neighborhood's energy efficiency with competitors. Home energy raters have a tool for gauging the progress of their clients after efficiency changes. And, social groups are able to help encourage members to reduce their energy bills and help their environment. EnergyIT.com is the business umbrella for all energy tracking solutions and is designed to provide information about our energy tracking software and promote sales. CompareAndConserve.com (Gainesville-Green.com) helps homeowners conserve energy through education and competition. ToolsForTenants.com helps renters factor energy usage into their housing decisions.

  11. Defense Homeowners Assistance Fund Financial Statements For FY 1992

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hendricks, Nancy

    1993-01-01

    The primary objective of the audit was to determine whether the Fund's FY 1992 financial statements were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for Federal entities...

  12. How to motivate homeowners to invest in sustainable renovation?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galiotto, Nicolas; Heiselberg, Per; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2014-01-01

    important to integrate, aside the societal needs, the individual values which might motivate these decision-makers to undertake such a sustainable renovation. A critical review of decision-aid methods and tools, which are susceptible to be integrated in a process of home renovation, is presented...... in this paper. Methods have been primarily classified on the basis on whether or not they allow incorporating truthfully decision-makers’ individual values while still improving the process effectiveness. Reviewed tools have been classified as building analysis, optimization and decision making tools...... such as constructivist, interactive and iterative process, quantitative attributes and values based on qualitative judgments, simplicity and accuracy of the methods, time use and modularity are furthermore discussed. It is concluded that multi-criteria decision making approaches using interactive and constructivist...

  13. The Homeowner and the Gypsy Moth: Guidelines for Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael L. McManus; David R. Houston; William E. Wallner

    1979-01-01

    The gypsy moth is the most important defoliating insect of hardwood trees in the Eastern United States (fig. 1). Since the turn of the century, millions of dollars have been spent in efforts to control or eliminate gypsy moth populations and to retard natural and artificial spread. In the early decades of this century, outbreaks occurred only in New England; today...

  14. Portfolio Choice of Homeowners: Before and After the Crisis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyng, Ran Sun

    2017-01-01

    the crisis (a 2.17% relative decrease) and by 0.588 percentage points after the crisis (1.32% relative decrease). The reduction is larger for lower wealth households. (ii) Risky asset shares decision: before the crisis, a DKK 100,000 increase in mortgage debt decreases risky asset shares by 0.328 percentage...

  15. Visceral leishmaniasis in an environmentally protected area in southeastern Brazil: Epidemiological and laboratory cross-sectional investigation of phlebotomine fauna, wild hosts and canine cases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Rita Donalisio

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a rapidly expanding zoonosis that shows increasing urbanization. Concern exists regarding the role of wildlife in visceral leishmaniasis (VL transmission, due to frequent natural or anthropogenic environmental changes that facilitate contact between wildlife, humans and their pets. The municipality of Campinas, in southeastern Brazil, initially recorded VL in 2009, when the first autochthonous case was confirmed in a dog living in an upscale residential condominium, located inside an environmentally protected area (EPA. Since then, disease transmission remains restricted to dogs inhabiting two geographically contiguous condominiums within the EPA.We conducted a cross-sectional study of the VL focus to investigate Leishmania spp. infection in domestic dogs, wild mammals and sand flies using molecular tools and recommended serological techniques. Canine seroprevalences of 1.5% and 1.2% were observed in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Six insect species, confirmed or suspected vectors or potential transmitters of Leishmania, were identified. Two specimens of the main L. (L. infantum vector in Brazil, Lutzomyia longipalpis, were captured in the EPA. Natural infection by L. (L. infantum was recorded in one Expapillata firmatoi specimen and two Pintomyia monticola. Natural infection by L. (L. infantum and Leishmania subgenus Viannia was also detected in two white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris, a known reservoir of VL. Geographical coordinates of each sampling of infected animals were plotted on a map of the EPA, demonstrating proximity between these animals, human residences, including the dogs positive for VL, and forest areas.The EPA, which is inhabited by humans, has an active VL focus. The risk of establishing and maintaining disease transmission foci in similar scenarios, i.e. wild areas that undergo environmental modifications, is evident. Moreover, different epidemiological profiles of VL must be included to elaborate

  16. Visceral leishmaniasis in an environmentally protected area in southeastern Brazil: Epidemiological and laboratory cross-sectional investigation of phlebotomine fauna, wild hosts and canine cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donalisio, Maria Rita; Paiz, Laís Moraes; da Silva, Vanessa Gusmon; Richini-Pereira, Virgínia Bodelão; von Zuben, Andrea Paula Bruno; Castagna, Claudio Luiz; Motoie, Gabriela; Hiramoto, Roberto Mitsuyoshi; Tolezano, José Eduardo

    2017-07-01

    Leishmaniasis is a rapidly expanding zoonosis that shows increasing urbanization. Concern exists regarding the role of wildlife in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) transmission, due to frequent natural or anthropogenic environmental changes that facilitate contact between wildlife, humans and their pets. The municipality of Campinas, in southeastern Brazil, initially recorded VL in 2009, when the first autochthonous case was confirmed in a dog living in an upscale residential condominium, located inside an environmentally protected area (EPA). Since then, disease transmission remains restricted to dogs inhabiting two geographically contiguous condominiums within the EPA. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the VL focus to investigate Leishmania spp. infection in domestic dogs, wild mammals and sand flies using molecular tools and recommended serological techniques. Canine seroprevalences of 1.5% and 1.2% were observed in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Six insect species, confirmed or suspected vectors or potential transmitters of Leishmania, were identified. Two specimens of the main L. (L.) infantum vector in Brazil, Lutzomyia longipalpis, were captured in the EPA. Natural infection by L. (L.) infantum was recorded in one Expapillata firmatoi specimen and two Pintomyia monticola. Natural infection by L. (L.) infantum and Leishmania subgenus Viannia was also detected in two white-eared opossums (Didelphis albiventris), a known reservoir of VL. Geographical coordinates of each sampling of infected animals were plotted on a map of the EPA, demonstrating proximity between these animals, human residences, including the dogs positive for VL, and forest areas. The EPA, which is inhabited by humans, has an active VL focus. The risk of establishing and maintaining disease transmission foci in similar scenarios, i.e. wild areas that undergo environmental modifications, is evident. Moreover, different epidemiological profiles of VL must be included to elaborate prevention and

  17. 24 CFR 4001.401 - Notice of false information from mortgagor-procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notice of false information from... HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM Enforcement Mortgagor False Information § 4001.401 Notice of false information from... information via any means, including but not limited to false documentation, FHA shall inform the mortgagor...

  18. 24 CFR 257.401 - Notice of false information from mortgagor-procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notice of false information from... HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM Enforcement Mortgagor False Information § 257.401 Notice of false information from mortgagor-procedure. (a) If FHA finds that the mortgagor has...

  19. Reaching Residents of Green Communities: Evaluation of a Unique Environmental Education Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hostetler, Mark; Swiman, Elizabeth; Prizzia, Anna; Noiseux, Krystal

    2008-01-01

    Often in green communities, homeowner understanding is left out of the project. We evaluated the impact of a new environmental education program installed in a green community, Town of Harmony, Florida. Consisting of educational kiosks, website, and brochure, we evaluated whether Harmony residents' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors…

  20. Optimal timing of wildfire prevention education

    Science.gov (United States)

    D. T. Butry; J. P. Prestemon; K. L. Abt

    2010-01-01

    Public outreach and wildfire education activities have been shown to limit the number of unintentional human-caused ignitions (i.e., 'accidental' wildfires). Such activities include the airing of public service announcements, visiting with homeowners in at-risk areas, distributing informative brochures and flyers, hosting of public forums (with presentations...

  1. Evaluating impacts of brown marmorated stink bug on non-fruiting nursery crops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halyomorpha halys, commonly known as the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), has become a major pest and nuisance since it arrived in the US in 1998 for both agricultural growers and homeowners. They can feed on ~200 different plant species, several of which are important ornamental crop species. The...

  2. Alternate Methods of Effluent Disposal for On-Lot Home Sewage Systems. Special Circular 214.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wooding, N. Henry

    This circular provides current information for homeowners who must repair or replace existing on-lot sewage disposal systems. Several alternatives such as elevated sand mounds, sand-lined beds and trenches and oversized absorption areas are discussed. Site characteristics and preparation are outlined. Each alternative is accompanied by a diagram…

  3. Motivational factors influencing the homeowners’ decisions between residential heating systems: An empirical analysis for Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michelsen, Carl Christian; Madlener, Reinhard

    2013-01-01

    Heating demand accounts for a large fraction of the overall energy demand of private households in Germany. A better understanding of the adoption and diffusion of energy-efficient and renewables-based residential heating systems (RHS) is of high policy relevance, particularly against the background of climate change, security of energy supply and increasing energy prices. In this paper, we explore the multi-dimensionality of the homeowners’ motivation to decide between competing RHS. A questionnaire survey (N=2440) conducted in 2010 among homeowners who had recently installed a RHS provides the empirical foundation. Principal component analysis shows that 25 items capturing different adoption motivations can be grouped around six dimensions: (1) cost aspects, (2) general attitude towards the RHS, (3) government grant, (4) reactions to external threats (i.e., environmental or energy supply security considerations), (5) comfort considerations, and (6) influence of peers. Moreover, a cluster analysis with the identified motivational factors as segmentation variables reveals three adopter types: (1) the convenience-oriented, (2) the consequences-aware, and (3) the multilaterally-motivated RHS adopter. Finally, we show that the influence of the motivational factors on the adoption decision also differs by certain characteristics of the homeowner and features of the home. - Highlights: ► Study of the multi-dimensionality of the motivation to adopt residential heating systems (RHS). ► Principal component and cluster analysis are applied to representative survey data for Germany. ► Motivation has six dimensions, including rational decision-making and emotional factors. ► Adoption motivation differs by certain characteristics of the homeowner and of the home. ► Many adopters are driven by existing habits and perceptions about the convenience of the RHS

  4. Losses on Dutch residential mortgage insurances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Francke, M.K.; Schilder, F.P.W.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose - This paper aims to study the data on losses on mortgage insurance in the Dutch housing market to find the key drivers of the probability of loss. In 2013, 25 per cent of all Dutch homeowners were "under water": selling the property will not cover the outstanding mortgage debt. The

  5. 75 FR 62129 - Aldicarb; Notice of Receipt of Request to Voluntarily Cancel a Pesticide Registration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-07

    ... would merit its further review of the request. If this request is granted, any sale, distribution, or... potatoes. Aldicarb products are not intended for sale to homeowners or for use in residential settings. To... and potatoes until December 31, 2011. Sale and distribution of aldicarb end-use product for use on...

  6. Is a New Urban Development Model Building Greener Communities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youngentob, Kara; Hostetler, Mark

    2005-01-01

    Although neotraditional architecture largely focuses on promoting sense of community (SOC), it has the potential to influence environmentalism in residents as well. In October 2002, the authors conducted a mail survey of 1,611 middleclass homeowners in Gainesville, Florida, to determine if there were differences in SOC and environmental behaviors,…

  7. 24 CFR 92.206 - Eligible project costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... community facilities which are located within the same building as the housing and which are for the use of... in a neighborhood revitalization strategy under 24 CFR 91.215(e)(2) or a Federally designated... affirmative marketing and fair housing information to prospective homeowners and tenants as required by § 92...

  8. Installation Guidelines for Solar DHW Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings. Second Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollander, Peter; And Others

    Described are some of the better techniques for installing solar domestic hot water (DHW) systems. By using these guidelines, along with the manufacturer's manual, professional installation contractors and skilled homeowners should be able to install and fill a solar DHW system. Among the topics considered are system layouts, siting, mounting…

  9. The effect of personal experience on choice-based preferences for wildfire protection programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tom Holmes; Armando Gonzalez-Caban; John Loomis; Jose Sanchez

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate homeowner preferences and willingness to pay for wildfire protection programs using a choice experiment with three attributes: risk, loss and cost. Preference heterogeneity among survey respondents was examined using three econometric models and risk preferences were evaluated by comparing willingness to pay for wildfire protection...

  10. A Data Analysis Technique to Estimate the Thermal Characteristics of a House

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tabatabaei, S.; van der Ham, Wim; Klein, Michel C. A.; Treur, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Almost one third of the energy is used in the residential sector, and space heating is the largest part of energy consumption in our houses. Knowledge about the thermal characteristics of a house can increase the awareness of homeowners about the options to save energy, for example by showing that

  11. Wildland-urban interface resident's views on risk and attribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patricia J. Cohn; Daniel R. Williams; Matthew S. Carroll

    2008-01-01

    Catastrophic wildfires that impact human communities have become increasingly common in recent years. To reduce the potential for damage to human communities, wildland-urban interface (WUI) residents have been encouraged to perform mitigation or fire-safing measures around their homes and communities. Yet homeowners have not wholeheartedly adopted these measures, even...

  12. The role of risk perceptions in the risk mitigation process: The case of wildfire in high risk communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wade E. Martin; Ingrid M. Martin; Brian Kent

    2009-01-01

    An important policy question receiving considerable attention concerns the risk perception-risk mitigation process that guides how individuals choose to address natural hazard risks. This question is considered in the context of wildfire. We analyze the factors that influence risk reduction behaviors by homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface. The factors...

  13. The public and wildland fire management: social science findings for managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    S.M. McCaffrey

    2006-01-01

    Presents key social science findings from three National Fire Plan-sponsored research projects. Articles highlight information of likely interest to individuals working to decrease wildfire hazards on both private and public lands. Three general topic areas are addressed: (1) public views and acceptance of fuels management, (2) working with homeowners and communities,...

  14. 24 CFR 3282.207 - Manufactured home consumer manual requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    .... Homeowners are encouraged to report defects in writing, including, but not limited to, email, written letter... will create a dated record of the report: for example, by certified mail, by fax, or by email. When... with the dispute resolution provider in writing, or by making a request by phone. No particular format...

  15. 24 CFR 203.204 - Requirements and limitations of a plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... AUTHORITIES SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE INSURANCE Eligibility Requirements and Underwriting Procedures Insured Ten... for all claims filed by a homeowner during the first two years of coverage and not to exceed a maximum... unit in the structure, not to exceed a maximum of $5,000.00 where the claim relates to the same event...

  16. 24 CFR 248.173 - Resident homeownership program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ..., consistent with paragraph (f) of this section; (x) How the marketing of currently vacant units and units... 50 percent of such proceeds shall be returned to the Commissioner for use under §§ 248.157 and 248... homeowner under the homeownership program approved under this section shall be paid to the HOME Investment...

  17. Residential Property Composition of School Districts: Its Effect on Tax Rate and Per Pupil Revenue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundeen, Virginia; And Others

    This study related tax rate and per pupil revenue to residential assessed valuation, percent residential of total assessed valuation, and selected socioeconomic independent variables for school districts in Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, and Lake counties in Illinois. Findings suggest that for homeowners and the students of these counties in 1976,…

  18. Energy efficiency public service advertising campaign

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gibson-Grant, Amanda [Advertising Council, New York, NY (United States)

    2015-06-12

    The Advertising Council (“the Ad Council”) and The United States Department of Energy (DOE) created and launched a national public service advertising campaign designed to promote energy efficiency. The objective of the Energy Efficiency campaign was to redefine how consumers approach energy efficiency by showing that saving energy can save homeowners money.

  19. The Unintended Consequences of Property Tax Relief: New York's STAR Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eom, Tae Ho; Duncombe, William; Nguyen-Hoang, Phuong; Yinger, John

    2014-01-01

    New York's School Tax Relief Program, STAR, provides state-funded property tax relief for homeowners. Like a matching grant, STAR changes the price of education, thereby altering the incentives of voters and school officials and leading to unintended consequences. Using data for New York State school districts before and after STAR was…

  20. Rebuilding and new housing development after wildfire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patricia M. Alexandre; Miranda H. Mockrin; Susan I. Stewart; Roger B. Hammer; Volker C. Radeloff

    2015-01-01

    The number of wildland-urban interface communities affected by wildfire is increasing, and both wildfire suppression and losses are costly. However, little is known about post-wildfire response by homeowners and communities after buildings are lost. Our goal was to characterise rebuilding and new development after wildfires across the conterminous United States. We...

  1. Consumer responses towards home energy financial incentives: A survey-based study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Tingting; Bell, Lindsey; Horner, Mark W.; Sulik, John; Zhang Jinfeng

    2012-01-01

    Residential energy-efficient and renewable energy (EERE) products play an important role in energy conservation and carbon emissions reduction. Various financial incentive programs have been developed to promote the adoption of these products. However, their effectiveness in attracting consumers is not very well understood. In this study, we investigated impacts of financial incentives on homeowner's decision making towards six EERE products. Two forms of incentives, tax credits and interest-free loans, were examined through a household mailing survey in Florida, the United States. Results showed that, although half of the respondents were interested in EERE products, the high investment cost was a major concern that hindered their purchase activities. Homeowners were attracted to financial incentives and valued tax credits much higher than interest-free loans. The current federal home energy tax credit levels were found to attract only 2–12 percent of homeowners to buy EERE products. The willingness of participation was especially low for the costly products (such as solar panels). The participation rate was also very low for lower income (i.e., annual household income below $50,000) families living in older residences. This study contributes to the understanding of economic and social aspects of consumer decision making on energy efficiency and alternative energy. - Highlights: ► We investigated consumer responses to energy efficiency incentives. ► These included tax credits and interest-free loans for six types of energy products. ► We found that tax credits are more effective than interest-free loans. ► The current tax credit rates are insufficient for expensive products (e.g., solar panels). ► A higher amount of incentives is required for the lower-income (<$50 K/yr) households.

  2. Responding to climate risks in South Florida: New tools for adaptive water management collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treuer, G.

    2017-12-01

    South Florida's vulnerability to sea level rise has brought attention and research funding to the region. Scientists have demonstrated that existing flood control, water supply, and water quality challenges will be made more difficult by sea level rise. Investing in adaptation and efficiency can help reduce the region's exposure to climate change threats. However, local governments and agencies struggle to act. Suggestions for further collaboration between practitioners and researchers are presented, drawing from the results of research on homeowner risk perception, water supply management, and sea level rise adaptive stormwater investments in the Miami area. Choice Flow, an online platform for creating immersive simulations that track decision making and information gathering, was used to help 348 South Florida homeowners experience 35 years (18 inches) of sea level rise in 20 minutes. It found that there is a window of opportunity for local governments to act. Over 70% of homeowners were willing to support higher taxes to pay for adaptation investments now and in the future. And while most were not worried enough about sea level rise now they became increasingly willing to move out of the region as sea levels rose. Simulations like this could enable cities like Miami Beach pre-test new technologies and policies, e.g. new building standards or stormwater technology, which help reduce flood risk but often inspire opposition from stakeholders who perceive them as a threat. Additionally, academic researchers can collaborate with practitioners to understand how policy transitions, necessary for adaptive water management, occur over time and across jurisdictions. A data-narrative of the recent shift towards sustainable water supply in Miami-Dade County, developed in consultation with utility staff, is presented as an example. It provides a basis for comparison with other communities and a tool for entrepreneurial practitioners to advocate for conservation as a means of

  3. Adaptive Home Automation System by Using ‎Smart Phone Based Artificial Intelligent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osama Qasim Jumah

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The system of Home Automation consider nowadays as a promise technology for living a comfortable life and minimizing the cost of the user homeowner. The system might be accomplished by controlling the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, shading, and lightening. The energy consumed efficiency is get better also the protection system is exists. In this work, a Home Automation System is proposed, so that it performs automatically controlling to some of the appliances in the home. In addition, the proposed system will discover any undesirable movement or fire when the person is out of his home by taking a suitable decision instead of homeowner. The control unit uses a Smart Phone (Android Mobile. In this work, to gather readings of movements, heating, and lightening, a number of nodes are used (three nodes. Also a Microcontroller uses especial sensors to collect this information, after that sends them wirelessly through WIFI to the Smart Phone for manipulation and taking a convenience decision. Delta Neural Network Learning Rule is use for the first time as the intelligent algorithm to give the decisions for all the readings of sensors, so that it learned after 113259 which take 2280 seconds. In addition, it turns out the automated system to be further smart such that if there is fire or movement into the house, the application will distinguish if this movement for example dangerous or not. The mobile (through the application then gives a command to send a message (GSM to the homeowner (Police, or fire station telling the new situation. Furthermore, the controlling of all convenient appliances at the home automatically for each state. JAVA Program is use for manipulation process, and then by employing Eclipse Juno IDE program it turn into to an android application that installed into the Mobile. The Microcontroller is Arduino with WIFI shield and Xbee.

  4. Wildland fire and organic discourse: Negotiating place and leisure identity in a changing wildland urban inteface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph G. Champ; Daniel R. Williams; Katie Knotek

    2009-01-01

    A lack of research on the conceptual intersection of leisure, place and wildland fire and its role in identity prompted this exploratory study. The purpose of this research was to gather evidence regarding how people negotiate identities under the threat of wildland fire. Qualitative interviews with 16 homeowners and recreationists who value leisure activities in...

  5. Points of Interest: What Determines Interest Rates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schilling, Tim

    Interest rates can significantly influence people's behavior. When rates decline, homeowners rush to buy new homes and refinance old mortgages; automobile buyers scramble to buy new cars; the stock market soars, and people tend to feel more optimistic about the future. But even though individuals respond to changes in rates, they may not fully…

  6. Center for Real Life Kitchen Design open house to showcase latest in residential kitchens

    OpenAIRE

    Elliott, Jean

    2007-01-01

    Virginia Tech will unveil its newly refurbished Center for Real Life Kitchen Design at an open house set for Monday, April 2. The 1,500-square foot center, located in 247 Wallace Hall, features six fully functional residential kitchen designs that reflect a variety of price levels, lifestyles, and use of space for today's homeowner.

  7. Defensible space in the news: public discussion of a neglected topic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayne Fingerman Johnson; David N. Bengston; David P. Fan

    2006-01-01

    Managers have an opportunity during times of peak media coverage of wildfire to expand the discussion about defensible space from the current focus on vegetation clearing to include the full range of activities a homeowner can undertake to mitigate damage. Currently, news media discussion of wildfire is overwhelmingly dominated by firefighting, and discussion of...

  8. Keeping "Community" in a Community Land Trust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Karen A.; Galande, Mugdha

    2011-01-01

    This instrumental case study examined the role of grassroots community organizing in a community land trust (CLT) in a southern U.S. city. Twenty-nine homeowners, renters, board members, community members, and current and former CLT employees were interviewed. In addition, two focus groups of 11 and six participants composed of CLT residents and…

  9. Plastic Drill Bits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roman, Harry T.

    2013-01-01

    This article encourages students to think multidimensionally and in a multidisciplinary fashion with this challenge, and choose a team that can support this kind of thinking. Presented is a challenge in which a major home improvement company makes tools and accessories for use by experienced and new homeowners. This company would like to provide…

  10. Assessment of serious water shortage in the Icelandic water resource system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jonsdottir, Harpa; Madsen, Henrik

    2005-01-01

    there will be a shortage of electrical power. This is politically acceptable as long as it only touches heavy industries but not power deliveries to the common market. Empty or near empty reservoirs cause power shortage that will be felt by homeowners and businesses, until spring thaw sets in and inflow to the reservoirs...

  11. Factors affecting flood insurance purchase in residential properties in Johor, Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aliagha, U. G.; Jin, T. E.; Choong, W. W.; Nadzri Jaafar, M.; Ali, H. M.

    2014-12-01

    High-impact floods have become a virtually annual experience in Malaysia, yet flood insurance has remained a grossly neglected part of comprehensive integrated flood risk management. Using discriminant analysis, this study seeks to identify the demand-side variables that best predict flood insurance purchase and risk aversion between two groups of residential homeowners in three districts of Johor State, Malaysia: those who purchased flood insurance and those who did not. Our results revealed an overall 34% purchase rate, with Kota Tinggi district having the highest (44%) and thus the highest degree of flood risk aversion. The Wilks' lambda F test for equality of group means, standardised discriminant function coefficients, structure correlation, and canonical correlation has clearly shown that there are strong significant attribute differences between the two groups of homeowners, based on the measures of objective flood risk exposure, subjective risk perception, and socio-economic cum demographic variables. However, the measures of subjective risk perception were found to be more predictive of flood insurance purchase and flood risk aversion.

  12. System Security And Monitoring On Smart Home Using Android

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romadhon, A. S.

    2018-01-01

    Home security system is needed for homeowners who have a lot of activities, as a result, they often leave the house without locking the door and even leave the house in a state of lights that are not lit. In order to overcome this case, a system that can control and can monitor the state of the various devices contained in the house or smart home system is urgently required. The working principle of this smart home using android is when the homeowner sends a certain command using android, the command will be forwarded to the microcontroller and then it will be executed based on the parameters that have been determined. For example, it can turn off and on the light using android app. In this study, testing was conducted to a smart home prototype which is equipped with light bulbs, odour sensors, heat sensors, ultrasonic sensors, LDR, buzzer and camera. The test results indicate that the application has been able to control all the sensors of home appliances well.

  13. Alabama SEP Final Technical Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grimes, Elizabeth M.

    2014-06-30

    Executive Summary In the fall of 2010, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) launched the Multi-State Model for Catalyzing the National Home Energy Retrofit Market Project (Multi-State Project). This residential energy efficiency pilot program was a collaborative effort among the states of Alabama, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington, and was funded by competitive State Energy Program (SEP) awards through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The objective of this project was to catalyze the home energy efficiency retrofit market in select areas within the state of Alabama. To achieve this goal, the project addressed a variety of marketplace elements that did not exist, or were underdeveloped, at the outset of the effort. These included establishing minimum standards and credentials for marketplace suppliers, educating and engaging homeowners on the benefits of energy efficiency and addressing real or perceived financial barriers to investments in whole-home energy efficiency, among others. The anticipated effect of the activities would be increased market demand for retrofits, improved audit to retrofit conversion rates and growth in overall community understanding of energy efficiency. The four-state collaborative was created with the intent of accelerating market transformation by allowing each state to learn from their peers, each of whom possessed different starting points, resources, and strategies for achieving the overall objective. The four partner states engaged the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) to oversee a project steering committee and to manage the project evaluation for all four states. The steering committee, comprised of key program partners, met on a regular basis to provide overall project coordination, guidance, and progress assessment. While there were variances in program design among the states, there were several common elements: use of the Energy Performance Score (EPS) platform; an

  14. [Work ability among workers from a condominiun of high technology companies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Angela Cristina Puzzi; Monteiro, Maria Inês

    2006-01-01

    Remarkable transformation occurred in the last two decades on the industrial sector, such as the use of trainees and outsourced labor. In a epidemiological cross-sectional study 190 workers, aimed at assessing work ability and building up a socio-demographic life styles of workers, outsourced workers and trainees, who work at a corporate condominium comprising high technology companies. The Work Ability Index was employed with a questionnaire concerning lifestyle and demographic data. Gender balance was noticed, with a prevalence of youngsters and single people (63.2%). Few were tobacco smokers (13.2%), 62.6% performed physical exercise. In addition, 44.2% were medically diagnosed with some illness. This study is very important due to their interchangeability and to the general lack of a worker's health service.

  15. 24 CFR 235.1210 - Recapture of assistance payments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... appreciation of the property. (c) The term net appreciation of the property as used in this section means any... this section when the mortgagor: (1) Disposes of the property or a homeowner not qualified to receive assistance payments, or (2) Has rented the property (or rented the owner's unit in the case of a two- to four...

  16. Wildfire risk reduction in the United States: Leadership staff perceptions of local fire department roles and responsibilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachel S. Madsen; Hylton J. G. Haynes; Sarah M. McCaffrey

    2018-01-01

    As wildland fires have had increasing negative impacts on a range of human values, in many parts of the United States (U.S.) and around the world, collaborative risk reduction efforts among agencies, homeowners, and fire departments are needed to improve wildfire safety and mitigate risk. Using interview data from 46 senior officers from local fire departments around...

  17. Build Green: Wood Can Last for Centuries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carol A. Clausen; Samuel V. Glass

    2012-01-01

    This report updates and revises information from the 1976 Forest Service publication by Rodney C. DeGroot, “Your Wood Can Last for Centuries.” It explains why wood decays, alerts the homeowner to conditions that can result in decay in buildings, and describes measures to prevent moisture-related damage to wood.

  18. House Price Growth When Children Are Teenagers: A Path to Higher Earnings? Working Paper No. 14-13

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Daniel; Luengo-Prado, María José

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines whether a rise in house prices that occurs immediately prior to children entering college has an impact on their earnings as adults. Higher house prices provide homeowners with additional funds to invest in their children's human capital. The results show that a 1 percentage point increase in house prices, when children are 17…

  19. 24 CFR 904.114 - Payment upon resale at profit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... homeowner. (3) Amounts collected by the LHA under such notes shall be retained by the LHA for use in making... Payment upon resale at profit. (a) Promissory note. (1) When a homebuyer achieves ownership (regardless of whether ownership is achieved under § 904.113 or § 904.115), he shall sign a note obligating him to make a...

  20. Residents' responses to wildland fire programs: a review of cognitive and behavioral studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    James D. Absher; Jerry J. Vaske; Lori B. Shelby

    2009-01-01

    A compilation and summary of four research studies is presented. They were aimed at developing a theoretical and practical understanding of homeowners’ attitudes and behaviors in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in relation to the threat from wildland fires. Individual studies focused on models and methods that measured (1) value orientations (patterns of basic...

  1. Flooding and its Effect on Trees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephen Bratkovich; Lisa Burban; Steven Katovich; Craig Locey; Jill Pokorny; Richard Wiest

    1993-01-01

    The 1993 floods along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries have caused tremendous losses in terms of human life, homes, businesses and crop production. Bottomland areas have been under water for many weeks. Landowners, homeowners, foresters, park managers, and others are concerned about the long-term effect of the flooding on the forests of the...

  2. The implicit value of tree cover in the U.S.: A meta-analysis of hedonic property value studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shyamani Siriwardena; Kevin Boyle; Tom Holmes; P. Eric Wiseman

    2016-01-01

    Trees in residential neighborhoods and communities provide benefits for homeowners that are capitalized into residential property values. In this paper, we collected data from hedonic property value studies and merged these data with ancillary spatial data describing forest and socio-economic characteristics surrounding each study area to conduct a meta-analysis of the...

  3. Measuring rural homeowners' willingness to pay for land conservation easements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seong-Hoon Cho; David H. Newman; J. Michael Bowker

    2005-01-01

    Rapid growth of rural communities in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Macon County, North Carolina has been giving rise to concerns over declining environmental quality and increasing need for land-use policy. This paper examines willingness to pay (WTP) for hypothetical conservation easements as an alternative land-use policy for the county. Despite the fact that Macon...

  4. College's hot topics? Wildfire and Hazards' risk perception among university's population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wuerzer, T.

    2014-12-01

    This research presents a novel perspective on college students and their risk perception in a fire prone US State; Idaho. Idaho was "top #1" in burned lands by acreage in 2012 with approximate 15% of all US burned lands; in 2013 "top #2". Past studies have conducted surveys on residents in high wildfire risk communities to learn what factors make homeowners more likely to engage in mitigation activities and therefore increase communities' resiliency. This research emphasis is on a population that deals with the threat of fire but is likely less invested through property ownership and other investment of risk; yet, equally threatened in quality of life. Are college students the left-out population in the 'planning for wildfires' and its communication process? Main hypothesis is that a college population will have a different perception and awareness (and therefore mitigation actions) than i.e. residents invested in the wild land urban interface (WUI). Dominant research methodologies in past studies are identified as surveys, focus groups, or interviews focusing on homeowners in fire prone areas that have witnessed wildfire or are exposed to increasing fire risk. Yet again, research on population that has no property ownership, investments at stake, and therefore no direct monetary values associated (but potentially non-monetary), is found little to none in these studies. The university population based study and its findings offers a contrast to current literature related to these traditional residents surveys/interviews. The study's survey and interactive spatial assessment of risk perception with allocation of perceived hazards zones promotes understanding of where risk is apparent for participants. Results are used to inform agencies such as campus emergency management, regional wild fire mitigation efforts, and to enhance public communication. Lessons learned include the challenges of a comprehensive inclusion process when mitigating for hazards and building

  5. Living in a tinderbox: wildfire risk perceptions and mitigating behaviours

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patricia A. Champ; Geoffrey H. Donovan; Christopher M. Barth

    2013-01-01

    The loss of homes to wildfires is an important issue in the USA and other countries. Yet many homeowners living in fire-prone areas do not undertake mitigating actions, such as clearing vegetation, to decrease the risk of losing their home. To better understand the complexity of wildfire risk-mitigation decisions and the role of perceived risk, we conducted a survey of...

  6. Measure Guideline: Installing Rigid Foam Insulation on the Interior of Existing Brick Walls

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Natarajan, H.; Klocke, S.; Puttagunta, S.

    2012-06-01

    This measure guideline provides information on an effective method to insulate the interior of existing brick masonry walls with extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation board. The guide outlines step-by-step design and installation procedures while explaining the benefits and tradeoffs where applicable. The authors intend that this document be useful to a varied audience that includes builders, remodelers, contractors and homeowners.

  7. Measure Guideline. Installing Rigid Foam Insulation on the Interior of Existing Brick Walls

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Natarajan, Hariharan [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Klocke, Steve [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Puttagunta, Srikanth [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2012-06-01

    This measure guideline provides information on an effective method to insulate the interior of existing brick masonry walls with extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation board. The guide outlines step-by-step design and installation procedures while explaining the benefits and tradeoffs where applicable. The authors intend that this document be useful to a varied audience that includes builders,remodelers, contractors and homeowners.

  8. Ecosystem services in managing residential landscapes: priorities, value dimensions, and cross-regional patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    K.L. Larson; K.C. Nelson; S.R. Samples; S.J. Hall; N. Bettez; J. Cavender-Bares; P.M. Groffman; M. Grove; J.B. Heffernan; S.E. Hobbie; J. Learned; J.L. Morse; C. Neill; L.A. Ogden; Jarlath O' Neil-Dunne; D.E. Pataki; C. Polsky; R. Roy Chowdhury; M. Steele; T.L.E. Trammell

    2016-01-01

    Although ecosystem services have been intensively examined in certain domains (e.g., forests and wetlands), little research has assessed ecosystem services for the most dominant landscape type in urban ecosystems—namely, residential yards. In this paper, we report findings of a cross-site survey of homeowners in six U.S. cities to 1) examine how residents subjectively...

  9. REESTRUTURAÇÃO PRODUTIVA E RECONFIGURAÇÃO DA ÁREA CENTRAL DE FORTALEZA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Borzacchiello da Silva

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The text discusses the metropolitan theme from the perspective of productive restructuring, especially the spatial transformations and the reconfiguration of the central area of Fortaleza. The focus is placed upon the comprehension of the social-spatial processes in their configuration with fragments, residues and new centralities, which testify to the process of production of the city in the light of property restructuring as a strategy for the reproduction of capital. The hegemony of financial capital and of the national and transnational construction companies reinforces mechanisms of social-spatial reproduction altering the urban structure and the expansion of the urban sprawl. This text confirms the significance and importance of the condominiums, walled properties and shopping malls which alter the price of urban land and modify, above all, the use of the soil.

  10. Solar Schematic

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    The home shown at right is specially designed to accommodate solar heating units; it has roof planes in four directions, allowing placement of solar collectors for best exposure to the sun. Plans (bottom) and complete working blueprints for the solar-heated house are being marketed by Home Building Plan Service, Portland, Oregon. The company also offers an inexpensive schematic (center) showing how a homeowner only moderately skilled in the use of tools can build his own solar energy system, applicable to new or existing structures. The schematic is based upon the design of a low-cost solar home heating system built and tested by NASA's Langley Research Center; used to supplement a warm-air heating system, it can save the homeowner about 40 percent of his annual heating bill for a modest investment in materials and components. Home Building Plan Service saved considerable research time by obtaining a NASA technical report which details the Langley work. The resulting schematic includes construction plans and simplified explanations of solar heat collection, collectors and other components, passive heat factors, domestic hot water supply and how to work with local heating engineers.

  11. Energy Efficiency Adult Tracking Report - Final

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gibson-Grant, Amy [Ad Council, NY (United States)

    2014-09-30

    Postwave tracking study for the Energy Efficiency Adult Campaign This study serves as measure of key metrics among the campaign’s target audience, homeowners age 25+. Key measures include: Awareness of messages relating to the broad issue; Recognition of the PSAs; Relevant attitudes, including interest, ease of taking energy efficient steps, and likelihood to act; Relevant knowledge, including knowledge of light bulb alternatives and energy efficient options; and Relevant behaviors, including specific energy-saving behaviors mentioned within the PSAs. Wave 1: May 27 – June 7, 2011 Wave 2: May 29 – June 8, 2012 Wave 3: May 29 – June 19, 2014 General market sample of adults 25+ who own their homes W1 sample: n = 704; W2: n=701; W3: n=806 Online Survey Panel Methodology Study was fielded by Lightspeed Research among their survey panel. Sample is US Census representative of US homeowners by race/ethnicity, income, age, region, and family status. At least 30% of respondents were required to have not updated major appliances in their home in the past 5 years (dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, washer, or dryer).

  12. Grants versus Financing for Domestic Retrofits: A Case Study from Efficiency Maine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron Gillich

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Any attempts to limit the impacts of climate change must maximize the potential for energy efficiency in existing dwellings. Retrofitting the existing stock of aging and inefficient dwellings is a challenge on many fronts. A number of programs have been put in place to encourage domestic retrofits by reducing barriers such as the upfront costs and access to capital. While many such programs are delivering positive results, there is much uncertainty regarding what constitutes success, as well as the long term cost effectiveness of various approaches. Geographic, demographic, and programmatic differences frequently cloud the ability to make comparisons across programs. This work examines a case study from Efficiency Maine in the United States, in which a grant program transitioned to a financing program. The grant program was highly popular and delivered significant energy savings, but used considerable public funds. The financing program reaches fewer homeowners, but delivers larger retrofit projects per homeowner, and leverages private investment with smaller public expenditures. Which of the two programs can be considered more successful? This work explores the methods of assessing this question and offers the author’s perspectives.

  13. National Manufacturing Strategy: Is a National Manufacturing Strategy Essential to National Security?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-01

    cycle found nearly a quarter of all homeowners owning more than their home was worth. 11 Both Paul Volcker and Warren Buffet arrived at similar...November 15, 2010; Warren Buffet , Testimony, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, June 2, 2010; “Subprime Mortgage Crisis,” http://en.wikipedia.org...overseas manufacturing. Case Study: Semiconductor Wafer Industry. The history of the semiconductor industry is an instructive account . It begins with

  14. Cambridge Homes Increases Energy Efficiency in a Mix of Housing Types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poole, L.; Anderson, R.

    2001-01-01

    New houses designed by Cambridge Homes in Crest Hill, Illinois, with technical support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Program, save their homeowners money by applying the principles of ''whole-building'' design to the entire home product line. Regardless of the model chosen, home buyers can enjoy consistently high levels of comfort and performance with the added benefit of reduced operating costs

  15. Managing A Lake/Aquifer System-Science, Policy, and the Public Interest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaver, R. B.

    2009-12-01

    Lake Isabel is a small (312 ha) natural lake located in central North Dakota in the glaciated Missouri Coteau. The average lake depth is about 1.8 m with a maximum depth of about 3.6 to 4.6 m. The lake overlies the Central Dakota aquifer complex which is comprised of three sand and gravel aquifer units that are either directly or indirectly (through leakage) hydraulically connected to the lake. The aquifer is a major water source for center pivot irrigation. During the 2001-2008 drought, lower lake levels reduced lake recreation, including leaving many boat docks unusable. Lake homeowners attribute lake level decline to irrigation pumping and believe that irrigation should be curtailed. There is no water right associated with Lake Isabel because there are no constructed works associated with the lake. Therefore, under North Dakota statute the lake cannot be protected as a prior (senior) appropriator. The lake does have standing under the public interest as defined by North Dakota statute. Evaluation of the public interest involves the integration of both science and policy. Is it in the best interest of the people of the state to prohibit ground water withdrawals for irrigation to protect the lake? This is a policy decision, not a scientific decision. The basis of the policy decision should include an economic analysis of the irrigated crops, fish, wildlife, recreation, and lake property. In addition, priority of use and lake level history should be considered. The issue can likely be resolved without scientific controversy arising from hydrologic system uncertainty. If the decision is to protect the lake at some level, the issue becomes “scientized” and the following questions need to be answered: 1) Does irrigation pumping effect changes in lake levels? 2) Is our level of scientific understanding sufficient to determine what volume of irrigation pumping will cause what amount of lake level change? 3) Given aquifer lag time response to changes in pumping and

  16. On the rationality of borrowers' behaviour : Comparing risk-attitudes of homeowners

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Neuteboom, P.

    2008-01-01

    Though time and depth of cycles differed from one European country to another, mortgage markets have grown in size, expanded in product variation and improved borrowers' accessibility to mortgage credit. However, this expanding range of mortgage opportunities significantly increases the search and

  17. Do homeowners use energy labels? A comparison between Denmark and Belgium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten; Michael Jensen, Ole [Danish Building Research Institute, Dr. Neergaards Vej 15, DK-2970 Hoersholm (Denmark); Bartiaux, Francoise [Institute of Demography, Universite catholique de Louvain and Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Place Montesquieu, 1/17, B-1348-Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Cantaert, Madeleine [Institut de Demographie, UCL, Place Montesquieu, 1/17, B-1348-Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

    2007-05-15

    Energy labels on buildings are mandatory in Europe since 2006 with the application of the European directive 2002/91/CE on the energy performance of buildings. Therefore, it is relevant to analyse how the labels work in those countries that already have experiences with them. This article analyses how house owners have interpreted and used the knowledge from labels for the renovation of their house. The study is based on qualitative interviews with ten households having a Belgian volunteer energy assessment and ten households having the Danish mandatory energy label on their newly bought house. The article questions the faith in the rational enlightened actor, which is at the basis of the idea of labels. Using sociological theories on knowledge and everyday life in the interpretation of the qualitative material, it is shown that people relate to, interpret and question new knowledge rather than just take it in. Furthermore, it is also shown how the use of knowledge and advice interact with other priorities in everyday life. These results can help explain why people often do not carry through energy measures even though it might be economically advantageous to them. In the conclusion, it is also discussed how this type of knowledge might be used to improve energy labels. (author)

  18. In Hac Vita: Increasing Nordic Homeowners' Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neset, Tina; Linnér, Björn-Ola; Navarra, carlo

    2013-01-01

    The NordForsk funded research project In Hac Vita project is a collaboration between the Nordic insurance companies If, Gjensidige, Trygg-Hansa/ Codan and Tryg Insurance, and the Top-level Research Initiative the Nordic Centre of Excellence NORD-STAR. The project concerns climate change adaptatio...... to adapt to climate change and extreme weather effects....

  19. Climate change beliefs and hazard mitigation behaviors: Homeowners and wildfire risk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannah Brenkert-Smith; James R. Meldrum; Patricia A. Champ

    2015-01-01

    Downscaled climate models provide projections of how climate change may exacerbate the local impacts of natural hazards. The extent to which people facing exacerbated hazard conditions understand or respond to climate-related changes to local hazards has been largely overlooked. In this article, we examine the relationships among climate change beliefs, environmental...

  20. Do homeowners use energy labels? A comparison between Denmark and Belgium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten; Bartiaux, Francoise; Michael Jensen, Ole; Cantaert, Madeleine

    2007-01-01

    Energy labels on buildings are mandatory in Europe since 2006 with the application of the European directive 2002/91/CE on the energy performance of buildings. Therefore, it is relevant to analyse how the labels work in those countries that already have experiences with them. This article analyses how house owners have interpreted and used the knowledge from labels for the renovation of their house. The study is based on qualitative interviews with ten households having a Belgian volunteer energy assessment and ten households having the Danish mandatory energy label on their newly bought house. The article questions the faith in the rational enlightened actor, which is at the basis of the idea of labels. Using sociological theories on knowledge and everyday life in the interpretation of the qualitative material, it is shown that people relate to, interpret and question new knowledge rather than just take it in. Furthermore, it is also shown how the use of knowledge and advice interact with other priorities in everyday life. These results can help explain why people often do not carry through energy measures even though it might be economically advantageous to them. In the conclusion, it is also discussed how this type of knowledge might be used to improve energy labels

  1. Benefits and risks of smart home technologies

    OpenAIRE

    Wilson, Charlie; Hargreaves, Tom; Hauxwell-Baldwin, Richard

    2017-01-01

    Smart homes are a priority area of strategic energy planning and national policy. The market adoption of smart home technologies (SHTs) relies on prospective users perceiving clear benefits with acceptable levels of risk. This paper characterises the perceived benefits and risks of SHTs from multiple perspectives. A representative national survey of UK homeowners (n=1025) finds prospective users have positive perceptions of the multiple functionality of SHTs including energy management. Cedin...

  2. Not Out of Control: Analysis of the Federal Disaster Spending Trend

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    continue to benefit politically from large emergency supplemental spending bills for their constituents after a disaster, no incentive to change the...not need to compete for emergency funds as they must do in the regular appropriations process.69 They explain the political benefits of this...reflect true market prices, and was in essence, a subsidy to homeowners living in hazard areas.245 Resulting rate hikes and increased premiums were not

  3. Department of Defense Base Closure and Realignment Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-03-01

    Polygriph Instituite (I)ODP) to Fort Lzonard Wood, Misouri. Transfer as’countability for Peiham Range and other ,required training support faciities...federal civilian homeowners who, through no fault of their own, face a financial loss when selling their homes in an area where real estate values have...Defense determines that the financial re- sources available to the community (by grant or otherwise) for such purposes are inadequate, and may use

  4. Searching for approval. Tax-exempt hospitals, systems may find some relief through FHLB letters of credit in last week's housing aid bill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Melanie

    2008-08-04

    The bill to aid homeowners that Congress passed last week also offered a gift for tax-exempt healthcare borrowers. The law allows the Federal Home Loan Banks to back tax-exempt bonds with letters of credit, thus letting borrowers benefit from those banks' credit strength. But don't expect the floodgates to open. "Banks are preserving their capital for less risky endeavors," says Kelly Arduino, left, of Wipfli.

  5. Market Assessment of Residential Grid-Tied PV Systems in Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farhar, B.; Coburn, T.

    2000-09-29

    This report presents research done in response to a decision by the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Conservation and Management (OEC) and Colorado utility companies to consider making residential grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems available in Colorado. The idea was to locate homeowners willing to pay the costs of grid-tied PV (GPV) systems without batteries-$8,000 or $12,000 for a 2- or 3-kilowatt (kW) system, respectively, in 1996. These costs represented two-thirds of the actual installed cost of $6 per watt at that time and assumed the remainder would be subsidized. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and OEC partnered to conduct a market assessment for GPV technology in Colorado. The study encompassed both qualitative and quantitative phases. The market assessment concluded that a market for residential GPV systems exists in Colorado today. That market is substantial enough for companies to successfully market PV systems to Colorado homeowners. These homeo wners appear ready to learn more, inform themselves, and actively purchase GPV systems. The present situation is highly advantageous to Colorado's institutions-primarily its state government and its utility companies, and also its homebuilders-if they are ready to move forward on GPV technology.

  6. Feedback as a means of decreasing residential energy consumption. Report PU/CES 34

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seligman, C; Darley, J M

    1976-08-01

    When residential units are analyzed in human factor terms, it is apparent that the consumption level feedback (typically a bill, calculated once a month, over all appliances) is inadequate to give the resident useful information about his energy consuming actions. The present study tested the hypothesis that providing immediate feedback to homeowners concerning their daily rate of electric usage would be effective in reducing electric consumption. In the studied homes, central air-conditioning is the largest single source of electric power consumption during the summer. Accordingly, it was possible to predict the household's expected electric consumption in terms of the average daily outdoor temperature. Predicted electric consumption was derived from a previous month's modeling period during which a regression line was fitted to predict consumption from average daily temperature, for each home. Feedback was expressed as a percentage of actual consumption over predicted consumption. Feedback was displayed to homeowners four times a week for approximately one month. The results confirmed the prediction. Before feedback began, the feedback and control groups were consuming electricity at approximately equal rates. During the feedback period, the feedback group used 10.5 percent less electricity. The effectiveness of the feedback procedure was explained in terms of its cueing, motivational, and commitment functions.

  7. Indoor Thermal Comfort: The Behavioral Component

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jack Barkenbus

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This is a study of how indoor temperature settings have changed over time in the United States based on data from the Energy Information Administration’s, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS. It is shown that Americans have moderately raised indoor temperature settings during the heating season over the past thirty years. It is also shown that most Americans keep their homes relatively cool in the summertime and are generally averse to implementing temperature setbacks. It is revealed that occupants in lower-income homes tend to set their thermostats higher in winter than other income groups, but that the most intense cooling tends to take place in both low-income and high-income homes. As expected, renters tend to heat and cool more intensively than homeowners. Getting Americans to change their temperature settings in order to save energy is not easy even though it comes with the promise of financial savings. The use of programmable thermostats thus far has proved unsuccessful. Greater utilization of social marketing to achieve energy savings is suggested, as well as a renewed effort on the part of electricity suppliers to work more closely with homeowners as part of the rollout of the “smart grid”.

  8. The Building America Indoor Temperature and Humidity Measurement Protocol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Metzger, C. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Norton, Paul [Norton Energy Research & Development, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2014-02-01

    When modeling homes using simulation tools, the heating and cooling set points can have a significant impact on home energy use. Every four years, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) asks homeowners about their heating and cooling set points. Unfortunately, no temperature data is measured, and most of the time, the homeowner may be guessing at this number. Even one degree Fahrenheit difference in heating set point can make a 5% difference in heating energy use! So, the survey-based RECS data cannot be used as the definitive reference for the set point for the "average occupant" in simulations. The purpose of this document is to develop a protocol for collecting consistent data for heating/cooling set points and relative humidity so that an average set point can be determined for asset energy models in residential buildings. This document covers the decision making process for researchers to determine how many sensors should be placed in each home, where to put those sensors, and what kind of asset data should be taken while they are in the home. The authors attempted to design the protocols to maximize the value of this study and minimize the resources required to achieve that value.

  9. Building America Indoor Temperature and Humidity Measurement Protocol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Engebrecht-Metzger, Cheryn [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Norton, Paul [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2014-02-01

    When modeling homes using simulation tools, the heating and cooling set points can have a significant impact on home energy use. Every 4 years the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) asks homeowners about their heating and cooling set points. Unfortunately, no temperature data is measured, and most of the time, the homeowner may be guessing at this number. Even one degree Fahrenheit difference in heating set point can make a 5% difference in heating energy use! So, the survey-based RECS data cannot be used as the definitive reference for the set point for the 'average occupant' in simulations. The purpose of this document is to develop a protocol for collecting consistent data for heating/cooling set points and relative humidity so that an average set point can be determined for asset energy models in residential buildings. This document covers the decision making process for researchers to determine how many sensors should be placed in each home, where to put those sensors, and what kind of asset data should be taken while they are in the home. The authors attempted to design the protocols to maximize the value of this study and minimize the resources required to achieve that value.

  10. Evaluation of the Home Energy Score: An Experiment with New Jersey Natural Gas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knittel, Christopher [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Wolfran, Catherine [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Gandhi, Raina [Evoworx Inc., Wilmington, DE (United States)

    2016-03-01

    A wide range of climate plans rely on energy efficiency to generate energy and carbon emissions reductions, but conventional wisdom holds that consumers have historically underinvested in energy efficiency upgrades. This underinvestment may occur for a variety of reasons, one of which is that consumers are not adequately informed about the benefits to energy efficiency. To address this, the U.S. Department of Energy created a tool called the Home Energy Score (HEScore) to act as a simple, low-cost means to provide clear information about a home’s energy efficiency and motivate homeowners and homebuyers to invest in energy efficiency. The Department of Energy is in the process of conducting four evaluations assessing the impact of the Home Energy Score on residential energy efficiency investments and program participation. This paper describes one of these evaluations: a randomized controlled trial conducted in New Jersey in partnership with New Jersey Natural Gas. The evaluation randomly provides homeowners who have received an audit, either because they have recently replaced their furnace, boiler, and/or gas water heater with a high-efficiency model and participated in a free audit to access an incentive, or because they requested an independent audit3, between May 2014 and October 2015, with the Home Energy Score.

  11. Relation between residential radon concentrations and housing characteristics. The Cracow study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jedrychowski, W.; Flak, E.; Wesolowski, J.; Liu Kaishen

    1995-01-01

    The survey on indoor radon exposure was undertaken to explain whether the excess in lung cancer deaths in the Cracow city center may be attributed to this particular exposure. A total of 310 detectors was placed in households randomly chosen from three homogeneous strata of residential buildings. The first stratum included houses in the old city center constructed predominantly from stone bricks. The second stratum covered the city area with big apartment condominiums built from concrete blocks. The third stratum consisted of single family houses located in a suburban area. From each of these residency strata a random sample of an equal number of households was chosen, and the radon detectors were placed in households located at various levels of the buildings. The three-month radon sampling data were used to determine the distribution of various levels of radon in the households. In the measurement of radon exposure, Landauer α-track samplers were used. The data collected show that the type of building was the best single predictor of indoor radon concentrations. Other variables found to be associated significantly with indoor concentrations were the household level in the building and the house age. In general, residences with concrete slabs and dwellings with rarely-opened windows were found to have slightly higher radon concentrations. (author) 2 tabs., 15 refs

  12. Measure Guideline. Air Sealing Attics in Multifamily Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Otis, Casey [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Maxwell, Sean [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2012-06-01

    This Building America Measure Guideline is intended for owners, builders, contractors, homeowners, and other stakeholders in the multifamily building industry, and focuses on challenges found in existing buildings for a variety of housing types. It explains why air sealing is desirable, explores related health and safety issues, and identifies common air leakage points in multifamily building attics. In addition, it also gives an overview of materials and techniques typically used to perform air sealing work.

  13. Methylobacterium spp. as an indicator for the presence or absence of Mycobacterium spp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph O Falkinham III

    2016-01-01

    Conclusion: The data demonstrate that microbial populations in biofilms can influence the presence or absence of opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens and, thereby, increase the range of strategies to reduce exposure to waterborne pathogens. Finally, by assessing for the visual presence of methylobacteria as pink pigmentation on showers and shower curtains, homeowners and managers of hospitals and other buildings can quickly determine whether a premise plumbing biofilm sample has mycobacteria with a high degree of assurance.

  14. Integrated Renovation Process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galiotto, Nicolas; Heiselberg, Per; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2016-01-01

    renovation to be overcome. The homeowners were better integrated and their preferences and immaterial values were better taken into account. To keep the decision-making process economically viable and timely, the process as known today still needs to be improved, and new tools need to be developed....... This paper presents a new scheme: the integrated renovation process. One successful case study is introduced, and recommendations for future developments needed in the field are provided....

  15. Manual on indoor air quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diamond, R.C.; Grimsrud, D.T.

    1983-12-01

    This reference manual was prepared to assist electric utilities in helping homeowners, builders, and new home buyers to understand a broad range of issues related to indoor air quality. The manual is directed to technically knowledgeable persons employed by utility companies - the customer service or marketing representative, applications engineer, or technician - who may not have specific expertise in indoor air quality issues. In addition to providing monitoring and control techniques, the manual summarizes the link between pollutant concentrations, air exchange, and energy conservation and describes the characteristics and health effects of selected pollutants. Where technical information is too lengthy or complex for inclusion in this volume, reference sources are given. Information for this manual was gathered from technical studies, manufacturers' information, and other materials from professional societies, institutes, and associations. The aim has been to provide objective technical and descriptive information that can be used by utility personnel to make informed decisions about indoor air quality issues

  16. Manual on indoor air quality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diamond, R.C.; Grimsrud, D.T.

    1983-12-01

    This reference manual was prepared to assist electric utilities in helping homeowners, builders, and new home buyers to understand a broad range of issues related to indoor air quality. The manual is directed to technically knowledgeable persons employed by utility companies - the customer service or marketing representative, applications engineer, or technician - who may not have specific expertise in indoor air quality issues. In addition to providing monitoring and control techniques, the manual summarizes the link between pollutant concentrations, air exchange, and energy conservation and describes the characteristics and health effects of selected pollutants. Where technical information is too lengthy or complex for inclusion in this volume, reference sources are given. Information for this manual was gathered from technical studies, manufacturers' information, and other materials from professional societies, institutes, and associations. The aim has been to provide objective technical and descriptive information that can be used by utility personnel to make informed decisions about indoor air quality issues.

  17. Strategic analysis of steelworks quality control outsourcing: strenghts and weakenesses perceived

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Cesar Barreto Moraes

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available The pursuit for methodologies and management ways that are capable of ensuring higher competitiveness on a worldwide basis demand that Organizations establish and implement alternatives ever more innovative. Outsourcing, as a management practice comes to fill a need of specialization within Organizations. Originally created to serve to activities deemed as “middle-purpose”, outsourcing evolved and is now being applied to activities always more relevant within organizational processes. This article essay had the aim of assessing, through a SWOT matrix, the engineering services outsourcing, under the point of view of the company who had outsourced such services. The research has been developed, by a qualitative case study, at the steel mills company, headquartered in Europe. Inaugurated in 2003, the company has an innovative management model, which was conceived with similarities to condominiums, and a large portion of activities has been outsourced.

  18. SMS security system for smart home detectors

    OpenAIRE

    Cekova, Katerina; Gelev, Saso

    2016-01-01

    Security has always been an important problem everywhere. Home security has been a major issue where crime is increasing and everybody wants home security to protect the home. Safety from theft and flame are the most important requirements of a home security system for people. A remote home security system offers many benefits from keeping homeowners, and their property safe. This paper present controlling of the home security system remotely from Android Application. Owners can turn on or...

  19. Renovation of Single-Family Houses – An Emerging Market

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haavik, Trond; Tommerup, Henrik M.; Vanhoutteghem, Lies

    2010-01-01

    The Nordic research project “Success Families”, is a joint project between VTT in Finland, Danish Technical University, Mid Sweden University and Segel AS in Norway. The aim of the project is to find out how to bridge missing link between the homeowner and the variety of suppliers of relevant pro....... As the work in this project is in progress, the presentation at the conference will include new findings identified after the deadline of this paper....

  20. Evolution Sustainable Green Inner-wall with Flexible Floor Plan

    OpenAIRE

    Tawil N.M.; Hussaini H. A.; Basri H.; Che Ani A. I.; Mydin M.A.O

    2014-01-01

    The trend of renovate residential houses especially the interior of the house has become a common phenomenon for homeowners nowadays in Malaysia. This scenario is quiet concern because sometimes no modifications to comply with the law and the guidelines set by the government housing. Modifications with not done properly can cause injury and harm to families and the people around. To reduce this problem, the concept of sustainable inner walls with flexible floor plan should be incorporated in ...

  1. Potential of building-scale alternative energy to alleviate risk from the future price of energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bristow, David; Kennedy, Christopher A.

    2010-01-01

    The energy used for building operations, the associated greenhouse gas emissions, and the uncertainties in future price of natural gas and electricity can be a cause of concern for building owners and policy makers. In this work we explore the potential of building-scale alternative energy technologies to reduce demand and emissions while also shielding building owners from the risks associated with fluctuations in the price of natural gas and grid electricity. We analyze the monetary costs and benefits over the life cycle of five technologies (photovoltaic and wind electricity generation, solar air and water heating, and ground source heat pumps) over three audience or building types (homeowners, small businesses, large commercial and institutional entities). The analysis includes a Monte Carlo analysis to measure risk that can be compared to other investment opportunities. The results indicate that under government incentives and climate of Toronto, Canada, the returns are relatively high for small degrees of risks for a number of technologies. Ground source heat pumps prove to be exceptionally good investments in terms of their energy savings, emission, reductions, and economics, while the bigger buildings tend also to be better economic choices for the use of these technologies.

  2. Motives for Transfers from Parents to Children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolodziejczyk, Christophe; Leth-Petersen, Søren

    There are good theoretical reasons why transfers from parents are likely to be important around the time of the first home purchase. Transactions costs associated with trading houses make people with increasing income paths prefer to buy a house that is more expensive than what matches their curr......There are good theoretical reasons why transfers from parents are likely to be important around the time of the first home purchase. Transactions costs associated with trading houses make people with increasing income paths prefer to buy a house that is more expensive than what matches...... suggested that transfers from parents to children are significant exactly around the time where children buy their first home. Using a panel data set issued from Danish administrative registers with information about wealth of a sample of first-time homeowners and their parents, we document that child...... and parent resources, house value as well as financial resources are correlated. We then go on to test if there are direct parental transfers targeted to the purchase of the house, and in case of an unemployment spell during the years after the purchase where children typically hold little liquid assets. We...

  3. Latino Disaster Vulnerability: The Dissemination of Hurricane Mitigation Information among Florida's Homeowners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peguero, Anthony A.

    2006-01-01

    When a natural or man-made disaster strikes, there is usually little time for citizens to prepare and protect themselves. In September 2003, the U.S. Department of Homeland Defense implemented a National Response Plan dealing with many forms of disaster. However, when a disaster hits, not all citizens are equally prepared or protected. A sample of…

  4. Asset Depletion, Chronic Financial Stress, and Mortgage Trouble Among Older Female Homeowners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro Baker, Amy; West, Stacia; Wood, Anna

    2017-09-08

    The Great Recession disproportionately impacted older adults and women of color, suggesting that women may be entering retirement without adequate assets. However, the current literature lacks a detailed account of women's experiences of mortgage trouble and foreclosure, as well as a longitudinal view of how these experiences impacted their overall financial assets. Grounded in cumulative inequality theory, this mixed methods study employed a QUAL→quan approach to gather qualitative data from a sample of 21 older adult women regarding their experiences of mortgage trouble. Quantitative longitudinal data was gathered for a subsample of the Early Baby Boomer Cohort using the Health and Retirement Study. Qualitative findings indicated women approaching retirement experienced chronic underemployment, wage stagnation, and financial volatility as contributors to asset depletion and eventual mortgage default or foreclosure. Quantitative results indicated asset depletion both during and post-Recession was considerably more pronounced among older adult women of color compared to older adult White men. These findings suggest that a lifetime of financial disadvantage coupled with macroeconomic instability situates older adult women, particularly women of color, in a financially vulnerable position for retirement. The ways in which 2017 attacks on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Dodd-Frank, and the Fiduciary rule carry potential to further destabilize this population are also discussed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Final review of the Campbell Creek demonstrations showcased by Tennessee Valley Authority

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gehl, Anthony C. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Munk, Jeffrey D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jackson, Roderick K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Boudreaux, Philip R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Miller, William A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); New, Joshua Ryan [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Khowailed, Giannate [SRA International, Fairfax, VA (United States)

    2015-06-01

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Technology Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Power Delivery and Utilization Office funded and managed a showcase demonstration located in the suburbs of west Knox county, Tennessee. Work started March 2008 with the goal of documenting best practices for retrofitting existing homes and for building new high-efficiency homes. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) provided technical support. An analytical base was developed for helping homeowners, homebuyers, builders, practitioners and the TVA make informed economic decisions for the materials and incentives necessary to build a new high-efficiency home or retrofit an existing home. New approaches to more efficiently control active energy subsystems and information for selecting or upgrading to Energy Star appliances, changing all lights to 100% CFL s and upgrading windows to low-E gas filled glazing yields a 40% energy savings with neutral cash flow for the homeowner. Passive designs were reviewed and recommendations made for envelope construction that is durable and energy efficient. The Campbell Creek project complements the DOE Building Technologies Program strategic goal. Results of the project created technologies and design approaches that will yield affordable energy efficient homes. The 2010 DOE retrofit goals are to find retrofit packages that attain 30% whole house energy savings as documented by pre and post Home Energy rating scores (HERS). Campbell Creek met these goals.

  6. PACE and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zimring, Mark; Fuller, Merrian

    2010-03-17

    The FHFA regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (the government-sponsored enterprises - GSEs). On June 18, 2009, James B. Lockhart III, then Director of FHFA, released a letter expressing concern about the negative impact of energy loan tax assessment programs (ELTAPs) - also known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs - on both the housing finance system and homeowner program participants. Subsequently, a number of PACE proponents responded to the concerns laid out in the FHFA letter. In early Fall 2009, word circulated that FHFA was planning to follow its June letter with guidance to other agencies, possibly including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, discouraging them from buying loans on properties subject to PACE-type assessment liens. This triggered a second round of stakeholder letters, several of which were addressed to President Obama. On October 18, 2009, the White House, in what some believe was an attempt to obviate the need for FHFA guidance, released a Policy Framework for PACE Financing Programs that outlined best practices guidance for homeowner and lender protection. As of February 2010, FHFA and the GSEs have agreed to monitor PACE programs and work with stakeholders and the Administration to consider additional guidance beyond the Policy Framework and to collect more information on PACE program efficacy and risks. A summary of the communications timeline and highlights of the communications are provided.

  7. Measure Guideline: Guidance on Taped Insulating Sheathing Drainage Planes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grin, A.; Lstiburek, J.

    2014-09-01

    This guide provides information and recommendations to the following groups: insulation contractors; general contractors; builders; home remodelers; mechanical contractors; and homeowners, as a guide to the work that needs to be done. The order of work completed during home construction and retrofit improvements is important. Health and safety issues must be addressed first and are more important than durability issues. And durability issues are more important than saving energy. Not all techniques can apply to all houses. Special conditions will require special action. Some builders or homeowners will wish to do more than the important but basic retrofit strategies outlined by this guide. The following are best practice and product recommendations from the interviewed contractors and homebuilders who collectively have a vast amount of experience. Three significant items were discussed with the group which are required to make taped insulating sheathing a simple, long term, and durable drainage plane: 1. Horizontal joints should be limited or eliminated wherever possible; 2. Where a horizontal joint exists use superior materials; 3. Frequent installation inspection and regular trade training are required to maintain proper installation. Section 5 of this measure guideline contains the detailed construction procedure for the three recommended methods to effectively seal the joints in exterior insulating sheathing to create a simple, long term, and durable drainage plane.

  8. Rushing into American Dream? House Prices, Timing of Homeownership, and Adjustment of Consumer Credit

    OpenAIRE

    Agarwal, Sumit; Hu, Luojia; Huang, Xing

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we use a large panel of individuals from Consumer Credit Panel dataset to study the timing of homeownership as a function of credit constraints and expectations of future house price. Our panel data allows us to track individuals over time and we model the transition probability of their first home purchase. We find that in MSAs with highest quartile house price growth, the median individual become homeowners earlier by 5 years in their lifecycle compared to MSAs with lowest qua...

  9. Customers’ purchasing behaviour between Airbnb and hostels when travelling to Helsinki

    OpenAIRE

    Dao, Ngoc Lien; Vu, Anh

    2016-01-01

    Short-term accommodation for visitors is becoming increasingly expensive in many popular cities in the world and Helsinki is one such city. Helsinki is famous for its living standard and has become a favourite destination for tourists since the past few years. The emergence of reputable online portals such as Airbnb has made it possible for homeowners to list their space online and make some money from providing a place to stay for someone who is seeking it during travelling time. Apparently,...

  10. Byggmeister Test Home. Analysis and Initial Results of Cold Climate Wood-Framed Home Retrofit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gates, C. [Building Science Corporation (BSC), Somerville, MA (United States)

    2013-01-01

    BSC seeks to further the energy efficiency market for New England area retrofit projects by supporting projects that are based on solid building science fundamentals that will benefit the homeowner through a combination of energy savings, improved durability, and occupant comfort. This report describes a deep retrofit project of a two-family wood-framed home in Belmont, Massachusetts, and examines the retrofit measures for the enclosure amd mechanical systems and reviews the decision-making process that took place during planning.

  11. Laurentide: The Crime Fighting Geologist, A Comic-Book Curriculum Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGillis, A.; Gilbert, L. A.; Enright, K. P.

    2014-12-01

    When the police are just too ill informed on matters of earth science to solve the case it is up to Laurentide and her crew of geologists to bring justice to evildoers. Using every tool available, from a rock hammer to LiDAR, Laurentide fights crime while teaching her apprentice Esker about how geologists uncover mysteries everyday. This is the first of what will be a series of free teaching materials targeted at grades 5-8 based around the National Science Education Standards. Students will get the chance to practice problem solving and data analysis in order to solve mysteries with a combination of comic book style story telling and hands-on worksheets. The pilot story, "The Caper of the Ridiculously Cheap Condominiums" will cover 4 of the 9 Earth Science Literacy Principles 'Big Ideas'. Material will explore earthquakes, the hazards and risks they present, and the tools geologists use to map faults and estimate reoccurrence intervals.

  12. O DIREITO DE PROPRIEDADE LIMITADO À DIMENSÃO AMBIENTAL / THE PROPERTY RIGHT LIMITED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hildemar Meneguzzi de Carvalho

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The current article has the objective of discussing the limitations imposed on property rights. Using the qualitative research methodology and inductive method, the construction of the text comes from the study of the limiting factors of the use, enjoyment and fruition of the premises, using the contents of the Brazilian Federal Constitution and some of the reflections promoted by Antonio Bartolini, in the lecture Le situazioni giuridiche soggettive nel diritto europeo, as the main theoretical foundation. This research is justified because of the current planet pollution and the scarcity of several natural resources. It attempts to analyze the principle of social function as a restrictive factor, added to the natural and legal - internal and external - limits; modeled on the example of the condominium, the urban plan, the division of urban land and the expropriation, giving particular emphasis to environmental restrictions. As a result, we seek to certify the feasibility of absolute and arbitrary use of the property for a society that moves towards sustainability.

  13. Subprime Rescue Plans: Backdoor Bank Bailouts

    OpenAIRE

    Dean Baker

    2008-01-01

    This report analyzes recent proposals suggesting that the government buy up or guarantee bad mortgage debt in an attempt to slow the increasing number of foreclosures the nation has seen in the wake of the housing market's meltdown. The study, which focuses on the plan put forth by the Office of Thrift Supervision, shows that banks and mortgage holders end up being the true beneficiaries of such plans at the expense of taxpayers and with few gains for the majority of homeowners currently faci...

  14. Energy Savings Measure Packages. Existing Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casey, Sean [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Booten, Chuck [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2011-11-01

    This document presents the most cost effective Energy Savings Measure Packages (ESMP) for existing mixed-fuel and all electric homes to achieve 15% and 30% savings for each BetterBuildings grantee location across the United States. These packages are optimized for minimum cost to homeowners for source energy savings given the local climate and prevalent building characteristics (i.e. foundation types). Maximum cost savings are typically found between 30% and 50% energy savings over the reference home; this typically amounts to $300 - $700/year.

  15. Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 1; Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Hot and Humid Climate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, M. C.; Love, P. M.

    2004-11-01

    This Building America Best Practices guide book is a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the hot and humid climate. The savings are in comparison with the 1993 Model Energy Code. The guide contains chapters for every member of the builder's team. There is also a chapter for homeowners on how to use the book to provide help in selecting a new home or builder.

  16. The Effect of Sports Franchises on Property Values: The Role of Owners versus Renters

    OpenAIRE

    Katherine A. Kiel; Victor Matheson; Christopher Sullivan

    2010-01-01

    This paper estimates the public benefits to homeowners in cities with NFL franchises by examining housing prices rather than housing rents. In contrast to Carlino and Coulson (2004) we find that the presence of an NFL franchise has no effect on housing prices in a city. Furthermore, we also test whether the presence and size of the subsidy to the team affects values and find that higher subsidies for NFL stadium construction lead to lower house prices. This suggests that the benefits that hom...

  17. Determinants of Homeownership in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Jørgen T.; Skak, Morten

    . The paper adds to earlier papers by the same authors where determinants of the homeownership rate were found using (average) data for 270 Danish municipalities. By using data directly related to individual households whose inhabitants have chosen to be or not to be homeowners, the analysis reveals...... characteristics and restrictions that influence the choice between renting and ownership. Among the determinants investigated is civil and social status of the breadwinner and various household characteristics including income. The empirical results generally suggest that the impact of the determinants...

  18. Opportunities and barriers to straw construction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    White, Caroline Meyer; Howard, Thomas J.; Lenau, Torben Anker

    2012-01-01

    produced to support communication between clients and the consultants and facilitate the straw build design and decision making process. The intended audiences for the design guide are clients of small scale construction projects, architects, engineers, builders of straw construction, homeowner...... construction, and a series of qualitative interviews with a variety of stakeholders from previous straw build housing projects, results were gathered to find the most influential motives, barriers and considerations for straw build housing construction. Based on this empirical data, a design guide has been...

  19. Factors Related to the Selection of a Real Estate Agency or Agent

    OpenAIRE

    Joyce M. Johnson; Hugh O. Nourse; Ellen Day

    1988-01-01

    Real estate firms attempting to maintain or increase their market share want to know the characteristics of the firm or individual agents that are important to market participants. A survey of homeowners conducted during August 1987 found the following: 1) the individual agent is more important than the firm itself in the selection of a real estate firm; 2) knowing an agent of the firm was the primary factor considered in the selection of a real estate firm; and 3) agent characteristics of se...

  20. Investigation of a heat storage for a solar heating system for combined space heating and domestic hot water supply for homeowner´s association "Bakken"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vejen, Niels Kristian

    1998-01-01

    A heat storage for a solar heating system for combined space heating and domestic hot water supply was tested in a laboratory test facility.The heat storage consist of a mantle tank with water for the heating system and of a hot water tank, which by means of thermosyphoning is heated by the water...

  1. Low income homebuyers, low housing infrastructure quality, and disaster threat (Case study: Landslide in Trangkil Sejahtera and Trangkil Baru Residential Area, Semarang)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Indrianingrum, Lulut; Andiyarto, Hanggoro Tri Cahyo

    2018-03-01

    The Housing of Trangkil Sejahtera and Trangkil Baru are two housing areas located in the Village of Sukorejo, Gunungpati District, Semarang Municipality. In 2014, these housing areas were experienced landslide triggered by heavy rains that continued to fall across Semarang for several days. Successive landslides occurred on January 23, 2014 early in the morning until 07.30 am. Seven houses in Trangkil Sejahtera Housing were damaged by landslide, while in Trangkil Baru Housing there were 32 homes that severely damaged. The housing was located in a zone with high degree of susceptibility to landslide and stated as landslide prone areas by the Directorate of Environmental Geology. The objective of this article is to analyze the facts that the low income homebuyers basically do not understand the importance of accessing the information of land, infrastructure quality and specifications of the house. The analysis is conducted by comparing the landslide background and the homebuyer's condition background at the time the housing was purchased. The results showed that people who occupied the housing were victims of evictions and in low-income condition. A low-income homeowner has a low bargaining position in obtaining adequate housing infrastructure quality. Developers did not prepare proper infrastructure system to anticipate landslides and fulfill legal aspects of the real estate development. Low income homeowners should be educated about legal aspect of land purchased as well as their rights when buying a home.

  2. Interest in smart metering project surprises utility, IBM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horne, D.

    2006-01-01

    This article provided an outline of Hydro Ottawa and IBM's smart metering pilot project, which has resulted in high approval ratings from the public. The project features 375 participants broken down into 3 separate groups to look for potential consumption differences between customers charged according to standard time-of-use pricing; time-of-use with critical peak pricing; and time-of-use with critical peak rebates. The Ontario Smart Price Pilot project will be run for 5 months, and is expected to provide detailed energy information about usage. Past projects have indicated that customers respond quickly to smart metering, as they are able to monitor their energy usage and more effectively manage their energy consumption. Ontario plans to have all homes and small businesses using smart meters by 2010, as high seasonal demand has indicated that conservation and balanced resource use are now top priorities for many utility companies. At least 10 states in the United States have conducted smart metering pilot projects. The California Public Utilities Commissions has recently approved a $1.7 billion statewide plan to replace old meters with smart meters. In Ontario, customers have ordered 10,000 electricity monitors that Hydro One is giving away. It was concluded that research results from an earlier Hydro One demonstration project with 500 Ontario homeowners showed that real time electricity monitors can help homeowners reduce their consumption of electricity by up to 15 per cent. 4 figs

  3. Is There Any Relationship Between Making Fire Insurance With Persons ’Demog raphics Features And Otherwise With Persons’ Anxiety Level?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatih Burak Gümüş

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This study builds individual households on the reasons for taking or not taking out a fire insurance policy. The main purpose of this study was to determine either demographic characteristics or level of anxiety was effective in taking out fire insurance policy. However, information about individuals’ perception of fire insurance was tried to be reached. For this purpose a questionnaire involving some demographic characteristics of individuals and also an international –Beck A-anxiety scale which aims at the determination of individuals level of anxiety was designed. The survey about individuals’ perce ptions of fire insurance was conducted face-to-face to 619 homeowners after excluding incorrectly entered questionnaires. According to the survey results obtained from the analysis, there is a significant association between the anxiety levels and taking out fire insurance policy. In addition, value of the housing and witnessing a fire within the vicinity of the house affect the perception of fire insurance policy. Individuals have been acted in agreement with expected utility theory, at the same time have not been acted different from efficient market hypothesis

  4. Individual relocation decisions after tornadoes: a multi-level analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Zhen; Nejat, Ali; Liang, Daan; Pei, Yaolin; Javid, Roxana J

    2018-04-01

    This study examines how multi-level factors affected individuals' relocation decisions after EF4 and EF5 (Enhanced Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale) tornadoes struck the United States in 2013. A telephone survey was conducted with 536 respondents, including oversampled older adults, one year after these two disaster events. Respondents' addresses were used to associate individual information with block group-level variables recorded by the American Community Survey. Logistic regression revealed that residential damage and homeownership are important predictors of relocation. There was also significant interaction between these two variables, indicating less difference between homeowners and renters at higher damage levels. Homeownership diminished the likelihood of relocation among younger respondents. Random effects logistic regression found that the percentage of homeownership and of higher income households in the community buffered the effect of damage on relocation; the percentage of older adults reduced the likelihood of this group relocating. The findings are assessed from the standpoint of age difference, policy implications, and social capital and vulnerability. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

  5. Radon risk information and voluntary protection: evidence from a natural experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, F.R.; Luken, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    This study examines the perceived risks and mitigating behavior of Maine households who received new information on their exposures to significant health risks from indoor radon. The observed responses of these households illustrate conceptual issues related to designing an effective risk information program. Despite the involvement of generally well-motivated homeowners and well-intentioned researchers and government officials, we conclude that the risk information approach used in Maine failed to induce appropriate, cost-effective voluntary protection. The results indicate that, after receiving radon test results, information on associated health risks, and suggestions on how to reduce exposures: perceived risks tended to understate objective risks by orders of magnitude, and there was no statistically significant relationship between mitigating behavior and objective risks. These results suggest that the formation of risk perceptions and subsequent behavioral adjustments involve complex interactions among information, contextual, socioeconomic, and psychological variables. Therefore, government programs that seek to reduce health and safety risks with information programs, instead of using more conventional enforced standards, must be crafted very carefully to accommodate this complex process

  6. Analysis of residential, industrial and commercial sector responses to potential electricity supply constraints in the 1990s

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fisher, Z.J.; Fang, J.M.; Lyke, A.J.; Krudener, J.R.

    1986-09-01

    There is considerable debate over the ability of electric generation capacity to meet the growing needs of the US economy in the 1990s. This study provides new perspective on that debate and examines the possibility of power outages resulting from electricity supply constraints. Previous studies have focused on electricity supply growth, demand growth, and on the linkages between electricity and economic growth. This study assumes the occurrence of electricity supply shortfalls in the 1990s and examines the steps that homeowners, businesses, manufacturers, and other electricity users might take in response to electricity outages.

  7. Transfer Taxes and Household Mobility: Distortion on the Housing or Labor Market?

    OpenAIRE

    Christian A. L. Hilber; Teemu Lyytikäinen

    2015-01-01

    We estimate the effect of the UK Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) - a transfer tax on the purchase price of property or land - on different types of household mobility using micro data. Exploiting a discontinuity in the tax schedule, we isolate the impact of the tax from other determinants of mobility. We compare homeowners with self-assessed house values on either sides of a cut-off value where the tax rate jumps from 1 to 3 percent. We find that a higher SDLT has a strong negative impact on housi...

  8. Country policy profile - Ireland. December 2015

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-12-01

    In Ireland, electricity from renewable sources is mainly promoted through a feed-in-tariff scheme (REFIT). There is also a tax relief scheme for corporate investments in projects generating electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind, biomass, and hydro). Renewable Energy sources for heating purposes have two main support schemes: a grant to homeowners for the installation of solar thermal installations and a tax return to Irish companies of 100% of the purchase value of certain energy efficient equipment. The main incentive for renewable energy use in transport is a quota system (RES-Legal Europe, 2014)

  9. Country policy profile - Ireland. August 2015

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-08-01

    In Ireland, electricity from renewable sources is mainly promoted through a feed-in-tariff scheme (REFIT). There is also a tax relief scheme for corporate investments in projects generating electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind, biomass, and hydro). Renewable Energy sources for heating purposes have two main support schemes: a grant to homeowners for the installation of solar thermal installations and a tax return to Irish companies of 100% of the purchase value of certain energy efficient equipment. The main incentive for renewable energy use in transport is a quota system (RES-Legal Europe, 2014)

  10. The Integrated Renovation Process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galiotto, Nicolas; Heiselberg, Per; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2015-01-01

    the project stakeholders to overcome most informational barriers to sustainable home renovation such as lack of knowledge, lack of interest, lack of support, and lack of social and emotional understanding. The homeowners were able to perceive the new and numerous qualities they were getting in their newly......The potential for primary energy savings is greatest in the building sector. A very relevant way to save energy is to increase the rates and depths of building renovations. In order to reach such goals, building owners need to be convinced to invest in high-performance sustainable renovation...

  11. Review of survey data on the importance of energy efficiency to new home buyers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendrickson, P.L.

    1984-10-01

    The surveys reviewed for this report support the notion that the Council's model conservation standards will be received reasonably well and can be successfully marketed. A number of subtopics are addressed including the home purchase process and the role of energy efficiency considerations in the process, the importance of energy efficiency considerations in the decision to purchase a new home, the relative importance of energy efficiency in comparison to other home selection attributes, homeowner preferences for particular energy efficiency features, and measures of the willingness to pay for energy efficiency improvements.

  12. Building with passive solar: an application guide for the southern homeowner and builder

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1981-03-01

    This instructional material was prepared for training workshops for builders and home designers. It includes: fundamental definitions and equations, climate and site studies, building components, passive systems and techniques, and design tools. (MHR)

  13. Ouick Reaction Report on Financial Reporting Procedures for the Defense Homeowners Assistance Fund

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    1992-01-01

    ...) Financial Statements for FY 1992 (Project No. 2FH-2002). The objective of the audit is to determine whether the Fund's financial statements are presented fairly in accordance with generally -accepted accounting principles...

  14. Characteristics of care management agencies affect expenditure on home help and day care services: A population-based cross-sectional study in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Mei; Igarashi, Ayumi; Noguchi-Watanabe, Maiko; Yoshie, Satoru; Iijima, Katsuya; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko

    2017-11-01

    The financial interests of care management agencies can affect how care managers assist clients' use of long-term care insurance services. The present study examined the relationship between clients' service expenditures, and whether the home help and day care service agencies belonged to the same organization as the care management agency. Population-based data were obtained from a suburban municipality in Japan. We investigated 4331 persons with care needs certificates (levels 1-5), including those using home help (n = 1780) or day care (n = 2141) services. Data on the service expenditures, and clients' and agencies' characteristics were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses controlling for potential confounders. Home help service users spent an average of US$558.1 ± 590.1 for home help service, and day care service users spent US$665.0 ± 415.9 for day care service. Living alone, living in a condominium/apartment, higher care needs, more severe cognitive impairment and lower use of other services were associated with higher home help service expenditure. Day care service expenditure increased with older age, female sex, higher care needs, more severe cognitive impairment and higher physical function. Clients whose service agencies and care management agencies belonged to the same organization had higher expenditures, even after adjusting for confounders (home help: β = 0.126, P = 0.007; day care: β = 0.085, P = 0.002, respectively). Financial interests of care management agencies might significantly influence clients' service expenditure. We should develop an effective system to minimize this influence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2224-2231. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  15. Preferences for policy attributes and willingness to pay for water quality improvements under uncertainty

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullen, Jeffrey D.; Calhoun, Kayla C.; Colson, Gregory J.

    2017-04-01

    When exploring environmental policy options, sometimes neither the current state of the environmental good being analyzed nor the effectiveness of the proposed policy is known with certainty. This is the case with privately owned, residential, onsite wastewater treatment systems (septic systems)—there is ample evidence that they can contribute to water quality impairment, but their contribution is generally stochastic in nature and the efficacy of technological solutions is uncertain. Furthermore, the benefits of ameliorating water quality impairments are public in nature. Septic system owners are legally responsible for maintaining their systems, but requiring them to upgrade otherwise properly functioning tanks is outside the scope of water quality regulations. An incentive structure is necessary to induce private homeowners to invest in septic upgrades that deliver both private benefits in addition to the positive externality for the wider public and environment. The question for policy makers is how these private incentives should be financed, and whether public support can be garnered. Results of a choice experiment in Gwinnett County, Georgia, accounting for both sources of uncertainty—the current state of water quality and the efficacy of the intervention—in the design of water quality policy are presented. We find baseline water quality conditions and policy efficacy significantly affect public support for a policy transferring public funds to private homeowners, in terms of both sentiment and willingness to pay. The manner in which costs are shared across stakeholders also affects the selection of a policy option, but not willingness to pay for it.

  16. Identifying Potential Area and Financial Prospects of Rooftop Solar Photovoltaics (PV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarawut Ninsawat

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In an urban area, the roof is the only available surface that can be utilized for installing solar photovoltaics (PV, and the active surface area depends on the type of roof. Shadows on a solar panel can be caused by nearby tall buildings, construction materials such as water tanks, or the roof configuration itself. The azimuth angle of the sun varies, based on the season and the time of day. Therefore, the simulation of shadow for one or two days or using the rule of thumb may not be sufficient to evaluate shadow effects on solar panels throughout the year. In this paper, a methodology for estimating the solar potential of solar PV on rooftops is presented, which is particularly applicable to urban areas. The objective of this method is to assess how roof type and shadow play a role in potentiality and financial benefit. The method starts with roof type extraction from high-resolution satellite imagery, using Object Base Image Analysis (OBIA, the generation of a 3D structure from height data and roof type, the simulation of shadow throughout the year, and the identification of potential and financial prospects. Based on the results obtained, the system seems to be adequate for calculating the financial benefits of solar PV to a very fine scale. The payback period varied from 7–13 years depending on the roof type, direction, and shadow impact. Based on the potentiality, a homeowner can make a profit of up to 200%. This method could help homeowners to identify potential roof area and economic interest.

  17. Incorporating economic valuation into fire prevention planning and management in Southern European countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elsa Varela

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Aim of study: This article describes and analyzes the links between the fire-based scientific knowledge, the social perception of fire prevention and forest fires and the economic valuation requirements to assess social preferences for fire prevention measures. Area of study: Southern European countries. Material and Methods: For that purpose, we develop a critical revision of the existing literature on economic valuation of social preferences for fire risk reduction and fire prevention in terms of its links with fire science and social perceptions and the applicability of these results in fire management policies. Research highlights: The assessment of social preferences for fire related issues is challenging due to the difficulty of setting sound valuation scenarios that can simultaneously be relevant for the respondents and derive conclusions useful for fire management. Most of the revised studies set up valuation scenarios focused on the final management outcome e.g. number of burnt hectares, what is easier for the respondents to evaluate but weakens the scientific relationship with fire management, making difficult reaching conclusions for sound management advice. A more recent set of valuation studies has been developed where risk perception of homeowners is further assessed as a key variable determining their preferences in valuation scenarios. These studies are relevant for mangers setting fire prevention programs in wildland urban interface areas as understanding the factors that may promote or hinder the enrolment of these homeowners in fire prevention activities may have direct implication in addressing communication programs to promote fire prevention management.

  18. Radiating comfort in prestigious condo units

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barber, R.

    2001-08-01

    Advantages of the type of electric floor heating installed in an exclusive condominium development in Whistler, a winter sports resort community in British Columbia, are discussed. Quality, comfort, strict limits on the amount of available electricity, and reduced maintenance, were the principal reasons for installing this type of heating system, according to the designer of the complex. Floor heating, being a radiant heating system, eliminates wasteful stratification of heat in a given heated space, thus helping to achieve comfortable ambient temperature at a lower level than would be required with conventional heating systems, reducing the power requirements by as much as 25 per cent. The system maintains a uniform temperature without any movement of air, dust and germs, providing occupants with a clean and pleasant atmosphere. The Flexterm system can be used under a variety of floor coverings -- natural stone, ceramic, marble, carpets, vinyl tiles, or wood flooring. It can be used selectively in different rooms of a housing unit, while other parts (in this instance the bedrooms), are heated by small electric baseboard heaters.

  19. Levels and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds in southwestern area of Mexico City

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodolfo Sosa, E. [Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, D.F. (Mexico); Humberto Bravo, A. [Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, D.F. (Mexico)], E-mail: hbravo@servidor.unam.mx; Violeta Mugica, A. [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Azcapotzalco, D.F. (Mexico); Pablo Sanchez, A. [Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, D.F. (Mexico); Emma Bueno, L. [Centro Nacional de Investigacion y Capacitacion Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (Mexico); Krupa, Sagar [Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 (United States)

    2009-03-15

    Thirteen volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were quantified at three sites in southwestern Mexico City from July 2000 to February 2001. High concentrations of different VOCs were found at a Gasoline refueling station (GS), a Condominium area (CA), and at University Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS). The most abundant VOCs at CA and CAS were propane, n-butane, toluene, acetylene and pentane. In comparison, at GS the most abundant were toluene, pentane, propane, n-butane, and acetylene. Benzene, a known carcinogenic compound had average levels of 28, 35 and 250 ppbC at CAS, CA, and GS respectively. The main contributing sources of the measured VOCs at CA and CAS were the handling and management of LP (Liquid Propane) gas, vehicle exhaust, asphalt works, and use of solvents. At GS almost all of the VOCs came from vehicle exhaust and fuel evaporation, although components of LP gas were also present. Based on the overall results possible abatement strategies are discussed. - Volatile organic compounds were quantified in order to perform their source apportionment in southwestern area of Mexico City.

  20. Levels and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds in southwestern area of Mexico City

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodolfo Sosa, E.; Humberto Bravo, A.; Violeta Mugica, A.; Pablo Sanchez, A.; Emma Bueno, L.; Krupa, Sagar

    2009-01-01

    Thirteen volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were quantified at three sites in southwestern Mexico City from July 2000 to February 2001. High concentrations of different VOCs were found at a Gasoline refueling station (GS), a Condominium area (CA), and at University Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS). The most abundant VOCs at CA and CAS were propane, n-butane, toluene, acetylene and pentane. In comparison, at GS the most abundant were toluene, pentane, propane, n-butane, and acetylene. Benzene, a known carcinogenic compound had average levels of 28, 35 and 250 ppbC at CAS, CA, and GS respectively. The main contributing sources of the measured VOCs at CA and CAS were the handling and management of LP (Liquid Propane) gas, vehicle exhaust, asphalt works, and use of solvents. At GS almost all of the VOCs came from vehicle exhaust and fuel evaporation, although components of LP gas were also present. Based on the overall results possible abatement strategies are discussed. - Volatile organic compounds were quantified in order to perform their source apportionment in southwestern area of Mexico City

  1. Residential Photovoltaic Energy Systems in California: The Effect on Home Sales Prices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoen, Ben; Wiser, Ryan; Thayer, Mark; Cappers, Peter

    2012-04-15

    Relatively little research exists estimating the marginal impacts of photovoltaic (PV) energy systems on home sale prices. Using a large dataset of California homes that sold from 2000 through mid-2009, we find strong evidence, despite a variety of robustness checks, that existing homes with PV systems sold for a premium over comparable homes without PV systems, implying a near full return on investment. Premiums for new homes are found to be considerably lower than those for existing homes, implying, potentially, a tradeoff between price and sales velocity. The results have significant implications for homeowners, builders, appraisers, lenders, and policymakers.

  2. Efficient Solutions for New Homes Case Study: Savannah Gardens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2016-03-15

    The Savannah Housing Department is leading sustainable and affordable housing development in Georgia. It partnered with Southface Energy Institute, a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Partnership for Home Innovation Building America research team, to seek cost-effective solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of the Savannah Housing Department’s standard single-family home plans in the Savannah Gardens Community. Based on engineering, cost, and constructability analyses, the combined research team chose to pilot two technologies to evaluate efficiency and comfort impacts for homeowners: a heat-pump water heater in an encapsulated attic and an insulated exterior wall sheathing.

  3. Whole-House Approach Benefits Builders, Buyers, and the Environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2001-05-01

    This document provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program. Building America works with the residential building industry to develop and implement innovative building processes and technologies-innovations that save builders and homeowners millions of dollars in construction and energy costs. This industry-led, cost-shared partnership program aims to reduce energy use by 50% and reduce construction time and waste, improve indoor air quality and comfort, encourage a systems engineering approach for design and construction of new homes, and accelerate the development and adoption of high performance in production housing.

  4. Whole-House Approach Benefits Builders, Buyers, and the Environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendron, B.

    2001-01-19

    This document provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program. Building America works with the residential building industry to develop and implement innovative building processes and technologies-innovations that save builders and homeowners millions of dollars in construction and energy costs. This industry-led, cost-shared partnership program aims to reduce energy use by 50% and reduce construction time and waste, improve indoor air quality and comfort, encourage a systems engineering approach for design and construction of new homes, and accelerate the development and adoption of high performance in production housing.

  5. Machine shop basics

    CERN Document Server

    Miller, Rex

    2004-01-01

    Use the right tool the right wayHere, fully updated to include new machines and electronic/digital controls, is the ultimate guide to basic machine shop equipment and how to use it. Whether you're a professional machinist, an apprentice, a trade student, or a handy homeowner, this fully illustrated volume helps you define tools and use them properly and safely. It's packed with review questions for students, and loaded with answers you need on the job.Mark Richard Miller is a Professor and Chairman of the Industrial Technology Department at Texas A&M University in Kingsville, T

  6. Temperature logging of groundwater in bedrock wells for geothermal gradient characterization in New Hampshire, 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degnan, James; Barker, Gregory; Olson, Neil; Wilder, Leland

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Geological Survey, measured the fluid temperature of groundwater in deep bedrock wells in the State of New Hampshire in order to characterize geothermal gradients in bedrock. All wells selected for the study had low water yields, which correspond to low groundwater flow from fractures. This reduced the potential for flow-induced temperature changes that would mask the natural geothermal gradient in the bedrock. All the wells included in this study were privately owned, and permission to use the wells was obtained from homeowners before logging.

  7. Chapter 8: Whole-Building Retrofit with Consumption Data Analysis Evaluation Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurnik, Charles W. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Agnew, Ken [DNV GL, Madison, WI (United States); Goldberg, Mimi [DNV GL, Madison, WI (United States)

    2017-11-01

    Whole-building retrofits involve the installation of multiple measures. Whole-building retrofit programs take many forms. With a focus on overall building performance, these programs usually begin with an energy audit to identify cost-effective energy efficiency measures for the home. Measures are then installed, either at no cost to the homeowner or partially paid for by rebates and/or financing. The methods described here may also be applied to evaluation of single-measure retrofit programs. Related methods exist for replace-on-failure programs and for new construction, but are not the subject of this chapter.

  8. 76 FR 44301 - Information Collection; Homeowner Risk Reduction Behaviors Concerning Wildfire Risks and Climate...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-25

    ... the design of more effective risk mitigation projects and improved communication strategies among.... This information will assist the Forest Service in their risk communication efforts with ``at risk... of California State University of Long Beach, Long Beach, California. The results will be made...

  9. Has it become more difficult for young households in rental housing to become homeowners?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skak, Morten; Bloze, Gintautas

    2013-01-01

    by increased income inequality. In this paper we present calculations of the number of month it takes for an average young wage earner family that is presently in a tenant position to save 10 per cent of the average dwelling value. Our calculations show that it has become more difficult for young families...

  10. Characterizing Urban Household Waste Generation and Metabolism Considering Community Stratification in a Rapid Urbanizing Area of China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Lishan; Lin, Tao; Chen, Shaohua; Zhang, Guoqin; Ye, Zhilong; Yu, Zhaowu

    2015-01-01

    The relationship between social stratification and municipal solid waste generation remains uncertain under current rapid urbanization. Based on a multi-object spatial sampling technique, we selected 191 households in a rapidly urbanizing area of Xiamen, China. The selected communities were classified into three types: work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities in the context of housing policy reform in China. Field survey data were used to characterize household waste generation patterns considering community stratification. Our results revealed a disparity in waste generation profiles among different households. The three community types differed with respect to family income, living area, religious affiliation, and homeowner occupation. Income, family structure, and lifestyle caused significant differences in waste generation among work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities, respectively. Urban waste generation patterns are expected to evolve due to accelerating urbanization and associated community transition. A multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach was applied to waste metabolism linking it to particular socioeconomic conditions that influence material flows and their evolution. Waste metabolism, both pace and density, was highest for family structure driven patterns, followed by lifestyle and income driven. The results will guide community-specific management policies in rapidly urbanizing areas.

  11. The relationship between radon knowledge, concern and behavior, and health values, health locus of control and preventive health behaviors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennedy, C.J.; Probart, C.K.; Dorman, S.M.

    1991-01-01

    Understanding similarities between health-related and radon-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors may suggest application of effective strategies of radon-related education in targeted populations. A mail survey was returned by 300 randomly selected homeowners in a community at risk for high home radon concentrations (50% response). While 64% were concerned, only 7% tested their homes. The expected association between radon knowledge, radon concern, and information-seeking was identified. In addition, those who tested their homes had greater knowledge and did more information seeking. Health values and radon concern were only weakly related. Environmental concern explained the greatest variance in radon concern (10%). Internal health locus of controls were more likely to have high radon concern. Of the preventive health behaviors, not smoking and seat belt use were the best predictors of variance in radon concern (5%). Segmenting the population is suggested for best educational outcome. Relating information to environmental issues may be helpful. Health-conscious people may need awareness of risks. Issues of self-control and radon testing and reduction may be helpful for some. Synergy between smoke and radon, compounded by smokers lack of concern suggests targeting smokers for education efforts

  12. Considering environmental aspects of subsidies - sector study housing; Beruecksichtigung von Umweltgesichtspunkten bei Subventionen - Sektorstudie Wohnungsbau

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sprenger, R.U.; Triebswetter, U.; Behring, K.; Rave, T. [Ifo-Institut fuer Wirtschaftsforschung e.V., Muenchen (Germany)

    2003-06-01

    This study is linked to another study which took stock of German subsidy policy from an environmental point of view (Sprenger and Rave, 2003). However, subsidies are discussed with respect to sector-specific peculiarities of housing in this report. Due to the fact that the housing sector receives a considerable amount of subsidies on the one hand and influences the state of the environment on the other hand (especially due to land use, high energy and resource consumption, waste) this study aims to develop reform option for a subsidy policy which is committed to sustainable development. First of all the ecological impacts of housing and the subsidy intensity of the housing sector are examined more closely. Then we look at some goals of housing policy and contrast them with goals of environmental policy. Some of the subsidies are singled out to determine their potential environmental impact. For example, it can be shown that the home-owner support scheme (Eigenheimzulage) promotes new construction activites in the country side and contributes to urban sprawl. (Other negative environmental side effects occur in social housing schemes and due to tax subsidies). With respect to the home-owner support scheme we propose to lower the basic support (Grundzulage) in a multi-tier system and to introduce an ecological component. This component is based on criteria which can be administered easily (like kind of land used, amount of land designed for construction or housing, number of persons in household). Overall a policy package is proposed which contributes to a considerable reduction of CO{sub 2}-emissions and land use. (orig.)

  13. Are Ducted Mini-Splits Worth It?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Winkler, Jonathan M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Maguire, Jeffrey B [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Metzger, Cheryn E. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Zhang, Jason [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

    2018-02-01

    Ducted mini-split heat pumps are gaining popularity in some regions of the country due to their energy-efficient specifications and their ability to be hidden from sight. Although product and install costs are typically higher than the ductless mini-split heat pumps, this technology is well worth the premium for some homeowners who do not like to see an indoor unit in their living area. Due to the interest in this technology by local utilities and homeowners, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has funded the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop capabilities within the Building Energy Optimization (BEopt) tool to model ducted mini-split heat pumps. After the fundamental capabilities were added, energy-use results could be compared to other technologies that were already in BEopt, such as zonal electric resistance heat, central air source heat pumps, and ductless mini-split heat pumps. Each of these technologies was then compared using five prototype configurations in three different BPA heating zones to determine how the ducted mini-split technology would perform under different scenarios. The result of this project was a set of EnergyPlus models representing the various prototype configurations in each climate zone. Overall, the ducted mini-split heat pumps saved about 33-60% compared to zonal electric resistance heat (with window AC systems modeled in the summer). The results also showed that the ducted mini-split systems used about 4% more energy than the ductless mini-split systems, which saved about 37-64% compared to electric zonal heat (depending on the prototype and climate).

  14. Affordable Energy-Efficient New Housing Solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandra, Subrato; Widder, Sarah H.; Bartlett, Rosemarie; McIlvaine, Janet; Chasar, David; Beal, David; Sutherland, Karen; Abbott, , K.; Fonorow, Ken; Eklund, Ken; Lubliner, Michael; Salzberg, Emily; Peeks, B.; Hewes, T.; Kosar, D.

    2012-05-31

    Since 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America has sponsored research at PNNL to investigate cost-effective, energy-saving home-building technologies and to demonstrate how high-performance homes can deliver lower utility bills, increased comfort, and improved indoor air quality, while maintaining accessibility for low-income homeowners. PNNL and its contractors have been investigating 1) cost-effective whole-house solutions for Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) and specific HFH affiliates in hot-humid and marine climates; 2) cost-effective energy-efficiency improvements for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in new, stick-built and manufactured homes; and 3) energy-efficient domestic hot-water systems.

  15. Measure Guideline: Guide to Attic Air Sealing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lstiburek, Joseph [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this measure guideline is to provide information and recommendations for the preparation work necessary prior to adding attic insulation. Even though the purpose of this guide is to save energy, health, safety, and durability should not be compromised by energy efficiency. Accordingly, combustion safety and ventilation for indoor air quality are addressed first. Durability and attic ventilation then follow. Finally, to maximize energy savings, air sealing is completed prior to insulating. The guide is intended for home remodelers, builders, insulation contractors, mechanical contractors, general contractors who have previously done remodeling and homeowners as a guide to the work that needs to be done.

  16. City of Camden, New Jersey Program offering widespread energy recovery (power): Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Witkowski, Stanley [City of Camden, NJ (United States). Dept. of Development and Planning Bureau of Housing Services

    2013-12-31

    The Camden Residential POWER Program, Program Offering Widespread Energy Recovery, is a program designed to benefit Camden homeowners, stabilize neighborhoods and put local contractors to work. Camden POWER granted up to $18,600 to fund energy efficient home improvements and necessary life/safety rehabilitation repairs. The program was designed as a self-sustaining, neighborhood approach to bringing long-term energy and financial savings to the community. Valuable home upgrades were completed, including high-efficiency furnaces, hot water heaters, insulation, insulated roofs and blower door guided air-sealing. The goal of all improvements were to reduce energy consumption, lower utility bills, improve property values and promote neighborhood stabilization.

  17. 101 things to do to reduce energy in every home and business. [Advertising supplement to Newsday

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1977-01-01

    This advertising supplement to Newsday features the following articles: Three Levels of Conservation; Nassau and Energy; Suffolk and Conservation; Energy Conservation and Land Use Planning; The Energy Efficient Community Program; NYSERDA Promotes Energy Efficiency and Conservation; The New York State Energy Conservation Plan; Architecture and Energy Conservation; The Engineer's Role in Energy Conservation; Energy Management Programs; a Model Energy-Efficient Home; and Choosing a Contractor. A feature also is Homeowners Energy Check List: 101 Ways to Save Money by Saving Energy. This checklist is included separately with the news supplement also. Many advertisements provide information on where to obtain energy conservation equipment, specifically, solar energy systems equipment. (MCW)

  18. Small Wind Turbine Applications: Current Practice in Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, Jim

    1999-01-01

    Numerous small wind turbines are being used by homeowners in Colorado. Some of these installations are quite recent while others date back to the federal tax-credit era of the early 1980s. Through visits with small wind turbine owners in Colorado, I have developed case studies of six small wind energy applications focusing on the wind turbine technology, wind turbine siting, the power systems and electric loads, regulatory issues, and motivations about wind energy. These case studies offer a glimpse into the current state-of-the-art of small-scale wind energy and provide some insight into issues affecting development of a wider market

  19. Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 4; Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Mixed-Humid Climate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, M. C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Taylor, Z. T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bartlett, R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gilbride, T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hefty, M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Steward, H. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Love, P. M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Palmer, J. A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2005-09-01

    This best practices guide is part of a series produced by Building America. The guide book is a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the mixed-humid climate region. The savings are in comparison with the 1993 Model Energy Code. The guide contains chapters for every member of the builders team-from the manager to the site planner to the designers, site supervisors, the trades, and marketers. There is also a chapter for homeowners on how to use the book to provide help in selecting a new home or builder.

  20. Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 5; Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Marine Climate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, M. C.; Taylor, Z. T.; Bartlett, R.; Gilbride, T.; Hefty, M.; Steward, H.; Love, P. M.; Palmer, J. A.

    2006-10-01

    This best practices guide is part of a series produced by Building America. The guide book is a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the Marine climate region. The savings are in comparison with the 1993 Model Energy Code. The guide contains chapters for every member of the builder's team--from the manager to the site planner to the designers, site supervisors, the trades, and marketers. There is also a chapter for homeowners on how to use the book to provide help in selecting a new home or builder.

  1. Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holton, J.

    2012-02-01

    The Strategy Guideline: High Performance Residential Lighting has been developed to provide a tool for the understanding and application of high performance lighting in the home. The high performance lighting strategies featured in this guide are drawn from recent advances in commercial lighting for application to typical spaces found in residential buildings. This guide offers strategies to greatly reduce lighting energy use through the application of high quality fluorescent and light emitting diode (LED) technologies. It is important to note that these strategies not only save energy in the home but also serve to satisfy the homeowner's expectations for high quality lighting.

  2. The Integrated Renovation Process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galiotto, Nicolas

    and constructivist multiple criteria decision-making analysis method is selected for developing the work further. The method is introduced and applied to the renovation of a multi-residential historic building. Furthermore, a new scheme, the Integrated Renovation Process, is presented. Finally, the methodology...... is applied to two single-family homes. In practice, such a scheme allowed most informational barriers to sustainable home renovation to be overcome. The homeowners were better integrated and their preferences and immaterial values were better taken into account. They assimilated the multiple benefits...... to keep the decision making process economically viable and timely, the process still needs to be improved and new tools need to be developed....

  3. Energy conservation techniques as innovations, and their diffusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Darley, J M

    1978-04-01

    Many effective products, procedures, and techniques for achieving energy conservation have been discovered by researchers. This paper focuses on the conditions under which these procedures and techniques will be adopted voluntarily. It is suggested, first, that an economic incentive for the utilization of those energy-conserving techniques is not a sufficient condition for their adoption, and second, that a psychologically-based theory of the diffusion of innovation will identify the critical variables for promoting the adoption of energy-conserving products and techniques. Based on preliminary, small-scale observations of homeowners' reactions to a complex, time-controlled thermostat, the initial parameters of a diffusion theory for energy innovation are suggested.

  4. Turismo e degradação na orla do Rio Grande do Sul: conflitos e gerenciamento

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luana Carla Portz

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Economic, ecological and socio-cultural interests always come into conflict within the Sustainable Coastal Development. In order to ensure the sustainability and vitality of these three functions simultaneously, planning and management actions are necessary to reduce these conflicts. Coastal environment is of great importance for the tourism industry, so it is necessary to assure socio-cultural and ecological conservation as the only way to maintain economic development. The municipality of Xangri-lá, which has its economy focused on tourism, is starting dunes management activities and reorganizing the use and occupation of the beach. This paper aims to detail the current situation of the coast of Xangri-lá and the conflicts as a result of tourism in this area. The problems and conflicts were evaluated through field observations and morphodynamic controls (profile of the beach and vegetation. During this period itwas found that there is an aggravation of erosion on the dune system, caused by storms and a vegetation decrease. As a result, dunes decreased in size and width. Associated to this, the pressure of occupation and the lack of infrastructure related to tourism were the main problems found along the coast. Another problem is the dune system distortion caused by the trampling of native vegetation, exotic vegetation invasion, buildings, condominiums, gardens and kiosks. Furthermore, the users’ neglect about the importance of this environment has been leading to the accumulation of garbage. The immediate measures that should be taken to avoid harm to economic activities due to coast erosion and degradation are foredunes recovery, improving beach access and suitable locations for garbage.

  5. O QUE UM FILME PODE NOS ENSINAR? ESTUDO OBSERVACIONAL E ANÁLISE DO TEMA SUSTENTABILIDADE NO FILME “OS SEM FLORESTA”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabiana Pinto de Almeida Bizarria

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The filmic representations present in its core symbology capable of representing the dichotomous thinking that integrate society. This article aims to analyze the animated film “Over the Hedge”, with regard to sustainability, supporting the interaction between animals, which lost part of its forest habitat due to construction of a residential condominium; and humans, residents of this property. For the analysis, there was observational study supported the filmic language, a qualitative approach based on the concept of sustainability. An outcome of the analysis, it appears that on search for individual-environment harmony, sustainable development is presented as a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change can be in harmony when it reinforces the current and future potential to meet human needs and aspiration. For the future, it is suggested that the issue be discussed in a non common place, and a task not reached by that article. It is believed that environmental education can process the development of sustainable and not the reverse. An alternative route may be the evaluative construction that underlies the subjective actions on environmental issues discussed.

  6. Galvanic Liquid Applied Coating System For Protection of Embedded Steel Surfaces from Corrosion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curran, Joseph; Curran, Jerome; Voska, N. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is an insidious problem facing Kennedy Space Center (KSC), other Government Agencies, and the general public. These problems include KSC launch support structures, highway bridge infrastructure, and building structures such as condominium balconies. Due to these problems, the development of a Galvanic Liquid Applied Coating System would be a breakthrough technology having great commercial value for the following industries: Transportation, Infrastructure, Marine Infrastructure, Civil Engineering, and the Construction Industry. This sacrificial coating system consists of a paint matrix that may include metallic components, conducting agents, and moisture attractors. Similar systems have been used in the past with varying degrees of success. These systems have no proven history of effectiveness over the long term. In addition, these types of systems have had limited success overcoming the initial resistance between the concrete/coating interface. The coating developed at KSC incorporates methods proven to overcome the barriers that previous systems could not achieve. Successful development and continued optimization of this breakthrough system would produce great interest in NASA/KSC for corrosion engineering technology and problem solutions. Commercial patents on this technology would enhance KSC's ability to attract industry partners for similar corrosion control applications.

  7. THE RISKS OF SMOKING FILTERED AND NON-FILTERED CLOVE CIGARETTE ON THE PERIODONTAL DISEASE AMONG TANJONG PRIOK HARBOR WORKERS IN JAKARTA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anton Rahardjo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Most studies reported that tobacco negatively affect periodontal tissue, although some authors have failed to demonstrate such relationship. Those studies were done mostly with subjects smoking white cigarette. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between periodontal disease and type of kretek smokers and the risk between filtered and non-filtered smokers on the periodontal diseases. Smokers subjects were 227 healthy man smokers aged 20 – 27 years, who lived in the condominium of Cilinicing. Cross sectional study was designed using questionnaire. A pressure-controlled periodontal probe for assessing the Plaque Index (PI, Bleeding on Probing (BOP, Probing Attachment Level (PAL and Pocket Depth (PD for each tooth (6 sites per tooth except the third molar. The periodontal disease was defined as PAL > 6mm. The results showed that there was no significant differences between filtered smoking and non-filtered smoking with clove cigarette on the periodontal disease measured by BOP (p=0.265. The Prevalence Ration of the clove cigarette and periodontal disease was 1.28 (95% CI, which means that smoking clove cigarette with or without filtered bith have risk to periodontal disease.

  8. Energy saving type area hot water supply system using heat of hot waste water from the sludge center as hot source for hot water; New energy rokko airando CITY. Surajjisenta karano onhaisuinetsu wo kyuyuyo netsugen ni riyosuru sho energy gata chiiki onsui kyokyu system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-01-01

    Heat source of area hot water supply system in Rokko island City (man-made island) is heat of combustion at the sludge center (sludge incineration plant) in this island. Dehydrated sludge cakes (230ton/day) brought from seven sewage disposal plants in Kobe City is combusted (850degC) in the fluid bed hearth. Combustion gas washed in the scrubber, hot waste water after the washing give heat into heat transfer water in the first heat exchanger. Temperature being 64degC in summer and about 50degC in winter, this heat transfer water is sent into the second heat exchanger at every condominium building throughout the pipe line system circulating in the area. At each home, gas heater and hot water supply devices fitted, additional combustion is not necessary in summer but is used according to demand in other seasons. This hot water supply service has been carried out since 1988 and at present has been used by 3600 homes. Amount of supplying hot water being about 3000cu.m/day, saving is calculated roughly as 60% of gas for hot water supply. Fee for this system is 1500/yen/month uniformly for each home. 14 figs.

  9. Residential exposure from extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parthasarathy, Shamesh Raj; Tukimin, Roha

    2018-01-01

    ELF EMF radiation have received considerable attention as a potential threat to the safety and health of people living in the vicinity of high voltage transmission lines, electric distribution substations, power stations and even in close proximity to electronics and electrical household appliances. The paper highlights the study on the ELF EMF safety assessment performed at residences comprising of an owner-occupied house, a completed vacant house and an under construction condominium. The objectives of this study were to determine the ELF EMF radiation exposure level from the high voltage transmission line, electric distribution substation, power station and electrical household appliances in the residences, and to assess the potential exposure received by the occupants at the assessed locations. The results were logged in the electric and magnetic field strength with the units of volt per meter (V/m) and miliGauss (mG) respectively. The instrument setup and measurement protocols during the assessment were adopted from standard measurement method and procedures stipulated under the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard. The results were compared with the standards recommended in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines.

  10. Solar envelope concepts: moderate density building applications. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knowles, R.L.; Berry, R.D.

    1980-04-01

    Solar energy utilization in urban areas requires public guarantees that all property owners have direct access to the sun. The study examines the implications of this premise in relation to the need for cities to also encourage or accommodate rebuilding and future development. The public policy mechanism for guaranteeing solar access is conceptualized as a solar zoning envelope that allows the largest possible building bulk on a land parcel without shadowing neighboring properties during specified times. Step-by-step methods for generating solar envelopes are described with extensive drawings, showing a variety of urban platting and lot configurations. Development and design possibilities are examined on a selected set of Los Angeles sites with typically diverse urban characteristics. Envelope attributes suitable for encouraging moderate-density commercial and residential building are examined in the context of two hypothetical but realistic development programs: one for speculative office buildings and one for condominium housing. Numerous illustrations of envelope forms and prototypical building designs are provided. The results of development simulation studies on all test sites are tabulated to show building bulk, density, land-coverage and open space characteristics obtainable under the hypothesized envelopes.

  11. 76 FR 12127 - Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program: Announcement of Activation of Program and Availability of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-04

    ... are not limited to: Developing and disseminating program marketing materials; Providing an overview of... sale, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, or traditional sale of home. B. Intermediary to Perform Funds... modification, short sale, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, or traditional sale of home. 2. Repayment of Emergency...

  12. The homeowner view of thinning methods for fire hazard reduction: more positive than many think

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarah McCaffrey

    2008-01-01

    With the focus of the National Fire Plan on decreasing fire risk in the wildland-urban interface, fire managers are increasingly tasked with reducing the fuel load in areas where mixed public and private ownership and a growing number of homes can make most fuel reduction methods problematic at best. In many of these intermix areas, use of prescribed burning will be...

  13. 75 FR 25284 - Tracking the Use of CDBG Homeowners and Small Landlords Disaster Assistance Grants

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-07

    ... affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) and identify the most important... affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) and identify the most important... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5376-N-32] Tracking the Use of CDBG...

  14. Valuing the Potential Benefits of Water Quality Improvements in Watersheds Affected by Non-Point Source Pollution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Alvarez

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Nonpoint source (NPS pollution has been identified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA as “the nation’s largest water quality problem”. Urban development, septic systems, and agricultural operations have been identified as the major sources of diffuse pollution in surface and ground water bodies. In recent decades, urban and agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP have been developed in several states to address agricultural water quality and water use impacts, including the reduction of nutrient loads to help meet water quality standards. Compliance with BMPs is associated with some costs to local governments, homeowners, and agricultural operations, but the improvements in water quality associated with BMP adoption are expected to yield significant benefits to society in the form of improved recreational opportunities, navigation, flood control, and ecosystem health. The development of sound policies and decision making processes require balancing the costs of BMP adoption to the agricultural operations with the social benefits to be derived from the improved water quality. In this paper we develop a benefits transfer model to provide estimates of the economic benefits of properly implemented and effective Best Management Practices (BMP throughout the state of Florida. These benefit estimates can be used in a cost-benefit framework to determine the optimal level of BMP adoption throughout the state of Florida and provide a framework for other regions to estimate the potential benefits of BMP-mediated water quality improvements.

  15. A Neighborhood-Scale Green Infrastructure Retrofit: Experimental Results, Model Simulations, and Resident Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jefferson, A.; Avellaneda, P. M.; Jarden, K. M.; Turner, V. K.; Grieser, J.

    2016-12-01

    Distributed green infrastructure approaches to stormwater management that can be retrofit into existing development are of growing interest, but questions remain about their effectiveness at the watershed-scale. In suburban northeastern Ohio, homeowners on a residential street with 55% impervious surface were given the opportunity for free rain barrels, rain gardens, and bioretention cells. Of 163 parcels, only 22 owners (13.5%) chose to participate, despite intense outreach efforts. After pre-treatment monitoring, 37 rain barrels, 7 rain gardens, and 16 street-side bioretention cells were installed in 2013-2014. Using a paired watershed approach, a reduction in up to 33% of peak flow and 40% of total runoff volume per storm was measured in the storm sewer. Using the monitoring data, a calibrated and validated SWMM model was built to explore the long-term effectiveness of the green infrastructure against a wider range of hydrological conditions. Model results confirm the effectiveness of green infrastructure in reducing surface runoff and increasing infiltration and evaporation. Based on 20 years of historical precipitation data, the model shows that the green infrastructure is capable of reducing flows by >40% at the 1, 2, and 5 year return period, suggesting some resilience to projected increases in precipitation intensity in a changing climate. Further, in this project, more benefit is derived from the street-side bioretention cells than from the rain barrels and gardens that treat rooftop runoff. Substantial hydrological gains were achieved despite low homeowner participation. Surveys indicate that many residents viewed stormwater as the city's problem and had negative perceptions of green infrastructure, despite slightly pro-environment values generally. Overall, this study demonstrates green infrastructure's hydrological effectiveness but raises challenging questions about overcoming social barriers retrofits at the neighborhood scale.

  16. EnergyFit Nevada (formerly known as the Nevada Retrofit Initiative) final report and technical evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carvill, Anna; Bushman, Kate; Ellsworth, Amy

    2014-06-17

    The EnergyFit Nevada (EFN) Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (BBNP, and referred to in this document as the EFN program) currently encourages Nevada residents to make whole-house energy-efficient improvements by providing rebates, financing, and access to a network of qualified home improvement contractors. The BBNP funding, consisting of 34 Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) and seven State Energy Program (SEP) grants, was awarded for a three-year period to the State of Nevada in 2010 and used for initial program design and implementation. By the end of first quarter in 2014, the program had achieved upgrades in 553 homes, with an average energy reduction of 32% per home. Other achievements included: Completed 893 residential energy audits and installed upgrades in 0.05% of all Nevada single-family homes1 Achieved an overall conversation rate of 38.1%2 7,089,089 kWh of modeled energy savings3 Total annual homeowner energy savings of approximately $525,7523 Efficiency upgrades completed on 1,100,484 square feet of homes3 $139,992 granted in loans to homeowners for energy-efficiency upgrades 29,285 hours of labor and $3,864,272 worth of work conducted by Nevada auditors and contractors4 40 contractors trained in Nevada 37 contractors with Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification in Nevada 19 contractors actively participating in the EFN program in Nevada 1 Calculated using 2012 U.S. Census data reporting 1,182,870 homes in Nevada. 2 Conversion rate through March 31, 2014, for all Nevada Retrofit Initiative (NRI)-funded projects, calculated using the EFN tracking database. 3 OptiMiser energy modeling, based on current utility rates. 4 This is the sum of $3,596,561 in retrofit invoice value and $247,711 in audit invoice value.

  17. Community-based control of the brown dog tick in a region with high rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 2012-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drexler, Naomi; Miller, Mark; Gerding, Justin; Todd, Suzanne; Adams, Laura; Dahlgren, F Scott; Bryant, Nelva; Weis, Erica; Herrick, Kristen; Francies, Jessica; Komatsu, Kenneth; Piontkowski, Stephen; Velascosoltero, Jose; Shelhamer, Timothy; Hamilton, Brian; Eribes, Carmen; Brock, Anita; Sneezy, Patsy; Goseyun, Cye; Bendle, Harty; Hovet, Regina; Williams, Velda; Massung, Robert; McQuiston, Jennifer H

    2014-01-01

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) has emerged as a significant public health risk on American Indian reservations in eastern Arizona. During 2003-2012, more than 250 RMSF cases and 19 deaths were documented among Arizona's American Indian population. The high case fatality rate makes community-level interventions aimed at rapid and sustained reduction of ticks urgent. Beginning in 2012, a two year pilot integrated tick prevention campaign called the RMSF Rodeo was launched in a ∼ 600-home tribal community with high rates of RMSF. During year one, long-acting tick collars were placed on all dogs in the community, environmental acaricides were applied to yards monthly, and animal care practices such as spay and neuter and proper tethering procedures were encouraged. Tick levels, indicated by visible inspection of dogs, tick traps and homeowner reports were used to monitor tick presence and evaluate the efficacy of interventions throughout the project. By the end of year one, <1% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community had visible tick infestations five months after the project was started, compared to 64% of dogs in Non-Rodeo communities, and environmental tick levels were reduced below detectable levels. The second year of the project focused on use of the long-acting collar alone and achieved sustained tick control with fewer than 3% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community with visible tick infestations by the end of the second year. Homeowner reports of tick activity in the domestic and peridomestic setting showed similar decreases in tick activity compared to the non-project communities. Expansion of this successful project to other areas with Rhipicephalus-transmitted RMSF has the potential to reduce brown dog tick infestations and save human lives.

  18. Community-based control of the brown dog tick in a region with high rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 2012-2013.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naomi Drexler

    Full Text Available Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato has emerged as a significant public health risk on American Indian reservations in eastern Arizona. During 2003-2012, more than 250 RMSF cases and 19 deaths were documented among Arizona's American Indian population. The high case fatality rate makes community-level interventions aimed at rapid and sustained reduction of ticks urgent. Beginning in 2012, a two year pilot integrated tick prevention campaign called the RMSF Rodeo was launched in a ∼ 600-home tribal community with high rates of RMSF. During year one, long-acting tick collars were placed on all dogs in the community, environmental acaricides were applied to yards monthly, and animal care practices such as spay and neuter and proper tethering procedures were encouraged. Tick levels, indicated by visible inspection of dogs, tick traps and homeowner reports were used to monitor tick presence and evaluate the efficacy of interventions throughout the project. By the end of year one, <1% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community had visible tick infestations five months after the project was started, compared to 64% of dogs in Non-Rodeo communities, and environmental tick levels were reduced below detectable levels. The second year of the project focused on use of the long-acting collar alone and achieved sustained tick control with fewer than 3% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community with visible tick infestations by the end of the second year. Homeowner reports of tick activity in the domestic and peridomestic setting showed similar decreases in tick activity compared to the non-project communities. Expansion of this successful project to other areas with Rhipicephalus-transmitted RMSF has the potential to reduce brown dog tick infestations and save human lives.

  19. Community-Based Control of the Brown Dog Tick in a Region with High Rates of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, 2012–2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drexler, Naomi; Miller, Mark; Gerding, Justin; Todd, Suzanne; Adams, Laura; Dahlgren, F. Scott; Bryant, Nelva; Weis, Erica; Herrick, Kristen; Francies, Jessica; Komatsu, Kenneth; Piontkowski, Stephen; Velascosoltero, Jose; Shelhamer, Timothy; Hamilton, Brian; Eribes, Carmen; Brock, Anita; Sneezy, Patsy; Goseyun, Cye; Bendle, Harty; Hovet, Regina; Williams, Velda; Massung, Robert; McQuiston, Jennifer H.

    2014-01-01

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) has emerged as a significant public health risk on American Indian reservations in eastern Arizona. During 2003–2012, more than 250 RMSF cases and 19 deaths were documented among Arizona's American Indian population. The high case fatality rate makes community-level interventions aimed at rapid and sustained reduction of ticks urgent. Beginning in 2012, a two year pilot integrated tick prevention campaign called the RMSF Rodeo was launched in a ∼600-home tribal community with high rates of RMSF. During year one, long-acting tick collars were placed on all dogs in the community, environmental acaricides were applied to yards monthly, and animal care practices such as spay and neuter and proper tethering procedures were encouraged. Tick levels, indicated by visible inspection of dogs, tick traps and homeowner reports were used to monitor tick presence and evaluate the efficacy of interventions throughout the project. By the end of year one, <1% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community had visible tick infestations five months after the project was started, compared to 64% of dogs in Non-Rodeo communities, and environmental tick levels were reduced below detectable levels. The second year of the project focused on use of the long-acting collar alone and achieved sustained tick control with fewer than 3% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community with visible tick infestations by the end of the second year. Homeowner reports of tick activity in the domestic and peridomestic setting showed similar decreases in tick activity compared to the non-project communities. Expansion of this successful project to other areas with Rhipicephalus-transmitted RMSF has the potential to reduce brown dog tick infestations and save human lives. PMID:25479289

  20. Integrating the Public in Mosquito Management: Active Education by Community Peers Can Lead to Significant Reduction in Peridomestic Container Mosquito Habitats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Healy, Kristen; Hamilton, George; Crepeau, Taryn; Healy, Sean; Unlu, Isik; Farajollahi, Ary; Fonseca, Dina M.

    2014-01-01

    Mosquito species that utilize peridomestic containers for immature development are commonly aggressive human biters, and because they often reach high abundance, create significant nuisance. One of these species, the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, is an important vector of emerging infectious diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika fevers. Integrated mosquito management (IMM) of Ae. albopictus is particularly difficult because it requires access to private yards in urban and suburban residences. It has become apparent that in the event of a public health concern due to this species, homeowners will have to be active participants in the control process by reducing mosquito habitats in their properties, an activity known as source reduction. However, limited attempts at quantifying the effect of source reduction by homeowners have had mixed results. Of note, many mosquito control programs in the US have some form of education outreach, however the primary approach is often passive focusing on the distribution of education materials as flyers. In 2010, we evaluated the use of active community peer education in a source reduction program, using AmeriCorps volunteers. The volunteers were mobilized over a 4-week period, in two areas with approximately 1,000 residences each in urban Mercer and suburban Monmouth counties in New Jersey, USA. The volunteers were first provided training on peridomestic mosquitoes and on basic approaches to reducing the number of container habitats for mosquito larvae in backyards. Within the two treatment areas the volunteers successfully engaged 758 separate homes. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant reduction in container habitats in the sites where the volunteers actively engaged the community compared to untreated control areas in both counties. Our results suggest that active education using community peer educators can be an effective means of source reduction, and a critical tool in the arsenal

  1. WILDFIRE IGNITION RESISTANCE ESTIMATOR WIZARD SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT REPORT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Phillips, M.; Robinson, C.; Gupta, N.; Werth, D.

    2012-10-10

    This report describes the development of a software tool, entitled “WildFire Ignition Resistance Estimator Wizard” (WildFIRE Wizard, Version 2.10). This software was developed within the Wildfire Ignition Resistant Home Design (WIRHD) program, sponsored by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Infrastructure Protection & Disaster Management Division. WildFIRE Wizard is a tool that enables homeowners to take preventive actions that will reduce their home’s vulnerability to wildfire ignition sources (i.e., embers, radiant heat, and direct flame impingement) well in advance of a wildfire event. This report describes the development of the software, its operation, its technical basis and calculations, and steps taken to verify its performance.

  2. Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 3; Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in Cold and Very Cold Climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2005-08-01

    This best practices guide is part of a series produced by Building America. The guide book is a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the cold and very cold climates. The savings are in comparison with the 1993 Model Energy Code. The guide contains chapters for every member of the builder's team-from the manager to the site planner to the designers, site supervisors, the trades, and marketers. There is also a chapter for homeowners on how to use the book to provide help in selecting a new home or builder.

  3. Communicating radon risk effectively: Radon testing in Maryland. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desvousges, W.H.; Smith, V.K.; Rink, H.H.

    1988-10-01

    Two sets of materials and corresponding delivery strategies for communicating radon risk were evaluated, compared with a 'no-special-treatment' strategy in a comparison community. One community received radio public-service announcements and utility bill inserts. The second received these plus posters, local government sponsorship of a radon awareness week, and local slide presentations. The most-intensive efforts (multiple channels, multiple hits) were more effective than the less intensive effort, which had little impact compared with no special treatment. From a marketing perspective, the effort was very successful, increasing the share of homeowners who tested for radon from 5% to 15%. This may not be viewed as sufficiently effective from a public-health perspective, however

  4. Human disease from radon exposures: the impact of energy conservation in buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budnitz, R.J.; Berk, J.V.; Hollowell, C.D.; Nazaroff, W.W.; Nero, A.V.; Rosenfeld, A.H.

    1978-01-01

    The level of radon and its daughters inside conventional buildings is often higher than the ambient background level. Interest in conserving energy is motivating home-owners and builders to reduce the rate of infiltration of fresh air into homes, and hence to increase the concentration of indoor air contaminants, including radon. It is unlikely, but possible, that the present radiation levels from radon daughters account for much of the lung cancer rate in non-smokers. In any event, it is likely that some increased lung cancer risk would result from increased radon exposures; hence, it is desirable not to allow radon concentrations to rise significantly. There are several ways to circumvent the increased risk without compromising energy conservation considerations

  5. Full-service concept for energy efficient renovation of single-family houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vanhoutteghem, Lies; Tommerup, Henrik M.; Svendsen, Svend

    2011-01-01

    the solutions. Such one-stop-shops in the form of full-service providers of energy efficient renovation of single-family house are missing in the Nordic countries, although this service is vital to open up the market. As part of the Nordic research project `SuccesFamilies´ with the purpose to change...... houses. A one-stop-shop in the form of a full-service concept could be seen as a possibility to make it easy for the homeowner to comply with possible future requirements to realize far-reaching energy savings in connection with extensive renovations, provided that the building sector offers...... includes an ideal full-service concept and technical renovation solutions targeted to different types of single-family houses....

  6. Collaboration opportunities in advanced housing renovation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mlecnik, Erwin; Kondratenko, Irena; Cré, Johan

    2012-01-01

    demand for integrated renovations has to be stimulated. A research and networking methodology was developed within the framework of the One Stop Shop project to identify and develop collaboration opportunities for advanced housing renovation in Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Norway. The research...... identified key supply-side needs through interviews and questionnaires, and analysed important elements for the development of a web-based portal that can connect supply and demand. The project further developed ideas and methods for collaboration and business model generation between different players...... on the renovation market. These different research results contributed to defining new business opportunities related to process innovation to unburden the homeowner and to achieve less fragmented renovation processes...

  7. Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 2. Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Hot-Dry and Mixed-Dry Climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baechler, M. C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Taylor, Z. T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bartlett, R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gilbride, T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hefty, M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Love, P. M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2005-09-01

    This best practices guide is part of a series produced by Building America. The guidebook is a resource to help builders large and small build high-quality, energy-efficient homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climates. The savings are in comparison with the 1993 Model Energy Code. The guide contains chapters for every member of the builder's team—from the manager to the site planner to the designers, site supervisors, the trades, and marketers. There is also a chapter for homeowners on how to use the book to provide help in selecting a new home or builder.

  8. Measure Guideline: Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carmody, J.; Haglund, K.

    2012-11-01

    This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all US climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The document also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well. This document is for builders, homeowners, designers and anyone making decisions about selecting energy efficient window. It is intended to complement other Building America information and efforts.

  9. Energy consumption feedback in perspective. Integrating Australian data to meta-analyses on in-home displays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McKerracher, C. [Bloomberg New Energy Finance, City Gate House, 39-45 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1PQ (United Kingdom); Torriti, J. [School of Construction Management and Engineering, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 219, Reading, RG6 6AY (United Kingdom)

    2013-05-15

    Providing homeowners with real-time feedback on their electricity consumption through a dedicated display device has been shown to reduce consumption by approximately 6-10 %. However, recent advances in smart grid technology have enabled larger sample sizes and more representative sample selection and recruitment methods for display trials. By analyzing these factors using data from current studies, this paper argues that a realistic, large-scale conservation effect from feedback is in the range of 3-5 %. Subsequent analysis shows that providing real-time feedback may not be a cost effective strategy for reducing carbon emissions in Australia, but that it may enable additional benefits such as customer retention and peak-load shift.

  10. Characterizing Urban Household Waste Generation and Metabolism Considering Community Stratification in a Rapid Urbanizing Area of China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lishan Xiao

    Full Text Available The relationship between social stratification and municipal solid waste generation remains uncertain under current rapid urbanization. Based on a multi-object spatial sampling technique, we selected 191 households in a rapidly urbanizing area of Xiamen, China. The selected communities were classified into three types: work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities in the context of housing policy reform in China. Field survey data were used to characterize household waste generation patterns considering community stratification. Our results revealed a disparity in waste generation profiles among different households. The three community types differed with respect to family income, living area, religious affiliation, and homeowner occupation. Income, family structure, and lifestyle caused significant differences in waste generation among work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities, respectively. Urban waste generation patterns are expected to evolve due to accelerating urbanization and associated community transition. A multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach was applied to waste metabolism linking it to particular socioeconomic conditions that influence material flows and their evolution. Waste metabolism, both pace and density, was highest for family structure driven patterns, followed by lifestyle and income driven. The results will guide community-specific management policies in rapidly urbanizing areas.

  11. Proceedings of the CanSIA solar conference 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) promotes activities directed at improving and accelerating the widespread use of solar energy in Canada. It works to strengthen the Canadian solar industry by ensuring that governments in Canada understand the contribution that a viable solar equipment industrial base can make to Canada's industrial and social development. CanSIA helps its members in the development of product standards and building codes for the solar equipment industry, with special emphasis of safety, performance, and economic impact. The first session of the conference discussed the legal, financial and technical issues involved in capturing and capitalizing on the carbon emission reduction potential of solar projects. The second session addressed community buying issues with particular reference to matching homeowner and industry interests. Some presentations highlighted the research programs underway at universities and companies across Canada to identify the latest, most advanced and efficient technology that offers energy solutions. The barriers that the solar industry faces as it tries to deploy solar energy were also reviewed along with possible ways to overcome these barriers in ways that suit governments and local communities. The conference featured 20 presentations, of which 3 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. tabs., figs

  12. Urban-wildland fires: how California and other regions of the US can learn from Australia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephens, Scott L; Moritz, Max A; Adams, Mark A; Handmer, John; Kearns, Faith R; Leicester, Bob; Leonard, Justin

    2009-01-01

    Most urban-wildland interface (UWI) fires in California and the other regions of the US are managed in a similar fashion: fire agencies anticipate the spread of fire, mandatory evacuations are ordered, and professional fire services move in and attempt to suppress the fires. This approach has not reduced building losses in California. Conversely, losses and the associated suite of environmental impacts, including reduced air quality, have dramatically increased over the last three decades. In contrast to California, Australia has developed a more effective 'Prepare, stay and defend, or leave early' policy. Using this approach, trained residents decide whether they will stay and actively defend their well-prepared property or leave early before a fire threatens them. Australian strategies have the distinct advantage of engaging and preparing those most affected by such fires: homeowners. Investing more in fire suppression alone, the common response after large UWI fires in California, will not reduce losses. US society has attempted to accommodate many of the natural hazards inherent to the landscapes that we inhabit; by examining the Australian model, we may approach a more sustainable coexistence with fire as well. However, it should be noted that some California communities are so vulnerable that a 'Prepare and leave early' strategy may be the only option.

  13. Focus group discussions among owners and non-owners of ground source heat pumps

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roberson, B.F.

    1988-07-01

    This research was sponsored by the Office of Buildings and Community Systems and conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory as part of an ongoing effort to enhance the commercial use of federally developed technology. Federal dollars have supported research on the development of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) for several years. Though several companies currently sell GSHP's for residential use, their share of the total heating and air conditioning business remains less than one percent. Large manufacturing companies with national distribution have not yet added GSHP equipment to their product line. GSHP's use only about one half (Braud 1987) to one third (Bose 1987) of the energy needed to operate conventional furnaces and air conditioners. Consequently, a high level of market penetration by the GSHP offers direct benefits to both utility companies and individual users of the systems. Widespread use of these highly efficient systems will reduce both total energy consupmtion, and problems associated with high levels of energy use during peak periods. This will allow utility companies to delay capital expenditures for new facilities to meet the growing energy demand during peak periods. The cost effective use of electricity also reduces the likelihood of homeowners switching to a different fuel source for heating. 5 refs.

  14. Housing and Quality of Life for Migrant Communities in Western Europe: A Capabilities Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dermot Coates

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Housing is an important determinant of quality of life and migrants are more likely to encounter poor quality housing than natives. This paper draws on the capabilities approach to welfare economics to examine how issues of housing and neighborhood conditions influence quality of life and opportunities for migrants in Western Europe. The analysis utilizes data from the second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS to explore variation in life and housing satisfaction between migrants and non-migrants (natives in Western Europe and whether being a migrant and living in an ethnically diverse neighborhood contribute to lower satisfaction. The results show that migrants are more likely to experience lower levels of life and housing satisfaction and that living in a diverse neighborhood is negatively associated with life and housing satisfaction. While diverse, inner-city neighborhoods can increase opportunities for labor market access, social services and integration, the tendency towards clustered settlement by migrants can also compound housing inequality. Conversely, migrant homeowners are on average substantially more satisfied with the quality of public services and of their neighborhood and have lower material deprivation than both migrant and non-migrant renters. The findings draw attention to the need to address housing and neighborhood conditions in order to improve opportunities for integration and well-being. 

  15. System solution to improve energy efficiency of HVAC systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chretien, L.; Becerra, R.; Salts, N. P.; Groll, E. A.

    2017-08-01

    According to recent surveys, heating and air conditioning systems account for over 45% of the total energy usage in US households. Three main types of HVAC systems are available to homeowners: (1) fixed-speed systems, where the compressor cycles on and off to match the cooling load; (2) multi-speed (typically, two-speed) systems, where the compressor can operate at multiple cooling capacities, leading to reduced cycling; and (3) variable-speed systems, where the compressor speed is adjusted to match the cooling load of the household, thereby providing higher efficiency and comfort levels through better temperature and humidity control. While energy consumption could reduce significantly by adopting variable-speed compressor systems, the market penetration has been limited to less than 10% of the total HVAC units and a vast majority of systems installed in new construction remains single speed. A few reasons may explain this phenomenon such as the complexity of the electronic circuitry required to vary compressor speed as well as the associated system cost. This paper outlines a system solution to boost the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of a traditional single-speed unit through using a low power electronic converter that allows the compressor to operate at multiple low capacity settings and is disabled at high compressor speeds.

  16. Occurrence of geogenic contaminants in private wells from a crystalline bedrock aquifer in western Quebec, Canada: Geochemical sources and health risks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bondu, Raphaël; Cloutier, Vincent; Rosa, Eric

    2018-04-01

    Nineteen private wells were investigated in order to evaluate the groundwater quality and the issues associated with well water use in a fractured metasedimentary aquifer of the Canadian Shield, in western Quebec (Canada). Groundwater sampling and analysis reveal that the quality of well water is both a potential aesthetic and health concern for the residents. Aesthetic problems are mainly related to the high levels of hardness and dissolved iron and manganese. Potential health risks are associated with the occurrence of brackish groundwater, high manganese concentrations, and arsenic concentrations exceeding the Canadian guideline value of 10 μg/l. Brackish groundwater is suspected to be derived from the mixing of fresh groundwaters with deep calcium-sodium-chloride brines of the Canadian Shield. The occurrences of iron, manganese and arsenic, primarily derived from the natural weathering of bedrock, are highly dependent on the geochemical conditions in groundwater, particularly the redox potential. Arsenic occurs mainly as arsenite (As(III)) and is thought to be released by the dissolution of iron and manganese oxyhydroxides under reducing conditions. Information obtained from well owners indicates that most households use ion exchange water softeners to minimize aesthetic problems of excessive hardness and dissolved iron and manganese concentrations. Homeowners generally take protective measures to reduce their exposure to arsenic when they are aware of the contamination. The exposure to arsenic and manganese may pose health risks for residents that do not take protective measures. The quality of well water is of paramount importance for human health in rural areas. Information on the contaminant sources and individual mitigation measures is essential to assess the health risks associated with groundwater consumption and to ensure the protection of public health.

  17. Spatial and simultaneous seroepidemiology of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in dog owners and their dogs from randomly selected households in a major city of southern Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benitez, Aline do Nascimento; Martins, Felippe Danyel Cardoso; Mareze, Marcelle; Nino, Beatriz de Souza Lima; Caldart, Eloiza Teles; Ferreira, Fernanda Pinto; Mitsuka-Breganó, Regina; Freire, Roberta Lemos; Galhardo, Juliana Arena; Martins, Camila Marinelli; Biondo, Alexander Welker; Navarro, Italmar Teodorico

    2018-06-01

    Although leishmaniasis has been described as a classic example of a zoonosis requiring a comprehensive approach for control, to date, no study has been conducted on the spatial distribution of simultaneous Leishmania spp. seroprevalence in dog owners and dogs from randomly selected households in urban settings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to simultaneously identify the seroprevalence, spatial distribution and associated factors of infection with Leishmania spp. in dog owners and their dogs in the city of Londrina, a county seat in southern Brazil with a population of half a million people and ranked 18th in population and 145th in the human development index (HDI) out of 5570 Brazilian cities. Overall, 564 households were surveyed and included 597 homeowners and their 729 dogs. Anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies were detected by ELISA in 9/597 (1.50%) dog owners and in 32/729 (4.38%) dogs, with significantly higher prevalence (p = 0.0042) in dogs. Spatial analysis revealed associations between seropositive dogs and households located up to 500 m from the local railway. No clusters were found for either owner or dog case distributions. In summary, the seroepidemiological and spatial results collectively show a lack of association of the factors for infection, and the results demonstrated higher exposure for dogs than their owners. However, railway areas may provide favorable conditions for the maintenance of infected phlebotomines, thereby causing infection in nearby domiciled dogs. In such an urban scenario, local sanitary barriers should be focused on the terrestrial routes of people and surrounding areas, particularly railways, via continuous vector surveillance and identification of phlebotomines infected by Leishmania spp. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Measuring effects of climate change and energy efficiency regulations in U.S. households

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koirala, Bishwa Shakha

    The first chapter explains the human causes of climate change and its costs, which is estimated to be about 3.6% of GDP by the end of 21 st century (NRDC, 2008). The second chapter investigates how projected July temperatures will increase the demand for electricity in the U.S. by 0.8%, while projected January temperatures will decrease the demand for natural gas and heating oil by 1% and 2.3%, respectively. This chapter further examines effects of the energy-efficiency building codes: IECC 2003 and IECC 2006 in the U.S. in reducing the energy consumption in the U.S. households. This study finds that these state-level building codes are effective in reducing energy demand. Adoption of these codes reduces the electricity demand by 1.8%, natural gas by 1.3% and heating oil by 2.8%. A total of about 7.54 MMT per year emission reduction of CO2 is possible from the residential sector by applying such energy-efficiency building codes. This chapter further estimates an average of 1,342 kWh/Month of electricity consumption, 3,429 CFt/Month of natural gas consumption and 277 Gallon/Year of heating oil consumption per household. It also indentifies the existence of state heterogeneity that affects household level energy demand, and finds that assumption of independence of error term is violated. Chapter 3 estimates the implicit prices of climate in dollar by analyzing the hedonic rent and wage models for homeowners and apartment renters. The estimated results show that January temperature is a disamenity for which both homeowners and renters are being compensated (negative marginal willingness to pay) through U.S. by 16 and 25 at the 2004 price level per month, respectively. It also finds that the January temperature is productive, whereas the July temperatures and annual precipitation are amenities and less productive. This study suggests that households would be willing to pay for higher temperature and increased precipitation; the estimated threshold point for July

  19. 75 FR 1685 - HOPE for Homeowners Program; Statutory Transfer of Program Authority to HUD and Conforming...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-12

    ... 90 percent, excluding the upfront premium, may not exceed 31 percent of the mortgagor's monthly gross... regulations for the program are codified in a chapter of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) reserved for... Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Reserve Board. The Board will continue...

  20. Perceptional and socio-economic factors in adoption of low energy houses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden Univ., Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-07-01

    Diffusion of low energy houses reduces greenhouse emission from residential sector. However, adoption of such houses depends on the perception of the potential buyers. In this paper we have analyzed Swedish homeowners' perception of low energy houses. Data was collected in 2008 from a mail-in questionnaire survey of about 3000 owners of detached houses. Results showed that about 39% of respondents, especially young, educated or whose household income was high, would consider buying a low energy house. Majority of the respondents agreed that a low energy house in comparison to a conventional house has lower operating energy cost, but higher investment cost. Majority thought that low energy houses do not have lower resale value, lower aesthetic appearance, or greater operational difficulty

  1. Social marketing and the reduction of indoor radon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bierma, T.J.; Swartzman, D.

    1990-01-01

    Indoor radon monitoring and mitigation has apparently been conducted by only a small percentage of private homeowners despite extensive media coverage of the radon issue and public information programs at the federal, state, and local levels. Whether public education programs should be informative or persuasive is an ethical decision. Arguments on each side of the issue are presented. A framework for the development of a persuasive campaign is then presented, suing the concepts of social marketing and the limited empirical evidence available on radon-related behavior. In this paper a four-step process is proposed: identify problem dimensions using focus groups and other methods, confirm dimension for market segmentation using probability samples and factor analysis, implement program and evaluate and revise

  2. Community-Scale Attic Retrofit and Home Energy Upgrade Data Mining

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berman, M. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States); Smith, P. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States); Jackson, J. [Alliance for Residential Building Innovation, Davis, CA (United States)

    2015-05-01

    Residential retrofit is an essential element of any comprehensive strategy for improving residential energy efficiency, yet remains a challenging proposition to sell to homeowners due to low levels of awareness and lack of financial incentive. The Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) implemented a project to increase residential retrofits in Davis, CA called Retrofit Your Attic developed and appropriate data sets were uploaded to the Building America Field Data Repository (BAFDR). Two key conclusions are a broad based public awareness campaign is needed to increase understanding of the makeup and benefits of residential retrofits and a dramatic shift is needed so that efficient homes are appraised and valued at higher levels. The SAVE Act, proposed bipartisan federal legislation [S.1106], offers one way to accomplish this.

  3. Radon reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, M.A.

    1990-01-01

    During a radon gas screening program, elevated levels of radon gas were detected in homes on Mackinac Island, Mich. Six homes on foundations with crawl spaces were selected for a research project aimed at reducing radon gas concentrations, which ranged from 12.9 to 82.3 pCi/l. Using isolation and ventilation techniques, and variations thereof, radon concentrations were reduced to less than 1 pCi/l. This paper reports that these reductions were achieved using 3.5 mil cross laminated or 10 mil high density polyethylene plastic as a barrier without sealing to the foundation or support piers, solid and/or perforated plastic pipe and mechanical fans. Wind turbines were found to be ineffective at reducing concentrations to acceptable levels. Homeowners themselves installed all materials

  4. Urban flood perceptions and mitigative behaviours: Peterborough, Edmonton, and Toronto

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandink, D.

    2009-01-01

    This abstract presents research from two studies investigating urban flood perceptions and mitigative behaviours of private individuals in Canada. The first study, completed in July, 2006, investigated perceptions of overland flooding and sewer backup resulting from extreme rainfall events in Peterborough, Ontario. The second, completed in November, 2007, investigated sewer backup perceptions of homeowners in Edmonton, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario. The research studies sought to explore: Hazard and risk perceptions of individuals affected by overland flooding and sewer backup; Knowledge of mitigative options, and mitigative actions taken by individual residents to reduce the risk of basement flood damage; Attributions of responsibility for urban flood damages; Awareness of municipal actions designed to reduce urban flood risk; Satisfaction with the cost sharing tools of insurance and government relief.

  5. Photovoltaics (PV) as an Eligible Measure in Residential PACE Programs: Benefits and Challenges (Fact Sheet)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coughlin, J.

    2010-06-01

    Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is one of several new financial models broadening access to clean energy by addressing the barrier of initial capital cost. The majority of the PACE programs in the market today include PV as an eligible measure. PV appeals to homeowners as a way to reduce utility bills, self-generate sustainable power, increase energy independence and demonstrate a commitment to the environment. If substantial state incentives for PV exist, PV projects can be economic under PACE, especially when partnered with good net metering policies. At the same time, PV is expensive relative to other eligible measures with a return on investment horizon that might exceed program targets. This fact sheet reviews the benefits and potential challenges of including PV in PACE programs.

  6. Banking on Solar: Debt Finance in Today's Distributed Market (Poster)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Louder, T.

    2014-10-01

    Over the last two years, several entities - from banks to credit unions to solar finance companies -have rolled out distributed solar-specific loan programs in the United States. These solar-specific loans are a distinct loan in that the underwriting, loan terms, lender security interest, and other programmatic aspects are designed exclusively for the financing of solar installations. Until recently, loan financing for distributed solar installations was largely through home equity loans, commercial loans, and other standardized loan products available to homeowners and businesses for general expenditures. However, as the U.S. solar market matures, so too are its financing options, and solar-specific loans stand to gain market share. This poster was presented at the Solar Power International conference in Las Vegas, NV in October 2014.

  7. Assessing the homogenization of urban land management with an application to US residential lawn care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polsky, Colin; Grove, J. Morgan; Knudson, Chris; Groffman, Peter M.; Bettez, Neil; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Hall, Sharon J.; Heffernan, James B.; Hobbie, Sarah E.; Larson, Kelli L.; Morse, Jennifer L.; Neill, Christopher; Nelson, Kristen C.; Ogden, Laura A.; O’Neil-Dunne, Jarlath; Pataki, Diane E.; Roy Chowdhury, Rinku; Steele, Meredith K.

    2014-01-01

    Changes in land use, land cover, and land management present some of the greatest potential global environmental challenges of the 21st century. Urbanization, one of the principal drivers of these transformations, is commonly thought to be generating land changes that are increasingly similar. An implication of this multiscale homogenization hypothesis is that the ecosystem structure and function and human behaviors associated with urbanization should be more similar in certain kinds of urbanized locations across biogeophysical gradients than across urbanization gradients in places with similar biogeophysical characteristics. This paper introduces an analytical framework for testing this hypothesis, and applies the framework to the case of residential lawn care. This set of land management behaviors are often assumed—not demonstrated—to exhibit homogeneity. Multivariate analyses are conducted on telephone survey responses from a geographically stratified random sample of homeowners (n = 9,480), equally distributed across six US metropolitan areas. Two behaviors are examined: lawn fertilizing and irrigating. Limited support for strong homogenization is found at two scales (i.e., multi- and single-city; 2 of 36 cases), but significant support is found for homogenization at only one scale (22 cases) or at neither scale (12 cases). These results suggest that US lawn care behaviors are more differentiated in practice than in theory. Thus, even if the biophysical outcomes of urbanization are homogenizing, managing the associated sustainability implications may require a multiscale, differentiated approach because the underlying social practices appear relatively varied. The analytical approach introduced here should also be productive for other facets of urban-ecological homogenization. PMID:24616515

  8. Out Drinking the Joneses: Neighborhood Factors Moderating the Effects of Drinking on Relationship Quality over the First Four Years of Marriage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crasta, Dev; Funk, Janette L; Lee, Soonhee; Rogge, Ronald D

    2017-12-27

    Neighborhood quality has been cross-sectionally linked to both relationship behaviors and relationship well-being. Consistent with the Vulnerability Stress-Adaptation model of relationship functioning (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), we hypothesized that associations between social behaviors (e.g., drinking) and relationship quality could be moderated by neighborhood factors. Specifically, we characterized neighborhoods along multiple dimensions using multiple methods (self-report, census) to investigate how neighborhood factors might clarify ambiguous effects of alcohol use on marital functioning. A nationally recruited sample of 303 newlywed couples completed a baseline assessment around the time of marriage and was then assessed yearly across the first 4 years of marriage (94% retention). Three level HLM slope-intercept models were used to model changes in relationship satisfaction across the first 4 years of marriage. Results suggested that, for couples living in highly disordered neighborhoods, positive shifts in overall levels of drinking within specific waves of assessment were associated with corresponding negative shifts in satisfaction whereas in neighborhoods without perceived disorder, this effect was reversed. For couples living in neighborhoods with low levels of domestic structures (high census rates of single renters without children), within-couple discrepancies favoring higher rates of husband drinking in specific waves predicted poorer relationship quality for both partners in those same waves whereas those same discrepancies predicted higher satisfaction in high domesticity neighborhoods (high census rates of married homeowners with children). The findings provide insight into the different roles of alcohol use in relationship maintenance and highlight the importance of using external context to understand intradyadic processes. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

  9. US DOE EECBG BBNP REPORT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Driscoll, Brian; Conkey, Todd; Edgar, George; Fox, Lisa; Kahl, Shannon; Lightbourn, Steve; Moubry, Cindy; Nettleton, Greg; Plunkett, Mike; Smith, Paul; Thibert-Blank, Jackie; Wollin, Amanda

    2013-12-31

    The Wisconsin Energy Efficiency (WE2) Program delivered residential and commercial programming for the City of Milwaukee (Me2) and the City of Madison (Green Madison) as well as commercial only programming for the City of Racine (Re2). Direct incentives and loan products for homeowners and business owners were offered, with the goal to achieve at least 15 percent in energy savings. At the time of this report, there were more than 2,000 residential energy efficiency upgrades completed and more than 300 commercial energy efficiency upgrades completed. The average energy savings for the WE2 Program’s portfolio of residential and commercial projects exceeds 15 percent and is closer to 30 percent energy savings. Combined energy savings of both residential and commercial activities were: 20,937,369 kWh; 1,018,907 Therms; and 31,655 gallons of heating oil; or at least 332,788 MMBTUs; or at least $3,444,828 in estimated energy costs saved. Conservative economic impact estimates include the employment of more than 100 residential auditors and contractors, more than 90 commercial contractors, and more than $41 million in total project costs expended in the targeted communities. WECC, along with the Partner Cities, attempted to create energy efficiency programming that helped to increase economic activity, increase workforce opportunities, and save energy in three of the largest communities in Wisconsin. Homeowners were assisted through the residential process by Energy Advocates, consultants, and contractors. Business owners were assisted through the commercial process by Program Advocates, contractors and trade allies. Contractors in both the residential and commercial programs were educated and trained by the many offerings provided by WECC. Together, all parties involved made the WE2 Program successful. The most prominent innovative approaches employed in the Me2 and Green Madison programs for residential retrofits were: use of a loan loss reserve approach to improve

  10. “Pets Negotiable”: How Do the Perspectives of Landlords and Property Managers Compare with Those of Younger Tenants with Dogs?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taryn M. Graham

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Previous research has shown that housing insecurity contributes to animal relinquishment and that tenants with dogs face disadvantages in the rental market. Still, little is known about how dog owners navigate rental markets, nor how landlords and property managers perceive dogs and other pets. This case study reports on in-depth interviews with younger tenants with dogs and on open-ended survey responses from landlords and property managers. In their housing searches, tenants with dogs reported feeling powerless in negotiations and feeling discriminated against. They described settling for substandard properties, often located in less desirable neighborhoods. Also, some said they felt obliged to stay put in these rentals, given how difficult it had been to find a place that would accommodate their dogs. Meanwhile, landlords and property managers indicated that listings advertised as “pet-friendly” tend to receive more applicants than listings in which pets are prohibited. Suggestions for improvement included meeting pets prior to signing the lease; getting everything in writing; steering clear from furnished units; charging utilities to tenants; and speeding up the pet approval process when dealing with condominium boards. These suggestions offer implications for future research, partnerships, and policy options to improve the prospects of pets and their people in rental housing.

  11. "Pets Negotiable": How Do the Perspectives of Landlords and Property Managers Compare with Those of Younger Tenants with Dogs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Taryn M; Milaney, Katrina J; Adams, Cindy L; Rock, Melanie J

    2018-02-27

    Previous research has shown that housing insecurity contributes to animal relinquishment and that tenants with dogs face disadvantages in the rental market. Still, little is known about how dog owners navigate rental markets, nor how landlords and property managers perceive dogs and other pets. This case study reports on in-depth interviews with younger tenants with dogs and on open-ended survey responses from landlords and property managers. In their housing searches, tenants with dogs reported feeling powerless in negotiations and feeling discriminated against. They described settling for substandard properties, often located in less desirable neighborhoods. Also, some said they felt obliged to stay put in these rentals, given how difficult it had been to find a place that would accommodate their dogs. Meanwhile, landlords and property managers indicated that listings advertised as "pet-friendly" tend to receive more applicants than listings in which pets are prohibited. Suggestions for improvement included meeting pets prior to signing the lease; getting everything in writing; steering clear from furnished units; charging utilities to tenants; and speeding up the pet approval process when dealing with condominium boards. These suggestions offer implications for future research, partnerships, and policy options to improve the prospects of pets and their people in rental housing.

  12. Smartphone-assisted spatial data collection improves geographic information quality: pilot study using a birth records dataset

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaohui Xu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available It is well known that the conventional, automated geocoding method based on self-reported residential addresses has many issues. We developed a smartphone-assisted aerial image-based method, which uses the Google Maps application programming interface as a spatial data collection tool during the birth registration process. In this pilot study, we have tested whether the smartphone-assisted method provides more accurate geographic information than the automated geocoding method in the scenario when both methods can get the address geocodes. We randomly selected 100 well-geocoded addresses among women who gave birth in Alachua county, Florida in 2012. We compared geocodes generated from three geocoding methods: i the smartphone-assisted aerial image-based method; ii the conventional, automated geocoding method; and iii the global positioning system (GPS. We used the GPS data as the reference method. The automated geocoding method yielded positional errors larger than 100 m among 29.3% of addresses, while all addresses geocoded by the smartphoneassisted method had errors less than 100 m. The positional errors of the automated geocoding method were greater for apartment/condominiums compared with other dwellings and also for rural addresses compared with urban ones. We conclude that the smartphone-assisted method is a promising method for perspective spatial data collection by improving positional accuracy.

  13. Associative Symmetry versus Independent Associations in the Memory for Object-Location Associations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sommer, Tobias; Rose, Michael; Buchel, Christian

    2007-01-01

    The formation of associations between objects and locations is a vital aspect of episodic memory. More specifically, remembering the location where one experienced an object and, vice versa, the object one encountered at a specific location are both important elements for the memory of an event. Whether episodic associations are holistic…

  14. Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy Challenge Home Program Certification of Production Builders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerrigan, P. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Loomis, H. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States)

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this project was to evaluate integrated packages of advanced measures in individual test homes to assess their performance with respect to Building America program goals, specifically compliance with the DOE Challenge Home Program. BSC consulted on the construction of five test houses by three cold climate production builders in three U.S. cities and worked with the builders to develop a design package tailored to the cost-related impacts for each builder. Also, BSC provided support through performance testing of the five test homes. Overall, the builders have concluded that the energy related upgrades (either through the prescriptive or performance path) represent reasonable upgrades. The builders commented that while not every improvement in specification was cost effective (as in a reasonable payback period), many were improvements that could improve the marketability of the homes and serve to attract more energy efficiency discerning prospective homeowners. However, the builders did express reservations on the associated checklists and added certifications. An increase in administrative time was observed with all builders. The checklists and certifications also inherently increase cost due to: adding services to the scope of work for various trades, such as HERS Rater, HVAC contractor; and increased material costs related to the checklists, especially the EPA Indoor airPLUS and EPA WaterSense® Efficient Hot Water Distribution requirement.

  15. The Performance House - A Cold Climate Challenge Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puttagunta, S. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Grab, J. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States); Williamson, J. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2013-08-01

    Working with builder partners on test homes allows for vetting of whole-house building strategies to eliminate any potential unintended consequences prior to implementing these solution packages on a production scale. To support this research, CARB partnered with Preferred Builders Inc. on a high-performance test home in Old Greenwich, CT. The philosophy and science behind the 2,700 ft2 "Performance House" was based on the premise that homes should be safe, healthy, comfortable, durable, efficient, and adapt with the homeowners. The technologies and strategies used in the "Performance House" were not cutting-edge, but simply "best practices practiced". The focus was on simplicity in construction, maintenance, and operation. When seeking a 30% source energy savings targets over a comparable 2009 IECC code-built home in the cold climate zone, nearly all components of a home must be optimized. Careful planning and design are critical. To help builders and architects seeking to match the performance of this home, a step-by-step guide through the building shell components of DOE's Challenge Home are provided in a pictorial story book. The end result was a DOE Challenge Home that achieved a HERS Index Score of 20 (43 without PV, the minimum target was 55 for compliance). This home was also awarded the 2012 HOBI for Best Green Energy Efficient Home from the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Connecticut.

  16. Strengthening Canada's position in the North American natural gas market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-09-01

    The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) is the industry organization that represents the Canadian natural gas and energy delivery industry. It is on the frontline of consumer perceptions regarding natural gas, which is the fuel of choice for Canadian homeowners. Canadian consumers have benefitted from the deregulation initiatives of the mid-1980s which provided significant growth opportunities. Given the tumultuous energy environment throughout North America, the CGA believes that a national energy strategy should be developed to address future supply issues and also to examine ways to ensure that extreme market shifts are anticipated and mitigated as much as possible. The CGA is ready to provide governments with input for such a strategy representing the perspective of the Canadian consumer. The CGA recommends that the Government of Canada, the provinces and territories adopt the following initiatives regarding the use of natural gas: (1) recognize and promote the environmental qualities and applications of natural gas, (2) encourage competition, (3) promote transparent and consistent approach to regulation, (4) reaffirm commitment to market-based policies, (5) facilitate economic research, analysis and communication about trends in the natural gas market, and (6) promote the development of new technologies that expand the uses of natural gas and support research in infrastructure development. The government's actions in the areas proposed in this report will contribute to advancing Canada's environmental objectives and economic growth. 2 figs

  17. Influences on domestic well water testing behavior in a Central Maine area with frequent groundwater arsenic occurrence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flanagan, Sara V; Marvinney, Robert G; Zheng, Yan

    2015-02-01

    In 2001 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a new standard for arsenic (As) in drinking water of 10 μg/L, replacing the old standard of 50 μg/L. However, for the 12% of the U.S. population relying on unregulated domestic well water, including half of the population of Maine, it is solely the well owner's responsibility to test and treat the water. A mailed household survey was implemented in January 2013 in 13 towns of Central Maine with the goal of understanding the population's testing and treatment practices and the key behavior influencing factors in an area with high well-water dependency and frequent natural groundwater As. The response rate was 58.3%; 525 of 900 likely-delivered surveys to randomly selected addresses were completed. Although 78% of the households reported that their well has been tested, half of it was more than 5 years ago. Among the 58.7% who believe they have tested for As, most do not remember the results. Better educated, higher income homeowners who more recently purchased their homes are most likely to have included As when last testing. While households agree that water and As-related health risks can be severe, they feel low personal vulnerability and there are low testing norms overall. Significant predictors of including As when last testing include: having knowledge that years of exposure increases As-related health risks (risk knowledge), knowing who to contact to test well water (action knowledge), believing that regular testing does not take too much time (instrumental attitude), and having neighbors who regularly test their water (descriptive norm). Homeowners in As-affected communities have the tendency to underestimate their As risks compared to their neighbors. The reasons for this optimistic bias require further study, but low testing behaviors in this area may be due to the influence of a combination of norm, ability, and attitude factors and barriers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Tech House

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    The members of the Swain family- Dr. Charles "Bill" Swain, wife Elaine, daughter Carol, 17, son "Chuck", 12, and dog Susie have an interesting assignment. They are active participants in an important NASA research program involving the application of space-age technology to home construction. b' Transplanted Floridians, the Swains now reside in NASA's Tech House, loatedat Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. Their job is to use and help evaluate the variety of advanced technology systems in Tech House. A contemporary three-bedroom home, Tech House incorporates NASA technology, the latest commercial building techniques and other innovations, all designed to reduce energy and water consumption and to provide new levels of comfort, convenience, security and fire safety. Tech House equipment performed well in initial tests, but a house is not a home until it has people. That's where the Swains come in. NASA wants to see how the various systems work under actual living conditions, to confirm the effectiveness of the innovations or to determine necessary modifications for improvement. The Swains are occupying the house for a year, during which NASA engineers are computer monitoring the equipment and assembling a record of day-to-day performance. . Tech House is a laboratory rather than a mass production prototype, but its many benefits may influence home design and construction. In a period of sharply rising utility costs, widespread adoption of Tech House features could provide large-scale savings to homeowners and potentially enormous national benefit in resources conservation. Most innovations are aerospace spinoffs: Some of the equipment is now commercially available; other systems are expected to be in production within a few years. Around 1980, a Tech House-type of home could be built for $45-50,000 (1 976 dollars). It is estimated that the homeowner would save well over $20,000 (again 1976 dollars) in utility costs over the average mortgage span of 20 years.

  19. Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Capella, Arthur [County of Fayette, Uniontown, PA (United States)

    2015-03-04

    The Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative represented a comprehensive and collaborative approach to promoting and implementing energy efficiency improvements. The initiative was designed to focus on implementing energy efficiency improvements in residential units, while simultaneously supporting general marketing of the benefits of implementing energy efficiency measures. The ultimate goal of Fayette County’s Better Buildings Initiative was to implement a total of 1,067 residential energy efficiency retrofits with a minimum 15% estimated energy efficiency savings per unit. Program partners included: United States Department of Energy, Allegheny Power, and Private Industry Council of Westmoreland-Fayette, Fayette County Redevelopment Authority, and various local partners. The program was open to any Fayette County residents who own their home and meet the prequalifying conditions. The level of assistance offered depended upon household income and commitment to undergo a BPI – Certified Audit and implement energy efficiency measures, which aimed to result in at least a 15% reduction in energy usage. The initiative was designed to focus on implementing energy efficiency improvements in residential units, while simultaneously supporting general marketing of the benefits of implementing energy efficiency measures. Additionally, the program had components that involved recruitment and training for employment of persons in the energy sector (green jobs), as well as marketing and implementation of a commercial or community facilities component. The residential component of Fayette County’s Better Buildings Initiative involved a comprehensive approach, providing assistance to low- moderate- and market-rate homeowners. The initiative will also coordinate activities with local utility providers to further incentivize energy efficiency improvements among qualifying homeowners. The commercial component of Fayette County’s Better Building Initiative involved grants

  20. Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Retrofitting a 1960s Split-Level Cold-Climate Home

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puttagunta, S.

    2015-08-01

    National programs such as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® and numerous other utility air sealing programs have brought awareness to homeowners of the benefits of energy efficiency retrofits. Yet, these programs tend to focus on the low-hanging fruit: air-sealing the thermal envelope and ductwork where accessible, switch to efficient lighting, and low-flow fixtures. At the other end of the spectrum, deep-energy retrofit programs are also being encouraged by various utilities across the country. While deep energy retrofits typically seek 50% energy savings, they are often quite costly and most applicable to gut-rehab projects. A significant potential for lowering energy usage in existing homes lies between the low hanging fruit and deep energy retrofit approaches - retrofits that save approximately 30% in energy over the existing conditions.

  1. Concentrations and environmental fate of Ra in cation-exchange regeneration brine waste disposed to septic tanks and accumulation in sludge, New Jersey Coastal Plain, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabo, Z.; Jacobsen, E.; Kraemer, T.F.; Parsa, B.

    2008-01-01

    Concentrations of Ra in liquid and solid wastes generated from 15 softeners treating domestic well waters from New Jersey Coastal Plain aquifers (where combined Ra (226Ra plus 228Ra) concentrations commonly exceed 0.185 Bq L-1) were determined. Softeners, when maintained, reduced combined Ra about 10-fold (septic-tank effluents receiving brine waste were less than in the untreated ground waters. The maximum combined Ra concentration in aquifer sands (40.7 Bq kg-1 dry weight) was less than that in sludge from the septic tanks (range, 84-363 Bq kg-1), indicating Ra accumulation in sludge from effluent. The combined Ra concentration in sludge from the homeowners' septic systems falls within the range reported for sludge samples from publicly owned treatment works within the region.

  2. Market forces can help lower waste volumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stavins, R.N.

    1993-01-01

    Market forces can go a long way toward helping communities solve their mounting solid-waste problems. In most communities the increasing costs of solid-waste disposal are invisible to the average homeowner because they are buried in local property tax rates. Even in the few communities that list disposal costs separately on tax bills, individual costs are not related to the volume of waste generated. Fundamental to an effective waste-management strategy is the removal of these distortions by getting the prices right. But even with improved price signals, there is no silver bullet of public policy for solid- and hazardous-waste management. Until the ubiquitous NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) problem is addressed, even the most innovative set of waste management policies will remain, at best, a partial solution

  3. A practice-theory approach of homeowners’ energy retrofits in four European areas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bartiaux, Franise Bartiaux; Gram-Hanssen, Kirsten; Fonseca, Paula

    2014-01-01

    This article examines whether and how energy retrofitting of owner-occupied dwellings can be understood within the framework of social practice theories. Practice theories help to shift the focus towards more collective approaches and practices, rather than towards individuals. In addressing...... this question, energy retrofits are described and their variability compared in four European areas: Denmark, Latvia, the Coimbra area in Portugal and Wallonia in Belgium. Although these areas have different geographical, cultural and housing contexts, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD......) provides a common form of regulation. As a policy, its main underlying intention is to promote the opportunities for energy retrofitting. Based on an analysis of 60 in-depth interviews with homeowners, it is found that energy retrofitting is not an integrative practice in 2010, despite the EPBD and other...

  4. Pilot aerial infrared roof top survey. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-10-15

    A summary is presented of a pilot aerial infrared roof top study conducted by the Minnesota Energy Agency. Infrared surveys of 27 Minnesota cities were conducted during the fall and winter of the 1976-1977 heating season. In addition, conventional daytime color photographs were taken of several cities. Film processing was done by the Environmental Protection Agency. The University of Minnesota conducted ground tests to verify the aerial infrared imagery. Thermograph dissemination centers were established in each city and training seminars and materials were prepared and delivered to dissemination center staff. A survey of homeowners who viewed their thermograph at a dissemination center were used to determine the energy savings resulting from the program. An Aerial Infrared Program Users Manual was prepared by the Energy Agency and the Remote Sensing Institute of Brookings, South Dakota.

  5. Drivers for retrofit: a sociocultural approach to houses and inhabitants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tjørring, Lise; Gausset, Quentin

    2018-01-01

    , retrofits were investigated from the perspective of the everyday life of homeowners. Three social dimensions that played an important role when the people in the study discussed house renovation were identified and discussed: houses as part of homeowners’ life cycles and personal events; houses......Private households constitute approximately 30% of the total energy consumption in Denmark. The greatest potential for reducing energy consumption in private households is through retrofits of existing houses. One of the most common ways to promote retrofits is the act of sending an energy advisor...... as frameworks for social relations; and houses as markers of social values and status. These results indicate a need to develop new strategies to promote retrofits more effectively, which focus less on the techno-economic aspects and more on the social dimensions....

  6. Communicating radon risk effectively: a mid-course evaluation. Interim report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, V.K.; Desvousges, W.H.; Fisher, A.; Johnson, F.R.

    1987-07-01

    A panel of 2300 homeowners was divided into subgroups to test the effectiveness of six alternative ways of explaining the risk from naturally occurring radon gas. The research design focused on two dimensions: qualitative vs. quantitative and directive vs. evaluative. These characteristics led to 4 experimental booklets, which were compared with EPA's Citizen's Guide and a one-page fact sheet. The evaluation examined how much people learned about radon; whether they could form risk perceptions consistent with their home's measured radon level; and whether they felt they had enough information to make a decision about mitigation. The fact sheet did not perform well on any of these evaluation criteria. None of the five booklets clearly was best for all 3 evaluation criteria; the report discusses the implications for designing an effective radon-risk communication program

  7. Intended Brand Associations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Koll, Oliver; von Wallpach, Sylvia

    2014-01-01

    of actual consumer brand associations and management-intended brand associations (brand association match). The article presents results from two large-scale studies (3353 and 1201 respondents) involving one consumer goods and one service brand with multiple operationalizations of consumer response...... (attitudinal and behavioral). The results show that consumers with high brand association match show more positive brand response. However, after accounting for the valence of associations match does not add explanatory power. This outcome challenges a key foundation of brand management. The discussion......Brand managers exhibit considerable effort to define intended brand associations to anchor in consumers' minds. They follow a credo deeply rooted in branding literature: intended brand associations drive consumer response and brand equity. This article investigates the benefits of a strong overlap...

  8. Aberrant cortical associative plasticity associated with severe adult Tourette syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Rodríguez, Juan Francisco; Ruiz-Rodríguez, María Adilia; Palomar, Francisco J; Cáceres-Redondo, María Teresa; Vargas, Laura; Porcacchia, Paolo; Gómez-Crespo, Mercedes; Huertas-Fernández, Ismael; Carrillo, Fátima; Madruga-Garrido, Marcos; Mir, Pablo

    2015-03-01

    Recent studies have shown altered cortical plasticity in adult patients with Tourette syndrome. However, the clinical significance of this finding remains elusive. Motor cortical plasticity was evaluated in 15 adult patients with severe Tourette syndrome and 16 healthy controls using the paired associative stimulation protocol by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Associations between paired associative stimulation-induced plasticity and relevant clinical variables, including cortical excitability, psychiatric comorbidities, drug treatment and tic severity, were assessed. Motor cortical plasticity was abnormally increased in patients with Tourette syndrome compared with healthy subjects. This abnormal plasticity was independently associated with tic severity. Patients with severe Tourette syndrome display abnormally increased cortical associative plasticity. This aberrant cortical plasticity was associated with tic severity, suggesting an underlying mechanism for tic pathophysiology. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  9. Associations From Pictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Rune

    A picture can be interpreted in different ways by various persons. There is often a difference between a picture's denotation (literal meaning), connotation (associative meaning), and private associations. Two studies were conducted in order to observe the private associations that pictures awaken in people. One study deals with associations made…

  10. A Review of the Current Evidence regarding Industrial Wind Turbines and Property Values from a Homeowner's Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulden, Wayne E.

    2011-01-01

    As more wind energy projects are constructed and placed into operation, their potential downsides are becoming more apparent to a larger number of people. One of the most contentious issues is that of the potential loss of property values for those who happen to own homes close to these projects. This issue may be more parochial and therefore…

  11. Predicting homeowners' approval of fuel management at the wild-urban interface using the theory of reasoned action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christine A. Vogt; Greg Winter; Jeremy S. Fried

    2005-01-01

    Social science models are increasingly needed as a framework for explaining and predicting how members of the public respond to the natural environment and their communities. The theory of reasoned action is widely used in human dimensions research on natural resource problems and work is ongoing to increase the predictive power of models based on this theory. This...

  12. Omaha Soil Mixing Study: Redistribution of Lead in Remediated Residential Soils Due to Excavation or Homeowner Disturbance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urban soils within the Omaha Lead Superfund Site have been contaminated with lead (Pb) from atmospheric deposition of particulate materials from lead smelting and recycling activities. In May of 2009 the Final Record of Decision stated that any residential soil exceeding the pre...

  13. Risk factors associated with development of ventilator associated pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noor, Ahmed; Hussain, Syed Fayyaz

    2005-02-01

    To assess the risk factors associated with development of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). A case control study. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between January 1999 and June 2000. All patients with assisted mechanical ventilation were assessed for the development of VAP. Risk factors associated with development of VAP were determined. Adult patients who developed pneumonia, 48 hours after ventilation, were called cases while those who did not develop pneumonia were called controls. Seventy (28%) out of 250 mechanically ventilated patients developed VAP (rate of VAP was 26 cases per 1000 ventilator days). Shock during first 48 hours of ventilation (odds ratio (OR), 5.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.83-12.52), transport out of ICU during mechanical ventilation (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 2.92-12.37), re-intubation (OR, 4.23; 95% CI, 2.53-9.85), prior episode of aspiration of gastric content (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.35-7.01), and use of antibiotics prior to intubation (OR,2.55; 95% CI, 1.20-5.41) were found to be independently associated with a higher risk of developing VAP. Gram negative organisms and Staphylococcus aureus were responsible for over 90% of cases. Patients with VAP had higher crude mortality rate (57.1%) compared with controls (32.2%). Ventilator associated pneumonia is associated with a high mortality. This study has identified risk factors associated with VAP.

  14. Priming in a free association task as a function of association directionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeelenberg, R; Shiffrin, R M; Raaijmakers, J G

    1999-11-01

    Two experiments investigated priming in free association, a conceptual implicit memory task. The stimuli consisted of bidirectionally associated word pairs (e.g., BEACH-SAND) and unidirectionally associated word pairs that have no association from the target response back to the stimulus cue (e.g., BONE-DOG). In the study phase, target words (e.g., SAND, DOG) were presented in an incidental learning task. In the test phase, participants generated an associate to the stimulus cues (e.g., BEACH, BONE). In both experiments, priming was obtained for targets (e.g., SAND) that had an association back to the cue, but not for targets (e.g., DOG) for which such a backward association was absent. These results are problematic for theoretical accounts that attribute priming in free association to the strengthening of target responses. It is argued that priming in free association depends on the strengthening of cue-target associations.

  15. Association of prediabetes-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms with microalbuminuria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jong Wook; Moon, Shinje; Jang, Eun Jung; Lee, Chang Hwa; Park, Joon-Sung

    2017-01-01

    Increased glycemic exposure, even below the diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus, is crucial in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications represented by microalbuminuria. Nonetheless, there is limited evidence regarding which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with prediabetes and whether genetic predisposition to prediabetes is related to microalbuminuria, especially in the general population. Our objective was to answer these questions. We conducted a genomewide association study (GWAS) separately on two population-based cohorts, Ansung and Ansan, in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). The initial GWAS was carried out on the Ansung cohort, followed by a replication study on the Ansan cohort. A total of 5682 native Korean participants without a significant medical illness were classified into either control group (n = 3153) or prediabetic group (n = 2529). In the GWAS, we identified two susceptibility loci associated with prediabetes, one at 17p15.3-p15.1 in the GCK gene and another at 7p15.1 in YKT6. When variations in GCK and YKT6 were used as a model of prediabetes, this genetically determined prediabetes increased microalbuminuria. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that fasting glucose concentration in plasma and SNP rs2908289 in GCK were associated with microalbuminuria, and adjustment for age, gender, smoking history, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and serum triglyceride levels did not attenuate this association. Our results suggest that prediabetes and the associated SNPs may predispose to microalbuminuria before the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Further studies are needed to explore the details of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying this genetic association.

  16. Association of prediabetes-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms with microalbuminuria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jong Wook; Moon, Shinje; Jang, Eun Jung; Lee, Chang Hwa; Park, Joon-Sung

    2017-01-01

    Increased glycemic exposure, even below the diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus, is crucial in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications represented by microalbuminuria. Nonetheless, there is limited evidence regarding which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with prediabetes and whether genetic predisposition to prediabetes is related to microalbuminuria, especially in the general population. Our objective was to answer these questions. We conducted a genomewide association study (GWAS) separately on two population-based cohorts, Ansung and Ansan, in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). The initial GWAS was carried out on the Ansung cohort, followed by a replication study on the Ansan cohort. A total of 5682 native Korean participants without a significant medical illness were classified into either control group (n = 3153) or prediabetic group (n = 2529). In the GWAS, we identified two susceptibility loci associated with prediabetes, one at 17p15.3-p15.1 in the GCK gene and another at 7p15.1 in YKT6. When variations in GCK and YKT6 were used as a model of prediabetes, this genetically determined prediabetes increased microalbuminuria. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that fasting glucose concentration in plasma and SNP rs2908289 in GCK were associated with microalbuminuria, and adjustment for age, gender, smoking history, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and serum triglyceride levels did not attenuate this association. Our results suggest that prediabetes and the associated SNPs may predispose to microalbuminuria before the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Further studies are needed to explore the details of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying this genetic association. PMID:28158221

  17. Catheter-associated UTI

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... UTI; Health care-associated UTI; Catheter-associated bacteriuria; Hospital acquired-UTI Images Bladder catheterization, female Bladder catheterization, male References Calfee DP. Prevention and control of health care-associated infections. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil ...

  18. Protein complexes associated with the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-encoded LANA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaul, Rajeev; Verma, Subhash C.; Robertson, Erle S.

    2007-01-01

    Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the major biological cofactor contributing to development of Kaposi's sarcoma. KSHV establishes a latent infection in human B cells expressing the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), a critical factor in the regulation of viral latency. LANA is known to modulate viral and cellular gene expression. We report here on some initial proteomic studies to identify cellular proteins associated with the amino and carboxy-terminal domains of LANA. The results of these studies show an association of known cellular proteins which support LANA functions and have identified additional LANA-associated proteins. These results provide new evidence for complexes involving LANA with a number of previously unreported functional classes of proteins including DNA polymerase, RNA helicase and cell cycle control proteins. The results also indicate that the amino terminus of LANA can interact with its carboxy-terminal domain. This interaction is potentially important for facilitating associations with other cell cycle regulatory proteins which include CENP-F identified in association with both the amino and carboxy-termini. These novel associations add to the diversity of LANA functions in relation to the maintenance of latency and subsequent transformation of KSHV infected cells

  19. Staff Association

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2014-01-01

    Remove of the staff association office   The Staff Association offices are going to be renovated during the coming four months, February to May 2014. The physical move from our current premises 64/R-002 to our temporary office in  510/R-010 will take place on Friday January 31st, so the Secretariat will be closed on that day. Hence, from Monday February 3rd until the end of May 2014 the Staff Association Secretariat will be located in 510/R-010 (entrance just across the CERN Printshop).    

  20. Helicobacter heilmannii-associated Gastritis: Clinicopathologic Findings and Comparison with Helicobacter pylori-associated Gastritis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwak, Ji Eun; Chang, Sun Hee; Kim, Hanseong; Chi, Je G.; Kim, Kyung-Ah; Yang, Jeon Ho; Lee, June Sung; Moon, Young-Soo; Kim, Kyoung-Mee

    2007-01-01

    The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinicopathologic features of Helicobacter heilmannii-associated gastritis and to compare H. heilmannii-associated gastritis with H. pylori-associated gastritis. We reviewed 5,985 consecutive gastric biopsy specimens. All cases of chronic gastritis with Helicobacter infection were evaluated with the Updated Sydney System, and the grades of all gastritis variables were compared between H. heilmannii-associated gastritis and H. pylori-associated gastritis groups. There were 10 cases of H. heilmannii-associated gastritis (0.17%) and 3,285 cases of H. pylori-associated gastritis (54.9%). The organisms were superficially located within the mucous layer without adhesion to epithelial cells. Interestingly, in one case many intracytoplasmic H. heilmannii organisms were observed in parietal cells with cell damage. A case of low-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma concomitant with H. heilmannii infection was detected. Compared to H. pylori-associated gastritis, H. heilmannii-associated gastritis showed less severe neutrophilic activity (pgastritis devoid of erosion or ulcer (p=0.0309). In conclusion, we present the detailed clinicopathologic findings of H. heilmannii-associated gastritis compared to H. pylori-associated gastritis. H. heilmannii-associated gastritis is uncommon and milder than H. pylori-associated gastritis, however it may be noteworthy with respect to the development of MALT lymphoma. PMID:17297253

  1. Cdk1-Cyclin B1-mediated Phosphorylation of Tumor-associated Microtubule-associated Protein/Cytoskeleton-associated Protein 2 in Mitosis*

    OpenAIRE

    Uk Hong, Kyung; Kim, Hyun-Jun; Kim, Hyo-Sil; Seong, Yeon-Sun; Hong, Kyeong-Man; Bae, Chang-Dae; Park, Joobae

    2009-01-01

    During mitosis, establishment of structurally and functionally sound bipolar spindles is necessary for maintaining the fidelity of chromosome segregation. Tumor-associated microtubule-associated protein (TMAP), also known as cytoskeleton-associated protein 2 (CKAP2), is a mitotic spindle-associated protein whose level is frequently up-regulated in various malignancies. Previous reports have suggested that TMAP is a potential regulator of mitotic spindle assembly and dynamics and that it is re...

  2. Interval of Routine Maintenance and Maintenance Performance: A Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Au-Yong Cheong Peng

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In high-rise residential buildings, the quality of facilities management services is significant to the normal operation of the facilities. Unfortunately, lack of concern towards building maintenance, especially preventive maintenance, happens in domestic housing industry in Malaysia. Majority of the maintenance operations of condominiums suffer from lack of planning, lack of proactive maintenance plan, and lack of proper implementation. Thus, this paper reviews the implementation of preventive maintenance strategy, routine maintenance in specific. An extensive review of literature published in 1987 to 2014 is performed for the purpose of this research. The publications are sourced from journal articles, conference proceedings and books. The literature analysis confirms that the routine maintenance of facilities and building services is vital and it can be influential towards the maintenance performance. Subsequently, a theoretical framework is developed, which shows the relationship between routine maintenance of building facilities & services and maintenance performance. The building facilities & services are divided into two categories. They are essential facilities & services that ensure the safety, health, habitability, and operability of buildings; while value-added facilities & services deal with property value, return on investment, and quality living of buildings. Based on the findings, a future research is proposed, which aims to identify the appropriate routine of maintenance for the facilities and services in high-rise residential buildings to improve the maintenance performance.

  3. Agir no regime de desumanização: Esboço de um modelo para análise da sociabilidade urbana na cidade do Rio de Janeiro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jussara Freire

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo apresenta questões e resultados parciais da pesquisa em andamento Direitos Humanos e Vida Cotidiana: Pluralidade de Lógicas e “Violência Urbana”, coordenada pela autora1. Aqui, reflito sobre os repertórios sobre a “violência urbana” e os “direitos humanos” por quatro tipos de coletivos do Rio de Janeiro: moradores de condomínios fechados, policiais militares, advogados que atuam em defesa dos direitos humanos e familiares de vítima de violência policial. Isso evidencia uma gramática de sociabilidade que não toma como evidente o pertencimento de todos os citadinos a uma humanidade comum. This article Acting in the Regime of Dehumanisation: Outline for a Model for Analysing Urban Sociability in Rio de Janeiro presents questions and partial results of the ongoing research Human Rights and Everyday Life: Plurality of Rationales and “Urban Violence”, coordinated by the author. Here reflections are made on the repertoires about “urban violence” and “human rights” by four kinds of Rio de Janeiro groups: residents of closed condominiums, military police officers, attorneys who act in defence of human rights and the relatives of police violence victims. This reveals a grammar of sociability that does not take it as given that all the city’s residents belong to a common humankind.

  4. The Influence of Place Making’s Attributes on the Resident’s Usage and Satisfaction in High-Rise Residential Community: A Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aflaki Ardalan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The vitality and viability of open spaces in urban neighborhoods, particularly in high-density residential areas with limited buildable land, have become extremely complex phenomenon. Researchers and designers are seeking the standard of designed environment to successfully meet the human needs and desires. In order to reach this goal, limited studies have been implemented to bridge the gap between research and design and consequently improve the physical and social qualities of open spaces. This paper examines the two specific features of open space accessibility, social interactions - which contribute significantly to both the vitality and viability with a view to provide an understanding of the relative importance of these elements from users’ perceptions and satisfaction. The methods involve quantitative research with questionnaire-based survey, and case study to evaluate residents’ perceptions. The research scope is a high-density residential condominium in Kuala Lumpur where the rapid transformation of urban elements in city center has negative impacts on basic qualities of open spaces. The result is a framework for understanding the relative priority of the different elements (variables for users which vary depending on the location of the residential block they live in; in particular its proximity to the open space. The study concludes with recommendations for how the most valuable elements can be better harnessed in order to promote the satisfaction with open spaces.

  5. Active solar heating and cooling information user study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belew, W.W.; Wood, B.L.; Marle, T.L.; Reinhardt, C.L.

    1981-01-01

    The results of a series of telephone interviews with groups of users of information on active solar heating and cooling (SHAC). An earlier study identified the information user groups in the solar community and the priority (to accelerate solar energy commercialization) of getting information to each group. In the current study only high-priority groups were examined. Results from 19 SHAC groups respondents are analyzed in this report: DOE-Funded Researchers, Non-DOE-Funded Researchers, Representatives of Manufacturers (4 groups), Distributors, Installers, Architects, Builders, Planners, Engineers (2 groups), Representatives of Utilities, Educators, Cooperative Extension Service County Agents, Building Owners/Managers, and Homeowners (2 groups). The data will be used as input to the determination of information products and services the Solar Energy Research Institute, the Solar Energy Information Data Bank Network, and the entire information outreach community should be preparing and disseminating.

  6. Blazing a trail: an interview with Conergy's Hans-Martin Rueter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rueter, H.M.; Jones, J.

    2006-01-01

    The Conergy company, based in Hamburg, is active on five continents and is one of the world's most successful renewable energy businesses. Its turnover is about 800 million Euros and it has a staff of 1200. Hans-Martin Rueter founded the company in 1998 and is currently its Chief Executive Officer. In an interview, he revealed that he expects the renewables market will be worth US$300 billion by 2015. He sees three major market sectors to be exploited: they are (a) power-plant scale installations; (b) 'solitaire' installations such as homeowners might purchase and (c) network systems using a combination of systems such as PV with wind. Rueter is already expanding into new markets worldwide and becoming less dependent on the German market. He explains his strategy for finding new markets and providing what the customer wants. (author)

  7. Fire hazards at the urban-wildland interface: what the public expects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortner, Hanna J.; Gardner, Philip D.; Taylor, Jonathan G.

    1990-01-01

    Urban-wildland issues have become among the most contentious and problematic issues for forest managers. Using data drawn from surveys conducted by the authors and others, this article discusses how public knowledge and perceptions of fire policies and fire hazards change over time, the kinds of policy responses homeowners prefer as a way of preventing fire hazards at the urban-wildland interface, and how citizens view their own obligations as participants in interface issues. These data show that public attitudes toward fire have changed significantly over the past two decades and that educating the public about fire and the managers' use of fire can have positive effects on behavior. Yet, modifying the individual's behavior in regard to interface fire risks must also deal with important issues of individual incentives, the distribution of costs, and unanticipated policy impacts.

  8. Real estate transaction radon test tampering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritter, D.L.

    1990-01-01

    A thousand-house study, over the past two years showed 35% of the houses were tampered with. This paper offers statistical charts representing the different methods of tampering; A slide presentation showing houses and the non-tamper controls used to monitor EPA closed-house conditions, movement of detectors and covering of detectors. A strong message must be conveyed now, that tampering will not be tolerated by radon technicians, when performing radon tests in the field. A message that incorporates non-tamper controls that are cost effective and provide for reasonably priced testing; A message that will lend credibility to our Radon industry by means of separating the professional test from a do-it-yourself homeowner test. This paper will address that message and offer a program for the prevention of tampering in a house during a PROFESSIONALLY done Radon test

  9. An Experimental and Analytical Evaluation of Wall And Window Retrofit Configurations: Supporting the Residential Retrofit Best Practices Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stovall, Therese K [ORNL; Petrie, Thomas [ORNL; Kosny, Jan [ORNL; Childs, Phillip W [ORNL; Atchley, Jerald Allen [ORNL; Hulvey, Kimberly D [ORNL

    2007-11-01

    A Retrofit Best Practices Guide was developed to encourage homeowners to consider energy conservation issues whenever they modify their siding or windows. In support of this guide, an experimental program was implemented to measure the performance of a number of possible wall siding and window retrofit configurations. Both thermal and air-leakage measurements were made for a 2.4 x 2.4 m (8 x 8 ft) wall section with and without a 0.9 x 1.2 m (3 x 4 ft) window. The windows tested were previously well-characterized at a dedicated window test facility. A computer model was also used to provide information for the Best Practices Guide. The experimental data for walls and windows were used in conjunction with this model to estimate the total annual energy savings for several typical houses in a number of different locations.

  10. Community-based radon education programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laquatra, J.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that in the United States, educational programs about radon gas have been developed and implemented by federal and state government entities and other organizations, including the Cooperative Extension Service and affiliated land grant universities. Approaches have included the production of brochures, pamphlets, workshops for targeted audiences, and consumer telephone hotlines. In a free market for radon mitigation products and services, these efforts can be appropriate for their credibility, lack of bias, and individualized approaches. The purpose of this paper is to report on an educational program about radon undertaken by Cornell Cooperative Extension, including county-based workshops targeted to homeowners, housing professionals, high school teachers, and others. An analysis of survey data from program participants forms the basis for a discussion of the effectiveness of the Cooperative Extension Service in reaching the public about this topic

  11. Feasibility study of a hybrid renewable energy system with geothermal and solar heat sources for residential buildings in South Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Ju; Woo, Nam Sub; Jang, Sung Cheol; Choi, Jeong Ju

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates the economic feasibility of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) that uses geothermal and solar heat sources for water heating, space heating, and space cooling in a residential building in Korea. A small-scale HRES consists of a geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling, solar collectors for hot water, a gas-fired backup boiler, and incidental facilities. To determine whether the Hares will produce any economic benefits for homeowners, an economic analysis is conducted to compare the Hares with conventional methods of space heating and cooling in Korea. The payback period of a small-scale Hares is predicted as a maximum of 9 yrs by life cycle costing based on a performance index compared with conventional systems. However, the payback period of large-scale HRES above 400 RT is 6 yrs to 7 yrs.

  12. Can Household Benefit from Stochastic Programming Models?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Kourosh Marjani; Madsen, Claus A.; Poulsen, Rolf

    2014-01-01

    The Danish mortgage market is large and sophisticated. However, most Danish mortgage banks advise private home-owners based on simple, if sensible, rules of thumb. In recent years a number of papers (from Nielsen and Poulsen in J Econ Dyn Control 28:1267–1289, 2004 over Rasmussen and Zenios in J...... Risk 10:1–18, 2007 to Pedersen et al. in Ann Oper Res, 2013) have suggested a model-based, stochastic programming approach to mortgage choice. This paper gives an empirical comparison of performance over the period 2000–2010 of the rules of thumb to the model-based strategies. While the rules of thumb.......3–0.9 %-points (depending on the borrower’s level of conservatism) compared to the rules of thumb without increasing the risk. The answer to the question in the title is thus affirmative....

  13. Energy Saving Homes and Buildings, Continuum Magazine, Spring 2014 / Issue 6 (Book)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2014-03-01

    This issue of Continuum focuses on NREL's research to improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings. Heating, cooling, and lighting our homes and commercial structures account for more than 70% of all electricity used in the United States. That costs homeowners, businesses, and government agencies more than $400 billion annually, about 40% of our nation's total energy costs. Producing that energy contributes almost 40% of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions.By 2030, an estimated 900 billion square feet of new and rebuilt construction will be developed worldwide, providing an unprecedented opportunity to create efficient, sustainable buildings. Increasing the energy performance of our homes alone could potentially eliminate up to 160 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and lower residential energy bills by $21 billion annually by the end of the decade.

  14. Feasibility study of a hybrid renewable energy system with geothermal and solar heat sources for residential buildings in South Korea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Young Ju; Woo, Nam Sub [Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Sung Cheol [Mechatronics Department of the Korea Aviation Polytechnic College, Sacheon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jeong Ju [Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-08-15

    This study investigates the economic feasibility of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) that uses geothermal and solar heat sources for water heating, space heating, and space cooling in a residential building in Korea. A small-scale HRES consists of a geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling, solar collectors for hot water, a gas-fired backup boiler, and incidental facilities. To determine whether the Hares will produce any economic benefits for homeowners, an economic analysis is conducted to compare the Hares with conventional methods of space heating and cooling in Korea. The payback period of a small-scale Hares is predicted as a maximum of 9 yrs by life cycle costing based on a performance index compared with conventional systems. However, the payback period of large-scale HRES above 400 RT is 6 yrs to 7 yrs.

  15. Development of energy renovation packages for Danish residential single family houses - parcel houses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pomianowski, Michal Zbigniew; Antonov, Yovko Ivanov; Heiselberg, Per Kvols

    Work presented in this technical report was developed as a port of Horizon 2020 EU project REFURB. The number of deep energy retrofits is falling behind the EU ambitious targets. The REFURB project aims at finding technical and nontechnical solutions that would match demand and supply side......-selected homeowner target groups was based on (I) selection of dwelling segment with high impact and energy saving potential. (II)Sequenced approach in creating package solutions. (III)Compelling offer to be proposed with specific timing. This report focuses mainly on the second listed component, namely, development...... of the residential building renovation market. Due to the multiple significant differences at the national level, compelling offers were developed specifically for each country participant. This report elaborates only on Danish approach, as stated in [1], the Danish approach to create compelling offers for pre...

  16. Solar Leasing Summary, Houston Texas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammer, Mary [City of San Antonio, TX (United States)

    2013-02-14

    A relatively new option for homeowners looking to add solar to their home is the solar lease. At present, the solar lease option can be found in California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Hawaii, New York and Oregon. The most active companies currently offering solar leases are NRG Energy, Sungevity, Solar City and Sun Run. With the uncertainty and/or lack of subsidies the states participating in these programs have ebbed and flowed over the last few years. However, there is an expectation that in the current market solar leasing will make solar viable without the utility and federal subsidies. NRG Energy is currently testing this expectation in Houston, TX where currently no subsidies or incentives beyond the federal tax incentives, exist. Following is an explanation on the state of solar leasing in Houston, TX and explanation of the current financing options.

  17. Staff Association Cocktail

    CERN Multimedia

    Staff Association

    2017-01-01

    The Staff Association has been organising for many years a cocktail with delegates of the Member States participating in Finance Committees of March and September. This cocktail is held at the end of the day, after the Finance Committee meeting. This direct and regular communication helps establish an ongoing contact between the Staff Association and CERN Member States and, more recently, the Associate Member States. Ambassadors of the CERN Staff Association, who are Members of the Personnel, have the opportunity to meet their national delegation in an informal and friendly atmosphere. These exchanges, facilitated by the use of the national language, allow the personnel via the Staff Association to express its ideas and positions on current affairs and fundamental issues, and also to hear about those of the delegations in return.

  18. Associative Memory Acceptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Card, Roger

    The properties of an associative memory are examined in this paper from the viewpoint of automata theory. A device called an associative memory acceptor is studied under real-time operation. The family "L" of languages accepted by real-time associative memory acceptors is shown to properly contain the family of languages accepted by one-tape,…

  19. Grouping by association: using associative networks for document categorization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bloom, Niels

    2015-01-01

    In this thesis we describe a method of using associative networks for automatic doc- ument grouping. Associative networks are networks of ideas or concepts in which each concept is linked to concepts that are semantically similar to it. By activating concepts in the network based on the text of a

  20. Astronomy from the Moon: A New Frontier for 21st Century Astrophysics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durst, Steve

    2018-06-01

    The International Lunar Observatory Association of Hawai'i USA continues into its second decade with research and development of South Pole instruments for astronomy, observation and communication from the Moon. Since the pioneering first astronomy observations from the Moon by Apollo 16 Commander John Young (an ILOA founding-emeritus director until his recent passing), with China Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope LUT operations and current American and European considerations for far-side radio telescopes, today's climate is most promising for a diversity of lunar-based astronomy locations, instruments and technologies. ILOA is aiming to advance this frontier through its Galaxy First Light Imaging program, being developed through contracts with Moon Express and Canadensys Aerospace Corp.A wide variety of extreme and unique lunar conditions enable many astronomy activities and installations, on the Moon's near-side, far-side, north pole, and south pole: The extremely thin lunar exosphere favors observations in millimeter / submillimeter to optical, UV, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths; the highly stable platform that is the Moon provides for long-duration observations; ultra cold, shaded areas for cryogenic infrared instruments; far-side radio-quiet environment for radio telescopes and VLF astronomy; 1/6-Earth gravity for production and utilization of new, very lightweight materials and instruments, including large refractors, 100-m class liquid mirror telescopes, and possibly 1,000-m class radio telescopes and interferometer antenna arrays vastly larger than Atacama LMA; North and especially South Pole sites, with high peaks and long solar power windows, offer perhaps the widest variety of lunar conditions and opportunities for astronomical innovation on the Moon: a veritable "condominium of observatories".21st century astrophysics seems likely to find Luna a very busy and productive new frontier, as American Astronomical Society and IAU members will validate, with